UPDATE: ABCs fam is 1300+ strong!
Some updates community growth and newsletter consolidation, thanks for being here
Hey friends,
We just crossed 1,300 subscribers. Woohoo!
I started writing last year and committed to keep doing it even if nobody viewed it.
And without gating any of my content, a few of you have even chosen to become paid subscribers!
That means a lot to me.
Thank you for supporting my writing and the purpose behind it: creating space and community for all of us to grow together.
Everybody in my life would tell you that my primary obsession is self-improvement.
My next obsession is to lift others up around me.
I’m on my own journey and I share my learnings in my writing.
I’ve had several people reach out the past few months to say my work helped them grow. That’s the real reward to me.
That’s the real reason I started this.
If you’ve ever felt that way, I’d love to hear from you.
I read every message. (:
Some updates…
Startup-life
We’ve locked in our first GTM use case for our open-source AI alignment project—a hyper-personalized AI health coach, Bryan Johnson, powered by Epistemic Me. A use case I deeply care about. Not just because it’s technically challenging, but because it's humanly relevant.
It’s so great to think about how to help others be healthier. I’ve been learning a ton. We revamped our website—check it out.
Work-life
I’m leading a transformation initiative across 1600+ engineers. Scaling alignment at that size is no small feat. Changing culture is hard—and we’re doing it pretty damn fast with an awesome team. It’s a fun challenge, and it’s making my leadership skills sharper. I’ve loved working with the teammates involved in this—we’ve brought together some A players for this which has been thoroughly enjoyable. I’ll write more about the intentional influence strategy I used in the future.
Family-life
My brother has been battling schizophrenia for the past seven years. I’ve quietly played the role of caregiver, protector, and financial safety net in my family. Recently, we discovered the Brain Energy model, which links mental disorders to metabolic disorders of the brain and mitochondrial dysfunction. My brother has been off meds for a few months after another diagnosis from a new therapist and psychiatrist (which has given me endless anxiety). The diagnosis said maybe he doesn’t have schizophrenia and just needs to take care of his insomnia. Life changing—of course I was skeptical.
It’s been very stressful but I can happily say 3 months later: he’s been focusing on sleep, movement, nutrition—and he’s doing better than I’ve seen in years.
Watching him choose his health, and his life, is one of the most sacred things I’ve ever witnessed. My anxiety has decreased drastically. Instead, I feel grateful. And hopeful. I love my brother so much, it makes me so happy to see him in a better trajectory.
Me-life
It’s been almost four months since I lost Nibbler. My best friend. My son. We did cuddle meditation together. He taught me more about being present, loving, and moving through grief than I ever could have learned alone. I miss him every day. But I’m okay. I can think of him and be happy, not sad.
All I can say is at least I’m thankful this happened after 8 years of therapy. And I still feel him—not beside me, but within me.
I’ve vowed to myself that I’ll be more disciplined than I ever have to get after my dreams, and eventually build a non-profit dedicated to Nibbler. Towards that end, I’m actually happier and healthier than I’ve ever been thanks to a ton of discipline in my schedule. I’ve been rigorous about diet, exercise, self-care time, work time, sleep time, etc.
Thanks Nibs for the motivation. You’re always helping your dad! (:
Here’s a funny Studio Ghibli style art representation of us. I thought it was hilarious and cute. You should try this out if you haven’t already jumped on the bandwagon.
Here’s a prompt: Convert this photo into studio Ghibli style
Lastly, a quick logistics note—1 newsletter going forward
You might’ve noticed I have been running two newsletters—Growth and Building The Future.
This experiment has been fun—one newsletter for my personal reflections on personal growth, and one for my entrepreneurial journey and building in the open.
Though, I realized this started fragmenting my reach, and more importantly, my impact.
So I’m consolidating everything into this ONE newsletter going forward.
Growth. Future. Self.
All in one place now.
Because building the future and growing yourself aren’t separate journeys. They’re the same thing.
Trying to split these topics into two different newsletters was fragmenting for me.
With this new approach, you’ll get more of the same that you enjoy already:
Same writing, same me, same systems thinking meets intentional living.
Same exploration and curiosity.
One newsletter.
That’s what you can expect going forward.
Thanks for being part of the ABCs community.
Thanks for choosing growth, truth, and alignment in a world that often chooses noise.
I don’t take your attention for granted. And I’d love to hear from you—feedback, thoughts, or just a hello. (:
Best,
Robert
In the Meantime
If you’re looking for something to read or reflect on this week, here are a few of my favorite pieces:
P.S. Want reminders on growth, empathy, and leadership? Follow me on LinkedIn, Threads, and Twitter.
Sorry about Nibbler, always so painful when a pet passes away.
Thanks for the recommendation re Brain Energy, I’ve downloaded it on Libby.