A few months back, I made up my mind to leave my previous job, and after some transitioning period, I was finally out. There were multiple factors that led to this decision, but I'll talk about it another day. I feel free - free from an enforced schedule regardless of productivity, and free from the constraints to solve problems creatively. I've decided to start something of my own and give myself plenty of time to pursue it.
Since this feels like a new milestone, and I like to do some planning before jumping into things, now is a good time to write down my thoughts on where I'm headed for the next decade. I'm focusing on WHERE I'm going, not what I'm going to do or how to get there - I'm outlining the direction I'm moving towards, regardless of the route I'll take. I don't think it's necessary to micro-manage myself at this point or limit the possibilities too early.
A few years ago, I determined the themes for each decade of my working life: intense learning in my 20s, capital accumulation in my 30s, investing that capital to solve bigger and more interesting problems in my 40s and 50s, and giving back when I hit 60. I've changed my mind a bit about the 30s and 40s part: I don't think it's necessary to take a two-step approach if all I want to do is solve interesting problems. In fact, I have the privilege to take risks and work on those problems now. Capital accumulation might be a side effect if I get lucky - but it's not the main thing.
So my theme for the next ten years is going to be exploration and experimentation. Specifically, it breaks down into three parts: taking risks, solving problems, and continuous learning.
Taking risks
Having a job is too linear of an experience for me: my personal growth is linear because I feel like I'm not learning fast enough; my capital accumulation is linear and I can never get rich this way. My output is linear too - restricted by the defined scope at work and the company's main mission.
To have non-linear growth requires taking more risks. You trade a stable and low-stress job for something that has the potential to be really big.
I'd like to take as many calculated risks as I can for the next decade and stick with some of them - and see how they turn out.
Solving important problems
The concept of "risk" encompasses both probability and scope. There are low probability risks, like starting a rocket company; there are high probability risks, like quitting a job before finding the next one. Regardless of the probability, I want to focus on solving problems that have significant scope and value to me.
At the moment, there are a few problems that I'm really passionate about:
- Addressing bias in information generation, communication, and reception, and finding a way to restore balance.
- Promoting "cultural exchange" between countries to foster connectivity and mutual understanding; e.g., second-wave tea in the US, or second-wave bouldering gyms in China.
- Filling some gaps in the existing pet hospitality industry (long-term cat care, etc.).
Continuous learning
They say that to build something great, you need a combination of genuine interest and domain knowledge. When it comes to domain knowledge, most people look for what they're already good at and retrain themselves in those areas. I firmly believe that domain knowledge can be acquired much later in most industries. Most people can get to the 90th percentile and be considered a domain expert if they put in the time and work. This mindset opens up way more opportunities for things I want to explore - all I need to do is seek out the areas that genuinely interest me.
I'm the inquisitive type and I'm generally interested in a lot of things. But for the next decade, I'm going to focus on depth of learning from a problem that I'm genuinely interested in. That kind of focus will quickly give me the domain knowledge and build a foundation for what I want to create.