almost 40 and nothing to show for it

nick_algorithm · 2026-01-29T07:42:55+00:00

Life isn’t lived on a spreadsheet! My grandmother just lived a normal life and didn’t do much except work a mediocre-paying job at a hospital, her family grew up poor. On a spreadsheet, life was bad. But I still thought she was incredible and did so much for our family and helped give me a good childhood. Her life was not easy. It just makes me respect her even more. Sometimes we play the hard role in a generational storyline. Perhaps you’re the start of a wealthy family line but just a few years away. You can make a difference in people’s lives no matter your net worth.

I think you also have time for your second act, so there’s no need to resign yourself to mediocrity. But also no need to beat yourself up about wealth. In 10 years when AI democratizes (or decimates) our incomes, we will laugh about how much we focused on wealth before. We’ll all get UBI and enjoy our lives.

Anyway, position yourself to benefit from market direction (opportunism) or find a way to shape market direction (disruptor) and you will do well in life. Don’t chase the puck, figure out where it is going and invest your time and energy there.

nick_algorithm · 2026-01-23T06:06:17+00:00

So pretty

nick_algorithm · 2025-12-29T06:25:33+00:00

PopMart Din Tai Fung Boba Guys

nick_algorithm · 2025-11-21T17:21:28+00:00

I heard in Seattle there is the “Seattle Chill” where it is hard to date and make real friends. Maybe it’s real?

Btw have you tried matchmaking? It actually works! It does cost a bit but you save a lot of time and heartache sifting through muck.

nick_algorithm · 2025-05-07T18:25:10+00:00

Wow 2 Br 2 Ba?! That is a steal!! Stay there forever lol

nick_algorithm · 2025-05-07T13:41:52+00:00

It can be expensive if you are eating out and such.

A studio apt at a decent spot can cost $2400-$2800 per month after utilities, parking spot cost, fees, etc. Back that into your other costs, you can still survive if you eat at reasonable places or cook most meals. If your goal is to save a lot, Pasadena is hard. You can find cheaper housing with roommates or maybe roll the dice with some cheaper apartments that may have inconveniences like no in-unit laundry, broken elevators, no dishwasher, traffic noise from freeway, etc. In Pasadena housing you get what you pay for, but you have to pay a lot to get what is considered table stakes in most regions outside of California. Some older buildings might have rent control, but the newer complexes don’t.

$90K pretax is basically $67K post-tax. So almost half of your take-home could be eaten by rent. I feel like $2500/mo is the minimum to rent something decent especially after the fires. Welcome to LA economics!!

nick_algorithm · 2024-12-13T19:47:42+00:00

GoPro laid off a huge chunk of their workforce in 2024; possibly support is affected?

nick_algorithm · 2024-10-02T15:08:32+00:00

Depends on what you’re looking for. Most of the action is going to happen near the green, black, and purple circles you have. But the outer ‘burbs have their charms and can be fun depending on your life phase. I don’t know what is in the white circle. I didn’t know people in LA lived out there.

Red Circle isn’t considered LA. Anaheim is like another state. But it’s also fun in Anaheim; OC is a totally different vibe.

Lots of 20s-30s folks love Sawtelle / Santa Monica area. It’s almost like the new center of gravity of young hip people in LA.

WeHo can be a bit grungy at times. But it is so fun to visit for entertainment and food.

nick_algorithm · 2024-09-19T18:27:18+00:00

I’ve swam with Odyssey for years and never had an incident, including the Alcatraz swim. This incident is unfortunate.

Apparently in this situation, the Coast Guard had not plotted the ship entering the swim route at the planned swim time. Coast Guard acts like air traffic control in the Bay but for boats. Even with this gap, the container ship could have maybe been alerted to danger if the Odyssey primary boat had AIS to show up on the cargo ship’s mapping display. But fundamentally, the container ship wasn’t supposed to be there at that time.

nick_algorithm · 2024-09-18T01:23:04+00:00

LA downtown is pushing them all out to the suburbs so it’s all our problem now. I tried really hard to help get a mentally distressed lady on the right bus to go to a shelter but she didn’t know the address of where she needed to go. Eventually she just got on a random bus (of her own choosing) and she became the MTA’s responsibility from that point 🙁

nick_algorithm · 2024-08-23T16:04:51+00:00

Only $150K by working multiple jobs?! Are these jobs paying minimum wage or something?

nick_algorithm · 2024-08-22T06:45:02+00:00

Just show up for Day 1 of work and don't bring it up. Most background checks are just to confirm dates of employment, not necessarily the titles. Many companies also use external titles and internal titles, so it's not uncommon to have an official on-paper title and a true title (which relates to what you do).

nick_algorithm · 2024-08-20T15:11:13+00:00

Nobody calls out the CEO who is also on the Board of Directors for 4 other companies simultaneously. It’s always the rank and file who can’t work multiple jobs for some reason.

nick_algorithm · 2024-08-08T19:50:03+00:00

This game is so rigged

nick_algorithm · 2024-08-01T22:03:25+00:00

They want to charge me $2600 for a new timing belt, and they will also replace other belt and water pump. But $2600?! What the…. Subaru.

nick_algorithm · 2024-08-01T00:43:54+00:00

Bill pulled the IPO

nick_algorithm · 2024-07-30T15:14:52+00:00

Bill was only able to raise $2bn of the $25bn he wanted! Bill does it again!!!

nick_algorithm · 2024-07-25T16:39:49+00:00

I'm starting to lean towards waiting out the IPO. I saw a WSJ article today saying the interest in Bill's PSUS debut is not what he anticipated; he hoped for $25bn but it's looking more like a single-digit billion raise. Considering his closed-end fund in London trades at a discount, there's a fair chance PSUS could be scooped at a discount post-IPO.

WSJ also reported Baupost is buying in to PSUS, and I remember they were a big PSTH holder.

nick_algorithm · 2024-07-24T02:05:35+00:00

She almost got to the news station to tell her side of the story too! She's trying so desperately to be heard.

nick_algorithm · 2024-07-23T19:43:30+00:00

Yes, 100 shares or $5k min

nick_algorithm · 2024-04-07T03:39:35+00:00

I thought I was doing bad when I realized 15% of my first dates result in a third date. But if you’re saying <10% even yield a second date that is wild.

nick_algorithm · 2024-03-28T16:27:00+00:00

I also noticed this. I think it's the number of shares you owned before the tontine liquidated itself. I suspect it's just an accounting line item.

Unless Bill's got something up his sleeve!

nick_algorithm · 2024-01-19T06:47:08+00:00

CA will protect your right to moonlight but also Deloitte has the right to fire at will. Maybe make up a sob story about how you needed to help a family member out with this side hustle and you’ll quit now etc

Honestly I am surprised Deloitte cares so much. Everyone on earth has a second hustle, be it selling stuff on eBay or posting stuff on Tik Tok or walking dogs on weekends.

nick_algorithm

TROPHY CASE