I have long thought of weddings and funerals as mirror images: similar but opposites. For both, guests are invited, the guests dress up, a notice is put out on social media and the papers, there’s often a gathering at a Place of Worship, eloquent words are spoken, and there is usually a reception. For one,
Category: Personal
Reunion 2022
I went to my 25th/27th business school reunion this weekend. It’s hard to describe how amazing it was to gather with friends and act like not much time has gone by. It’s trite but true: time goes by quickly, and reunions are life milestones. I’ve volunteered to help out with nearly all of my reunions,
My Second Story
I have this theory that people have two stories in their lives. They have their First Story: that’s what goes on the CV and LinkedIn profiles, and it’s the one we tell publicly. But each of us has a Second Story, one that we hide. We want to show the world the shiny and clean
August and That HBS Way
August for me used to be a time for relaxation and languidness. In VC, when a percentage of the partners are out on summer holidays, it just naturally slowed down the investment pace. Do you really want to make a new investment without all of your partners buying into it? As a young family, we
Maine 2021
It’s hard to explain how big, wild, and treacherous Maine fly-fishing can be. With slick boulders, fast water, and no cell coverage, it’s an area that demands physical and mental stamina. Some of my fellow writers at a fly-fishing blog and I rented a house on a river to take a shot at some large-and-wild
In Memoriam: David Swensen
Arthur Brooks is teaching a great deal about happiness: at HBS and HKS, as a regular columnist for The Atlantic, and via a podcast (it is great!). He says that if you summarize thousands of social science studies, happiness is a function of three things: friends and family, faith (religion or a coherent life philosophy),