Writing Desk
Older pieces while new writing is in progress.
- The Best Books I've Read in 2019April 26, 2020
- My 3 Words for 2020April 26, 2020
- The Writing ToolkitMay 22, 2019
- 2018 Annual ReviewMay 1, 2019
Read everything. Build what matters. Share what works.
Notes from reading 450+ books, shipping software at Truffle Security, and running a 100-person Burning Man camp. Written for what you can use this week.
What I'm Working On
What I'm reading, writing, and chewing on this month. Last updated April 26, 2020.
3 Words
2026 focus words.
TransmuteHarvestHonor
Reading Queue
Books on the nightstand.
Topic Map— themes I'm turning into longer guides.
ProductivityPersonal FinancePersonal DevelopmentWorkflows
Recent Books
The latest books off the shelf, with honest ratings and notes.
Tool Stack for September 2026
The apps I actually reach for most this month.
- 01
Claude Code
Anthropic's terminal-based agentic coding tool that reads, edits, and runs code autonomously
macOSWebdocs.anthropic.com - 02
Peak Strength
Athlete oriented training app that has well programed workouts across sport & strength goals
iOSpeakstrength.app - 03
Warp
Modern GPU-accelerated terminal with AI command suggestions, blocks, and collaborative features
macOSwarp.dev - 04
Obsidian
CLI tool for interacting with Obsidian vaults from the terminal, enabling markdown file management and knowledge base operations
CLIgithub.com - 05
Open Claw
Open-source agentic CLI tool for autonomous coding workflows and automation
CLIopenclaw.ai - 06
Lazy Git
Terminal UI for Git that makes staging, committing, branching, and rebasing fast and visual
CLIgithub.com
The ideas I keep coming back to.
Four threads that run through everything I read, build, and lead.
Servant Leadership
I lead from the front and care more about people than status. I realized I was a leader when others kept trusting me with responsibility. Helping people become their best selves is also how I become mine.
Systems Thinking
I see patterns across people, institutions, and technology. I turn those patterns into clearer systems and better decisions. Building systems feels like a game to me, and I love compounding improvements over time.
Generalized Specialist
I studied design, switched to business, and taught myself to code. Along the way, I've organized communities, run events, and advised startups. I do my best work at the intersection of disciplines.
Continuous Learner
Curiosity keeps me moving. I run experiments, study what works, and apply the lesson to the next attempt. I want to keep learning about myself, other people, and the world for life.
Who I Learn From
Writers and thinkers whose ideas keep showing up in what I make.
Eckhart Tolle
Reading the most this month
Helped me return to a more intuitive, embodied form of mindfulness.
Explore source
Naval Ravikant
Sharpened my thinking on wealth, happiness, and personal agency.
Charlie Munger
Shaped my multidisciplinary thinking and my use of mental models for better judgment.
Discipline, curiosity, and the long game.
I grew up in the Bronx, raised by a single mother who taught me to value resourcefulness over resources. In high school I ran an underground candy business to pay tuition. In college I studied design and business, then taught myself to code. Each leap taught the same lesson: learn fast, build with what you have, iterate.
Today I'm a senior engineer at Truffle Security. I lead Nobo House, a 100-person Burning Man camp now in its 8th year, and I run a 2,000-person personal development community in NYC. About 50 books a year, 450+ and counting. The about page has the full story, including the turning points I almost missed.
- “Discipline is compassion for your future self”
- “Read everything, apply what survives the second look”
- “Build rooms where people become who they're trying to be”