Thoughts on negotiation, business, technology, and life.
How I built my personal website using Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS - from initial setup to production deployment on Cloudflare Pages.
Welcome to my new website built with Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS.
Many times, I have to convince people to even think about negotiating. To some, it feels greedy, but there's a way to negotiate that doesn't make you seem greedy or make them dislike you.
Article about negotiation and career development.
Article about negotiation and career development.
Despite many people being afraid or intimidated by the idea of negotiation, there are some people who naturally tend toward it. Or have learned to lean into it.
Article about negotiation and career development.
I was in Lake Tahoe with my HyperZen group on our annual retreat, and someone mentioned this new startup, Fancy Hands. A virtual assistant.
Article about negotiation and career development.
Article about negotiation and career development.
Article about negotiation and career development.
The whole family at Thanksgiving This year, the dos Santos Christmas letter is brought to you by Craig. Alissa has gone through four years of journalism school,...
After 10 years... Whoa… wrote this after my reunion last month. Guess I forgot to post it!...
So after nearly two months, Neema and I are finally getting settled in our place. We live at 15th and Mission in the (shocker) Mission District. If you haven’...
If the world is getting smaller, then San Francisco is getting tiny. I have lived in the bay area for less than 2 months, and in this time, I have randomly bum...
On my way home today, I was stepping on the caltrain in Mountain View and got a call from Orbitz. My flight was on time to depart in three hours. The only pro...
Leaping in front of Coit tower. That's the Golden Gate bridge in the background. Well, I’m here. The past week has been a whirlwind of work, play, discovering...
Friends. Home. My life has had a high amount of variance in the years since leaving Microsoft. I’ve traveled, worked for myself, done contracts, traveled some m...
The Machu Picchu Shot Wow. Five days trekking around the national park with a finish at the famed Machu Picchu which was much more impressive than I had anticip...
After my adventures in the mountains last week, my journey around Peru (which is being made up as I go along) took me to the famous Lake Titicaca. After only 4...
So… I'm in Peru. For about three weeks, and just because. I had friend traveling around South America and really, it's not very difficult to convince me to jo...
Andrew and I reading Another flight, and yet another blog post coming to you from 30,000 ft. This time I’m finally headed home to Seattle. It’s been just a ta...
Checking out the Microcenter with Hugo and Diana I’m on a flight back to New York City after three weeks in Argentina. Most of my time was spent in Buenos Aires...
One of many great shots of the falls. I just got back to Buenos Aires after a quick 3 day trip to Iguazu Falls. The falls themselves were pretty surreal. It k...
Taking down the flag at the Casa Rosada It’s amazing what a difference a week makes. After not having anyone to hang out with the first few days here, I spent l...
Friends in the Startup Community in Buenos Aires My first three days in Buenos Aires have reminded me a lot of my first time in Brazil. Not because things are ...
Buenos Aires After finishing up some glorious days in Rio, a quick stop in Seattle, and a whirlwind 4 days in New York with Fil and Manu, I’m back in South Amer...
I have yet to master the art of “cumprimentos” or greetings in Brazil. I remember getting used to it during my trip in 2006, but after 2 years of Seattle greet...
I’m currently in Guarda Do Embau, which is just a hop away from Florianopolis in the south of Brazil. I’m staying in a pousada (a minimal beach hotel of sorts)...
My welcome party at Rodrigo’s House I’ve finally made it back to Brazil after nearly two years. I’ve only been here for a few days, but the return to this cul...
A couple weeks ago, I found out about the , that has been taken up by a few friends at the iLike office. Since then, a number of other friends have taken up t...
Some of you may already know this, but I’ve accepted a position at iLike as a Product Manager. iLike is a funded technology startup in the music space. The p...
So I switched. After working at Microsoft, and on the Windows Vista team, I switched from XP on my old machine straight to OS X, and escaped the Vista trainwre...
I went on a 50 mile bike ride today. It was with the Louisville Bicycling Club, which means we met at a local park, then headed off into the beautiful Kentucky...
Someone did a great job of marketing this book… which, after reading it, doesn’t surprise me at all. Keith probably knows all the right people that would put h...
The Boston marathon is this coming Monday. This will be the second year that I’ll be running it. The first was in 2005, where after pulling a hamstring, I co...
18 months ago my life was the Chutes and Ladders board game. I had a path laid out ahead of me, and while there were both great achievements and setbacks, it...
When I worked on the product teams at Microsoft, we had the luxury of largely ignoring Sales and Marketing. In fact, we weren’t just ignoring them, we were po...
It’s funny how procrastination works. You stop doing something for a while, and then the wall you have to climb over to start again just grows higher and high...
It’s been a while since I made any real changes to my diet. Back in April of 2005, I tried a 2 month stint of focusing on whole grains and good fats. From wh...
Wow. Every year I show up back home in Louisville, thinking Derby will be good, but there’s no way it can top last year. Every year I’ve been wrong. This y...
Well, it took a while, but Superbowl Sunday finally kicked me back into life here in Seattle. It’s been 10 days since I returned, but it has truly been the ha...
Another year, another Boston. This time, the crowds and weather did not disappoint, and it was a fantastic race. I was happy to be staying with my friends Je...
A number of people have been asking me how business has been since I arrived here. I’ve now been meeting with Indian companies for over a month, and while I am...
Well, at least I can say I that I ran it. The most accurate description of the marathon, is that I put the appropriate amount of time and effort into it. The r...
I signed up for two marathons this week. Not because it was the physically or fiscally smart thing to do, but because it’s running and I guess that’s what I do...
Since I last wrote, I’ve been on a whirlwind of travel, mostly for pleasure. I had 5 friends come visit me in Mahableshwar for Christmas, and from there we tr...
No matter how many times I have thought about it myself, or talked with other travelers about the roller coaster of emotions when traveling, I have not been abl...
Since returning from my trip to India, I’ve reconnected with a number of friends, and I routinely get the “So,… what are you doing now?” question. After fieldi...
I recently received this email from a close friend of mine: *Hey, I’d like to become a runner. Any advice?*...
I’m afraid I’m about to be discovered. As I write this, I’m sitting outside on the sidewalk outside “The Gamestop” A video game store in Redmond, Washington. ...
I’m already in a state of semi-shock that I will soon be leaving what has become a very comfortable environment. I’m also shocked every time I look in the mirro...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210231540/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/DSCN8771.jpg)My friends here are absolutely dying to see photos o...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210170317/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/DSCN8700.0.jpg) Last night I went into São Franciso, which is th...
This weekend has been filled with music, as the last two nights I’ve attended concerts in Rio. Last night I went to a Jack Johnson concert, which was fantastic....
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210193458/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/DSCN8388.jpg)It’s funny how accustomed I have become to life here...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210231700/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/DSCN8504.1.jpg) I went to another churrasco last night… this one ...
I am constantly overcome with all that has come into my life while visiting this country. One of my treasured souvenirs that I hope to return home with is the s...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210231534/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/PICT1877.0.jpg)This photo is a good look at how I travel. Notice ...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210193443/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/DSCN8224.jpg)Today ends a string of visitors, and tomorrow I will...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210193438/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/112733064_df683e52e9.0.jpg)Last weekend was marked with two parti...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210231655/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/sunset.jpg) Katie arrived last week, and we have been moving arou...
[](https://web.archive.org/web/20101210193432/http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6665/848/1600/DSCN7889.jpg)Saturday night I went to another bloco party, that l...
Absolute craziness. I truly am at a loss for words to describe my last two days of Carnaval in Salvador. However, it’s extremely unlike me to be at a loss for w...
So today is the first official day of Carnaval, and I’m in Salvador, Bahia. In the States, everyone thinks Rio is the capital of Carnaval, but that’s only beca...
So I’m on my way to Salvador to experience the craziness that is Carnaval in Brazil. My friend Evelyn is traveling with me, and once again, I am amazed by the ...
Personal blog post.
Yesterday, I visited a favela (slum). I am lucky to have met Rodrigo… as everything I want to do, he happens to know someone who can help. We’ve been working ou...
Personal blog post.
If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you may know that a few months ago, I left the high salary and stability of my job at Microsoft, and took off for Brazi...
I was sitting at lunch today and showing Rodrigo and his sister Erica pictures from my going away party in Seattle. They were asking about my friends back home ...
After two weeks of straight travel through the state of Bahia, I am back in my friend Rodrigo’s house in Niteroi, and am enjoying the comforts of my Brazilian h...
I’ve noticed that people treat strangers differently over here. It’s not so much in the people you walk past on the street (although if you catch eyes with ano...
I’ve been very go-with-the-flow during my travels in the last few weeks. I’ve found that having less expectations of what I want to see and do, makes traveling ...
Last night was my first night in Icaraíva, which is a small village on the east coast of Brasil, north of Rio. It is set between a river and the ocean, and has...
So we seem to be in search of the perfect beach. I don't really understand it, but my friends want to see every beach, and aren't satisfied until we've visit...
- **Wild Animals** - I had my first viewing of a wild animal during one of my runs here. I had just returned from a day trip, and it was dusk… I was staying wi...
- Latin cultures seem to mix well. We met Italians and Spaniards on a boat trip today, and everyone understood each other, mostly, and got along really well. -...
Rodrigo finally got me to shave my head. Actually, we just buzzed it. And to be honest, I was all for shaving it once we started, but he said this would look ...
My host family is amazing. There are so many things to get used to, and they are making it so easy. - **Food.** Lunch over here is by far the biggest meal of t...
There is a silence that only comes when you are surrounded by people speaking another language. It comes when you know you won’t hear your mother tongue, and yo...
I have been in Brazil for a little over 24 hours, and so far, there have been many lessons in patience. I got off the plane in Sao Paulo, and the instructions b...
On the plane to Sao Paulo. The Portuguese on the plane, which includes the conversations around me, as well as all the instructions from the air hostess, are e...
It hasn’t really hit yet. I expected it to, but it hasn’t. In three days, I’ll be leaving the US for Brazil, not to return for another 4 months. I started packi...
The second round of worries was the list of things that had to be done before I left. A short list was: Sell furniture, clean out college stuff, find out about ...
Through this whole ordeal of leaving my job to travel, talking to my friends helped a lot. Most of them still saw the romantic side of it, and it was helpful to...
This blog will gradually be changing over the next few months. This is as it should be, since it’s a reflection of my life. I wrote my last post about leaving t...
When I was young, I had big dreams. I dreamt of being able to eat candy whenever I wanted. I dreamt of great sports moments. I dreamt of being famous. In genera...
I consider myself a very trusting person. Not oblivious, but perhaps hopelessly optimistic. I mean this on a very basic level. When I leave my house to go runni...
Confidence is usually associated with a positive, healthy mentality. Confidence is a sign of maturity, high self-esteem, and proficiency. I have noticed that my...
I am inundated with the sheer number of things I feel I need to do everyday. It seems that nearly every goal I have requires daily consistency. This is logical,...
I readily admit that I have been guilty of talking negatively about other people. I don’t try to be openly malicious, but in conversations with friends, I have ...
Yesterday, while waiting for the elevator, I heard a colleague talking about teaching his kid to ride a bike. He was describing the process of running alongsid...
I have many differing degrees of relationships with the people in my life. To split it up crudely, I have some best friends (I apply that term to more than one ...
My final point on arguing brings back a topic I talked about earlier last month. Listening. I believe one of the hardest things about arguing (or we can use the...
This time I’m discussing why arguing fails as good communication because it’s easier to begin to argue the person, rather than the topic. This is easily the mos...
Arguing seems to get a bad rap in our culture. Why is it that we have such negative connotations with such a useful way of passing ideas? I believe its for 3 re...
I’ve been interested in memory techniques since I was in 8th grade, and I regularly use them in everyday life in order to remember just about anything. I’m a bi...
I recently completed my 1st Boston Marathon, and after nearly 15 years of running, I’ve only recently seen in the last year (my first year outside of organized ...
I’ve been thinking about diet and nutrition for about a month now, and I have decided to take on a personal challenge to revamp my diet for a few months. This w...
Personal blog post.
It seems generally agreed upon that **happiness is the holy grail of human existence**. Other than avoiding pain, nothing else seems to motivate us as humans. (...
I’ve been noticing a trend lately in my activities. It’s relaxation. It seems that being able to relax your body/mind is a crucial element to learning. When I a...
I just listened to an , who is a professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College. His talk was about how we have an overabundance of choices ...
I went to hear give a talk yesterday. He is a former speech writer for Bill Clinton, and now teaches in the Public Policy department at the University of Washi...
I was talking with a friend yesterday about my ‘fear of commitment.’ She is looking into buying a house… and meanwhile I couldn’t imagine tying myself down fi...
About a week ago I wrote “Seeing Beyond Money” about the ability to see beyond the paycheck to evaluate what I really want. I also spoke of the difference betwe...
My voice coach, Emily Greenleaf, rocks. She said something yesterday that I thought was worth putting down. “Music is a unique skill in that it requires you t...
I reread an article today entitled “Grow Up? Not so Fast.” by Lev Grossman in TIME magazine. It’s about “twixters” the in-betweeners of my age… In their twenty...
I had an interesting discussion over the weekend. It was about forming a framework to determine where you are on your path to success. After a few suggestions o...
I’ve been mulling over a few questions today as I’m sitting in my office and thinking about the beautiful weather outside. **Am I being ungrateful?** After al...
I had dinner with Curt Rosengren today. He is a , who resides in Seattle, and makes his living showing other people how to find passion in their lives/work. He ...
My college roommate, , sent me an article today about Small Talk. It was entitled: “The Rich Resonance of Small Talk: A Primer on The Fine, and Undervalued, Art...
A while back, I started filling out an index card every day. I have tried everything to try to get myself to keep my goals in mind. (a few years ago, I started ...
This blog actually has a purpose. Actually, its quite deep. Its to figure out my purpose. Not in a huge grand way, but more in a self-exploratory way. You k...