I’m a developer and entrepreneur based in Japan. I recently sold my first startup after eight years of struggle. It wasn’t a huge success, but it was financially rewarding enough to fund my next venture.
That journey taught me some tough lessons. Most importantly, I worked extremely hard in the wrong direction. I also tried too many things at once, and none of them received the focus needed to become a breakthrough success.
I have to admit that I’m not a genius entrepreneur. I'm bad at managing people. What I do love is working hard on things I truly enjoy. I’m also endlessly curious about many different fields. Over time, I’ve realized that the world is too interesting to spend all my energy just grinding away. In the end, the purpose of working hard should be to enjoy the real world.
My current goal is to “get unplugged” from the digital world—by making use of advanced technology. It might sound strange to most people, but I believe some will resonate with this feeling. I just want to maximize my output with less effort, so that I can have more time and energy to enjoy life beyond screens. That’s what technology is supposed to be about in the first place.
I'm still struggling to focus on just one thing, but trying to narrow it down to a few.
First, I can't stop building products. I constantly come up with ideas. I’m trying to avoid wasting energy on less important ones (like this blog system) and instead focus on one or two that matter most—or maybe even three or four. When it comes to blogging, I’ll keep it infrequent and only write on important topics I’ve thought deeply about.
Second, I love long-term investing in stocks. It’s both rewarding and intellectually stimulating. Sometimes one thoughtful decision can lead to substantial returns without any ongoing work.
Third, I love reading books. It’s always mentally engaging, and the knowledge compounds like interest over time. And finally, I truly enjoy spending quality time with my happy family and friends. That’s what matters most in the end.