how to suffer, joyfully.

This viral quote from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang might sound masochistic, but there's a lot of truth in it. Real joy—the kind that fills your soul—often comes not in spite of pain, but because of it.

When you choose your suffering, you control the narrative. Think of it like training for a championship fight: every grueling workout, every strict diet choice, every early morning wake-up—they're all voluntary sacrifices that forge something greater.

The secret lies in selecting the right kind of pain. There's suffering that crushes your soul (like shopping at Walmart), and there's suffering that forges it (like running an ultramarathon). The difference? Choice and purpose.

I learned this firsthand after surgery to fix my broken nose, cheekbone, and jaw (long story, read it here). Four months after surgery, I decided to run a 35 KM trail run—without any prior trail running experience (it seemed like a good idea at the time). During the race, I lost toenails, ate dirt (twice), and nearly quit more times than I can count. But each painful step reminded me I was one step closer to the sweet relief of finishing.

When I (finally) crossed the finish line, I was flooded with relief. It was a powerful reminder that our most significant accomplishments often lie behind walls of personal struggle and self-doubt.

Whether you're building a company, training for a marathon, or pursuing any audacious goal—remember that the joy isn't just in reaching the finish line. It's in every challenging step along the way.

Want to learn how to suffer joyfully? You can read my framework on it here

idea of the week 💡

• problem: Most creators struggle to turn their professional expertise into online courses that actually sell.

• idea: AI-powered platform that analyzes a creator's content (social posts, articles, videos) and automatically generates a structured course outline with suggested content, exercises, and pricing strategy.

• how it makes money: Revenue share model (15%) on course sales, plus premium features ($99/month) for advanced AI tools, marketing automation, and analytics.

• why it might fail: Market saturation with course creation platforms, plus the challenge of AI accurately capturing nuanced expertise.

I'm keeping score here—remember my idea for a disposable camera app for weddings? Well, turns out it already exists and is very successful (proof here). So keep this section handy if you’re wanting to start a new business.

workout of the week

Three different workouts to challenge yourself this weekend:

at-home workout:

Complete 5 rounds:

• 20 commandos (alternating arms)

• 15 pike push-ups

• 25 split squats (each leg)

• 40-second hollow hold

Rest 60 seconds between rounds

gym workout:

• 5x5 front squats

• 4x8 weighted pull-ups

• 3x12 Romanian deadlifts

• Finisher: 21-15-9 of:

  • Calories on rower

  • Thrusters

outdoor workout:

Complete 4 rounds:

• Run 200m backwards

• 25 box jumps on park bench

• 15 handstand push-ups against tree

• Bear crawl 30m

Rest 2 minutes between rounds

tweet of the week

The other day I came across this tweet from Chris Bakke:

I completely agree - below was my take.

Do you agree? Are we entering the golden era or end of human-related design?

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