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Writing reliable software in a service-oriented architecture

In the process of starting a startup – and writing code to make it work – I’ve read a lot of advice. Thanks to the internet, we can now access...

The Third Bowl: Building Online Communities Centered Around Connection

Obesity, smoking, and alcohol are the typical targets of a United States Surgeon General. Dr. Vivek Murthy, however, realized that, outside of these well-publicized dangers, many of the problems he...

Exploration and Exploitation: Finding Consistency Across Business, Personality, and Food

Imagine you’re a comedian, debating between two routines. The first is a safe bet, a tried-and-true routine where the audience is guaranteed to laugh. The second, however, is more experimental,...

My Favorite Books of 2020

I used to think books were like drugs. And I don’t mean garden-variety pills like Benadryl or Tylenol–I’m talking hardcore drugs: nicotine, cocaine, and so on. How did I come...

The Two Sides of Liupanshui

Liupanshui is a city of incredible contrast. On one side is the “capital of cool” — a clean modern summer home for visitors escaping the heat of the big cities...

How I Built a Semi-Automated Matching System for Big & Mini

I co-founded Big & Mini in early April, as a nonprofit organization dedicated to combatting social isolation and creating virtual connections by matching older and younger people for video calls....