now
updated @ tue, mar 11, 2025gone fishing
I’m on sabbatical until the end of April, leaving me with a lot of free time to explore my interests.
leaning into music
As of March, I’ve spent every day producing and consuming music. I haven’t done something like this since I was a teenager, and I’m loving it. In my youth, I was focused on being tHe BeSt guitar player evERrrrrr. Now, I’m focused on making music and getting it out into the world and systematically deconstructing the barriers that have stopped me from doing so when I was younger.
My day starts with either firing up the DAW (Logic Pro gang) and exploring various guitar rig configurations, or playing on my tiny Yamaha THR amp with the only two pedals I have here in Japan.
I’ll record song ideas for a few hours, and then I’ll switch to watching some tutorials on how to master the usage of my DAW.
In addition to that, I’ve been watching breakdowns of how music is produced by various artists or skilled content creators and listening to musicians interviewing one another on podcasts, both of which have been good fuel for the idea generator in my head and steadily help me improve my recording and editing workflows. This further convinces me that if you’re interested in getting better at something, you should throw yourself at it, consume loads of content, and join communities where you can interact with and learn from others.
If you have suggestions on worthwhile yt channels and podcasts, please send them my way.
coding with AI
AI IDEs have made coding fun again. I took a hiatus from side projects because they consumed too much time (and I probably lacked conviction). But now projects that would have taken two weekends take two hours.
I mean…
I’m deeply enjoying figuring out how to code with AI because:
- It is going to be the norm in the near future - hell, it already is with many startups - because it multiplies output for such a low cost.
- If it’s multiplying your potential output, you had better make sure your input is good… and so I’m interested in uncovering development patterns and antipatterns.
- It’s fun!
- It’s new, shiny, and shrouded in mystery. Nobody knows how to use these things yet. It’s like playing a newly released video game where there aren’t any walkthroughs published and everyone keeps nagging their friends older sibling for the cheat codes.
I’m involved in a few communities online where members share their learnings, workflows, predictions, etc. and it’s exciting to see where things will go. I’ll share some notes in the next few weeks on my experience so far. I’d love to hear about your experience as well!
Coding with AI can get frustrating, and those frustrating moments are surprisingly important because they usually reveal:
- you are trying to build something without a plan
- you have a plan, but it isn’t very good
- your plan is fine, but you haven’t broken it down into small enough steps
- you have done all of that, but your method of communication isn’t as clear or concise as it could be
Hilariously, coding with AI has evidently teased out some of my weaknesses as an engineer. In that regard, software engineers are going to need to buckle down and learn how to craft a detailed spec if they want to get ahead of the pack, which… isn’t a fundamental difference from the core competencies required to excel at the role, it just becomes more essential. We’ll definitely level up as problem-solvers so long as we are mindful of how we interact with these tools. It’s like having someone who is a brilliant coder, incredibly fast, but will take you extremely literally and believe you to always know what you’re talking about. Pretty dangerous if you, in fact, do not.
skiing
Lots of skiing! Well, for me. I will have skied ~18 days (in Japan) this season as of next week, all of which has taken place in 2025. I’ve visited: Ishiuchi Maruyama, Niseko (again, and it’s overhyped!), Appi Kougen, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa Onsen (again).
travel
I’ll be headed to Kagoshima next week for an indeterminate amount of time. I’ve never been to Kyushu, and there hasn’t been a better time for me to go. The rough plan is to start in Kyushu and weasel my way back to Tokyo little by little. I’m experimenting with next-to-zero planning because I am too much of a planner and want the flexibility of staying or moving in different cities as I please. I have a list of hotspots to visit in Kyushu, maybe a handful between there and Hyogo.
Depending on the time remaining between that trip and the end of my sabbatical, I may schedule a visit to the U.S.
After taking several years off, I’m back. It was the beautiful marriage of light bullying, inability to communicate with friends abroad, and the lack of algorithmic magic (great for fitness and music, surprisingly) that had me come back.
Definitely prefer the desktop versions of social media where web extensions help block some of the noisier app components, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
reading list
These sections are auto updated. Summaries are courtesy of Readwise.
articles i've enjoyed this month
- For
The author reflects on the importance of identifying what we are for, rather than focusing on what we are against. By prioritizing meaningful activities and connections, he finds greater fulfillment and clarity in life. He encourages others to engage in positive interactions and appreciate the simple joys in everyday moments.
- Taste Is Eating Silicon Valley.
Taste is becoming more important than technology in Silicon Valley, as the lines between culture and tech blur. Founders must now focus on design, branding, and user experience, not just technical skills, to succeed. Investors are looking for companies that combine utility with a strong sense of taste to stand out in a crowded market.
- your dreams demand your best hours
Your best hours are the times when you feel most energized and creative. It's important to dedicate these hours to your dreams and what truly matters to you. Don't waste your best hours on tasks or people that don’t appreciate you.
- How to ask for stuff
Asking for help can be difficult, especially if we grew up in environments that discouraged it. It's important to trust yourself and the people around you, and to be clear about what you need. Practicing this can create a new habit of openness and support in your relationships.
- How to draw an orange
Drawing is a natural human instinct that many lose confidence in as they grow older. Children freely express their creativity, but societal pressures can make them doubt their abilities. It's important to reclaim that confidence and recognize that everyone deserves to express themselves.
currently reading
