What I've Been Up To

Some words on my last few months

I have no obligation to write on a regular cadence, yet I still felt pressure given the relatively long gap since my last article. Recently, I’ve started writing more again – mostly just for me - but I thought it would be a good moment to publish something again.

I’ve been heads down these last several months, more concerned with execution than reflection. Here’s what’s happening:

I shut down my first business in July 2024. I tried to create risk hedging in venture capital by giving investors the ability to create a founder-only version of their portfolio. We would manage the exchanges, and founders would quite literally invest in one another with equity.

I spent almost 8 months and got some traction before realizing the idea lacked a compelling catalyzing moment. The industry didn’t really want what we were selling. I shut down the project in July 2024.

Since my wedding in August, I’ve been exploring how AI will affect services, and particularly a digitally-forward, labor-heavy, overlooked space (at least in the startup world) that I have both personal & professional experience in: Travel.

I’ll share more details in a later post, but we aim to turn travel advisors into something like wealth advisors, shifting their time and energy from trip mechanics to relationship building and surfacing bespoke opportunities for clients.

Outside of work, I recorded several podcasts with an HBS classmate. I have virtually no gauge for the quality of that effort, but I’ve enjoyed exploring a new medium. Like my founder journey, writing can be solitary. That level of introspection has advantages, but engaging with another person in a new format often challenged my thinking.

At the end of 2023, I explained why I typically choose one theme for the year rather than setting specific goals or resolutions. For 2024, I chose Win Today – a phrase intended to focus me on what I can control while still pushing me towards accomplishments.

Though mostly productive, this mindset also brought an unintended set of self-imposed expectations. Internal demands for output began to obscure the significant progress I’d made on my current venture. Frustration and comparisons crept in towards the end of the year.

I took a bit more time to properly articulate my theme for 2025, but I eventually arrived here: Turn “got to” into “get to.” I want to orient this year towards staying present and showing gratitude.

The overachieving part of me is concerned I won’t accomplish enough. But in my experience, my best results arise after bouts of intense pressure, and only after I’ve arrived at a better balance. Not necessarily by working less, but by worrying less and trusting more.