The minute is the same, yet the sense of urgency kicks in. Is the score tied? Are you winning? Losing? Does the outcome of the game impact anything in your life?

Imagine if we treated our lives as a 90-minute game. It seems that each minute that passes, time moves faster. When you are at the 8th minute of a soccer match, it feels like you still have forever to go…and on the surface, it seems so. A full 82 minutes left! Yet, doesn’t it seem that the speed at which time passes accelerates as we get closer to the finish line?

It’s now halftime. Minute 45. You’re 45 years old. It’s halftime of your life.

I’m now 34, and it feels like I’m in the 34th minute of my life. I’m nearing halftime. The early years of the game are behind me.

You have one game. The World Cup final. There is no other game. Each minute matters. It’s not like Messi, who can play in back-to-back World Cups. That doesn’t happen in this game. You play once.

You can control one side of the pitch. The other side isn’t in your control.

Is there time left on the clock? Make use of it.

Maybe the game goes to extra time and you live a few more years. Soon, the whistle will blow and the game will be over.

Treat minute one like minute 90.

Last Sunday I ran 13.1 miles again. 1 hour and 5 minutes faster.

My next fitness goal: completing an unweighted Murph on June 28

The original workout is done with a 20lb vest and completed in under an hour. I’ll go for an unweighted one to start and work my way to add the vest later this year. I’ll do my best to get it done in under an hour but first my goal will be to get it all done in one attempt. I’ve tried several times over the past five years and have been unsuccessful, mainly due to the pull-ups. I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to now get this goal done in the next 8 weeks.

Below I share factors that have helped me in losing 40lbs over the past 5yrs while being stronger, calmer, and more self-aware as I continue to look to become a better version of myself.

Every one of these factors applies to building a company or accomplishing any goal. Have a goal? Apply them and let me know how it goes.

You do not rise to your goals. You rise to the environment, people, and systems you build around yourself. Here are mine.

1. Environment - design your physical and digital environments to reduce friction to do the behaviors that will lead you to your goals + increase friction to do the things that are counter to your goals. Ex. Physically we all live in different cities. Digitally however I’d argue that we’re all living in a “Digital Las Vegas”. Design your digital stack so you’re closer to living in a “Digital Copenhagen”. Regarding physical and digital, let me know if you need any ideas here. I’ve invested quite a bit on this one. If there is one area where I’ve invested the most: sleep. We spend a third of our lives doing it… might as well make it world-class!

2. Identity - as James Clear shares in Atomic Habits, when you write you are a Writer, when you run you are a Runner. You then do what Writers do. What Runners do. What is the identity that you can embody that will most help you become the person you want to be? It can be more than one identity or “role”. We all have different areas of our lives that are important to us. Embrace them and be declarative. Ex. for me “Lifelong Athlete” is an identity I’ve embraced. That single reframe changed how I showed up to every workout. I wasn't forcing myself to exercise, I was doing what athletes do.

3. Roles and Goals + Values - what are the different “Roles” in your life that matter to you? That can change season to season. But for the current season, are you properly investing in each of the role you claim are important to you? Every Sunday I review the 'roles' in my life and set 1-2 goals for each. How can I be a better Brother this week? A better Lifelong Athlete? A better Educator? Operator? Prevent weeks or months going by that you haven’t invested in the areas of your life that you care about. Some weeks you won’t do the goals. That’s ok. At the very least, the weekly audit acts as a grounding reminder to be self aware, assess, and adapt. Without this audit, months disappeared and I'd realize I hadn't invested in the people or areas I claimed mattered most. Additionally, if you haven’t clarified your values for yourself this is a huge unlock. Clarify the 8-10 values that are core to you. Also incredibly grounding. I audit mine every six months or so. They largely stay the same though the nuances matter.

4. 1% progress - this one I’ve internalized to potentially a bit of an extreme but I’m ok with it. What are all the 1% improvements you can make in your life? Those compound. Eight Sleep mattress could help me improve my sleep by 1%? No brainer. Skin care? Organic ingredients? Creatine? Journaling before bed? A weekly digital sabbath? Heck, a world-class hand soap? The British cycling team was notoriously mediocre. No British cyclist had won the Tour de France in 110 years, until they hired a coach named Dave Brailsford who focused on all of the ‘1%’ improvements. Changed the bike seats, the pillows, their food, their routines. Even hired a surgeon to teach riders the best way to wash their hands to reduce the chance of catching a cold. Bit by bit those improvements compounded and they ended up winning 5 Tour de France titles in 10 years. These changes seem small but they compound.

5. Mindset - optimism goes a long way. So does giving yourself grace. Gratitude that you get to do this. There will be days where you’ll be off. Maybe even weeks, that’s ok! I’ve been logging my weight for the past 5.5yrs every day and there are ups and downs but as long as you “get back on the horse” and have learned something new, that’s amazing! You vs. you is another mindset. You’re not competing with others. You’re doing what you can today. You’re showing up. You’re better than yesterday. Keep going. I used to “run” at a 13min pace. Amazing. Now I’m at a 9min pace. Also amazing. Show up. 80/20 is another principle. Routines and habits are fantastic but have some margin. 80/20 or put differently, some balance and flexibility is also important. Another one, be a student. Remain humble. I am finishing a book called “Ego is the enemy” which after “How will you measure your life?” is the second most impactful book for me. Realizing my ego was getting in the way of my humility. Of my intensity. Of my ability to make progress. Drop the ego.

6. How you spend your time & money - audit how you spend your time and money and you likely can point directly to how well you’re working towards your goals. Contain them and you will see a shift. Buying take out food four nights a week? Spending nights out late and it impacting sleep routinely? Replacing that with even picking up the meals will lead to more steps or, if you cook, then even better since you have more visibility into what you’re consuming. This one you can connect with “mindset” but be ok with saying “no”. Your time is precious. Say no more. By having clear “roles and goals” and containing them, it allows you to have more clarity into how you spend your time and what you spend your money on. Time and money are the only two resources you can't get back. Where they go, you go.

7. Data and tracking - what doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get managed. Hard to improve if you have no source of truth. It’s also important to have the “right” sources of truth. Weight, as an example, is a good indicator of say, weight loss. However, it’s an incomplete metric. Is the weight gain due to muscle? To fat? A scale does not adequately measure this. A DEXA scan does. Or combine with using a tape measure to get measurements of waist, hips, and chest. Instead of a daily number, look at a 14-day average. Daily changes are less relevant than trends. For a half marathon or a Murph there are clear numbers to hit. Back into those numbers. How should you be progressing week over week to get to your ultimate goal? On the nutrition side, measuring protein has been helpful. I also have a “daily stack” for food that I stick to (80/20 rule). Progress photos can be helpful too. If not formal progress photos, looking back on photos from over the years puts the progress into perspective. Not just physical appearance but a reminder of where you were in life at the time.

8. Daily, midday, and evening routine - 8pm I choose to stop using my digital devices and consuming any food. This has been the single biggest impact to my routines since I’ve materially improved how well I sleep and the consistency there. I journal before bed, read a few articles in the physical newspaper, a few pages of my book, and sleep. 12pm is time for lunch. I block it in my calendar and walk to Sweetgreen then get some fruit. In the morning I have a routine I follow before heading out the door. 25 pushups, vitamins, creatine, saffron, water, etc. You’ll find what works for you but these three routines have given me helpful structure around my days that all align with my goals.

9. Support - five years ago it was heavily indexed on accountability. The house in LA. The Slack channels with other founders, running coaches, nutritionists, etc. I felt like I needed it. Would also post publicly on Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. That was for physical. Therapy has been incredibly helpful to better understand myself. I would say therapy has been one of the most meaningful unlocks. It took me five years and three different therapists to get to a place where I feel more self awareness, understanding, and empathy with myself towards making progress in becoming a better person and man. Having supportive family members and friends certainly helps too.

10. AI - this has been the biggest unlock. We have the world’s knowledge and expertise on our phones and computers. I put my data into AI to learn how to become better. I give voice notes to see how else I can improve. For the half marathon, ChatGPT guided me towards getting prepared. The same will take place with the Murph though I’ll look to get a coach for a few sessions to ensure my preparation is as “world class” as possible. One prompt tip I use personally and professionally: add ‘world-class’ to every prompt. It consistently raises the quality of the output. I also ask AI to be my data scientist and see how I’m progressing. It helps me audit my roles and goals. My values. Where I am at today and where I’m heading.

I teach these same systems to my students at Columbia and Stanford. They work to grow a company. They work on yourself. And when you apply them, you might even inspire the people around you.

Have any tips or suggestions? As my late grandfather shared “we never graduate from learning”! Would love to hear from you.

The Murph has been on my list since that Thanksgiving morning in 2020. June 28, 2026 is the day I finally cross it off. The above will help me do my best. At the end of the day, You vs. you and enjoy the journey. :)

If you know someone with family in the region, check on them today. A simple message can be a lifeline.

Regardless of what emotions you are feeling about this war or another, know that it’s your life circumstances to date, including mine, that have led us to exactly what we believe in and understand to be true. However you’re feeling is valid. You don’t need to justify it.

Have you ever heard of Nowruz?

Nowruz is the Iranian and Persian New Year. 18 days away at the time of this writing.

Why is the New Year on March 20 at 10:46am ET? That is the exact moment the season changes from winter to spring. Notice the poetry there. It’s the moment that the dawn of dark and cold days are behind us and the hope for the grass growing, the flowers blooming, of rejuvenation and of newness. Of birth. Of rebirth.

My therapist shared with me that anxiety and excitement sit close together. Or at least that excitement can be an antidote to feeling anxious.

Excitement, and hope, for the new year. Excitement, and hope, for a new month. Excitement, and hope, for positive moments and momentum in our lives.

There is an anxious feeling currently in the air. Some may be feeling excited.

Here is my take:

The grass is greener on the other side of a new season. Spring will come.

The grass, however, is not always greener on the other side of conflict. Of war. Of destruction.

I can empathize with those who are feeling anxious in these challenging times. Or feeling excited, subdued, or any type of emotion or even lack thereof. There are so many variables at play, interests, and hopefully we can agree that none of us have all the answers or know what truly tomorrow will bring.

Whether you know someone from Iran, Israel, America, or anywhere in between, give one another grace. The people of all of the nations participating and non-participating, aka the entire planet, want to live their lives not so different from one another. A roof over their head, school for their children, safety, food, clean water, good healthcare. Some believe in different beliefs than yours. Those beliefs unfortunately have led to consequential conflict that has uprooted lives. We have more in common than we may ever have the chance to realize. I say this as a New Yorker who’s been lucky to study in diverse communities, travel, and become friends with people from many backgrounds. I know not everyone gets that exposure.

Nature, however, is universal. Regardless of where we are in the world, it’s marvelous isn’t it? And so too does nature move on regardless of what we are doing as its guests.

As my great grandfather shared during the prior war in June 2025:

“the stars shine, the flowers grow, and the birds sing”

The birds aren’t writing newsletters. The flowers aren’t bombing other flowers. The stars keep shining regardless of whether we’re Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Christian, or any other belief system we may believe in.

A reminder that we’re such small beings. Our time here on this planet is limited.

The grass will be green. The flowers will bloom. Rebirth and rejuvenation.

May spring bring with it the hope that we have been so accustomed to.

Where there is fear, show love. You may not know someone from the other side but you have more in common than you might think. And, remember, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of whatever cause or stance you adamantly believe to be better than the status quo.

While we wait and see, give yourself space to control what you can control. Look for nature. Look for beauty. It’s still here.

What a gift to be able to write this message, for each of us to read it, to feel something (or not) towards it, and be able to express. The gratitude list is long.

This in no way is to minimize, politicize, or turn a face towards any type of violence. Or to draw any type of moral equivalence or debate policy. I’m writing to hold onto our humanity, especially for the civilians who carry the cost.

I had a chance to visit my grandparents in Iran in 2024. It’s a beautiful country. Filled with kind and diverse people, beautiful nature, tremendous infrastructure, and challenges that though different than other nations, it remains a country. Divided, surely. But a country nevertheless.

May we remain open that there is always more to the story. That we do not have, nor need to expect to have, all the answers. With that understanding in place: let’s live, however best we can, and let’s hope for a better day tomorrow. Nature is a powerful and beautiful constant that will bring about a new day.

This Nowruz and the days that lead up to let’s remain hopeful and celebrate the newness that nature will be bringing to us all soon.

With love and sending positive energy to all,

Your friend Daniel

P.S. Here is a YouTuber who travels across Iran and documents the topography and culture. It gives you an uncommon view into a land that I hope brings you some peace and that you one day can visit in person: https://www.youtube.com/@AliAghajanzadeh

A big welcome to new subscribers! We’re now at 198! Please say hi if you haven’t already! :)

1. Gratitude - I used to say 3 things that I’m grateful for on a nightly basis. Over the last year I bumped it up to saying 8 things I’m grateful for before bed. Feels even better. Using the “base-8 finger counting” method makes it easier.

2. Energy - surrounding myself with positive energy. Mitigating negative energy whenever possible.

3. Regret framework - what would you regret not doing today? This year? In your life? Personally and professionally, the regret framework helps me with decision making.

4. Use AI for personal development - this past year I learned that I should see a podiatrist. Wearing insoles has eliminated back pain I’ve had all my life. Custom insoles are like glasses for the feet! I use AI to learn about how I can become a better version of myself.

5. Anxiety - becoming more clear that my baseline anxiety is higher than I’d like it to be. I have to actively work on managing it. Something I wish I understood more and worked on in my 20s.

6. Self awareness - pausing. Taking a step back. Easier said than done in the moment but doing a check in with myself can go a long way. With that, it’s important to be honest with yourself. What’s the problem? What am I in control of? Focus on what you can control.

7. Fragility of time - I feel it more and more. I don’t see this changing. Potentially only accelerating. If there is something you want to do or say, do it.

8. Health - when you have your health, you have 1,000 problems. When you lose your health, you have only one. Enjoy each day and the fact that you get to do the things that you are able to do.

9. Family - how many more birthdays can you celebrate with your loved ones? How many more summers? Spontaneous trips? Drinking tea on the couch on a random Tuesday? Enjoy time with those who matter most.

10. Empathy - it’s not always easy but have empathy for people. You don’t know what they’re going through. Or what’s led them to get to this point. People will honk their horns. Smile, have some grace.

11. Values - define them. Are you living your values? Continue to refine.

12. Spontaneity - keeps things fun! Enjoy the journey. Say yes to weaving a Japanese carpet, solo trips, building something random, doing something with someone. Makes me feel alive.

13. Adventure - similarly, explore new places. New experiences. Serendipity happens here.

14. Private integrity - what you do alone matters. Be disciplined.

15. Joy of childhood - keep playing. Dance. In college it was Quidditch. Channel the part of you that will always be there.

16. Information diet - 33 was the year I deleted (not deactivated) Instagram. I don’t watch TV, Netflix, major news, but I do watch too much YouTube. Manage the content that you consume.

17. Habits - nutrition plays a major role in how I feel. Walk more. Keep things simple. Morning routine. Night time routine. It’s been working. Keep this up.

18. Being present - when you are washing the dishes, wash the dishes. When eating, eat. I can do a better job of this. I feel most at peace when I am fully focused on one thing.

19. Addiction - be honest with it. You can change and it doesn’t define you.

20. Lifelong student - as my grandfather Baba Majid would say “we never graduate from learning” so what are you learning? Get the PhD one day, though it doesn’t define you. Learn about everything. Stay curious. What a gift.

21. Who says you can’t do something? Should be you. We often are the ones that hold ourselves back the most from even trying. Others around you might also try to dissuade you. Go for it and learn through doing.

22. Ship - keep building. Keep creating. I enjoy putting things out in the world.

23. Teach - inspire others. Help them become the best versions of themselves. Empower with tools, knowledge, and confidence. This will be year four of teaching at Columbia. Year three at Stanford. What’s next?

24. Reach goals - have the courage to dream big. To go for it. Personally and professionally. Apply to X, sign up for Y, shoot for achieving something that feels out of this world.

25. Expect more - you are more capable than you give yourself credit for sometimes. Why can’t you do X…and Y…and Z? You can. You have. The best version of you is still possible.

26. Define what is enough - money, success, assets, etc. You don’t need $1b or anywhere close to it. There is a serenity to knowing what is enough, financially, and in different areas of life.

27. Decisiveness - continue to make good decisions. Being a great decision maker is critical. Part of that is being timely.

28. Problem solve - there will be challenges. Sometimes it will be chaotic. I like chaos. I enjoy problem solving them. In another life I would have been a firefighter.

29. Spirituality - getting closer to it though still largely unknown. Curious to learn more.

30. Love - first yourself and one day a family of my own. Being a father will be the most important job I will ever have.

31. Role of environment - don’t discount this. Where you are physically and where you spend your time digitally makes the most outsized impact towards achieving your goals and becoming the person you want to be. It’s the biggest cheat code.

32. Saying no - protect your time. Your energy. Say no.

33. Smile - life is lighter when you don’t take things too seriously. Plus, smiling is contagious. Makes you and others around you feel better.

34. No wrong exits - you are exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Note to self in the year and decade to come:

Stay hungry, continue to believe that anything is possible, and have empathy for the challenging times ahead.

Note to others:

If you’re in your early 20s, maybe a few of these resonate. If you’re in your 30s or above, maybe you feel the acceleration of time too. Thank you for reading and curious if any of the above resonated.

It’s storytelling.

But the twist is this: they already had the story… and they were accidentally hiding it.

Here’s what I told them, in plain language, and what you can steal for your next raise.

1) Lead with the only thing that matters: momentum

They opened with: friends and family commitments, bank account logistics, direct equity, priced round confusion.

Then, almost as an afterthought, they said:

“One of our customers is putting in $20K.”

That was the moment.

I told them: you should have led with that. Not minute 8. Sentence 1.

Because:

• Friends and family is not momentum.

• “We’ll have the money next week once the bank account opens” is not momentum.

• A paying customer investing is momentum.

You have a signal. That’s your customer.

If you say nothing else, say this:

“A customer started paying us, expanded usage internally, and insisted on investing $20K. That forced us to kick off a small round.”

That’s the story people repeat at dinner.

2) Raise from angels. Stop selling enterprise deals to buy groceries.

They’re raising $500K and spending time with VCs.

My blunt take:

VCs are enterprise sales. Angels are SMB.

• VCs want multiple meetings, multiple stakeholders, longer cycles.

• Angels can decide in one conversation for a small check.

If you’re raising a few hundred thousand dollars, optimize for:

• speed

• low friction

• fast feedback loops

That means: angels (and operators who can write angel-sized checks).

3) Eliminate friction in the structure

They were doing direct equity for friends and family, then maybe something else for others.

Investors smell friction instantly.

My guidance:

• Make it easy to say yes.

• Use a standard structure that people expect at this stage (typically a SAFE or equivalent).

• Don’t make a small check feel like a legal project.

If an angel needs multiple meetings and “a month of diligence” for a $10K check, they are not an angel. They’re a time sink.

4) Walk out of every call with no regret: your Top 3

Most founders lose the meeting to the investor’s questions.

You start wanting to talk about the customer. You end up defending pricing. Thirty minutes passes. You never said the three things that matter.

So I asked them:

What are the three things you would regret not communicating?

That’s your backbone. Every call. Every time.

If you don’t know yours, here’s a strong default template:

1. The signal: “A paying customer expanded and invested.”

2. The wedge: “We started with X workflow. We’re going end-to-end.”

3. The size: “Niche consulting alone can be a $100M business.”

You want to leave the call thinking: regardless of the outcome, I delivered my story.

5) Make them excited in one of two ways

At the end of a call, an angel should feel something.

Usually they get excited because:

• you taught them something new about the world, or

• they get excited about you

On the call, I didn’t learn enough about the founder. Not their “resume,” but why they’re the person to make this real.

If you’ve built and exited a business, say it. If you’ve sold before, say it. If you’ve grinded your way to paying customers in an unorthodox way, say it.

It can be one sentence:

“I exited my last business, and I’m obsessed with getting this one right. We have paying customers, and now we’re seeing the whole workflow.”

Angels invest in people. Give them something to invest in.

6) Stop being scared of buzzwords. Own your story.

They were avoiding words like “lead gen” because it feels crowded and negative.

My reaction was simple:

The mindset of “I hope he doesn’t get scared” has to die.

This is my story. However you react, I don’t care.

If they’re “scared,” great. Not your investor.

If you try to hide from your own words, you lose fluency, confidence, and conviction. And the story gets weaker.

You’re in control of the situation.

There are millions of investors. There is only one you.

They need you. You don’t need them.

7) The version of their story I liked (and why it works)

Their best narrative was already sitting there:

• Client starts at $500/mo

• Moves to $2,000/mo

• Then insists on investing $20K

• Then asks them to go deeper across the workflow (case studies, prep, internal data, CRM signals)

That is a clean arc:

Value delivered → expansion → belief → investment → deeper demand

And it positions them as more than lead gen:

“We help boutique consultancies win deals faster using AI + public signals, then we go end-to-end across the revenue workflow.”

Now it sounds venture-backable. Now it sounds like a wedge. Now it sounds like something you couldn’t build five years ago.

8) How to meet more angels in a small ecosystem

Makers like Helsinki and Santiago are relatively small. Fine. The internet is not.

My order of operations:

1. Founders who raised Series A+ in adjacent space (data, signals, sales stack)

2. Those founders become angels themselves, or they intro you to…

3. Angels who invested in similar companies

4. Pre-seed funds (sparingly)

5. VCs (last resort)

Why founders first?

Because if a founder likes you:

• they can write a check

• and they can route you to the exact investors who already understand your space

Also, founders love giving advice. Use that.

Then do the most underrated move in fundraising:

Follow up with proof you executed.

“You told me to test X. We did it. Here’s what happened.”

That creates momentum, trust, and often a check.

A simple script you can steal (30 seconds)

“We didn’t plan to raise. Then a paying customer expanded usage internally and insisted on investing $20K. That forced us to open up a small round. We help boutique consultancies win deals faster using AI + public data signals. We started with one firm. Now they’re asking us to go deeper across the workflow, from targeting to prep to conversion. We’re raising $500K to remove the remaining manual work and scale onboarding. I can send the deck, but I’d rather get your honest reaction in 15 minutes.”

The point

Most founders don’t have a traction problem.

They have a signal placement problem.

They bury the only thing the market actually cares about.

So if you do one thing today:

Rewrite your story so the first sentence is your strongest signal.

Then deliver it with conviction.

And if someone doesn’t like it?

Cool.

Next.

If you use any of the tactics above, keep me posted. Excited to hear from you, always.

Here is the link to join the next Start With One session: sign up here

We’re now 82 subscribers strong and I appreciate each and every one of you. :)

What are your goals for 2026?
And what daily habits will actually get you there?

First, a suggestion

Consider turning your goals into SMART goals:

Specific. Measurable. Achievable (or Attainable). Realistic. Time-bound.

For example:
Instead of saying “I will play the guitar more,”
try “I will play a song in front of 10+ friends by June 1.”

Clarity changes behavior.

The system I use

Here is the Notion template I use daily.
Feel free to explore it, borrow from it, or adapt it.

This system has worked for me for the last few years.

If you have any questions, just reply and ask.

👉
https://dahmadizadeh.notion.site/2026-OS-1-2dc0eeb2be608096a623d42e52e0b282?source=copy_link

My Anchor Goal (or “Championship” Goal)

12% body fat
(Currently at 18.1%)

My 3 Daily Habits for This Goal

• 8pm cutoff (electronics and food)

• 8k steps minimum (boost to 12k when focused)

• 1900 calories / 180g protein

Simple. Binary. Non-negotiable.

Following Sahil Bloom’s ABC method:

• All 3 = A day

• 2 of 3 = B day

• 1 of 3 = C day

The goal is consistency, not perfection.

My Roles and Goals (worked on weekly)

For each of the roles below, I assign small, actionable goals.
This way, months don’t go by without acting on areas of my life that I claim matter to me. Here is a separate article I wrote about the Roles and Goals framework.

• Disciplined Man

• Content Creator (Author, Newsletter, YouTube)

• Lifelong Athlete

• Operator and Builder (Crustdata, random fun projects)

• Teacher (Stanford, Columbia, Start With One, accelerators)

• Deep Social Connections

• Financial Freedom and Wealth Creator

• Explorer and Joy

• Spiritual and Grateful

• Physical and Digital Environment Designer

Why the photos at the top of my Notion page?

I have photos of Michael B. Jordan and Zohran Mamdani at the top of my Notion page.

Michael B. Jordan is at ~12% body fat in that photo. It’s a visual reminder of what I’m working toward.

And Zohran? We went to high school together. He ran for Vice President of our school. I ran for President. He lost. I won.

Now he’s the mayor of New York City.

His photo reminds me of what’s possible in a single year. From 1% approval to mayor of the biggest city in the U.S. in literally one year.

A lot can change.
Our whole life can change.

What would you put at the top of your own operating system?

But you don’t need SF to build it. You need proof.

Confidence comes from doing small, real things: sending the first cold email, building a tiny prototype, talking to one user, learning from rejection. Lower the bar for action. Raise the frequency.

Entrepreneurship is a practice, not a theory.

Confidence is the byproduct.

I didn’t start with a network or an ecosystem either. I started by proving to myself I could do one small thing. This is the mindset that we focus on in the classes I teach at Columbia and Stanford.

This is how confidence compounds globally: teaching founders and students that they don’t need permission to start small.

What do you think? This is the question I explore in the latest One Question video. Curious how this resonates with you.

Admittedly, I was a bit anxious about the idea of going solo to a country where I knew absolutely no one. With Slush in Helsinki, I knew some of our clients, but there was also a conference. A shared experience and intention that brought many people together. But Santiago? A new type of adventure. I consider myself a decisive person, but I still wasn’t 100% set on the trip. After some conversations with colleagues Saurabh, Yash, and my family members, I decided to go for it!

I thought that at least it would take the first taxi ride from the airport to meet someone, but I ended up exchanging contact information with a local I sat next to, who I spoke to for 3 hours (!) on the plane, plus the flight attendant who then introduced me to her dad, who drove me from the airport!

There’s a certain energy that shows up when you tell people you spontaneously booked a flight, don’t know anyone, and genuinely want to learn about the culture and history.

As I write this note, I just arrived back from a wonderful experience led by Chef Cristian, whereby we went to the local markets, bought the ingredients, and went back to his beautiful home and cooked the most delicious local meal together while overlooking the Andes. I’m feeling an enormous amount of gratitude for this experience. Looking out to the green mountains, I was reminded of the hills of the mountains near my grandparents’ home in Tehran. Nostalgia and a sense of peace.

Now a quick initial note on the people of Santiago and how they remind me of the people I met in Helsinki. Two completely different climates, countries, and cultures? Maybe. Here is but one observation, 30 hours in:

There is a sense of humility in the people in both Helsinki and Santiago. Helsinki’s cold weather, combined with only a few hours of sunlight, is something that the entire city shares. No matter your socioeconomic status, the reality of nature bounds its people. Same with Santiago. A country that often faces the unpredictability of earthquakes. You cannot escape either of nature’s forces. Both humbling, both reminding us that we’re not entirely in control. A sense of groundedness is what I’m sensing. Could I, as well, be in a more grounded state than I previously have been? Could very much be the case.

Overall, I’m learning much about myself and this beautiful country. Cheers to more adventures. Solo, with friends, loved ones, and people like Chef Cristian who come into our lives maybe for but one evening, but where the experience impacts your life in ways that are also unpredictable.

You can’t connect the dots looking forward. Only looking backwards. Who knows what dots will be connecting coming out of this trip.

One question. Five minutes. A simple raw reflection. Mine, then AI’s. Comment with your own answer to the question.

If this encourages even one person to gain the confidence to be a better version of themselves, to solve a problem for themselves or others, write something, or try a small experiment of their own, it’s already worth it.

What question should I answer next?

Other updates:

• Launched ValuesCard as a fun project

• Did a 2 day “Sardine Fast”

• Completed Week 2 of Taekwondo

• World Cup draw and schedule came out!

I look at my values card whenever I’m making a decision or just trying to stay grounded day to day.

This morning I woke up at 3am and couldn’t fall back asleep. So I did what any founder does at 3am:

I built something. 😂

Here it is:

https://valuescard.one/

A simple tool to create your own values card in minutes. I’ll physically print, laminate, and ship you your own “Values” card. Or download it on the site.

What do you think? Would love to hear your feedback!

From random idea, to built prototype, to launch in under 2hrs. :) Ship! Launch to learn!

P.S. Here is a digital version of my values in case curious: https://dahmadizadeh.notion.site/Values-5bf24fb3f12040c38fec6f70f1f67373

P.P.S. Waking up at 3am is rare! Not to worry! It’s a one-off, I promise. :)

So today, instead of writing a traditional reflection, I’m sharing ten quotes that I enjoy going back to.

My hope is that one of these lines quietly stays with you the next time you need it.

What are your favorite quotes? Would love to hear them. :)

1. “No wrong exits.”

   1. Likely my most used quote lately. You know that feeling when you miss your exit on the road? Often it might be met with regret or frustration. Yet, we never know what would have occurred had we taken that exit. Maybe there would have been a tragic accident. No wrong exits. Every experience, even detours, becomes a part of our path forward and we are exactly where we’re supposed to be.

2. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward — only backward.” - Steve Jobs

   1. I love this one. In hindsight, every “dot” that was connected brought you exactly to where you are today. We may not have known that at the time but they each contributed to our present. Who knows what dots will be connected in the future.

3. “You never graduate from learning” - Grandpa

   1. From my late grandfather who embraced being a student and shared that his least favorite word was “graduating”. We can always seek to learn new things.

4. “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”

   1. This comes from Sahil Bloom’s newsletter. A gentle reminder to that the small moments are everything.

5. If the Pope robbed a bank today, it wouldn’t matter what he did yesterday — what you do today is what defines you.

   1. Our reputation is renewed daily. Your actions today outweigh your past (though give yourself some grace!)

6. “You vs. you”

   1. You’re your own “opponent” or challenger. Capital “You” vs. lower case “you” - get better. Don’t necessarily compare yourself to others. You vs. you.

7. “No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” - from my Swiss friend Nicholas

   1. So true! Wear better clothes and all of a sudden any climate feels bearable, at worst!

8. “The stars shine, the flowers grow, and the birds sing” - Grandpa

   1. Another quote from my grandfather that was shared during the peak of a 12-day war while apartments nearby were being bombed. His calm resolve through Facetime was incredible to witness. What I took away from his quote is that life moves forward. Beauty persists even in troubling circumstances so choose to see the beauty.

9. “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win” - attributed often to Gandhi

   1. Airbnb, Uber, etc. — they were first ignored by the hotel companies and taxi commissions, then laughed at, they fought, but by then it was too late…Airbnb and Uber had won. I love this in the context of disruptive innovation. It’s a recurring pattern. Push through the phases.

10. “The fastest way to earn a seat at the table is to host the meal.”

    1. Heard this one today. Don’t wait for permission…create the opportunity yourself.

“I feel charged to send an unsolicited complement - I admire how seriously you’ve taken your body transformation over the past few years, and your public approach to accountability helped shaped my thinking around my own fitness goals as I recovered from chronic wrist pain. I’d be really happy to see you hit your goals!”

I’ve been publicly logging my health journey here:

https://health-stack-danielahmadizad.replit.app/

My 3 Daily Non-Negotiables

These are the anchors of my system:

1. 8,000 steps

2. Power off all devices at 8pm (phone, laptop, everything) — this has had the biggest impact on my well-being

3. 1900 calories / 180g protein

I sprinkle in 2–3 strength training sessions per week, but the framework stays consistent:

8pm. 8k steps. 1900 / 180g.
Simple enough that I can stick to it and enjoy it. Of course I miss some days (Helsinki conference…didn’t hit protein goals!) but that’s the point: it’s a system, not a sentence. I return to it.

The Turning Point — November 1, 2020

In 2020 I was 235lbs, significantly overweight, my mental health was not in a good place, I was overall not doing great. It’s been a 5 years journey almost to this day. November 1, 2020 was when I kickstarted my intentional journey towards progress.

What was that story? Well it’s pretty epic so here is the shortest version I can write and if you’re interested I can share the daily vlogs.

Mid-October of 2020 I was in a bit of a rut with my health. I wanted to accomplish something that wasn’t dependent on investors, customers, the market, anything. Something that couldn’t be “taken away”. For me, that was to run a half marathon in 30 days. Never had I run more than a few kilometers let alone a half marathon. I decided that I was going to design the best environment in the world to accomplish this goal. That night, I found an Airbnb in Los Angeles that was on the sandy beaches of Playa Del Rey. 3 floors, literally on the sand, facing the ocean and a running path. Booked for November 1 for 30 days! With seemingly no plan yet as to what to do with that house, I decided to double down. I hired a chef to live with me so food was taken care of, a running coach to ensure there was a world class plan, an injury prevention and mobility coach to mitigate the risk of injury.

Then, I found 8 other tech founders within the Y Combinator community to pay to live in the house for 1 month to also train for this half marathon. November 1 we all moved in and on Thanksgiving morning, nearly 5 years to the day, we all ran a half marathon injury free. One of the founders living in the house had a personal best of 0.2 miles prior to this experience. I was even more fulfilled for her to complete the half marathon than I was when I got over the line.

That experience taught me the power of environment design to accomplish our goals. The power of a unified team of experts. The power of accountability, of a deadline, and ultimately that we can accomplish anything with the right systems.

Now, 5 years later I continue to learn and make progress where I can. Continual experimentation, a willingness to learn, adapt, all the while giving myself grace. It’s been a journey. You vs. you as I like to say and as I look back…I am proud of my growth and the improvements I’ve made to my overall well being. I hope to inspire and make a difference in the lives of those around me. “Family health leader” is a role I’m looking to embrace in the year to come.

Any feedback on my health stack above?

What’s your one non-negotiable habit for the next 30 days?

Always open to learning here.

Across dozens of recent conversations with founders, I’ve started to notice a pattern. It seems that the recipe for staying in the game boils down to three things:

1. Money

2. Momentum

3. Motivation

When a challenge arises, ask: Which of these three variables is off?

Two weeks ago at 10pm, I sat across from a founder who was ready to quit. We ran through these three variables and one was clearly broken: momentum.

Communication with his cofounder was strong. He had money in the bank. He was motivated daily. I couldn’t help but be reminded that his story sounded like my own.

In 2019, I still had $1.3m in the bank left from our seed round. Solo board member. Theoretically, I could have continued being in “pivot hell” until we landed on a new thesis. But momentum had waned. So I returned the cash.

Looking back, could I have isolated these three variables earlier before shutting down and returning the remaining capital back to investors?

What I find interesting is that these three factors tie not only to our ventures, but also to our own lives. At the time, I too felt that momentum in my personal life had been conceded. I was so indexed on being a founder that I wasn’t as good of a brother as I could be, as good of a son, as healthy physically and mentally as I could be, etc.

Might I have paused and focused on momentum personally? Taken a break instead of shutting down?

I publicly wrote about the shutdown here, but now, when I meet a founder who is in a bit of distress, the 3 Ms framework is one lens that I calibrate against.

Examples:

Want to raise more money but have a co-founder conflict?
Seems like the blocker is communication, not fundraising. Let’s tackle that first.

Is there money in the bank but monthly KPIs have stalled?
Break down goals and double-click on momentum before investing in a new initiative that may distract from the core focus.

Feeling burned out?
Maybe momentum in your personal life needs attention. Take time before making any decisions.

I’m realizing that startup momentum often mirrors founder momentum. The venture doesn’t always need a reset. Sometimes the founder does. I now use the 3 Ms as one of the tools I audit against in both my ventures and my personal life.

If you paused right now, which M is leaking energy in your professional or personal life? In the spirit of Start With One, what is the smallest action that could rebuild momentum today?

A quick check-in could make all the difference in your decision making.

I landed at 2:15pm local time yesterday. On the plane, I messaged an Airbnb experience host named George who runs tours of Helsinki. He didn’t have availability. I messaged anyway. He replied:
“I can do 4:30pm. Meet me at Oodi Library.”

At 3:30pm I checked into my hotel. At 4:30pm I was standing in front of the most majestic library I’ve ever seen in my life.

Oodi Library isn’t just a library. It’s a third place in the truest sense of the word. Inside, there are several floors of community areas where you can rent a guitar, 3D print anything, and even iron your clothes. The word “library” doesn’t explain it. It’s more like a public operating system for creativity.

Oodi felt like Finland had asked, “What do citizens need to build, learn, and create?”—then built it.

George arrived shortly after, and for the next 3.5 hours we walked through Helsinki, its history, culture, food, saunas, and small quirks. Within hours of landing in a country I’d never been to, I was immersed in it alongside a local expert. I felt energized, grateful, and that rare form of overwhelm that only comes from rapid learning.

Some unexpected food discoveries:

• Cloudberry — a berry I’d never heard of. Tastes like mango met apricot.

• Pine syrup — less sweet than maple syrup, but somehow better.

• Finnish tap water — apparently the cleanest in the world.

15k steps later, I was back at my hotel. Jet lagged. Awake. Alive. Thank you, George.

Day 1 at Slush — Europe’s largest tech conference

Slush feels like the definition of being a big fish in a small pond. Hosting Europe’s largest tech conference in Helsinki isn’t about size—it’s about focus.

There were 20–25 Slush staff members immediately past passport control at the airport helping attendees. The city seems designed to absorb the conference. It felt like everyone in Helsinki knew Slush was in town. That rarely, if ever, happens in NYC (yes, if ever feels right!) Attendance was easily north of 30,000.

Our booth opens tomorrow and I can’t wait to continue to meet founders from all over the world.

The Real Lesson

Helsinki is not the obvious choice for Europe’s largest tech conference.
And maybe that’s exactly the point.

It isn’t trying to be London or Paris. Instead, it built its own current — and let the world swim toward it. That feels like an entrepreneurial lesson:

You don’t need to be where everyone is.
You need to be where what you’re building actually matters.

There’s something powerful about being a big fish on purpose — not by accident.
Slush begins again tomorrow, but I’m already seeing the pattern:

The best ecosystems aren’t found. They’re built. Kudos to the Slush team. The entire experience so far seems very well curated.

P.S. Here is a picture of a cloudberry!

Harvard’s happiness research says the number one driver of a meaningful life is deep social connection. I felt that this week. My grandfather is full of endless stories. My grandmother is still taking college courses, still pushing her mind and body, still teaching me the family recipes I can’t wait to cook back in New York.

It’s 6:40am. I just walked in from a red-eye. I fly to Helsinki tonight. The contrast between these worlds, family time and work travel, is exactly why I use my Roles & Goals framework. It helps me stay grounded in who I want to be, not just what I’m doing.

Thank you to the 11 of you who subscribed yesterday (Georgi, Professor Mike, Mahdi, Cindy, Michael, Asher, Nagashree, Mom, Dad, and Darian). I really appreciate you being early in this experiment.

Some of you already know the Roles & Goals framework I use to anchor my year. I’m still finalizing the version for 2026, but here’s the current shortlist:

1. Lifelong Athlete (anchor role)

2. Family Health Leader

3. Disciplined Fighter

4. Deep Family & Friends Connections Builder (Son, Brother, Grandson, …)

5. Physical & Digital Environment Designer

6. Intentional Partner Seeker

7. Financial Freedom & Generosity

8. Spirituality / Gratitude Explorer

9. Global Expertise Builder

10. Operator & Builder

More to come as I refine these and I’ll share the full blueprint before January.

If you’re reading this, here’s a question for today:

What role do you want to play more intentionally in 2026?

It likely will be a role that you wouldn’t regret indexing on. I personally love the regret framework.

P.S. If any feedback, please directly reply here! These are all “v1” / MVP posts. :)

If you’re curious about entrepreneurship, behavior change, or building something from the ground up, I think you’ll enjoy following along.

Subscribe now