Back by popular demand (read: strongly encouraged by my girlfriend…yes we DTR’d), it’s time for another ~Noah Wrapped~. Rather than drown you with mediocre writing and feeble attempts at philosophical introspection, I’m going to report a non-comprehensive list of my 2024 life events with minimal editorializing, and finish with a short blurb on my 2025 outlook. I use peoples’ initials because I don’t want this spam popping up the next time they recruit for a job – I need my future investors to remain cash flow positive.
2024 Notables, Chronologically
- I began 2024 in Australia and New Zealand on the Roberts Family Annual Trip, sadly the last one my grandfather would attend. I met up with AU and DC in Bali for 6 days before returning to Boston.
- A group gathered at Snowbird for DD’s bachelor party. 2 personal bests were achieved: Most powder I’ve skied at Snowbird over 3 days, and the most sleep I’ve gotten at a bachelor party (strict 11pm bed time).
- My grandfather passed away on February 27th at the age of 89. He was, and is, my hero.
- I, along with the help of JM, published a live version of the Xpanse data science tool for equities. We found several demo users, but did not convert any into paying customers.
- I graduated from Sloan.
- I participated in a product/market fit bootcamp, which changed the way I think about building product and acquiring early customers. This lead to pivot #1, where I spent 8 weeks trying to help financial advisors find new clients.
- I moved to Beacon Hill. It’s lovely.
- ER, JK, and I ripped the Pemi Loop in 15.5 hours. No injuries!
- I modeled for NoBull (they needed an “average guy”). Swipe through the IG carousel for comical pics.
- I did a larger consulting project for a life science device manufacturer. Unrelated to location analytics, but they paid more. Am I a consultant now?!
- A coffee chat with a prospective consulting client ended with the two of us giving a random guy on the street CPR. The man survived. Incredibly, I still did not close the deal even after our trauma bonding.
- I did a consulting project for a small PE firm, and they actually paid. They wanted to identify underserved areas of NH for oil change businesses. This led to Xpanse’s current focus, location analytics. Pivot #2 engaged.
- I went on a 1st hinge date with AS: the classic coffee + esplanade walk. 3 months later, we’re still dating 😊.
- I ran my first marathon. Didn’t feel great, but pulled out a 3:07:35. I’m now optimistic that I can break 3, and need to decide when I want to commit to another training block.
- I moved into a ~90 sqft private office in a WeWork with DG and PR (we all work independently). Big year ahead for Gyu Capital! (Gyu Kaku is our go-to Japanese BBQ spot in Boston).
- I broke my 1.5 years of sobriety at AG’s wedding. Great time, although I don’t see myself breaking it again for at least another 1.5 years, if not far longer.
- I write this post from the beach in Anguilla on our annual family trip. If 2025 is half as good as the weather here, well, it will be a great year.
Looking Forward
This is my fifth consecutive year end blog post. If you want to kill time, find the previous ones here: 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020. To summarize, I’m focused on 3 buckets at this stage in my life: relationships, health, and business. I’ll continue to invest time and effort into all 3, but I’m only going to set a single “goal” for 2025, and that is to work harder on Xpanse. The plan is to track my time like a lawyer via this tool or something similar (open to recs), with the goal of averaging 8 “billed” hours per full work day. I’ll probably need to average 10 – 11 hours in the office on a typical day to hit this target.
Why is my 2025 goal to consistently grind? I yearn to build a successful business and I control 2 inputs: how I allocate my working time (work smarter) and the total time I work (work harder). Of course I’ll try to work smart, but I have full control and accountability over how hard I work. The great Robert Caro records the number of words he wrote at the end of each day and tracks his output over time (fantastic documentary). Seinfeld forces himself to write jokes for an hour every morning. Murakami meticulously tracks his mileage in his running journal. Consistency and accountability are key.
I hope everyone has had a fantastic end to their year. On to the next one. Infinite possibilities await. And with that, I’ll leave you with this quote from Tennyson’s Ulysses:
Come, my friends,
‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
-Noah
Noah's (Life) Ark 