This story comes from one of my favorite book series growing up—the stories of *The Fifth Discipline*. As a kid, I naturally had no concept of organizations or teams; I simply loved the stories. Little did I know that as I grew up, I'd realize these stories were entirely about teams.
Growing up, my family wasn't well-off, and life wasn't easy. Without financial support, your choices become very limited. Yet in an environment like this, I still...
This concept is a business strategy for creators (such as artists, writers, musicians, and makers). It argues that creators do not need to become global superstars or amass millions of followers; they only need a dedicated group of loyal supporters to make a steady living and sustain their creative work.
Nassim Taleb, author of *The Black Swan*, once introduced a concept: events that seem utterly impossible happen when we least expect them, and for the most part, we cannot predict them—yet they carry an immense impact. COVID-19 in 2020 was the quintessential example: the pandemic completely transformed the way people live and work, and countless businesses folded under the strain, with things only beginning to turn around in 2023.
In today's fast-paced modern society, many people continually extend their working hours and drain their physical resources in pursuit of career success. This realization usually hits around age thirty, primarily because that's when the body starts showing signs of wear and tear.
We really need to talk about imposter syndrome. In this post, I'll share my experiences and how I've learned to overcome it.
Life is not fair
In today's society, many people fall into a common misconception—believing that the time and effort invested in work should be directly proportional to their income. This was also a trap I fell into during the early stages of my career...
Still, seeing that others have it harder or worse than ourselves doesn't seem to make us feel any better. Many people's mindset stops right here: whenever they see someone doing better or being more successful, they start blaming their humble origins or bad luck, lying flat early on, and attributing all their misfortunes to the government and external circumstances. My experience over the past few years has taught me that while luck is outside our control, there are things we can do to increase the likelihood of good luck occurring.
Ramen profitability is an operating model focused on sustaining a livable income and continuous operations. Instead of chasing venture capital and rapid growth, it centers on reaching a baseline profit level that covers your living expenses.
Even without the authority of the Church, and despite appearing free on the surface, this "geocentric" mindset is still everywhere.
"I used to wonder: an hour of consulting is more expensive than an online course, so why is consulting still such a good business?"
There are two main profit models in the world. One follows the 80/20 rule, where the top 20% capture 80% of the profits. The other offers a high average return, where you don't necessarily have to be an outlier to thrive. For decades, software development has belonged to the second model, providing solid compensation even without being at the absolute top—a trait shared by professions like medicine and law.
I've made peace with myself. I want to tell everyone that I love you all, even if I'm not as good at expressing my emotions as I'd like to think. I also want to tell you that I'm doing well (though a bit anxious at times). Focusing my limited attention on these seemingly insignificant things and truly experiencing life is perhaps far more important than any job title.
I've been heavily influenced by cheap dopamine—scrolling Twitter, Threads, Instagram, and Shorts; you name it. Before I knew it, I was hooked, and I realized my doomscrolling habit was getting worse and worse.