On Success

This is a reflection on success and what it means. After listening to people around me discuss their trajectories, I wanted to capture some observations. Take them with a grain of salt.

The Process

Everyone around me is optimizing for something different. Some chase prestigious internships. Others pursue banking roles. Some are simply exploring the world without a fixed agenda.

Many people have laser focus on their next milestone. They know exactly what they want. I don't, at least not yet. Sometimes I envy that clarity.

But I've also realized there's value in uncertainty. Being open to possibilities means fewer self-imposed limitations. I'm less likely to dismiss opportunities simply because they don't fit a predetermined path.

Understanding What You Want

Eventually, you'll start to understand what drives you. The people I admire most have clarity about what they're building toward, not necessarily the exact path, but the direction.

Different people will articulate their ambitions in different ways. Make sure you understand your own incentives as much as possible when assessing their words. Some people genuinely want prestige. Others want impact. Some want freedom. None of these are wrong, they're just different optimization functions.

On Uncertainty

I came into college naively. I had no prepared career trajectory, no internship pipeline, and little understanding of what I actually wanted to optimize for. My peers around me seemed to have it figured out. They were securing offers, building networks, moving with intention.

There's this uncomfortable tension between having conviction and staying open minded. Too much conviction too early and you risk optimizing for the wrong thing. Too much openness and you never build momentum in any direction. I don't have a clean answer here. I'm still figuring it out.

Defining Success

Success should be defined by you. Only you understand your own telemetry. Your friends will try to convince you that their path is optimal. They genuinely believe it. For them, it might be.

Remember that clarity is an accelerant. It enables you to move faster but also increases the stakes. If you move quickly in the wrong direction, you risk going significantly off course. I'm not yet confident I'm directionally correct, so I'm comfortable with uncertainty.

When to Decide

You should make big decisions at the point when not deciding would be detrimental. In other words, you should explore for as long as possible. However, understand that if you go too long without committing to something, you'll be seen as directionless.

Follow Your Gut

When you repeatedly hear the same advice from people, everything starts to sound similar. So beyond what makes logical sense, trust your gut. Go with what makes you genuinely excited to wake up every day.