building aha

Literature is nothing but carpentry.

Both are very hard work. Writing something is almost as hard as making a table. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood. Both are full of tricks and techniques. Basically very little magic and a lot of hard work are involved. And as Proust, I think, said, it takes ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. I never have done any carpentry, but it's the job I admire most, especially because you can never find anyone to do it for you.

– Gabriel García Márquez, the paris review interviews vol II

spent the day building the chrome extension, couldn't focus in class at all.

chrome extensions are a pain. i wonder how much longer it would take me to build this without cursor.

5 docs brief wolfson uses to be effective at work

  1. Ongoing Stack Rank (OSR): A prioritized list of key outputs/projects, not just tasks.
  2. "It's Only the Weekend When" Post-it: A simple 3-item weekly priority list.
  3. "What I'm Proud Of" Scrapbook: A collection of personal achievements to boost energy and confidence.
  4. Snag Log: A record of frustrations to identify patterns and avoid future issues.
  5. "Today, I Learned": A log of new insights, details, and lessons learned.

her experience working at stripe

Because what I’ve learned from having the privilege of working in a place that asks for my best and helps me get there is how much it can unlock in a life. The benefits extend far beyond the skills required to get great work done. The really, really good stuff comes from looking back on something you created and thinking, “I had no idea I could do that.” It comes from looking around and thinking “wow these people helped me, really helped me, get there.” It comes from looking inside and seeing how deep and enduring those feelings of pride, satisfaction, and gratitude really are. And what happens when you have so much it gets to spill over to the other aspects of and people in your life.

more writings

9/24/2024