Welcome to Daniel's Newsletter!
The #1 and only GenZ development newsletter on Substack
Beginnings are hard. Your 20s are hard.
Starting out is tough. Especially in your 20s; it's a challenging but crucial time for growth. The principles of wisdom, justice, courage, and stillness have been crucial in shaping my journey as a young professional. They've taught me much across various aspects of life. And while our 20s are supposed to test us, I'm here to help make our new beginning a bit smoother.
1. Why this, why now
I'm Daniel. I'm a guy from Bogotá who had big dreams and started selling gum and candies in school. However I've always been the one to hang out with the older crowd because kids my age just did not like me. I somehow manage to annoy a lot of people. I am definitely not the one who everyone likes in college — I am probably the opposite. At 13, I was messing around with stocks, and by 16, I somehow ended up in Forbes. Crazy, right?
I’ve sat in classes at MIT, Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business and even sold a startup. But I’ve also crashed one into the ground. And I have learned the hard way how painful it is to try to build something that doesn’t work. I've been all over — teaching, learning, speaking — you name it. Last month I turned 21, and in that short period of time I have been everywhere — Tanzania, Ethiopia, Miami, Qatar, Thailand — you name it. But I've realized something big and deep: I've been working for working, basically to fill my ego. But not to live life.
So, I'm changing the game. From now on, I'm only about doing stuff that counts. Doing meaningful shit. If it's not making a real difference, I'd rather be out swimming or just enjoying a coffee. I'm done chasing money or views as a scorecard. It's all about following my interests, liking what ever the fuck I am doing and sharing my stories to help others realize their potential.
I want to transform young people, with tools and values to live more intentionally in a sustainable and healthy world.
I'm starting this newsletter because it's time to share the real stuff that matters. I want to talk about making an impact, being true to ourselves, and yeah, even the fun stuff in life. No more just being busy. Let's do things that actually mean something.
If you're into making your life count and not just filling it up with noise, then this is for you. Let's get this journey started.
2. What kind of community are we looking to build here
This is for the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels. The ones who have always felt a step out of sync with the rest. The round pegs in the square holes, we celebrate the unique, the ambitious, and those who enjoy going nuts.
We want to build a community for those ambitious individuals who understand that they have the power to choose happiness everyday. Here, we recognize our privilege as a human responsibility to act.
This space is for hard working individuals on their 20s — founder of a startup or not — who want to interact with other people that are trying to figure out life. It’s for those who want to build something people want and the world needs.
In our community, being ambitious isn't just about personal success; it's about pushing humanity forward, building generational wealth and being awake because we recognize tomorrow we might be dead. It's for those who are not just here to exist but to contribute, to innovate, and to obsessively try to get better.
So, if you're ready to think differently, to challenge the status quo, and to use your unique start in life to drive real change, you're in the right place. Let's join forces and show the world what we're capable of.
3. Posting Schedule
We dive deep into the seven key areas of life in your 20s.
Health and fitness 💪
Work 💼
Learning 🎓
Personal and Fun 😄
Spirituality 🙏
Love ❤️
Relationships 👥
Here’s what you can expect:
Every Tuesday: A fresh post loaded with insights and practical tips tailored for navigating your 20s. From career moves to personal growth, we've got you covered.
I want to finish this first post with a short message I received a few years ago that shaped my life in unimaginable ways
“Our ego wants the hours we spend planning and attending conferences or chatting with impressed friends to count toward the tally that success seems to require.
It wants to be paid well for its time and it wants to do the fun stuff—the stuff that gets attention, credit, or glory.”
Work is finding yourself alone at the track when the weather kept everyone else indoors. Work is pushing through the pain and crappy first drafts and prototypes. It is ignoring whatever plaudits others are getting, and more importantly, ignoring whatever plaudits you may be getting. Because there is work to be done. ”
