Reflections on Christmas Eve
What an exciting 2025 taught me about what matters, and how to build for the future
Christmas Eve has a way of slowing things down. Not because the world stops moving, but because it briefly asks us to look at what actually moved this year and why it mattered.
A few reflections I have been carrying with me as the year closes:
Gratitude sharpens attention
Gratitude is often treated as something soft or sentimental. I think it is the opposite. Gratitude is precise. It forces you to notice what actually sustained you. The people who showed up consistently. The ideas that held up under pressure. The moments where reality contradicted your assumptions in useful ways. This year reinforced for me that curiosity paired with gratitude is one of the most reliable ways to stay grounded while building things that matter.
Most progress lives inside paradox
Whether thinking about AI, markets, or institutions, I kept coming back to the same uncomfortable truth. Many things are simultaneously true and not true. There is no clean resolution until you test them in the real world. The universe does not hand out certainty. It hands out clues. Progress comes from engaging honestly with that ambiguity rather than pretending it does not exist.
Institutions are made of people, not abstractions
It is easy to talk about government, regulation, or systems as faceless obstacles. In practice, every institution is a collection of incentives, trust dynamics, and human decisions. Real impact rarely comes from attacking systems from the outside. It comes from understanding how they work, engaging with patience, and building credibility over time. This applies far beyond policy. It applies to companies, teams, and families too.
Relationships compound quietly
One of the most reliable patterns I have seen is that relationships compound long after the initial interaction. The founders who followed up thoughtfully. The investors who offered help without expectation. The conversations that felt unimportant at the time but shaped decisions months later. Compounding does not only apply to capital. It applies to trust, reputation, and generosity.
Technology reflects intention
I spend a lot of time thinking about technology trends, infrastructure, and systems. Underneath all of it is intention. Technology is not progress by default. It becomes progress when it expands agency, creates leverage for real people, or opens doors that were previously closed. I am increasingly grateful for builders who think beyond novelty and toward responsibility.
Christmas Eve is not about conclusions or resolutions. It is a pause. A chance to acknowledge what held, what taught, and what still needs patience.
Wishing you a quiet, grounded holiday and a year ahead built with care.
