Photos from my Flight back to San Francisco

/ Cali, Photo

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On my way back to Cali, I snapped a couple of photos from my flight.

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It’s pretty impressive what a 24mm 1.4 can do at night. I’m going to have to take this lens out for some night time street photograph sometime soon.

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It’s interesting… as I use more ephemeral photo apps on my phone, I’m starting to find myself using my DSLR more. While it takes a little more time to compose, edit and share, there’s something much more rewarding.

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PS. I just picked up a 35mm 1.4… so I’m hoping to test that out soon. I know it’s similar to the 24mm, but I think it has a slightly different purpose. More on this later.

Back to SF

/ Cali, Product, Thursday Thought

After a week and a half back on the east coast, I’m back to SF. I had a pretty good meeting tonight with one of my buddies, Norm. He asked me a couple of hard questions—things that made me really think why I’m here. It kind of caught me off guard.

If you weren’t working on your current project, what would you be doing right now?

It’s kind of interesting that he asked me this. When I first started this project, it was something on the side. It’s definitely something that I enjoy doing, but he really wanted me to think about what I’d be working on if I wasn’t tied to any project. Would I really be working on this on my own?

He said, there are plenty of people in SF looking for projects to work on, but very few are extremely passionate about doing something that they’re genuinely moved by. I think the answer is that I definitely want to learn more about this space—it’s something that I’ve been really curious about, and I want to learn the ins and outs of early stage companies. I also want to give a stab at a consumer facing product right now. But, the reality is that I probably wouldn’t have come up with this mission on my own.

Anyway, his point was that when you have your own mission and personal passion behind something, it motivates other people. He said, that gravity inspires people, and it’s how projects get funded. I’m not sure how much of that is true, but it definitely sounds romantic and appealing.

If I read between the lines, he wanted me to think about the future. What’s the next project after this, and can it be something that can be closer to my heart? How can I think bigger and take things to the next level? Can I take Expa to the next level?

I have a couple of ideas, but I think the point was, I have to keep thinking about those things—the next side project.

Anyway, I have a lot to think about. There’s a ton to do—first step is to get this stealth project out of stealth mode. Then I can start thinking about the next big thing… even if the next thing starts off as a small side project.

SF Cars and Coffee: Agera R

/ Cali, Cars

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So you might ask what’s one of the most rare things I’ve ever seen at Cars and Coffee… and that, my friend might be the Agera R, made by Koenigsegg. Word on the street is that Koenigsegg only produces 15 cars a year. This is as exotic as it is rare.

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Yeh, this thing can go 0-62 in 2.8 seconds, and it’s able to pull 1.5g’s around a corner. The real question you have to ask when you look at the Agera R is, “what isn’t carbon fiber”.

Culture in the Long Run

/ Cali, Design, Product

Over the years, I’ve been really curious about company culture. It’s always fun reading articles talking about how you shouldn’t F up company culture. But if you read between the lines, there’s actually a financial reason why culture matters in the long run for start-ups. Given enough time, you’re probably going to move on or get fired… and the only influence you’ll have on the company is the culture you’ve left behind.

You know, I actually hear ex-founders talking about how they don’t recognize any of the new faces in their company. It’s fascinating to think about how all those new faces are working every day to build value (and making the company worth more).

The interesting thing about culture is that it’s hard to change for the better after things have gone south. So it seems really important to establish the right direction really early.

It all starts with the founders and the first hire. I’ve been told that the first hire is like mitosis—the first cell division in an organization that carries its DNA. One of my mentors explained to me, “your first hire will echo all of your best and worst attributes.”

So with that in mind, I’m trying to be more conscious of my attitude and perspective. I constantly ask myself questions like: How do we build values around innovation and a relentless work ethic into our DNA? How do we balance decisions based on data versus gut instinct? How do we handle disagreements and distractions? How do we set an example of excellence? How do we learn from our mistakes and run more efficiently? And ultimately, how do build things we’re genuinely proud of and have fun?

Anyways, big f’n kudos to any of the leaders out there that have built a successful culture. It’s not easy, and it’s certainly not luck. And yeh, when its done right, culture can be a lucrative thing. It’s a bet I’m ready to double down on.

My SF Studio

/ Cali

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Since I’ve moved to SF, I’ve completely downsized my lifestyle. I sold my condo, cars, and most of my personal belongings. I can pretty much carry all my essentials stuff in two small suit cases.

I live in a 500 sq ft apartment next to the bay bridge. If you haven’t already noticed from the photo, I pretty much have my el cheapo bed, table, chairs, and christmas lights. As for entertainment, I have my xbox, a short throw projector, and a set of bose computer speakers.

I’d love to ship my nice speakers and receiver out here, but it’d be a hassle to move around. Who knows how long I’ll be out here. Rent seems to be going up, and I’m not sure how much higher I can go before I tap out. I may have to start looking for something cheaper for next year.

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For what it’s worth, I’m learning a lot—more on that soon. For now, I’m going to enjoy my time here and soak in the view. I’ll be honest, it’s actually kind of nice having less stuff.

SF Cars and Coffee: LaFerrari

/ Cali, Cars

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I never thought I’d see one of these (the LaFerrari) in person. Actually much smaller than you’d expect…

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It’s too bad they didn’t rev the engine. I’m really curious as to how it sounds.

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It’s hard to believe that you can’t just go to the dealership and buy one. There are only 499 units made.

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Horsepower: 949 HP
MPG: 12 city / 16 highway
MSRP: From $1.416 million
Battery: 2.3 kWh 480 V lithium-ion
Engine: 6.3L V12

Check out the full specs here.