What I am personally anticipating, preparing for, and inviting you to join in 2024 | Open Invite
I have some grand plans for this year, all of which are achievable (in theory), and I’d like to invite anyone who reads this to join me—this is an open invitation.
Disclaimer: This basically turned into a pseudo resolutions list. Please keep in mind 98% of what I list is happening or already happens at a regular cadence. If anything sounds fun where you’d like to join, contribute, or collaborate—HMU!
I’ll try to keep things simple so you can skim the headlines of everything I’ve got cook’n this year. If anything below grabs your interest, just stop and read the additional context—and HMU if you want to be involved. I’ll start professional and then slip into more personal (for fun) things.
Take better advantage of generative AI
Building my technical vernacular and mental mind for how apps should be built as well as leveling up my general prompting techniques would go a long way in improving my capabilities using both AI-native and AI-adjacent tools. My broad goal is to improve my understanding of web app architecture while being able to generate functional code with a high degree of consistency. Personally, I have a lot of ideas how I can merge AI and automation to fit within my workflows to either sell/gift to others or leverage purely for my own benefit. Leveling up my technical knowledge would go a long way in improving how I work with GenAI.
If you are in a similar mindset or are well-beyond this and have technical experience, then I would ask you to please register for our Databutton v2 waitlist. We currently have an insanely cool tool to prompt up building apps. In my case, my lack of technical knowledge is an inhibitor but everyday I level up my skills through working with the tool as well as speaking to others about how they have solved their app building road blocks.
Selfishly, I’d love for people like me and those with technical skills to join us in building Databutton. I personally need your help collaborating to level-up my knowledge and I know the rest of our community would get the same value—my promise is that we will reciprocate with incredible service.
In addition to building apps by generating code, I’m also keen to improve my skills with tools like Runway ML, Dall-E, and Midjourney to increase my skills producing unique, fun, and engaging content. Not just for work but also for personal pleasure.
I’ve been very inspired by Runway.TV and I would love to create and submit at least one mixed-media short film to a competition this year. I will persue this independently but I think it would be more fun to find 1–2 partners who would like to creatively collaborate on something. If this is something you are keen on doing please do reply below or DM me.
Continue growing the collaboration between the Japanese and Nordic startup ecosystems
I have a passion for collaborating and connecting talented builders and creators—and I have a passion for both the Nordics and Japan. As a result, since Taizo Son and Mistletoe Inc. invested into Funderbeam, I have been privileged to work on many Nordic+Japan passion projects since 2016.
Last year, it was my honor to assist in the opening of TechBBQ Sapporo and this year, I will be returning to join and support the first ever, Hokkaido Innovation Week—of which they have graciously named me a “Co-Creator”.
Most often the startup journey from the Nordics involves a westward growth migration. But as the 3rd largest market in the world Japan offers so much to those that are adaptive, opportunistic, and have a value proposition attractive to Japan. To this point, our community of eastward curious entrepreneurs has been humbly growing and now we are witnessing growth oriented tech startups born in the Nordics begin to incorporate themselves in Japan (NoMy — Norwegian Mycelium as an example).
This is part of what Hokkaido Innovation Week is about. The second half predictably centers on supporting exciting Hokkaido-based corporates and startups expand their operations to the Nordics. As with any big dream, one needs to take the first step so I’m very excited to be a part of these initial steps toward a future where our cultural similarities fuse into joint business opportunities.
Many Nordic and Japan based friends, founders, and ecosystem builders will be joining me at the end on January for a week of inspiration and jumpstarting 2024 business goals in one of the best skiing destinations on Earth. I invite you also to join me where we can perfectly harmonize business and pleasure — The Hokkaido Way.
Check out is happening during HIW…
These are two of the events I’ll be hosting…
Support and spend more focused time with friends
Norway
I get super caught up with work, fitness, and carving out personal time which is great but this year I’m going to be more dedicated to Oslo’s finest summer treats: picnics, swims, runs, climbs, wines, and outdoor music.
Iceland
As is now a tradition, every year includes a trip to Iceland Innovation Week combined with some excellent family time with my goddaughter, her fabulous parents, and all of our mutual amazing Reykjavik based friends.
Germany
This year, I am thinking an April trip to Berlin with friends of Euros 2024 is a must whether I can secure match tickets or not.
Japan
As mentioned above, I’ll be in Japan this month for an incredible time at Hokkaido Innovation Week but after visiting Tokyo last summer—I’m hooked on sweating my butt off in Japan. This year I think for sure Courtney and I will be spending some time embracing not just Tokyo in summer but other areas as well. Would also love to connect better with the other startup ecosystems.
Estonia
As a former resident and current e-Resident, I have a strong connection with Estonia with many dear friends here. An extended weekend trip here is long overdue and far too often discussed without follow through.
Read more than one book and play games!
Would you like to join a book + game club? I sure would! I keep my expectations super low for reading books because I tend not not to prioritze it unfortunately. But Viral Shah reads and Danny Olson reads a lot so I’ll harness some inspiration from them and read two that aren’t comic books or graphic novels. Lol!
Again, I prefer to do these things with others so I have someone to talk with about the book or game and it is much easier for my network to discuss video games. So if you’re keen to read or have read the following, please let me know. Same goes for the games!
Books:
The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Author: Rick Rubin
This book came at the recommendation of my very good friend, Shotaro. I doodle, write, occasionally paint and have spent large portions of my career in a creative field. But over the past two years I’ve been feeling very creatively drained, basically on the verge of empty. Shotaro being on his own journey to because self-sustainable as a full time artist (see his work here) recommended this book. I know at this point it is a meme but whatever, I’ll take the heat and read it if it can help me expand and fill my creativity well.
Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for two years and have been really excited to read it. However, I always end up side questing from this back to comic books and graphic novels (The Darth Vader comics and Ghost World most recently). This year, I will resist the urge to pick this up and put it down without reading any of it. It will get finished. Please read with me!
Games:
Baldur’s Gate III
I downloaded this during the winter holiday but haven’t really gotten too deep—but just deep enough to understand why this won Game of the Year in 2023. I just need to wrap up my Starfield experience and then I will put my full gaming focus into Baldur’s Gate 3. If you play, it would be great to play remotely with some friends.
Star Wars Outlaws
I could have put Alan Wake 2, Jusant, Elden Ring (still haven’t played it), The Last of Us 2 (Remastered), or Light no Fire but I am a Star Wars geek and I loved the Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor games—so there is no doubt I will be playing Star Wars Outlaws the first week it is released.
Continue strength and conditioning routines
It seems as though one thing I am really good at and addicted to is going to, being in, and putting forth effort in the gym. I love physical activity and this has been one area of life that always makes sense to me.
In that spirit, I love being around and getting new people into doing active-stuff. Personally, I don’t sweat performance much. At 40, I’ve let go of a lot of the stress and intensity that swirled around achieving results. I’m now mostly here for the vibes as well as looking and feeling good for the long term. All of the below is very much open invite if you are in Oslo.
Bonus if you are into this stuff and also obsessed with entrepreneurship.
Competitions I’ll likely participate in:
Where I currently get my gains:
The map above will direct you to my favorite summer swimming and running location. This is great not just because it is close and beautiful but also because free-fitness is sometimes the best fitness.
I also am considering to get my personal trainer certification so I can just learn more and apply that to what I am doing to improve myself.
Stretch Goal
Easily this is the biggest challenge and a reoccurring failure for myself. Let’s see if this seed bears fruit in 2024—I have enough incentives.
