This post exists because of this tweet, in which I come up with the idea of a “rhyming intro” about myself.
I’m Linus, and I’m from the Midwest.
Indiana, specifically. Of all the states, it’s one of the best.
I’m not originally from there, but from further out west.
South Korea, actually. We moved at my parents’ request.
I got here when I was, like, ten. It was really a test
of how quickly and how well I could adapt, if so pressed.
I picked things up fairly quick, and had lots of time to rest.
But instead, I learned to program, a skill that felt like a quest.
I wasn’t a very popular kid. Didn’t care how I dressed,
what “vibes” I put out or whether others were impressed.
There was really just one thing, with which I messed.
Which was coding. And in my high school junior year, I was really blessed.
That’s because I got a job. At a startup, I addressed
a codebase for data-driven farming. The company possessed
my first mentor, lots to learn, and I wasn’t really stressed.
So I also joined Purdue’s startup community, a really fun process.
After a gap year and a half, I thought I should re-invest
in myself, my education, so off to UC Berkeley I progressed.
I started with computer science, with which I was still obsessed,
and spent three semesters on it, passing all those tests.
I worked at startups and in clubs, to which I had ample access
because in Silicon Valley, you know, they’re everywhere, as you’d guess.
But Fall of 2019, I realized I was doing too much, so I acquiesced.
I dropped out, another gap, but I was happy nonetheless.
I traveled the world, a week in each city to assess
that I really loved traveling. I also tried to coalesce
my dreams into goals, my talents into success.
I was finally happy with what I could do, what I possessed.
Now, I’m back in school, with renewed focuses.
Doing a few things well, and not committing to things unless
something came up where there was just no contest
that it was a perfect opportunity, and won’t lead to excess.
So I’m pretty relaxed these days, with little distress.
Lots of time to sit and work on side projects.
Or write, or read, or draw. Here I should confess
I also don’t know what I’ll do after college, but probably won’t profess.
I really love helping people create their own success.
There’s still so many obstacles for students, including loneliness.
I think about communities, writing, code, though sometimes I digress.
In the end, I love hacking, making, writing. I’ve got lots to express.
People know me as a hacker, and I guess in some sense
I still write lots of code, some might say to excess.
But I’m keeping my eyes open, still, in case I can say yes
to the next big idea or field of interest. This life is a work-in-progress.
← To build a community, elevate the storytellers
Forgotten beauty, once known →
I share new posts on my newsletter. If you liked this one, you should consider joining the list.
Have a comment or response? You can email me.