Category: life

• I do

  I used to not believe in marriage. It always seemed to be a silly institution established by out-of-date religious organizations and later co-opted by secular governments. Why would a piece of legal paperwork affect the kind of relationship you have with your partner? It certainly increases your risk profile for that relationship ever going south…

• How to kill a dragon

  Last month my friend Brian hung himself from a tree on a beach in Hawaii. His best friend called to relay the news and suddenly I felt empty. Not a Nirvana kind of emptiness. Not at all. The news simply gave my emotions the excuse they needed to flee into whatever compartment they keep ready…

• Do what matters

  It’s so damn easy to do things that don’t matter. Inboxes grow to Godzilla proportions. Emails ferment into a slush pile of guilt and loose ends. Social media gushes content like a neighborhood full of broken fire hydrants. Happy hours and meetups whiz by like falling leafs in an autumn wind. Oh, and then there’s…

• Choose your own destiny

  Last month I was talking to a friend about a project he’s involved with at work. He was recently hired into a large company to help them open up a new market. During the recruitment process they specifically described the position as “entrepreneurial” and “a startup within the larger corporate ecosystem.” Knowing how these things sometimes…

• How to buy a house in Oakland

   Last fall was a crazy time for us. We returned from our seven month international sabbatical. We attended Burning Man for the first time. I accepted a publishing offer for my new novel. My beautiful fiance Drea accepted an exciting new job in San Francisco. We attended the International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque…

• What important questions am I not asking?

  This is my favorite question. I ask entrepreneurs when they pitch me. I ask my publisher when we’re setting milestones for the book launch. I ask contractors bidding on fixing my house. I ask colleagues when we’re working on a project together. I ask friends who need a favor. I ask my parents when we’re…