v0.1 Last Updated: 231230

To whom it may concern,

I’m flattered that you took the time to reach out. Thank you so much.

It is likely that you, your idea, your organization, or your proposition is awesome. Unfortunately, my health is totally not awesome.

I have Vitamin N deficiency.

I’ve suffered from this ailment for decades. The defining symptom is that I too often say yes. I have a curious soul that’s naturally attracted to exceptional people and ideas. And, it’s so much easier to say yes than it is to say no. “Yes” is more fun, carries less guilt (in the short term), and makes dopamine course through my veins (without having put in the work).

However, I’ve learned the lesson that every time that I say yes to something new, I am effectively saying no to something else. And, I’ve already said yes to too many things, and will likely say “no” to you. No, I can’t just hop on a call or grab coffee. Embarrassingly, I’m unlikely to be able to respond your message of any type (though I do read just about all of them). If I do respond, it won’t be right away.

Although my heart says yes, I MUST SAY NO.

I know you feel like you’re asking for so little (“I just need 15 minutes for a quick call…”). But, I realize more everyday just how short life is. Everyone, whether a monarch or beggar, only has 24 hours, and there are just not enough hours to review or respond to all those that reach out. I confess that I am overwhelmed. My sincere apologies. I wish I could bend the laws of space and time, but unfortunately, my past efforts at doing this have proven futile.

When being a founder and investor was my top priority, I served the tyranny of the urgent. The market placed a high premium on speed and responsiveness.

I’ve returned to my roots as a creative and plan to be here for a while. Prorities have changed and though you’re important to me, I’m now in the service of creative work. I found that I’m exceptionally vulnerable to lost focus. Every switch from one task to another becomes liable to a hefty cost and derails me from my work.

As I lean more into my practice and become proficient, I hope I learn to hold space for individuals like you some time in the future.

Here’s a bit more detail on my professional priorities:

My #1 priority is to write. Long term, I am still working on my book on DAOs. Short term, I am dedicated to publishing 52 posts in 2024—one post a week. I am emotionally, financially and morally committed to writing. I want my 1,000 True Fans to find me. I am on the hook of my present and future fans and I work very hard to keep my word to them. If you have your own practice, I think you can likely appreciate what an all-consuming activity it is. There is precious little time for anything else.

What little professional time there is left, I mostly spend on being an angel investor and contributing to a few DAOs.

I’ve found I’m not a spray and pray type of person. I value building lasting relationships over time and that takes the form of adding value to founders and contributors within what time I have available. I have invested in around 50 (mostly) crypto projects across the globe. My circle of competence lies in DAOs and onchain/internet organizations, and I’ve been exercising control to not invest beyond this circle. Not enough time to work with founders is the only reason I wish that a day may be longer than 24 hours.

And, as it turns out, I have a bit of a personal life too (though some might argue that point). So, when I’m not “working” (I use the term loosely), I like to spend it with my family and friends.

Wish you the best in all of your efforts. Thanks for your support and understanding.

Sincerely,

See Eun Ha

Original Inspiration