Reflections & Insights

We’ve all heard the classic question: “What would you do if you won a million dollars?” It’s a fun daydream, but let’s be honest, most of us know that’s a pretty unlikely scenario, so we don’t really think deeply and give very surface level answers. Instead, let’s talk about something that’s actually going to happen to most of us: retirement. Thinking about retirement is a lot more grounded than fantasizing about sudden riches. Pretty much everyone retires at some point, and many of us are saving (or at least planning) for that phase of life. Even if it’s not something you’ve thought about in detail, it’s a realistic scenario. And the beauty of asking yourself what you’d like to do in retirement is that it can help you figure out what you truly want to do with your life right now. ...

A lot of developers seem to be afraid of generative AI and LLMs because it may replace their jobs. But as an older developer who sometimes has a hard time keeping up with new frameworks and technologies, LLMs have been life-saving. Not only is my productivity high, but I am also able to keep up with new languages and codebases and be productive almost immediately. I used to think about moving to management because it seemed I could not keep up with tech, but now I have new confidence that I can keep doing my hobby as a profession for another few years. ...

“The things you own end up owning you.” - Chuck Palahniuk. I was a minimalist. It was a very easy and stress-free life. I did own many things, but only after careful planning, and I was quick to sell things that didn’t meet my expectations or once I stopped using them. I also used to live well below my means. I felt free because loss of job or any other financial crisis would not affect me much. ...

It’s both intriguing and somewhat disheartening to observe how trading concepts often mirror human behavior. Here’s how: Follow the Trend In the investment world, the saying “past performance does not guarantee future results” is well-known. Despite this warning, many successful trend followers have found that stocks moving up generally continue to do so, and vice versa. Interestingly, this concept applies to humans as well. Those who are happy and kind often continue in the same manner or even improve, while those who are miserable tend to spiral downward. ...

In our backyard lay a series of deck drains that perennially harbored standing water. Despite my best efforts, tracing the end of these drains proved to be an elusive task, seemingly due to the fact that it was compacted and buried beneath layers of earth. I even ventured to employ a drain snake to address the issue, but the screws securing the drain covers were victims of rust, rendering them immovable. ...

I think a lot of people would love to live their life as if they are on a permanent vacation. Before I was married, I didn’t make a lot of money but felt like every day was a vacation. For me, vacation means: Eating out/not cooking Not cleaning Spending time outside Not working Ready to travel Eating out is cheaper than cooking, if you are not picky. I ate mostly fast food. Of course, it is not healthy but it is vacation. Also it is still better than overeating home-cooked meals. ...

Follow up to my last post, the people I admire the most are usually startup founders or business people. And then creators of open source software. This weekend, I also met my engineer turned entrepreneur friend and saw Jobs movie. It seems I know what I should do. I want a business that gives a lot of freedom, especially freedom to be with my kids. If I can involve kids in the business, it would be even better. Would love low stress business but it is not a requirement. ...

“What should you do with your life?” This is the question I almost ask myself daily. I am still not sure what my long-term goals should be. I have gone back and forth between pursuing my hobbies as a career, focusing on corporate career, and starting businesses. Recently, I learned a simple question that can provide you insights into your deeper aspirations. The question is: Who are your heroes? Ask yourself who are your heroes, who do you feel inspired by, who do you read about, and who were your heroes when you were a child. ...

I am not sure if women experience midlife crisis but I know several men who have experienced or are still in the middle of a midlife crisis. I have a theory that every 20 years, men need a big change. Usually, there is a big change in 20s, people are moving out of their parents’ homes, going to college or starting their careers. And when people turn 60, they are getting ready to retire. Downsize their homes. ...

We just recently bought a beautiful single-family home. Before this, we lived in a townhouse. And before the townhouse, I had lived in apartments. Buying a townhouse was a big step, but buying a single-family home is a whole new beast. First, buying a house is probably a sound financial decision. There are plenty of articles and research that shows people who own homes are financially better off. But very few people talk about negatives of homeownership. And I think because of the lack of that information, a lot of people make incorrect decisions and end up regretting their home purchase. I did. I had huge buyer’s remorse the day we moved into our new home. I am still getting over it. ...