But nearly ten years into this journey, the monotony of the daily grind dawned on me. The dreamer in me felt stifled. From e-commerce to consulting, I dabbled in various ventures. Success, however, remained elusive.  I lost thousands due to poor execution and trying to do everything myself. 

Books became my refuge. “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki wasn’t just a book; it was an epiphany. It steered me towards real estate. Those drives around opulent neighborhoods weren’t just drives; they were lessons on the culmination of right decisions over time.  I was still working my 9-5 product manager job and the prospect of purchasing one of these homes seemed inconceivable. 

Another curveball came my way when my roommate, and close friend, decided to leave our Venice Beach apartment for a new Data Scientist job in the San Francisco Bay Area.  We were best friends and I knew it would be impossible to find someone to replace him. The rent at our beachside apartment was unaffordable for one person. But adversity often carries the seeds of opportunity. The real estate knowledge I had been accumulating whispered an idea: Why not rent out the spare room to travelers online?  Most people would be put-off by the idea of letting strangers share their space – I didn’t mind because it gave me in depth exposure to new cultures and new people without having to leave my house! 

Within a few months, not only did I break even, I turned a profit. A newfound clarity led me to a business partner, and together we ventured into my first successful startup – a property management company that specialized in California coastal real estate. My decade-long corporate experience enabled me to streamline operations, hire efficient offshore teams, and meticulously document processes. A year into this venture, my earnings matched my full-time job. I took the leap and resigned from my corporate day job. Our business began to expand – and a few short years later we had over 20MM AUM.  All my dreams had finally come true. 

However, life’s unpredictable. A series of unfortunate events that culminated in a global pandemic decimated my business virtually overnight.  I was crushed.  Nearly a decade of hard work was wiped away in in an instant. 

This experience left me with deep trauma that made everyday life very difficult.  I began spending hours researching PTSD, depression, and mental health.  Through a combination of therapy, cold exposure, nutrition optimization, and natural supplements – I was able to heal myself and continue my journey. 

Down, but never out, I pivoted towards the nascent field of AI.  I devoured research on large language models and attended lectures about generative artificial intelligence.  I learned from the best and realized another massive opportunity was unfolding in front of me.  The next chapter has been about building a company that aimed to revolutionize memoir sharing through artificial intelligence.

This hasn’t been a cakewalk. But the knowledge I’ve amassed is invaluable. I’ve been fortunate to learn from pioneers in various fields. Now, I’ve created this platform to give back.