Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?
- Mary Oliver, The Summer Day [1]
1. to be earnest and be around earnest people
there is smart and there is ambitious, but then there is earnest. we all have a background. you can use this to build a meaninguful connection to what really matters. if you are competitive, this is your true competitive edge. people matter. trust matters. time matters.
2. to pay things forward.
in most areas of our lives, we are idiots. nothing will ever change that. we have an obligation to sustain an urgency to pay this idiocy forward with humility and energy.
3. to be nice.
don't screw with people. say thanks more than once. aspire to be harmless.
4. to be clear.
you either understand or do not understand. when you understand, then say so. if you do not understand, then say what you think.
C'est Tout
Andy Tran | 2026