Feb 3I’m worried about People, not A.I.Humans are so much better than people. Frankly, people are a poor substitute for humans. Humans have souls and spirits. You can feel and see and experience the presence of a human with a simple glance in a crowded bar or in a deep conversation in which the topic is…Artificial Intelligence3 min readArtificial Intelligence3 min read
Apr 19, 2021Early Voting Starts Today. Here’s My Austin Voter Guide.Early voting in Austin starts today. We are not voting for elected officials, but make no mistake, this is an incredible consequential and influential election in Austin, making our government more accountable, democratic and less influenced by special interests. Here’s my personal voting guide: Prop A: YES This would ensure…Austin5 min readAustin5 min read
Apr 12, 2021My Revisionist History of Austin’s Upcoming May ElectionI have made so many mistakes in my life, I wouldn’t have time for much else if I started to make a list. I’ve made mistakes about people, mistakes involving money, mistakes in business, mistakes in relationships, mistakes in elections, mistakes in things I’ve said, mistakes of all sorts. I’m…Austin6 min readAustin6 min read
Mar 17, 2021Being a Black man > Being a tech CEO.Today, in light of violence against Asian Americans, it felt right to share part of a talk I gave to Amazon’s global customer support team last month. It shows that what happened yesterday has been happening for decades in America. And the anti-Asian hate and violence must end. — - …Asian American9 min readAsian American9 min read
Dec 19, 2020Why Austin Needs a New City PlanSince posting my letter welcoming newcomers to Austin last week, I’ve thought a lot about what this future of Austin, which newcomers will help co-create, looks like. …Austin14 min readAustin14 min read
Published inAustin Startups·Dec 13, 2020Open Letter to a New AustiniteCongratulations on your recent move to Austin! Moving is hard enough, but to do it during a pandemic has to be next-level headache inducing and a huge stress test so kudos to you. I have yet to meet a person who loves moving. I’m not talking about exploring a new…Austin14 min readAustin14 min read
Sep 19, 2020My Biggest Disappointment of 2020 (So Far)My biggest disappointment of 2020 (so far) isn’t Kobe’s death or Chadwick Boseman’s death or John Lewis’ death or America’s head-scratching COVID response or police murdering George Floyd or Breonna Taylor’s killers still not being charged or even RBG’s untimely passing. My biggest disappointment of 2020 is that there are…Ruth Bader Ginsburg2 min readRuth Bader Ginsburg2 min read
Aug 23, 2020Am I depressed or am I just American?Yes, this is a cry for help. There’s this feeling that just won’t go away. It’s a chain tied to my wrist tied to an anvil, my body dragging its dead weight with all my life force. Here I find myself struggling with something I can’t quite describe but struggling…Depression3 min readDepression3 min read
Jul 22, 2020What John Lewis Means to MeWhen I think about John Lewis, I think about time. I don’t mean time in the sense of it passing quickly like a speeding bullet or passing slowly like paint drying. When I think of John Lewis, I think of time in the sense of its steadiness, its tirelessness, its…John Lewis6 min readJohn Lewis6 min read
Jul 6, 2020Reparations for Black Americans: Here’s How“Our American project is not built on the idea that we became free in 1776 or any year thereafter, but that we are fighting for freedom, oftentimes from the economic and political interests that became free on 1776. …Reparations14 min readReparations14 min read
