@westleydang

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Latest — Dec 1, 2023

Reflections on place and space

Once upon a time, I was a small-human and every day my parents would drop me off at my grandparents's home, 1.6 miles away. It was my home base before and after school, until my dad picked me up and drove us home, winding through the local community college

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Through lines of embodiment

Happy November. I had a conversation with someone about their DMT experiences. They, being an experienced meditator, said that their 10 minutes of DMT felt like hours of deep meditation, but then qualified on that statement (as if I was about to make this error) that it’s not the

My relationship with money has changed

I have a problem with money. I spend too little of it. My relationship with money is something that I inherited from my parents and my family. Both my parents were refugees of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970’s, a Communist uprising and genocide wherein the Cambodians decimated a

Suffertember: Don't disrespect the suffer

Once upon a time, in 2017, I started a month of really hard things with one of my best friends, Armand. He was the guy who I could always count on to do crazy shit with. If there ever was a culmination of us seeking out Type 2 fun, it

In case of my death, break open these books

In case of my death, break open these books. These are the books that have left indelible marks on my thought, and made me who I am (at 32). My belief systems, my words, and my actions all stem from the worldviews and lessons imparted by these works. An author

Political consciousness, and self-inventory

Despite my intention to never get on dating apps, here I am. It's summer, my favorite season for dating (says a guy who hasn't courted anyone new in seven years), and I thought I might as well go fishing. One of the biggest reasons why I didn't want to open

A runner's reprise

I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but there is a difference between feeling like someone who runs versus being a runner. Or someone who likes photography vs. a photographer. Or, someone who does pottery vs. a potter. Or, someone who likes climbing vs. a climber. You would

who prompts the prompter?

let's stop trying to be machines, with rigid framework thinking, and optimizing everything. we can now outsource the burden of rationality. so let's live like we can finally let go of our instructions.

3 years in venture capital, and what it's like to work at SOSV IndieBio

After 3 years of working in VC and funding early stage startups, I decided to write a reflection, both on the industry and also the particular firm that I work at. A few years ago, I viewed venture capitalists as nothing more than bankers with more niche opinions, henchmen of

Dictation as writing therapy

In the most tumultuous times of my life, I've always found solace in writing as therapy. Journaling lets me pull at the threads that keep inserting themselves throughout the day, and organize them on a page that feels secure. Writing is even more helpful in conjunction with actual therapy (with