February 2025 Updates
Taking photos, God at work, and following through
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I’m writing my February update on the plane back to SF after 10 fruitful days in Toronto! Got a chance to see my sister at two of her volleyball tournaments, hang out with my family, and catch up with my close friends.
My updates
Work-wise, we’ve been heads down building out a promising product idea after attending these conferences. Spent a lot of time figuring out optimal ways to grab the attention of various user segments, from the CXOs to the mid-level managers, to the daily operators.
I picked up a point-and-shoot (a Fujifilm X100F) and took it around NorCal! I’ve been using photography as a means of intentionally slowing down and looking at everyday things from a different angle. Contrasting the daily hustle of the Bay, this has been very helpful in facilitating a slower pace to things. Took some super nice photos (including this thumbnail) that I’ll release soon on an Instagram account of some kind :)
Back to playing a lot of competitive basketball and even playing some pickleball. Having a lot of fun getting back into some more serious competition and bringing back that part of my life.
I’ve been very inspired seeing God at work through my friends and mentors. Hearing about a missions trip to rural Honduras that my partner went on, evangelism at a max security prison in California that one of my mentors did, and the prominent faith throughout the Stanford athletic community—it’s just been very encouraging to see and hear.
On my mind
On hedonic adaptations. There’s a classic quote by John D. Rockefeller, who replied, "Just a little bit more” when asked about how much money was enough. A part of my plane ride reflections was thinking about my ambitions from 2 years ago vs my reality now, and wondering what it would be like to live on my own in downtown Toronto. I’m recently being especially conscious of the things that I want to pursue, and the influences that contribute to these desires. And also remembering to reflect and be grateful for the now: am I living the life that I’ve always dreamed of?
On taking action. I finished a study in the book of Eccelesiastes, and was reminded of one of the verses. “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap." - Ecclesiastes 11:4. Another plane thought reflection was a few of the random learnings simply because I’ve sent out some cold DMs to people or put myself out there. This all contributes towards increasing your luck surface area.
On following through. There’s a known concept in your shooting form when you’re playing basketball—the follow-through. Good follow-throughs are characteristic of consistent jumpshots. After seeing a recent increase in the amount of people reaching out to me for advice, I noticed one big difference: on whether they follow through or not. There’s a big opportunity to distinguish yourself on whether or not you do what you say you do (eg. reach out in 2 months when you say you will). In basketball terms: shoot your shot, and remember to follow through.
On hiring someone. A few things that I’ve been reflecting on when trying to hire someone. [1] Know what great looks like. Reach out to 5-10 of the best people in the world at their jobs — not to hire them (you likely can’t), but to establish a benchmark for greatness. [2] Watch actions, not words. How they reply to emails, push back on activities, how they respond to feedback. [3] Assess fit as much as skill. Spend time with them, be honest, and focus on the “how” and not “what”. [4] Leadership, is this person a leader? Would you follow them? [5] Self-awareness. Are they a creator or victim of their situation?
Lmk if you are (or know someone who is) working on or thinking about the above!
Personal asks
Looking to meet with the top 3 customer success operators that you know! Would love to have intros or names :)
Curious to hear how people work through their photos / digital organization. Feel free to reach out if I can pick your brain on this.
Any conversations or intros would be very appreciated! Find a time here.
Thanks for reading this month’s update. Would love to hear how I can help you this month (maybe I can make some intros, work through some thoughts with you, or otherwise). See you next month 👋
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Some great quotes and metaphors of taking action and following through! Thanks for sharing your thoughts Brandon