About
Background
I grew up in North Ryde, Sydney. Growing up, I played a lot of piano and tennis, and did well in maths in high school. After high school I wasn't sure what to study, but Actuarial Studies was a maths heavy option, so I went with that.
The degree was very difficult, and I was more preoccupied with my math tutoring side hustle and powerlifting at the uni gym rather than hitting the books. Nevertheless it helped me learn to think statistically, which later became the foundation for getting into machine learning and data science.
After graduation, I wasn't ready to jump straight into corporate life. So I took a break, traveled, kept teaching maths when I returned.
My career since has been anything but linear: tutoring, co-founding a startup, machine learning, firmware engineering, backend development, and most recently test automation.
I'd like to think the thread is following interesting opportunities, learning new skills, and working with good people.
I've learned to be comfortable pivoting into new fields when the opportunity aligns. I'm not a specialist in one thing; I'm adaptable.
Learning to Meditate
In 2016, I attended my first 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat in the S.N. Goenka tradition. I was drawn to the challenge and curious to explore the mind and subconscious. It was extremely challenging but equally rewarding. Probably the most pivotal decision of my life. I continue to attend retreats yearly and meditate daily.
Vipassana helps me understand myself more deeply - particularly the subtle intentions behind why I do things. Am I doing this to impress others? Out of fear? Because I think I "should"? Or because I genuinely think it's worthwhile?
Without this practice, I could easily get swept away doing things that look good to others rather than things I genuinely want to pursue.
In terms of career: It's helped me make conscious career decisions rather than following the default path. It's allowed me to take roles that might seem like a step down in title or prestige because I could see they were steps forward in meaning. It's helped me step back and take breaks when I needed them.
Before 2016, I might have chased the high-paying role or impressive title out of fear of falling behind or the need to impress. Now, I can pause and ask: Is this aligned with what I actually want, or am I just trying to look good?
What I'm Tinkering With
Pali Notes App
A tool to help people save time learning Pali, the language of early Buddhist texts. I did a 2-month course with Marco Hummel and was impressed with the vocabulary resources he'd compiled. However, he relied heavily on Anki, which isn't user-friendly, especially for non-technical people.
I built a simple web app to serve the vocabulary cards with search, filtering, and highlighting. It's for people learning Pali, specifically from the textbook Introduction to Pali by A.K. Warder.
YouTube Channel
I'm making YouTube videos to learn content creation and share useful things with others. Although I still find it cringe and I'm still finding my voice it's actually really fun. Still not sure really who the target audience, but I am in the process of figuring that out :)
Books That Shape My Thinking
4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Reminded me that time is limited and we are limited beings. It helped me see the subtle fear behind wanting to do too much, always saying yes, overcommitting, endlessly optimizing, and looking for the next productivity system. Life is short. We're finite. Don't go against that reality.
Time Surfing by Paul Loomans
Taught me to chill out and let go with regards to planning. Paying full attention to "drop-ins" rather than resisting them (I still need a lot of practice here), taking breaks when stuck (I have a tendency not to take breaks when debugging), and letting go of the need to control my schedule.
Practical Ethics by Peter Singer
Thinking deeply about right and wrong. I'd always felt it was wrong to eat meat, but I'd never thought carefully about it. This book shed light on the nuance and gave clarity on what's actually wrong and what's not.
The Most Good You Can Do by Peter Singer
Showed me how to do good in the world with my career. My default, naive thinking was that a job would have to directly help someone to be doing any good. This book showed other scenarios—earning to give, working as a bureaucrat to influence policy, convincing others—that can sometimes do more good.
Anti-Time Management by Richie Norton
Live your best life now, not later. The main idea was "final cause"—keep at the forefront what the goals behind the goals are. Act from those goals now, rather than working toward them later. For me, that's friends, family, meditation, country walks, relaxing. Not that expensive.
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
The playbook that's been most influential to my career mindset. Taught me to prioritize skills over "passions." If we focus on building career capital, opportunities with control, impact, and creativity will naturally come. We can then use that capital to negotiate for those opportunities. These days, I'm also hoping to find work with a mission or purpose.
Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Inspiration to rest. From 2023-2024, I burnt out too many times. This book reminded me that successful people actually rest—and that resting is what makes them successful, contrary to hustle culture and the non-stop work "ethic" we often assume is necessary.
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you. Motivates me to share things online.
Let's Connect
I'm open to:
✅ Opportunities to make a meaningful impact
Products, services, or companies that help people thrive or reduce suffering - i.e., live well (not just consume or be distracted) - physical health, mental health, education, meditation, personal growth etc.
✅ Working with you 1-on-1
If my journey resonates - career, skills, books, learning, accountability, that kind of stuff
✅ Connecting with like-minded people
- • You're also into meditation
- • You're in tech but care about meaning, balance, and intentional living
- • You geek out about books like 4000 Weeks, So Good They Can't Ignore You, learning science
- • You care about slow-paced living, reducing suffering, and making an impact
- • You're building something in health, mental wellness, education, or "life well lived" territory