daily opening:

fly fishing, morning prospecting for largemouth bass.

Play the game that you were best suited for - don’t fly fish for bass on streamers on a five weight, trout rod, when the water spins hundreds of yards. No constraints in abilities, but operate exceptionally within.

Focus on the process and progression - the simple joy of nymph Ing for small sunfish, proved a much more fruitful, and enjoyable use of my time.

Accept the noise, don’t chase - bass jump all around, but it’s impossible to predict where they will next chasing will only cause more angst, tension, and suffering. Don’t chase down things that weren’t meant for you.

Iterate relentlessly - kaizen and moderate improvements compound over iterations. Change the function of change, adapt constantly obsessively and keep your eyes open for opportunities.

execute what is needed but enjoy the day.

daily tasks

• [x] apply to six jobs in SF (20 min) (did not complete because not strategically aligned)

• [ ]

• - [ ] explore wealth management, financial advisor - apply to JPM

• respond to messages (5 min)

• long bike ride for im

• read 50 pages of infinite jest

• manage portfolio in Charles Schwab (1 hr)

• *** engineering - fix the bug on the background improperly appearing on Robin insurance blog post.

• sales and growth: find young insurance agents who might be initial adopters

• insurance licensing: cost, time required to get casualty/life/… licenses

meditation

12:40pm

Asymmetric opportunities: look at roles which are unsexy, overlooked by the typical ivy league/tech/clout chasing Career corporate climber. For example, this includes being a customer service rep at insurance companies, a wealth management investment associate, or consumer finance.

These rolls are not as shiny or prestigious as consulting, startups, or whatever the MBA’s would pursue - however there’s immense amounts of untaped valley which can be unlocked, if someone with the right technical and Startup entrepreneurial mindset applies this.

I believe I have a potential to transform the insurance or consumer wealth management industry, because of 1) my inherent strengths of interpersonal skills 2) my extensive experience in AI workflows 3) long term, values alignment in protection and preservation over blind innovation

The motivation is my competition is not as intense - in my key differentiator, an unfair advantage is, I understand AI workflows deeply. I can be the conduit that brings a technologies to more traditional unsexy sectors

1208pm

Realization: venture-backed startups may not be the right career move at this point in life - a stable client facing, recession proof, like insurance or financial advising is a natural fit for my interpersonal skills, human connectedness and other interests.

Most important priority is health, wealth, and knowledge for me. My primary job or occupation should be able to maintain a basic level of this.

Strategically, this makes sense because of three reasons:

1. Client facing work will not be replaced by AI, and is recession proof. Ultimately, if I were to start my own independent wealth management practice, I would have experience and the relationships built up.
2. my natural skills are in interpersonal connection, understanding of culture and coaching or advising
3. My unconventional background in research, text startups can be a crucial differentiator, which allows me to provide quality recommendations to clients with data driven strategies, a Startup, founder, operational, mindset, and a deeply intellectually curious research mindset.

This would allow me to get to San Francisco and be in the proximity of emerging tech ventures. Because it’s a 40 hour work schedule, I can pursue my other passions and interests on the side, and not be bound or forced to burn out building a start up that requires product market fit. additionally, a larger Bull bracket bank with wealth management on my name would still give me credibility, while wealth management is less competitive compared to investment banking, and the hours are more aligned. This would give me strong exit opportunities as well.

This would be a nice intermediary, 1 to 3 year job, which gives me stable runway to incubate on other ideas, while simultaneously getting relevant work experience in the insurance and financial industry. I already have a strong case because I’m doing exceptional work at Farm Bureau, Paul, my manager, along with other agents can vouch for me, and I’ve built up a strong reputation with Brian De Leon, my friend at JPM, along with Richard and others in the bay area.

This would be the most temporally, strategically aligned job right now, because it avoids the burnout associated with early-stage startups, gives me enough liquidity to care for my mental and physical health, enables me to live in the bay area, and most importantly gives me runway to iterate and find a business idea that has genuine product market fit in align with my personal ethical values, without feeling the pressure of cutting corners to generate revenue, or returns for investors.

The core of the strategy in the compounding effects of time, along with relationship relationships I’ve already built.

workspace

—1208pm—

—1153am— private client advisor in SF requires healthcare/life insurance licenses