We hear about one-hit wonders all the time who struck the luck jackpot.

The startup founder who went from 0 to $1M ARR overnight. The day trader who bet on GME. The Youtuber who grew to a million subscribers.

Okay, maybe one of the options is actually luck… But besides that, it wasn’t luck.

We may have seen the inflection point where they hit an absolutely massive milestone, but what we don’t see is all of the work leading up to it.

You might be discouraged seeing all these people get their new job, graduate from college, or bet on GME. But realize you might just be on the path there.

You just need to trust the process :) — and enjoy it too, because apparently it’s lonely at the top…

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Having trouble staying consistent? Try this.

Find an external event that will force you to stay committed.

Take school as an example. I hate studying for school and I often have trouble staying consistent on my school learning. But what forces me to stay consistent on it is having tests that keep me accountable for learning.

Or my favorite: investing. Have an end goal for your money. Whether it be saving for a new house, a new car, or retirement. Having that external event will force you to stay consistent and committed.

Often, passion just doesn’t cut it. Having an external event forces you to have an external manager that keeps you going when passion fails.

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Ever start a project, but then get overwhelmed by the sheer size of it?

Yeah. Me too. Sometimes I’m handed things I have no idea how to do nor how to approach it.

Maybe you are given too many options. And maybe you’re afraid to make the wrong choice.

But you have to realize that it’s often inaction that is the least optimal decision. Taking what you believe is the best option right away will (almost) always put you in a better spot than you were before.

I love personal finance, so let’s look at investing.

If I’m looking at 2 or 3 ETFs, it would leave me worse off to not invest in it for the next 10 years rather than just choosing one.

Moreover, there’s practically no possible way for me to prepare and try to learn everything I need to know about choosing a fund in a reasonable amount of time anyways.

So, next time you get overwhelmed, just start. Better to learn from a wrong choice than to make no choice at all.

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Why are output-based goals the gold standard?

Input-based goals are much better. They

👉 force you to be accountable
👉 are directly in your control
👉 aren’t impacted by other people

Want to grow your LinkedIn following? Stop focusing on output metrics like “Views” and “Likes.” Instead, focus on putting out 1x or 2x daily content.

Want to tackle a new project? Focus on doing one piece a day instead of saying you’re going to do the entire project.

Next time you set a goal, focus on the part you can control. There’s no point in worrying about the part you can’t.

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Two years later and I finally got an 800 credit score! (without paying a dime in interest :))

Here’s how:

1. Consistently pay bills and debt on time.

2. Keep the balance below 20% of the total credit you are offered.

3. Keep old accounts if possible or not costly. Utilize accounts frequently (one payment a month is fine).

4. Don’t take on a ton of new debt at once.

5. Vary your debt (i.e. credit card, car loan, mortgage, etc.)

For those who don’t know, credit scores are made up of 5 parts (which correspond to the above suggestions):

1. Payment History (35% of your score)

2. Amount of Debt (30%)

3. Length of History (15%)

4. Amount of New Debt (10%)

5. Types of Credit (10%)

Don’t even know your score?

You’re entitled to FREE quarterly credit reports from one of the three big credit bureaus by going to (Annual Credit Report . Com) — remove the spaces

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This post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific investment advice.

Lots of people are in debt. But how do you actually get out?

There are two methods: Avalanche (paying off your highest interest debt first) or Snowball (paying off the smallest debt first).

You will pay less money total via Avalanche, but most people prefer the Snowball. Just choose your favorite. It doesn’t matter which.

And here’s what it looks like:

1. Determine ALL the debts you owe and the payments required.

2. If you have a partner, realize and agree that debt is a "we" problem.

3. Reduce "Want" spending by 10% (or more if you'd like).

4. Don't take any new credit.

5. Coast and pay it all down as money comes in.

What if you have TOO MUCH debt (more than 36% of your take-home pay)?

1. Contact creditors (these people might help you and adjust agreements)

2. If you'd like to supercharge your payment, try increasing income (side hustle, part-time)

3. Consider debt-consolidation (condensing multiple small loans under one large loan for a lowered interest rate)

4. Consider a credit counseling agency (a nonprofit company that helps educate you and negotiate debts on your behalf — usually free or low cost)

Don’t forget to save this post (press the arrow in the top right of the post) and share with a friend :)

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This post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific investment advice.

Should you even be investing?

I have friends who have started asking me about personal finance. I’m extremely honored and happy that they’ve come to me.

But the one topic I always get is, “should I invest in X stock (usually TSLA, GME, AMC, NOK, CCIV)?”

My response: “Wait, before we get to investing, are you in a position to be investing?”

Here’s what I’ll ask:

1. Are you currently paying off your necessary living expenses (utilities, internet, water, food, shelter)?

2. Are your credit cards paid in full? And are you able to do it EVERY month?"

3. Do you have an emergency fund (>3 months)? — caveat: if your parents are aware that they are your emergency fund, then you may not need this…

4. Are you willing to be consistent (even if it’s a small amount)?

The rationale?

If you answer no to any of the above questions, you SHOULD NOT be investing.

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*This post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific investment advice.

Here’s how I’m balancing being a full-time student, part-time intern, freelance writing, and creating the framework for a future business…

I’m slowly dying. Just kidding, but I am in a “sprinting” phase — probably overleveraging my time…But that’s a story for another time.

The secrets below ;).

It’s really simple actually. It consists of two rules…

1. Create a system that works for you.

2. Put your phone on silent in another room.

For #1, I use Notion — it’s my “Life Operating System.” In practice, it aggregates anything and everything I’m working on at any given point, sets due dates, sets recurring intervals, and automatically tells me what I need to do on a given day.

This has two benefits. For one, I’m actually able to keep on top of my deadlines. Two, it tells me what to do like a personal manager (i.e. I can’t make an excuse to take the day off).

For #2, well…this one’s simple. No phone = no distraction = more time.

If you make it inconvenient for you to get to your phone (i.e. turning it off and putting it in a box in another room), you’ll be much less likely to go through the trouble to get to it.

But to be quite honest — I’m probably close to capacity without sacrificing social and sleep.

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🛑 Hey you! I need your help.

I'm writing a comprehensive guide on personal finance. But I'm running out of ideas —

What personal finance questions do you have? Comment below 👇

(and include your email if you'd like me to send you the guide when I finish it)

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My #1 reason for starting random projects:

Learning.

Throughout high school and college, I’ve had a number of side projects. I created websites, detailed cars, bought and resold items, ran an affiliate blog, ran a niche Facebook group.

Sure, I made a few thousands dollars here and there, but the true value I got was learning new skills.

More importantly, after completing x amount of projects, I learned how to learn, which catapulted my ability to complete novel ideas.

It's not about making money or gaining clout (social proof) from your projects. It's the random tidbit of experience you gain.

At some point, you'll be the expert in the room…then you can make money :)

What projects have you kept putting off? Let me know below 👇

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The year is 2022.

The pandemic is over. You can see your friends again, eat inside of a restaurant, go to the gym, and live your life unrestricted.

What are you doing first? Comment below 👇

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Life Lessons from Naruto

I grew up watching Naruto. And while I didn’t know it at the time, it shaped a lot of my views on work, friendship, and power.

Here are my key takeaways for life:

1. Hard work beats talent 100% of the time.

2. Even the worst people can change.

3. You are stronger with friends than alone.

4. Never let your friends go into anything alone.

5. Revenge only breeds more revenge.

6. Sticking up for someone is always the right move.

7. Some things are simply meant not to be.

8. We never know what someone else has gone through.

9. Protect relationships you love.

10. Some people don’t want to be helped.

A more fun post for today, but for my fellow Naruto fans, what did Sensei Naruto teach you?

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Companies are built on the weekends.

After speaking with a few founders that would sit down with me, I always found one thing consistent amongst all of them. They worked their butts off in the early days when they had nothing — no team, no money, and no leverage.

Entrepreneurs don’t seem to work the 40-hour work week (especially in the early days). Their companies are their babies, and babies require 24/7 nurturing until they’re out of the fragility stage.

Like parents, they’ll work on weekends, the 9 to 5, and the 5 to 9 in a never-ending cycle of putting out fires. The successful ones are the ones who can put out the fires consistently.

Entrepreneurship is a path less traveled because it’s not easy (despite what all the TikTokers tell you).

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It’s not you versus everyone else.

Since kindergarten, we were always “ranked.” Who had the highest grade? The smartest? The most athletic?

It’s a broken mindset bred out of competition. The attitude of wanting to get ahead of somebody else is competitive. But life isn’t a competition, and it certainly isn’t a race.

To continue my post from yesterday, since switching my major from Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to Data Analytics and Economic Analysis, it put me an entire year ahead. I’ll be graduating in 4 months — a year early.

And I used to think this was super cool. I had an entire year edge over my friends from high school — time to grow, make more money, and get ahead.

But then I realized it didn’t matter. Getting a year ahead just means I can help lift my friends up faster, and maybe one day they’ll surpass me. To which, I hope they extend the same helping hand.

I stopped thinking that everyone else must do badly for me to do great. We can all do great together.

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PSA: You don’t have to become what your parents want you to become.

— A random Asian kid on LinkedIn

Honestly, I don’t care what you become. But choose it for yourself.

I tried the traditional first-generation Asian immigrant path.

1. Go to a 4-year college

2. Major in STEM

3. Get a job at large (safe) company

But here’s the kicker, I did an entire 180 after just my first few months in college. I changed from Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to Data Analytics and Economic Analysis. I worked on personal projects instead of landing internships. And even when I did land internships, they were at small companies.

At least I got “go to a 4-year college” down!

But in all seriousness, while our parents have our best intentions, they may not always understand what you want out of life.

P.S. I thank my parents for sacrificing and providing me a stable environment in order to provide me the launchpad to take these risks — an option they didn’t have.

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We’ve been thinking about education all wrong. Education isn’t about learning.

The current education system is based on memorization. It goes something like:

1. Memorize a textbook

2. Take a test

3. Forget everything after finishing the test

Here’s the issue: memorization is useless now. Now, we live in the age of machine learning — a computer can earn every possible PhD within 24 hours.

So as machine learning advances, AI improves, and physical hardware comes to match, it won’t be about memorizing. Those who will have high-paying jobs will be jobs that require application of knowledge with creative solutions.

The future is creative. As @Chris Do says, TheFutur is now.

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BREAKING: Tesla/Elon Musk has purchased $1.5B worth of Bitcoin according to an SEC filing at $42K/coin.

Yes, it sounds like a lot of money, but in the grand scheme of things, it's a rather small bet. For context, TSLA stock shot up $20B in value this morning.

People may start telling you that Bitcoin is now "going to go to the moon." Don't throw ALL of your money into Bitcoin. Chances are, like everything else, it'll surge, then crash, and so on.

Don't believe me? Look at people's losses in GameStop, AMC, Nokia, etc. The hype dies down eventually if there is no intrinsic value.

Public markets aren't "get rich quick." It's "stay in it long enough to get rich."
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Disclaimer: I own Bitcoin as part of my portfolio.

Double Disclaimer: This post is not financial or investment advice. Consult proper advisors.

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4 Productivity Tips to Rule Them All

1. Batching is your best friend — I don’t write daily LinkedIn posts. I sit down for an hour on a weekend to produce 7+, sometimes more if I’m inspired.

2. Stop trying to be a creative — your ideas aren’t original. Steal from other people (not blatantly), but make it yours.

3. Snacking — I talked about this in a previous post, but keep a page of ideas as they come to fruition. It’s easier to start from 10 random notes than from 0.

4. Create systems — create a system that automagically does stuff for you. I use @NotionHQ to filter everything I need to do on a particular day (no thinking required = no decision fatigue).

Which one are you going to incorporate into your life?

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The secret of going to an academic research school that they don’t tell you

Before I got into University of California, Davis, people told me that it was a great idea to go to a research school. They told me it would present a number of opportunities that are right there on campus. Or that I’d get to work on innovative and new ideas.

But here’s why that’s not true.

1. Many research professors have NO interest in teaching.

2. Undergraduate research assistant positions are often data entry and manipulation only.

3. Many research professors are out of touch with students because they’re on a different knowledge level.

I’m not saying ALL research professors are bad teachers. But there are definitely some that are not invested in teaching the next generation.

That’s fine. But why not isolate those professors and let them do their research instead of “teaching”? It seems like a positive to both parties.

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The Curse of Knowledge

I recently signed up for @Ali Abdaal’s Youtube email list (I’ve been toying with the idea…).

But here’s an excerpt that I really resonated with:

“If you’re waiting to become an “expert” (whatever that means) before you get started on Youtube, you’re approaching it all wrong. Something which isn’t said enough is that 90% of your audience will be complete beginners. Even when you’re targeting professionals.”

When I connect with people, they often comment on my LinkedIn tagline. “Not an expert. Here to share what I learn.” And it’s because I believe the people who you can learn best from are the people who are just 1 to 2 steps ahead of you.

They’re more in touch with you, remember the struggle, and often want to help.

You don’t need to be an expert to help someone. You just need to be slightly ahead of where they are.

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