The Pioneer’s Dilemma

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To leave the chasm behind, to cross it and not fall back into it, involves a transformation in the enterprise that few individuals can span. It is the move from being pioneers to becoming settlers. — Geoffrey Moore

I’m a startup junkie. I’ve learned to appreciate uncertainty and thrive in disarray, figuring things out without being hindered by bureaucracy. However, once the startup crosses the chasm and settles into something that resembles an enterprise-level company, I get cold feet.

These … Continue reading →

Three Easy Steps To A More Positive Life

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For a guide to be truly effective, it should be short and intuitive. A shorter list also makes it easier to keep in mind and actually follow through on. I can’t remember if I’ve read or heard about this somewhere but it’s something I continuously try to instill in both myself and our kids—especially in our 8-year-old.

I do this for a couple of reasons: one is to obviously make sure they grow up to be decent human beings. Two, … Continue reading →

Filipinos Are Not Hospitable

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As I decided and finally typed the title of this essay, I figured I was going to get a ton of flak because Filipinos are overly sensitive about this topic — and almost every little, insignificant thing. But I implore you to put down your pitchforks for a moment and listen. I am a Filipino and if you’re one too, I can understand why your blood is boiling right now. Apart from being hospitable, we should be nationalists too, right?… Continue reading →

Dear 19-year-old self

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The first thing you need to do when you read this is to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself why you’re wearing clothes three times your size. I know hiphop and gangsta rap is big during this time but really?

Second thing you need to do is to turn off that computer, get out of the house, and explore the world. There’s beauty in it although I know it’ll be hard for you to understand this right now.

… Continue reading →

2017, here we go.

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As I unconsciously drove myself with robotic consistency to work today, I was thinking of things to do or change this year. I don’t do new year resolutions. Frankly because I’m afraid I won’t get to actually doing them — especially with the pressure of a non-existent clock ticking away every second.

This year, I’m changing that. I’m going to write down a couple of things that I think I should be able to accomplish — or at least try … Continue reading →

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

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In War’s Why Can’t We Be Friends?, the line “why can’t we be friends?” is repeated 44 times and makes up 94% of the entire song. I’ve asked myself this question hundreds of times. Why can’t people seem to agree on anything?

One guy says something, another guy comes back with something else. A woman posts something nice on Facebook and people can’t wait to give it a piece of their mind.

Are people hardwired to argue? Were we … Continue reading →

The Culture Hype

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Almost anything passes as definition of culture these days — more so in tech startups.

So, what’s the culture like in your company?

Oh, we have espresso machines, unlimited candy, free lunches, a couple of masseuse on standby — you name it! We embrace working remotely, enjoy unlimited vacations, and are entitled to 8-hours of sleep every night.

Oh, man. How I wish.

Silicon Valley has everyone talking a great deal about culture but do we really know what we’re … Continue reading →

How to Eliminate Your Short Temper and Avoid Completely Ruining Your Kids’ Lives

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I am a father to two kids; one six-year old and a toddler. Both highly energetic and can easily wreak havoc while requiring the smallest amount of time. I love them both dearly but there are times when I want to crumple them into a ball and hurl them into the trash bin while yelling “Kobe!”

Parenting is tough—and I don’t think an aphorism would help in any way. In today’s technology-driven world, everyone is under constant pressure to deliver,

… Continue reading →

Moving along.

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I started this blog 4 years ago as a way for me to record my thoughts. 25 thousand hits later, there’s a hint of melancholy as I’m finally parting ways with it — or WordPress to be perfectly accurate. There was a time when you felt like everyone else was on WordPress (emphasis on “was”). Although, I just felt like whenever I log onto WordPress, I always get lost into its different components and entirely miss the point of writing. … Continue reading →

But You’ve Got To Love Failure!

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I love building things.

Notice how I said “building?” I don’t consider myself creative, I’m not an innovator and I’m nowhere near being a visionary. But I LOVE building things.

4 years ago, me, my brother, and a friend of ours thought of an idea. We were fed up with how bad traffic was in Metro. We thought, what if we could build a service that encourages ride-sharing, or more commonly known as carpooling.

We scoured the web for local … Continue reading →