This is more of a snapshot than a deep dive – think of it as a time capsule of sorts. It should serve as an update to those who have been keeping up (hello again), as an intro to the new folks (hello for the first time), and as a highlight reel for my future self (hope you’re well, man).
Jan - Mar
In January, I joined my 40 closest friends for my last DBAC — winter training for Virginia Men’s Rowing. Three-a-days on the erg have always been tough for me and that was no different this year. Frank, our head coach, offered a valuable reframing (which I heard throughout my four years): “When you’re working you’ll wish you were 2k-ing.” I don’t wish I were 2k-ing, but I get the message.
My favorite Strava caption: “Caption was going to be ‘I hate this sport’ but then I felt really good at the end. 6x10’ erg.”
With DBAC came a later morning practice. I woke up just in time to catch the sunrise from our 6-person Charlottesville home, affectionately named “Barn”.
Barn a.k.a. The Barn a.k.a. Crew House
I started my last semester of school, but spent most of my time camped out on the second floor of the corner Starbucks building the early features of Imprint’s website (having started in September 2022). Early morning practice, a meditative bike ride up 14th street, black coffee, and a bagel from Bodo’s were a welcomed routine.
We hosted some of my favorite events of the year at Barn, where Charlottesville-based indie bands rocked the corner of 14th and Grady. I developed an appreciation for long walks to Darden and late-night Cava with friends.
In March, I traveled to Philadelphia with Contrary for our northeast retreat. In the entrepreneurship vein, VEO grew to host on-campus events we called “build sessions,” inspired by friends at Waterloo. I’m so proud of that community. It’s in really good hands.
Apr - Jun
I spent the last few months of school enjoying spring in Charlottesville and leaning into my work at Imprint.
In April, I took an impromptu trip to Richmond with John, a three-year roommate and long-time bike enjoyer, to invest in a new road bike. I competed at SIRAs for the last time, losing my car keys in the process somewhere between Virginia and Tennessee. I also invested in AirTags (great product).
At Imprint, we shipped a our largest credit card program to date. We’d been heads-down on it for the previous few months, so watching the metrics tick up — on something I’d built — was electric. It was a scale that my personal projects had certainly never seen.
In May, I began apartment hunting in New York as classes began to wind down. I also spent a lot of this month sorting through the mess of items I’d accumulated during my first 21 years.
That month, I graduated with my friends.
Good friends
Jul - Sep
Having started work full-time, I tried my hand in product at Imprint, shipping our returning applicant experience. This ended up enabling a lot of the growth initiatives we focus on today (and resolving a ton of overlooked edge cases). We also shipped a highly-requested feature — authorized users — which helped grow cardholders exponentially over the remainder of the year.
I extended a work trip with some members of the design team to explore Joshua Tree National Park. Drew and a few of his friends — very talented climbers — showed Brian and me the ropes. In the process, we got to visit an authentic Joshua Tree hospital.
A few of Joshua’s titular trees
I biked to and from work every day, and I often took a detour to the West Side Highway to just sit and think, sometimes over a book. In August, I rarely missed a sunset.
A favorite view. They do these for free!
I thought a lot about management styles, teammates, and how I like to spend my time.
Oct - Dec
In October, I grew intimately familiar with the Union Square Barnes & Noble as we began an office switch. To pass the time, I recreated our CEO’s headshot — a story that doesn’t need to live here (but one that I’m more than happy to tell). I also visited Charlottesville for UVA’s Young Alumni Reunion.
In November, I celebrated Imprint’s Series B with coworkers.
In December, I traveled to South America with an old friend and a new friend. While I just wanted to go for a long bike ride, Nate invited Sam and me to the bottom of the globe to hike the W Trek.
After meeting up with Nate in Buenos Aires, we flew south to El Calafate, where — inspired by a pituresque photograph next to our Buenos Aires hotel room — we hitchhiked to the Perito Moreno Glacier. We then took a bus to Puerto Natales and another bus to Torres del Paine National Park where finally we began our hike. Afterwards, we decided it was about time to figure out how we were heading home (which ended up taking us throughout Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and eventually Miami).
This month slowed down time. It’s shocking how quickly working in that Starbucks on the corner transitioned to working on Canal Street. During our hike, I found myself reflecting on the less-than-comfortable moments: grueling erg workouts, difficult projects or interactions, and eating my second cup of truly awful instant noodles in Patagonia. Each one temporary, and each inseparable from experiences that I’ve found deeply enriching. There is so much to appreciate.
Onwards.
Sam Altman, by way of Nate: The days are long but the decades are short. Passerby: So true!