Gratitude.

1️⃣ Attended a mini birthday party for Laura (again) and got to see some of her friends.

2️⃣ Working on a new, more serious thing. Again, unsure where that venture will go, but input first and enjoy the ride.

3️⃣ Working on a fun 3D demo on the side.

1️⃣ Kids were very nice to be with yesterday during dinner.

2️⃣ Finally got to play tennis. Haze cleared out yesterday morning so we took the chance.

3️⃣ Excited to build. Though not sure where this will lead us.

1️⃣ Celebrated Laura's birthday. The kids had so much fun.

2️⃣ Shared the Grasshopper Hustle story on Reddit. People seem to like it.

3️⃣ The wife is resilient and shielded me from the loud, fussy kids.

1️⃣ Had a nice walk alone yesterday morning. That was nice.

2️⃣ Had a simple lunch with the wife. We chatted and laughed.

3️⃣ Having time to myself to work on stuff and daydream.

1️⃣ Celebrated my nephew’s 30th day. I carried him. Babies are so tiny and adorable.

2️⃣ Jogging along the sea is always nice.

3️⃣ Helping a friend build his own unique AI workflow has been quite fulfilling and fun.

1️⃣ Thankful for the wife. She’s resilient. I’m the lucky one.

2️⃣ Had quite a peaceful night with the kids.

3️⃣ The youngest one talks to me a lot. So adorable. Haha.

1️⃣ Not a very peaceful weekend, but I was aware. Awareness is good. I stayed as calm as I could.

2️⃣ I really enjoy solitude. I missed it so much. I enjoyed walking around aimlessly for three hours at a park by the beach. Such a nice feeling. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be at peace.

3️⃣ It’s good to see my little nephew getting chubbier every week.

1️⃣ Had a really, really great conversation with a friend who is also a founder. He’s going through an exciting, potentially life-changing phase. Wishing him all the best. I also learned a lot from him, so I’m grateful we had this conversation.

2️⃣ Had a really fun morning with my kids. We cycled near the park and enjoyed watching people fish. I found it fascinating that my girl enjoyed it too. It was quite therapeutic, though pretty hot.

3️⃣ Had a good catch-up over dinner with a group of friends, organized by the founder of a fund. We’ve known him for quite some time and were really happy to see him succeeding and flourishing. An amazing, inspiring story.

1️⃣ Had a very honest, candid, and positive conversation with the wife, sharing something deep inside us.

2️⃣ Met two of my university friends. It was a really good catch-up. We’re going to do it again in November. Looking forward to that.

3️⃣ The children were drawing on the whiteboard together and helping one another. No fights, just pure fun.

1️⃣ Still feeling a sense of unease. I think it's a pattern during this sabbatical. I swing between feeling calm and peaceful, and feeling impatient. I'm glad I'm managing it well, or as well as I can.

2️⃣ Had an interesting conversation with my older girls about the stories I told them when they were younger. We compared those stories with the ones I tell my youngest girl now. It was a fun conversation.

3️⃣ A friend shared my coaching page unprompted. That was really kind of him. It felt nice.

1️⃣ Yesterday felt a little challenging. A lot of thoughts were floating around in my mind, which affected my mood and morale. Self-doubt started to seep in, but I managed it, made friends with it, and still had a good day, or as good as it could be.

2️⃣ Started a new meditation routine with the girls. I taught them the basics, and they meditated for about 60 seconds. They asked for more, so we did another 90 seconds. They seemed to feel good afterward. I hope this routine sticks because learning to be aware and mindful is a useful life skill.

3️⃣ Met a friend and had a good conversation. He was kind enough to buy me lunch. We had tamago sando. It was delicious, and the coffee was great too.

1️⃣ family lunch gathering. It was good to see the kids having fun and connecting with other family members.

2️⃣ It’s nice that founders and friends came together to do me small favors. Awesome feeling.

3️⃣ Still feeling the positive effects of the silent meditation retreat. Yay.

1️⃣ Quite happy to have the time to experiment with Jev. Full updates here

2️⃣ Feels like the training from the silent meditation retreat has helped a lot over the past week. I’m quite thankful for that.

3️⃣ Had a nice long walk with the wife as part of our weekly routine. That’s when some of the best conversations actually happen. I’m so thankful to have this life partner with me.

1️⃣ The children were making things challenging. Long story short, decided to turn that into something positive. The kids noticed and were grateful. That was interesting to observe.

2️⃣ Really enjoying the palak paneer from this particular Indian restaurant. We had it last night. The children enjoyed it, especially my oldest daughter.

3️⃣ Built a simple dashboard to help evaluate startup ideas more easily and collaboratively. It was good fun working on it and using it.

1️⃣ Met kind and open-minded people.

2️⃣ Grateful that I have the freedom and time to explore ideas and play around with technologies out of curiosity.

3️⃣ Happy that Shake Shack has opened, and we got a good deal on the burgers.

1️⃣ Lots of laughter yesterday with the kids. Nice to know they still enjoy a thousand tickles and a thousand kisses, and they’re still small enough for me to catch them for hugs and kisses.

2️⃣ Nice spending time with my eldest girl. She had diarrhea, so we got some good one-on-one time together.

3️⃣ I’ve been eating chocolates quite regularly. I love dark chocolate, especially sea salt and almond flavors. Simple pleasures.

1️⃣ Had fun with the girls, reenacting Disney princess stories, narrating them, and making jokes out of them. Pretty fun.

2️⃣ Spent quality time trying new food and taking a walk at a park near the beach.

3️⃣ Had fun catching up with friends. Always nice to align things with Ian. Gives me more clarity and excitement.

1️⃣ Slightly more peaceful at home last night. Small win.

2️⃣ The girls enjoyed the new whiteboard. Lotsa ideas drawn.

3️⃣ Finishing up my next essay.

1️⃣ Salmon porridge: it’s a new recipe. Refreshing, healthy, and yummy.

2️⃣ Had a nice walk alone after dinner, with an ice cream in my hand. Felt peaceful.

3️⃣ Finished redesigning my own personal site. I’m happy about it.

1️⃣ Again, very thankful for the wife for being strong when things get challenging.

2️⃣ Great fun seeing the two bigger girls enjoying climbing. They climb well.

3️⃣ Done planning the year-end holiday trip. All we have to do now is finish the booking.

1️⃣ Watched a Korean drama.

2️⃣ Had home-cooked Japanese curry with rice. Soup style.

3️⃣ Worked on my personal site. Trying to be more creative. Fun. Also updated and backfilled my gratitude notes.

1️⃣ Again, glad to be home, enjoying the comfort and company of my family. The girls' excitement at seeing me is always precious. :)

2️⃣ Had a good bedtime convo with the wife, catching up on what we'd each been doing over the last 9 days. She's happy. I'm happy. She's a really strong woman.

3️⃣ The lessons from the retreat are still sticking. I know it's only been one day, but I'll take the win one day at a time. Noticed the full moon still out in the early morning, with sunlight in the backdrop. So beautiful. I wonder how many people noticed it too.

1️⃣ Got to meet my nephew. He's so adorable. I totally forgot how small babies can be. Can’t believe my girls have grown so much.

2️⃣ So happy to be home. Greeted with big, warm hugs from the girls and nice drawings. I feel loved. I love my house, my bed, the comfort and scenery. Very, very thankful.

3️⃣ Looking back at some of my favorite Burmese food from the retreat. There are more, but these are the ones I can recall and identify: Burmese tofu curry, Shan noodles, Mohinga, Pathein Halawa.

Backfilled note. Day 9/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ My body aches disappeared. Interesting.

2️⃣ A passing thought of my kids hugging me. Couldn’t stop smiling while meditating. My last two 1-hour sitting meditation sessions were as good as they could be. I'm so happy I gave my best.

3️⃣ It’s the last night. We didn’t talk much because it wasn’t allowed. But somehow bonds were forged.

Backfilled note. Day 8/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ The nothingness meditation streak continues in the morning. Shorter this time, but grateful for the experience.

2️⃣ A kind boy remembered that I wanted my morning coffee without sugar. So thoughtful!

3️⃣ Body aches made meditating challenging after lunch. BUT, I accepted them and made friends with them. Made the best use of the sessions to be more aware of physical sensations.

Backfilled note. Day 7/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ Had the most wonderful 1-hour meditation session. A sense of nothingness, while being aware of thoughts, smells, sounds, and body sensations coming and going. What a wonderful feeling.

2️⃣ I think I’m finally getting walking meditation. Kept it simple, as the meditation teacher instructed. Just observe, be aware, take notes with the mind.

3️⃣ Starting to feel more aware in my daily life at the meditation center. I could observe ants crawling and avoid accidentally stepping on them!

Backfilled note. Day 6/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ Burmese tofu curry is seriously awesome. Tastes like butter chicken with tofu. Yum. Mindblown.

2️⃣ I'm starting to sleep much better at the meditation center.

3️⃣ Experimented with a few new ways to meditate. They all failed. I was trying too hard. But managed to get back to basics and regain momentum.

Backfilled note. Day 5/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ My nephew is out! Everything went smoothly and safely. TYTYTY. Can’t wait to meet him.

2️⃣ Learned something about myself. Private. But shared it with the wife.

3️⃣ Grateful that I persisted and pushed through the meditation retreat. I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Backfilled note. Day 4/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ Almost quit again. But persisted. Now it's starting to feel a little better.

2️⃣ Kind souls helping me along at the retreat through their actions.

3️⃣ Starting to see how the meditation center functions. Pretty amazing how some of the heavy-duty ops are handled by the community. Some members even volunteered to clean when they could have been resting!

Backfilled note. Day 3/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ Almost quit the meditation retreat, but somehow found the strength to persist.

2️⃣ Can’t believe I did 6 × 1-hour sitting meditation sessions + 6 × 1-hour walking meditation sessions in a day.

3️⃣ The first meeting with the meditation teacher was interesting. Short but meaningful.

Backfilled note. Day 2/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ Can’t believe I could do 5 × 1-hour sitting meditation sessions + 5 × 1-hour walking meditation sessions in a day.

2️⃣ Surprised by the quality of the food provided by donors. So very thankful. I could get used to Burmese food.

3️⃣ Toilets are clean. Phew!

Backfilled note. Day 1/9 of the meditation retreat.

1️⃣ Had a chat with a friend that went much deeper than expected, in a good way. i feel lucky to have kind, trustworthy people around me who I can just be myself with, without feeling judged.

2️⃣ Spent some 1-1 time with my brother. We talked about anything and everything. Time flew.

3️⃣ Heading off to a digital-free retreat in isolation. A little excited, a little nervous. Let’s see :)

1️⃣ Caught one of my daughters meditating to manage her big emotions. I chuckled and asked, "Are you learning from Daddy?" She chuckled too. then kept going for 10 seconds and said, "I am feeling better." Funny. Wonderful.

2️⃣ My oldest shared randomly she's grateful for Mommy and Daddy bringing her into this world.

3️⃣ Spent almost a whole day learning to design using agent loops. So much fun. Much to learn.

1️⃣ Diana shared what she's grateful for this morning, totally unprompted. Random but pleasant surprise!

2️⃣ Had an open and candid convo with my "build for joy" working partner today. It ended up being really positive. We realized we're more aligned than we thought. Good vibes as always

3️⃣ I'm having a lot of fun with Impeccable. Using it to audit and improve all the tiny apps I've built. there's real joy in building delightful UI/UX with it.

1️⃣ Chicken kebab with lots of veggies and honey mustard. Simple and yummy.

2️⃣ The wife, again. She keeps popping up in these notes. ❤️

3️⃣ Helped make a few connections last week. Grateful that people trust me enough to do that… hoping it pays off for everyone involved.

1️⃣ My family, brother, and my wife's support. Some of the best in my corner.

2️⃣ Been playing with Impeccable to improve product UI/UX. Smart and fun skill to work with.

3️⃣ Had a decent stretch of reading time over the weekend. Peace and quiet. Always nice.

Also, this is the last gratitude note I'll be publishing on Substack. Moving forward, I feel it’s more apt to publish them on my personal site.

1️⃣ feeling calmer. I think it's the additional morning meditation.

2️⃣ The morning school routine. I just let the girls lead. Miraculously, they're still on time but always cutting it too close. Will let consequence be their teacher. 🙏

3️⃣ People watching at lunch yesterday. Fascinating to observe

1️⃣ Early morning meditation. Really helps to start the day right.

2️⃣ My wife's chocolate banana sourdough bread, and a Hokkaido cheese tart. Good food comes to me without asking.

3️⃣ Weekly walks with the wife. Easy to fall into deep talks. We walk to food stalls we like (without the kids) and that's nice.

1️⃣ it is quite therapeutic to read, explore, and wonder without any restriction or pressure.

2️⃣ Starting another new book. Seems like a really good read.

3️⃣ Learning to observe difficult situations and thoughts… just being aware, without making rash decision. Not perfect, but slowly getting better.

1️⃣ After 34 years, I finally got to reconnect with a teacher who treated me with kindness during a very difficult time when I was young.

2️⃣ Watched Hoppers with the family over the weekend. Kids and wife were still laughing this morning, recounting the animals discussing the pond rules.

3️⃣ Nice to just chat with a friend in person, and sit with a founder who has real motivation and a genuine sense of mission to bring good to the world. That feeling is nice.

1️⃣ Reading “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer. Fascinating. so much wisdom and life lessons to draw from it.

2️⃣ My brother enjoys being with the kids. It gives us a breather. 😮‍💨

3️⃣ Last night the kids were throwing cushions and soft toys at each other… and went into hysterical laughter.

1️⃣ The youngest is a little unwell. Spent time with her yesterday. adorable.

2️⃣ A good tennis session with a friend. Happy to know he is doing well.

3️⃣ Feels rather peaceful in the family lately. I've been shifting how I see the kids. treating them as comrades, as equals.

1️⃣ The girls were supposed to go to the playground. I suggested washing the car instead. They agreed and thought it was fun. Quick work, and a good workout.

2️⃣ A neighbor dropped off a box of home cooked curry. Really delicious.

3️⃣ I'm learning not to crave for recognition for my writing/work. But when people tell you they appreciate it… it always feels very nice.

1️⃣ Was mid-conversation with the older girls when Kara waved and caught my attention and then said, "I love you, daddy." Unprompted. Random. The best feeling.

2️⃣ Lunch with the wife, then buying household stuff together. Simple, quiet pleasures.

3️⃣ Helped a young YC founder today. He seemed genuinely grateful. Made me happy. I’ve been helping a few founders lately. Always gives me energy.

1️⃣ Surprised my youngest by showing up with her scooter. She squealed. We scooted home together (I ran). Cute.

2️⃣ "Courage to Be Happy" is challenging how I see things. I agree on the theory. Not totally sure about the feasibility on certain things. But it's interesting for my brain to chew on.

3️⃣ Friends who still remember you… and then invite you to things and show up to help. That's a nice feeling.

1️⃣ It's nice to talk to the wife about everything: the good, the bad, things to fix, solutions forward. Lucky to have found a soulmate I can share anything and everything with.

2️⃣ Went out with the older girls to buy food by bicycle. It’s a first. They had chilled honey lemon drinks and were grateful for them. It was a fun one.

3️⃣ Oldest daughter said some funny stuff when she's in the mood. Kinda quirky and humorous. I like that style.

1️⃣ Grandpa and the kids baked cookies yesterday. They turned out so well we shared them with three neighbors. and they loved it too.

2️⃣ Japanese curry and palak paneer for dinner. love it.

3️⃣ Random conversations with friends on WhatsApp. Some brought chuckles.😆

1️⃣ The girls kept playing the brain games, so I built more. and they wanted to share with their friends.

2️⃣ Talked to a founder yesterday. Went quite deep on root causes and next course of action. Quite amazed how she found me.

3️⃣ Two of the older kids decided not to follow us to lunch midway. We told them where we'd be and kept walking. They didn't show up and we didn't go looking. wife and I had a nice lunch, packed food back. We found them on the way home. safe, and they learned a lesson. But grumpy they couldn't eat out. lol.

1️⃣ Built brain games for the kids. They enjoyed it a lot. Interesting.

2️⃣ Wrote stuff. Received kind words. So grateful.

3️⃣ Grateful to my wife for supporting me to do a long meditation retreat. My first.

1️⃣ A swim session with all the neighborhood kids. Everyone just playing together, having fun.

2️⃣ A family dinner where everyone enjoyed the food. Satisfying to see everyone satisfied.

3️⃣ The wife again. I can share my most inner thoughts with her. even the ones still forming. She never judges.

1️⃣ Found a very soothing instrumental piece. My wife and I enjoyed it together.

2️⃣ The kids are still into Pocahontas. "Colors of the Wind" on constant replay. It's a meaningful song. Not complaining.

3️⃣ The wife's sourdough banana chocolate bread. So yummy. I think she should try to sell it since she enjoys baking too

What's yours?

1️⃣ A catchup with a friend over tennis and lunch. Good conversation, good laughs

2️⃣ I thought no one was reading what I wrote. Then messages came in from friends saying they appreciated it. Always a nice feeling.

3️⃣ My daughter gave me a little “pumpkin” she made 🧐. Random. Made me chuckle.

What's yours?

1️⃣ Seeing my in-laws move into their new place. Nice view, good color combi. It reflects hard work bearing fruit.

2️⃣ Reading Substack, commenting, and chatting with strangers brings joy.

3️⃣ Just enjoying the present moment and the present routine. Ample time to work, read, exercise, create new memories, and bond with friends and family. Starting to enjoy this rhythm and the process of learning and discovery. I feel a sense of peace. Very grateful for it.

What's yours?

1️⃣ Morning car ride with the older girls, reflecting on Pocahontas. They discussed the movie and drew their own lessons from it. Super cute, fascinating.

2️⃣ Thoughts of retirement 😆. Thoughts of building something new. Thoughts of a big tech or AI lab. Thoughts of teaching in school. So many possibilities. Used to frustrate me. Now I'm a little more peace… just trusting the process. The only thing I'm trying to consistently do is build and explore with no expectations. And also to enjoy the process, be present

3️⃣ Happy the wife got to spend time with her family and take a small break from the kids. Lucky the kids were quite good last night. I enjoyed myself too. Lucky

What's yours?

1️⃣ my 4yo enjoys stories so much that I can steal a few kisses. She said no to my kisses last night, so I told her the dreameater will come if she didn't have my kiss as charms and protection. Not only did I get one kiss but I got three 😂

2️⃣ Reading "The Courage to Be Disliked." Adlerian psychology concept is interesting. and I enjoy reading the book as a dialogue between a philosopher and a student.

3️⃣ Very thankful for the wife, especially during challenging times with the children.

What's yours?

1️⃣ Hainanese curry rice. Haven't had it in a long time… so good.

2️⃣ Genuinely super excited about my latest angel investment. Even when I talk about it with friends, I feel excited for the founder. Always nice to back a fellow YC founder.

3️⃣ A really nice catchup with friends yesterday. Both of them are builders. I have a lot of respect for them. One recently did a partial exit, super happy for him!

What's yours?

1️⃣ Korean oven-fried chicken. It's been a while. so yummy.

2️⃣ Just spending time with the wife again yesterday, slowing down after a challenging day with the children.

3️⃣ Quick and meaningful catch-ups with my brother and friends over text. felt great.

1️⃣ Raising kids is sooo hard. I'm just very lucky that I have a great partner, my wife, to do this with. Otherwise I honestly don't think I'd survive and derive joy.

2️⃣ Met two founders yesterday and each of them are doing well in their own ways. That gives me energy. Always nice to hear, especially in a tough startup climate in our region right now.

3️⃣ Had a bit more time to meditate yesterday. Useful… it was a pretty rough day with the kids.

What's yours?

1️⃣ Quiet time with the wife yesterday, just driving her to where she wanted to be. Always nice that she appreciates my time.

2️⃣ Had a good convo with a fellow founder. Then the AngelCentral briefing on helping curate angel startup investments… that seems really fun. Quite excited.

3️⃣ Made a connection between two very brilliant people. Hopefully more good things come out of it.

What about you?

1️⃣ Met with an ex-colleague. Received a lot of kind words… makes me really happy and makes me feel that a lot of hard work has been all worthwhile.

2️⃣ Just really enjoying the company of this plant in my house.

3️⃣ Quality one-on-one time with Diana. She enjoys seeing people fish at the jetty. I thought that was pretty cool.

What's yours?

1️⃣ Excited to work towards the TickerTown private beta. Still working on it slowly… it's been fun collaborating with others.

2️⃣ A friend bought me lunch (haha). We had a good catch up. Happy he's doing great, running a profitable biz!

3️⃣ A few people found the AI list useful. I thought it was boring 😂 I'll take this small win. https://williswee.substack.com/p/the-boring-ways-i-use-ai

What's yours?

1️⃣ Relatively little drama with the kids this morning. Just… peaceful. ☺️

2️⃣ Watching the kids adopt mealworms as pets. Interesting🪱

3️⃣ Really nice conversation with the wife last night. she always loves a good massage.

What's yours?

1️⃣ My kids enjoy books and love going to the library. That really makes me happy… feels like I managed to pass it on to them.

2️⃣ An ex-team member sent me this. We didn't even work directly together. Too kind.

"Although I didn't have a chance to work directly with you but I am inspired a lot by your work, your customer-obsessed spirit and product mindset. And of course thanks to TiA that I found I really want to make something people want. Thank you for all of your work, which inspires me to start writing my own story."

3️⃣ Recovering from stomach flu. Wasn't nice, but I got a lot of rest… amazing how much sleep I can get when I just let go.

What's yours?

1️⃣ Enjoyed looking at my youngest one's feet and hands. Not much chance left… they'll get bigger and not so cute soon.

2️⃣ Diana and Laura tying each other's hair in the car with lots of giggles. 😂

3️⃣ For some reason, good relevant content keeps coming to me… either by the algorithm or through good friends. This one is highly recommended: https://youtu.be/eQZO-MPpbJg

What's yours?

1️⃣ Laura still enjoys washing the car with me. It's a really good workout, saves money, and we always end up having a good chat.

2️⃣ I find it super cute that the kids are always enthusiastic about outdoor activities… cycling, beach, tennis... anything that makes them perspire or go under the sun. Perhaps it's just the way we bring them up.

3️⃣ Really enjoyed the book "I May Be Wrong" by Björn Natthiko Lindeblad. From a successful corporate high-flyer to a forest monk, then back to the non-monastic world. Super insightful and a lot of thoughts I can relate to, especially in this season of slowing down.

What's yours?

1️⃣ Had a very nice lunch with a friend yesterday. One of the few friends I can openly talk about exercising the mind and practicing mindfulness with. We shared quite a bit on life's perspectives and aspirations… really nice chat. Grateful for the friendship.

2️⃣ When one kid is fussy in the morning, the other steps in to provide comfort, staying calm. Shows how much she's grown wiser. always a nice feeling when the sisters take care of each other.

3️⃣ Several books have arrived and I can't wait to read them… though I've got quite a long list waiting 😂

What about you?

1️⃣ We have really awesome neighbors who share spaces and food, and let the three girls roam around freely. There's a lot of kindness around… it's a really nice feeling.

2️⃣ Saw Diana tying braids for Laura in the car this morning on the way to school. Heartwarming.

3️⃣ Road trip yesterday helping my brother prepare for his first baby. Good fun.

What's yours?

1️⃣ My kids observed me working on TickerTown and started asking questions about building a new company. They know I sold my previous one. Very innocent questions… joyful and funny convo 😂.

2️⃣ There's this resident rooster 🐔 near my place. It chased my kids before (they kinda deserved it. they went to disturb it first). Yesterday I watched other kids observing the same rooster. It was very confident, ready to defend itself… but the kids didn't come closer and just walked away. Playing my kids' version of the scene vs these kids in my head was quite funny.

3️⃣ Did another round of usability tests with TickerTown waitlist users. Overall good… I think we've hit diminishing returns. Ready to move into the final design brief, lock the design system, and really start building for private beta. Also thankful to work with Ian. there are things I worry about that he doesn't, and it's always nice to chat through, see his point of view, and learn along the way.

What's yours?

1️⃣ A total stranger reached out cold to help with TickerTown. First he volunteered as a usability tester. Now he's volunteering his time to help build it… just for the joy of it (I told him there’s just a 5% chance it will work). Super nice feels when it happens, and you can't plan for that.

2️⃣ An ex-colleague reconnected and told me this. Too kind.

"TIA was formative for me and to this day, it remains my benchmark for culture and transparency. When I built my own startup, I adopted the same policies and cultural practices we had in place in early TIA days (full financial transparency to my team, unlimited leave, no notice period required -- just full trust cutting both ways)."

3️⃣ TickerTown hit 100 users on the waitlist. Small number 😂, but it's real people signing up for something that doesn't exist yet. https://preview.tickertown.ai/

What's yours?

1️⃣ Over the weekend, I watched the 3 girls just love each other. Doing group hugs. Diana told Laura (unprompted) that she's the best younger sister she'd ever have and she wouldn't change her for anyone. Laura said it right back.

2️⃣ A few people texted me about my writing this week. Just kind, honest words saying it resonated. I had a few coffees connection thanks to writing. Such a nice feeling.

3️⃣ The nighttime chats with my wife. It always brings us closer. I'm not sure I could have achieved whatever I've achieved without her by my side. i feel lucky.

What’s yours?

1️⃣ A prominent investor read my recent piece "I'd do it again, just kinder" and said: "wisdom. Proud of you for writing it. Takes courage." Grateful for the encouragement.

2️⃣ My ex-investors still reply within the hour when I pick their brains on things. Years after the exit, they still show up. That says something about the relationships we built. Don't take that for granted.

3️⃣ Caught up with a YC batchmate and housemate from 2015. We stayed in the same house during the batch and it was one of the most challenging but also most fun and fulfilling stretches of my journey. Texting him brought back a lot of good memories.

What made you smile today? 😊

1️⃣ I'm grateful for the freedom to slow down, to build, to speed up, to write, to daydream, to spend time with family. optionality is a gift.

2️⃣ There's a lot of silence right now and I kind of enjoy it. No one is texting me about deadlines or things I have to do. slightly uncomfortable but I welcome it.

3️⃣ Had a pleasant chat with my girls about random stuff this morning. These are the things that will create memories. 😆

what about you?

1️⃣ Septin, a designer I work with. She's been effective and I feel like I'm helping her grow. The best working relationships go both ways.

2️⃣ Usability tests on something I'm building went well. Testers were clear and impressed with the design. I know that doesn't mean PMF. It just means it's usable. But it's a good signal. i'll take the win. Running another round of test next week after fixes.

3️⃣ Spoke with a friend who texted me this after the session: “Thank you Willis. Most relaxed and refreshed I’ve felt in weeks! Till the next one 🫡”

What's yours?