Too often, we find ourselves anchored in the present—addressing today’s problems, meeting current needs, and catering to today’s users.
It’s a natural inclination; the present is tangible, urgent, and demands our attention.
But what if our most significant endeavor isn’t to design for today, but to at least try to envision a tomorrow we can’t yet see?
When we design, we’re not just crafting solutions for the now—we’re shaping the foundation for what lies ahead.
The real challenge?
Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's right-hand man, once said:
“80 or 90 important models will carry about 90% of the freight in making you a worldly-wise person.”
Mental models are the frameworks we use to understand the world.
They’re the lenses through which we see problems, opportunities, and challenges.
And like any tool, they can either sharpen our ability to cut through the noise or, if ignored, dull our perception.
Are we beginning to reimagine what it means to be human?
As we craft AI in our image, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re venturing into uncharted territory—playing a role we were never meant to play, not because we should, but because we can.
We’re building AI models that have the potential to think, respond, and adapt like us.
The fact that ChatGPT has already passed the Turing Test is a testament to the grand scale of technology that we’re dealing with.
Imagine a world where...
In the last day or so, I’ve found myself thinking about a friend from my school days.
I don’t know why he’s been on my mind, but I can’t help but wonder where he is now and if he ever found his way.
Let’s call him Dan.
Dan was quiet, kindhearted, and incredibly bright. We didn’t spend a lot of time together, in or out of school, but when we did, there was a connection, a mutual respect.
Dan was autistic. And by that, I mean genuinely autistic.
These days, “autism” seems to be...
Life is a fleeting, unpredictable, and unapologetic journey.
For most of us, it’s filled with more darkness than we’d like to admit.
We can’t always pinpoint where it comes from, and often, we struggle to tame it, to turn it into something more.
But darkness is part of being human, it’s woven into the fabric of our existence.
Yet, what makes all the darkness worth enduring are those rare, unexpected glimmers of light that break through.
When they come, they feel almost magical, divine.
There’s something beautiful about writing that other forms of media don’t possess.
You can write with such detail, such thought, and such elegance, in a way that can only partially be captured verbally or visually.
Writing gives us the space to pause, to reflect, and to choose our words with intention.
It’s not just about the act of putting words on a page; it’s about the connection those words create between the writer and the reader.
When you write, you’re not just conveying information
We're all on this journey together.
Each of us walks through life with complex adversities that shape us over time.
Even if you and I have similar goals, similar problems, and similar occupations, the nuances and complexities of our lives will still differentiate us in ways we can't imagine.
Your life is yours and yours only - no one will understand it better than you.
And likewise, you'll never...
No matter what you do, you will suffer because life is suffering.
You will suffer the pain of never amounting to your own expectations.
Equally, should you achieve something, you will suffer the sacrifices it took to get there.
There is no path forward that doesn’t involve pain and suffering.
Failure to acknowledge this is ignorance at its very best.
There are no handouts.
Everything has a cost.
What if you were the chosen one?
What if you were the one destined to change everything?
That your life isn’t like everyone else's, that your purpose is something more important, more profound.
That you are part of a prophecy destined to come true, destined to change everything.
These are the characteristics we commonly associate with the idea of the chosen one.
It’s an idea that resonates deeply with the majority of people.
But why?
Life is fragile.
In the beginning, this experience feels like a long road to walk.
By the end, it feels like it’s come and gone in the blink of an eye.
You come from the unknown, and when your time comes, you return to the unknown.
In between you live.
You love.
You experience something.
But the nature of what you experience is fragile, afforded by a delicate balance throughout the universe that won’t last forever.
But you could argue the fragility of life is what makes it so special.
Its fragility...
Speaking your mind is a scary proposition.
What if people don’t like what you have to say?
What if they don’t want to listen to you?
What if you don’t come across as confident as you are internally?
There’s a difference between our internal dialogue and our outward dialogue.
In our mind, we can be strong - explore ideas, scenarios, and possible futures without confrontation.
In the real world, we’re subjected to criticism, doubt, scepticism, and undeniable challenges.
But that’s the most...
Pride is a double-edged sword.
Too much pride will get you killed.
Too little will get you nowhere.
People with too much pride are arrogant, stubborn, and blind to their flaws.
People with too little pride tend to have low self-esteem, seek to please others to a fault, have difficulty accepting praise, and apologise excessively.
Both are consequential to one’s being.
Both result in a distorted reality of oneself.
You might be someone with...
It's natural to fear change, uncomfortable conversations, or confrontation.
Choosing a life of truth, curiosity, and adventure differs from a life of safety, complacency, and insecurity.
One requires courage to step forward into the unknown.
The other involves settling for a life of quiet desperation.
If the latter resonates with you, you'd be better off if...
Time is beautiful, but unforgiving.
Time tells the truth; it won't lie; it can capture the sum of your life in a single moment.
The regret from the opportunities you didn't take, the loathing at the paths you didn't walk, the delusions of grandeur, the self-sabotage, the victimhood, letting your ego run wild - if ignored will compound and consume you eventually.
You can lie to the world, and with luck, your rhetoric might convince them of your lies.
You can lie to yourself, and over time you...