But why, now?

This isn't my first rodeo, as they say. Just last May, one of my undergraduate students framed a question to me in terms of, "my generation". I laughed out loud. Loads of people carry the generational mental model – but I never subscribed. For me, your generation refers to the timeframe in which you are contributing in a relevant way. I'm busier than ever (a theme we will explore) which suggests that I may still be relevant, in new ways.

Every one of my friends and I have had some version of the 'Is now the right time to retire?' conversation. My feedback varies with each, but my own answer never changes: 'Retire and do what? Something I love?' Yeah—doing that already. Can you imagine me sitting in a retirement home playing canasta (is that still a thing)? By lunch I'd be rewiring the networking closet and adding sensors and a message queue to the shared spaces.

Hard no.

Instead, I'm working on my next startup. Well, startups. Because there are two big ideas competing for my attention. Mobile gambling sites give the odds that I combine these into some grand unified theory of "something I made up" at 6:1.

Seriously, why?

Two reasons come to mind. I'm curious, for one—both in the sense that I'm wired a little different, but mostly in the sense that I can't help but wonder 'what if'—ALL the time. Friends and family have decided to find it charming that I disassemble everything I love to see how it works, and inevitably suggest ways to make it better. Even watching The Good Place, I was thinking of ways to redesign the afterlife's system architecture. Why didn't they have version control for the point system?

But the real why happened in 6th grade. I was riding my bike to my best friend Brad's house when a vision of my future self came to mind. I have no idea why, and I'm not prone to seeing visions in general. But in that moment, I swear it's true that I saw myself as committed to making the world a better place. I'm working on two potentially big ideas that might just help.

So there's that.

So, why now?

Obviously, I can't do it before. And I don't have time for later. Ergo: now. Duh.

Oh, you're wondering why is now a good time?

Well, I've been building and teaching graduate-level Convergent Systems Engineering courses at UC San Diego. I've also been teaching product design, entrepreneurialism, and data science with AI to the undergrads. I see big opportunities (culturally, operationally, economically). Everywhere I look, I'm seeing how these concepts apply to the world we find ourselves in today. More on that later. But it seems to me that the time is 'ripe,' as they say.

Another thing that changed is me. My whole career I've tried to build things people need and value, that can make their lives better. That's worked out well so far, for the most part. I'm sure we could have done better. 😄

But I've noticed for the first time that my opinions about how new and improved tools can positively affect the future feel relevant. I'd like to develop these ideas, test them, try them, evolve them. This—the life of an entrepreneur—inspires, challenges, informs, accelerates, and reorients everything. I'm just so hungry for that."

So, what now?

In these pages I'll describe what I'm building, and detail the things I do day-to-day. I'll discuss ideating, designing, implementing, testing, and validating ideas and solutions. Varying from vague to complete, expect concepts, designs, even code. I have little fear of being an entrepreneur or of competition in general, because...experience. Failure is just the universe telling me to listen up. But I do fear uncertainty, undetected risks, confirmation bias, productivity stealers, cognitive load, outdated mental models, and so many other things that steal the joy and soul out of creation.

In posts to come, I'll describe the things that should exist but don't. Systems that understand humans have feelings, not just functions. Software that helps people learn and grow together instead of struggling alone, and tools to help us ramp up our own learning and productivity. I'll also be talking about the tools and processes I'm using to achieve these big goals.

I'm inviting you to come along because I need some company. Some moral support, some critics, some onlookers, and most of all, some social interaction.

Mostly I'd like someone to talk to, so my family doesn't think I'm always talking to myself.

So there's that.