What am I doing Now

I’m currently in Dubai.

Updated 28 June 2025, from my home.

What’s Happening?

Summer vacations have started and I have a few things planned:

• Build a PC with Hamza
• Learn Paddle - how original - but I figure this can be done when I take Hamza for his football lessons
• There is this thing at work that needs to be done and executed

Strong Opinions, Weakly Held

On Health

• Daily exercise trumps sleep recommendations. I’ll sacrifice sleep down to 5-6 hours without hesitation if it means protecting my workout routine. The conventional wisdom of needing 7-8 hours feels overstated for my body.
• Regular health checkups have their place, but there’s wisdom in not knowing everything. Sometimes medical ignorance truly is bliss — constant health monitoring creates anxiety without necessarily improving outcomes.
• Protein-centric eating provides the foundation for physical performance, though I’ve learned to accept my sweet tooth rather than fight a losing battle against it.
• Conventional medicine deserves our primary trust, though I recognize this view is shaped partly by my skepticism of alternative approaches my mother champions
  • Since developing serious disc herniations that compressed my spinal cord and nerve roots, I’ve found acupuncture provides legitimate relief when conventional treatments fell short
• Lifestyle factors within our control deserve our focus more than genetic predispositions we can’t change. The things you can influence daily matter more than what you were born with.

On Wealth and Investing

• Pay yourself first. No wealth strategy works without the discipline to consistently set money aside before spending. This non-negotiable habit underpins everything else.
• You can’t save your way to significant wealth. The math doesn’t work. Real wealth requires investing and achieving meaningful returns on your capital.
• ETFs and dollar-cost averaging build security, not generational wealth. They’re the foundation, not the full structure. If you want to create lasting wealth across generations, bigger bets are necessary.
• As a retail investor, I can act as “the house” by selling options (act as the insurance company) and following smart money strategies
  • Retail investors cannot truly “be the house” - we lack the multiple paths and hedging capabilities that institutions possess
  • Market makers have structural advantages that no retail strategy can replicate, no matter how sophisticated your approach
• Diversification matters, but so does conviction. I dabble in various investment types but always size positions so no single bet can wipe me out. The goal is asymmetric risk-reward.
• Generational wealth can only be built through asymmetric bets. The path to true wealth isn’t through steady, predictable returns—it requires positioning yourself to capture exponential upside while managing downside risk.
• Risk management trumps return chasing. The investor who avoids getting knocked out of the game ultimately wins, which means protecting your downside even while taking shots at big upside.

On Family and Relationships

• Everyone eventually walks out on everyone else, so self-reliance is the only true security in relationships
  • Personal independence, especially financial, creates a foundation for healthier relationships rather than dependent ones
  • When life gets difficult, the true nature of relationships is revealed - and many don’t survive the test
  • Yet I recognize my emotional intelligence is a work in progress, and this defensive stance might be protecting me from vulnerability rather than reflecting reality
• True success isn’t measured by net worth but by how you’ve impacted the lives of those around you. The quality of your relationships might be life’s most meaningful metric.
• The emotional intelligence needed for lasting relationships isn’t innate - it’s learned through experience and reflection.

On Work and Vocation

• My day job is a means to an end, but that doesn’t exempt it from the pursuit of excellence. Everything that carries my name is part of my identity.
• Excellence isn’t optional – it’s a reflection of character. The quality of your work speaks volumes about who you are, regardless of whether the work itself is your passion.
• The 1% better philosophy transforms ordinary days into meaningful growth. Going to bed slightly improved from when you woke up compounds into extraordinary results over time.
• The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. True wisdom begins when you recognize the vastness of your ignorance.
• Imposter syndrome is something to overcome or eliminate
  • Imposter syndrome might actually be a sign you’re pushing boundaries and growing. The discomfort signals you’re in new territory.
  • A growth mindset doesn’t eliminate the feeling of being an imposter – it just gives you the courage to proceed anyway.

World View

• People aren’t fundamentally good—they’re fundamentally tribal. The goodness we celebrate in humanity typically extends only to those who resemble us.
• Human compassion has boundaries that become painfully apparent when resources grow scarce. Our tribal nature reveals itself when things get difficult.
• Humanity is inherently altruistic and caring
  • Reality check: What we call “humanity” is often just in-group preference that disappears when applied to those outside our circle
  • When shit hits the fan, the tribal lines harden and our concept of who deserves compassion narrows dramatically
• Control what you can control. Living in my own carefully curated bubble gives me agency in a world where broader influence is largely illusory.
• News consumption rarely improves your life or decision-making. Information that doesn’t impact your sphere of influence often serves only to increase anxiety without providing actionable value.
• Life isn’t fair, and that creates a feeling of helplessness
  • Life’s inherent unfairness isn’t a reason for helplessness—it’s simply reality that needs to be recognized
  • Acknowledging unfairness isn’t about complaining; it’s about seeing clearly so you can focus on what’s within your control
  • The most practical response to life’s unfairness is adapting your approach rather than wishing for a different reality

Current Interests

• Exploring AI and large language models
  • Seeking asymmetric productivity gains (10x to 100x) by optimizing workflows and solutions.
  • Using AI to analyze thought patterns and facilitate deep conversations on complex topics.
  • Developing custom tools and code-based solutions to automate repetitive tasks.
• Writing consistently
  • Journaling daily on my Remarkable notebook and Mindsera to document my thinking.
  • Publishing one thoughtful piece on LinkedIn weekly to build my professional brand
  • Using writing as a tool to clarify thinking and share valuable insights with others
• Improving communication skills through storytelling abilities and public speaking at Toastmasters after a 10-year hiatus, applying these skills to enhance both professional influence and personal connections.
• Building antifragility across all domains
  • Designing option structures for asymmetric investment returns and portfolio protection during market drawdowns
  • Developing recession-proof career skills focused on communication and strategic thinking
  • Creating win-win relationships based on service rather than transactional thinking
  • Focusing on physical improvement: building muscle mass, reducing body fat, and improving mobility (with sleep quality as a foundation)
• Supporting my son’s development by balancing exploration with healthy persistence in activities like Lego building, football, Minecraft, and karate, while avoiding imposing my agenda or using him to fulfill my unfulfilled ambitions.

Current Goals

I’ll be turning 40 this year. Some goals I am working towards to accomplish before my 40th birthday in October:

• USD 1 million investment portfolio in broad market indices.
• Sub 15% body fat
• Get my 1,000 true fans

This is a “now page” inspired by Derek Sivers, and you should make one too.