Happy new year! As 2021 has wrapped, I wanted to reflect on what I’ve most enjoyed and my personal journey this past year. I hope the recommendations will be interesting to you. I hope this post serves as a reminder for you to reflect on your 2021. Let you take stock of your accomplishments and failures, so that you may approach 2022 with more intentionality.
Recommendations
A compilation of my favorite content and experiences I’ve most enjoyed in 2021.
Book(s)
- Non-Fiction – The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
I first learned about CRISPR (a gene-editing method) a few years ago. Ever since, I’ve loved to geek out its potential applications to human health (and beyond). The Code Breaker follows Jennifer Doudna, one of the lead scientists that helped discover CRISPR’s structure. The discovery has opened the floodgates for a number of commercial ventures in the area and real-world therapeutic applications.
The book serves as a biography of Doudna all the way through her Nobel Prize victory in 2020. I loved the book because of its breadth. It covers the discovery and increase in understanding of CRISPR, the ethics of gene-editing, and the interpersonal and competitive dynamics in science research. Plus, so many amusing acronyms (you’ll know what I mean). It’s a fantastic read!
- Fiction – A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace (sequel) by Arkady Martine
Fantastic science-fiction/fantasy entries. The books are set in space and follow (very roughly) an ambassadorial transition and first contact with a different species in the first and second books respectively. The world-building in the book is intricate and inventive. The story weaves through politics, culture, identity, conquest, diplomacy, sacrifice, betrayal, and duty – thrilling read!
Honorable mention to Americanah, a memorable novel that tells a fantastic story focused on race and identity (highly recommend the audio version, the accents add an additional layer of nuance).
Newsletter
- The Generalist by Mario Gabriele
Amazing deep dives into technology focused entities (with a bent towards web3 companies/protocols). I came away from each post with an understanding of the history, product, business model, and future prospects of the topic. So, if you’re looking for investment analysis type content on cutting edge companies, the Generalist is terrific!
Some favorites include the Stripe and OpenSea pieces.
Device
- Wonderboom 2
Amazing portable bluetooth speakers. Easy to carry, great sound, float in water (and are water resistant) and perfect for the indoors and outdoors. Plus, you can even buy two and connect them for stereo sound. Sadly, the speakers only charge via micro-USB. But, solid purchase overall!
Subscription
- Feedly (Pro)
Feedly is an RSS reader that I use for almost all my reading needs. I use it to aggregate my reading across publications, blogs, newsletters, twitter feeds, and google alerts.
One of the biggest downsides I’ve experienced since quitting social media a couple of years ago was the decline in interesting content I was able to keep up with. Feedly through its twitter feed and google alert functionality alleviates that to a great extent. Plus not having email clutter and being able to curate information by themes is fantastic. The biggest negative by far, is the limited new content discovery capabilities. If you’re in the market for a reading aggregator, I’d highly recommend testing Feedly.
Movie
- Dune (Part I)
Fantastic movie based on an adaption of the novel by Frank Herbert. The watching experience feels insanely epic without compromising on intimate character glimpses. The plot is very gripping, the world building is terrific, and the visuals are awesome. I highly regret not seeing it in a theater and cannot wait for Part II.
TV Show
- Succession, Season 3
An amazing drama-comedy that continues to follow the obnoxious Roy family. The character arcs are terrific, the production quality and set locations are excellent, and the plot is hella engaging. One of the only shows that I saw as an episode came out each week in a long time!
Places
- Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Parks were absolutely spectacular. Amazing alpine and sub-alpine scenery with terrific opportunities for hiking and other outdoor adventures if you’re into that sort of thing.
Year in Review
While I was wrong in expecting an end to the pandemic in 2021, I’m hopeful we can make significant progress this year. On a personal level, 2021 was a terrific year with a lot to be grateful for and several lessons.
Travel
I entered 2021 hoping for fewer restrictions on travel than we’ve experienced. It’s been difficult to have not seen my parents in over 2 and a half years due to visa constraints. On the flip side, it’s given me the opportunity to explore more of San Francisco, California, and the U.S. I’m so grateful to have had the time and resources to visit several national parks (one of my favorite aspects about the U.S.) and explore more stateside. In 2022, I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to travel to India to see my parents, attend the weddings of a couple of close friends, and have the opportunity for further exploration!
Plaid
I switched jobs in early 2021 and joined the strategic finance team at Plaid. In a short 9 months, I’ve seen us grow headcount by over 50%, raise a Series D, announce exciting new products, and continue to execute on our mission. Personally, I’ve learned about the industry, the company, and have been fortunate to bring my skills to bear on several challenging and high-impact projects. Looking at 2022, I’m energized to further increase my impact and improve my skills. I’m excited to contribute to continued effective capital allocation at Plaid and to go after the significant value creation opportunities that remain.
Lessons
My investments in Chinese (and tutoring stocks specifically) and Brazilian internet stocks took a beating in 2021. The tutoring thesis in China even led to some substantial permanent losses. The biggest lesson coming out of this was to be cautious in applying learnings in one country to another. While the business models and economics might be comparable, the macroeconomic and regulatory differences in other economies that I’m less familiar with can be sources of significant additional risk. I appreciate that the trade-off of adopting a concentrated and growth-oriented investment approach is increased risk of volatility and capital loss. However, I’m more appreciative of regulatory implications in business now than I was a year ago.
I chose to sideline my personal life during my time in investment banking. In 2021, I’ve gained an appreciation for the effort it takes to be deliberate about your personal wellbeing as a working professional. The effort it takes to pursue new hobbies (boxing and tennis this year) and relationships, sustain mental and physical health, read consistently, nurture relationships with family, friends, and your professional network, etc. A few approaches that work have been to set up my physical and digital environments with the appropriate nudges, set aside recurring blocks on my calendar, and have friends hold me accountable. I continue to iterate and learn from what I read/listen to and the people around me on navigating this balance. I expect it will always be a work in progress because I can’t think of anything more important than designing my lifestyle with intention and molding it to my ever-changing priorities.
Looking to 2022
I’m grateful for a terrific year and to have been surrounded by amazing friends, loved ones, and well-wishers. I’m excited to take learnings from this year and to strive for continued progress in 2022. Wishing everyone a fantastic new year ahead. Onward!