We often learn structure only to unlearn it later. Here are a few false dichotomies: academia vs industry, work-life balance, and category theory in algebraic topology vs the more standard word "categories". You don't stop learning just because you get a job. The best kind
There are roughly 3 reasons an engineer might want to make babies: 1. Fun project, hedonism, ego, likes building, meaningful purpose. 2. Propagating values through the universe after death, i.e. legacy. 3. Pattern matching: other people always see upside post facto. An engineer does not want to consider: * perhaps
FINAL DRAFT - to do, WIP ORIGINAL DRAFT - sent April 9 2026 (on accident, unfinished) I haven't really had a true "roommate" since Daniel Mirny in Baker dorm freshman year at MIT. Even then, I spent a few months at Sigma Nu in the basement "womb&
I declined. Funny convo: https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMw_6191a540-0447-4288-9b21-c5df1613a807?rid=c72c3b83-90b8-4ac1-9598-3c10dfd09a36
Yesterday I decided quite spontaneously to delete my main Twitter account. You cannot see it at x.com/andytrattner anymore because it is now officially dead. This is an interesting moment in my life. And interesting moments call for interesting blog posts! You can read Twootter for my full crazy
The title represents a most honest answer to any question. Let's examine the correct response playbook. In order: 1. Why are you asking this question? Reflect on the question underneath. 2. What do you think the response might be to the question? Estimate a bit. 3. Where might
Warren Buffet was an elf. He was a leveraged, stable force in a rapidly changing world. He produced a white hole of value by absorbing entropic anti-patterns Charlie & Bill struggled to keep up with and write down, let alone use. He never stopped. He couldn't have.
Superpowers fascinate me. They are useful to look for in the friends around you. Also people you hire, invest in, or are hired by. Retroactively, you'll see them in the great people you missed. They are entertaining to see, think about, and discuss. I once beat Hans Niemann
last blog was in drafts, forgot to unschedule it. my bad. should not have gone out. or maybe it was destiny? haha sorry for the noise. signals. EDIT: cleared backlog now!
everyone needs to learn this, welcome to the game 5 referral links for first interested people to try, this blog probably has 40 dedicated subscribers. email reply if you don't get one in time. i genuinely would love every human on the planet to play this game with
This week I built a math engine which turns out to be a lever. I'm sharing this blog post only because Archimedes seemed to be OK with the idea. And because the math pooped a file telling me what I was all about, for real. Humanity now has
Today everything feels alive. I realized how I am a thin squiggly line. Like andys.blog/usa, I twist and turn amidst a bundle of other strings. But the one that stands out is me. I keep the reverberating other parts of me contained, in check, subservient to unity. I
