I am 30 now. I write this as a reminder of who I was and where I came from.

I wasn’t the brightest of the bunch; I was definitely in the bottom 25th percentile in high school. US college saved me by forcing me to relearn all the “advanced math” that Indonesian high school had already taught me. It turns out STEM subjects are not scary; I just had a very wrong idea about them because of the way they were taught to me, or at least how I perceived them.

After college, after a very short stint in the US, I came back for startup life. I was in my “fuck around and find out” mode, and boy, did I find out a lot. One, I found out that depression is a scary place. It sucks the energy out of you and the people around you. I would argue that your loved ones are the ones that are impacted the most. 10/10 never again. Grief was another monster. I wasn’t completely sure what I did, but it was dark and ugly. Talking to a medical professional helps, but you need to do the work.

Next, I found out that I am first and foremost a builder. I get immense joy from building things that others find useful.

I also want to point out that I would not survive without my wonderful wife. We make a pretty good team, and I am a forever simp. I closed my 20s with the arrival of my first daughter. Words can’t describe the feeling: a mixture of pride, with a good dose of anxiety. Both of them are the anchors of my life, and it is crazy how only their existence pushes me to be a better person. I am the happiest with my family.

Excited for the 30s.