Omar Bohsali

There's no such thing as "bad risk," only mis-priced risk

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:31:21 +0000

Mis-priced risk can have alpha or 2008

YYA = You + Your Agents

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:55:35 +0000

99.9% autonomous + ultra-fast is a great combination

صخورِ الخلودِ

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:31:39 +0000

Etch your name upon the rocks of eternity with the light of your soul.

`metadata-enforcer v2`: Django-like class definitions for Obsidian frontmatter.

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:22:48 +0000

Manage your Obsidian frontmatter and YAML metadata with Django-like class definitions.

`chat.xml`: Be sovereign, own your chats.

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 23:18:46 +0000

Save your chat sessions in XML. Own your tokens, own your thinking.

"Talking Your Book" and Memecoins: it's all just data compression

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:54:15 +0000

`F5`, are you long treasurys, meme-coins, shibboleth, encrypted messages, and it's all just data compression.

Manage your Obsidian Metadata with `metadata-enforcer`

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:04:36 +0000

a metadata linter + validator that lints, corrects, and enforces constraints and referential integrity in your obsidian vault.

Unnecessary Questions

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 17:15:51 +0000

Just because we can put words together and form a question, that doesn't mean we need to answer it.

Introspection, Narcissism, and the FTC

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:52:17 +0000

Make yourself more awesome introspect by thinking like the FTC.

Paradox and Profit: Python's `type` and Kegan's Model of Adult Development

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 14:29:28 +0000

What if instead of tragedy we chose free cash flow?

`llm.sql`: Implementing GPT-2 in PostgreSQL

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:17:40 +0000

Full forward pass in SQL. Multi-head attention, LayerNorm, sampling. Matmul hijacks pgvector's index operators. The KV cache is a table.

Reflexive Prediction Markets

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:06:46 +0000

Markets as levers, not mirrors

Ostensible Tyranny in Categorization

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:21:26 +0000

Their NAND is your upside.

When You Laugh, Don’t Stutter

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:52:57 +0000

Moore is faster than Darwin.

Latency Numbers You Should Know in 2026

Fri, 22 May 2026 17:00:17 +0000

InfiniBand ping pong and thunderbolt roundtrips

The End of Obfuscation

Mon, 18 May 2026 16:16:13 +0000

Soon public `DATABASE_URL`s won't be a thing anymore.

Solving GPS Trilateration in SQL

Sun, 10 May 2026 15:45:56 +0000

Think twice before going camping.

Know thy Rabbit Hole

Tue, 05 May 2026 23:56:40 +0000

If you're gonna go, go boldly.

Center's Pivot & The Crystal Merchant

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:43:15 +0000

Things I learned build a web3 infra company.

"No one told you where to run"

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:24:01 +0000

Well that's your opinion

Speed is Quality

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 23:51:03 +0000

Do you want this done correctly or quickly? Yes.

Degrees of Freedom

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:04:55 +0000

Where to fly the plane, or how to fly the plane?

Compute Futures Markets

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:11:09 +0000

Thinking about compute commodity futures markets.

Same Pom-Poms

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:42:46 +0000

Awkward until undeniable.

Incredibly Perfect

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 23:02:07 +0000

We only decorate words after they stop protecting us.

The Lulz Motive

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:06:04 +0000

When you're making something for yourself, you don't need a `users` table

The Man, The Machine, and The Door

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:14:36 +0000

Fusing identity and work makes you protect your ego instead of improving your creation.

Great Financial Primitives with Marketing Problems

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 03:12:28 +0000

I think Credit Default Swaps and Assassination Markets are under-explored idea spaces.

The Day You Became A Better Writer

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 02:56:18 +0000

Reposting this because the original page is down

Ambition Mismatch

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 23:24:23 +0000

Dante has nothing on this.

No Eco Mode

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:27:58 +0000

In a world with infinite opportunity, knowing what you're not is a superpower

DFQ

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 19:13:50 +0000

Why sometimes "just don't quit" is the fastest path to failure.

The Hidden Danger in Low-Information Goals & Statements

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 20:11:07 +0000

Here's why "I want to make the world a better place" sounds good but only for 5 seconds.

Local/Global Optimization and It's Nonobvious Impact on Human Relationships and Life

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:49:28 +0000

Good intentions and continual short term thinking gets you stuck in the waiting place.

A New Perspective on Risk

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 02:09:31 +0000

Identify as many risks as you can and then decide which you won't hedge.

Overthinking Can Lead to the Same Outcomes as Not Thinking At All

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 15:49:30 +0000

Is there really a difference between overthinking and not thinking in the first place?

Builder Identity Politics

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 16:33:18 +0000

Is there a word for a builder who doesn't ship?

Just Go Back to Bed: Short-Term Applications of the Efficient Market Hypothesis

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 16:19:29 +0000

Where's the joke about the economist who's walking down the street

"Omar, we bill hourly." My Silicon Valley Story, Part 1.

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:46 +0000

Reflections on going west and taking a chance.

The Idea Maze

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 17:42:31 +0000

Competition from other startups is usually just a distraction.

Date Night

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:44 +0000

Be Direct. Have the Hard Conversation. Don't Waste Time.

Programming Languages

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 18:22:35 +0000

I'm not talking about the one you use to write code.

The Way To Do the Thing is To Do The Thing

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 02:35:09 +0000

Highlighting some key differences between South Carolina and `/dev/null`

ActiveStorage::Attachment & Ransack

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 21:47:35 +0000

Solving Define a `ransackable_attributes` class method in your `ActiveStorage::Attachment`

Going in Circles Just to Realize You're Already There

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 17:42:00 +0000

You keep spinning in circles until you realize you were already there.

HY Credit Trader

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:40 +0000

High Yield Credit sounded so venerable.

Playing Your Own Game

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:46 +0000

The best version of your own story is the most interesting thing you can share with the world.

Keep Shipping

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:44 +0000

Taking something from an idea to actually shipped feels so good.

Nerd Snipes

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:41 +0000

Nerd-sniping might be one of the best ways to learn something.

Announcing Center's Seed Round

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:38 +0000

Center has raised an $11M seed round led by Thrive Capital and Founders Fund.

Technical Co-founders' Guide to Equity Negotiations

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:39 +0000

How to think about equity between co-founders.

Nesting Fixtures in Ethereum-Waffle

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:45 +0000

Faster test suites lead to better smart contracts.

Values: Outrage Means You're Doing it Right

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:45 +0000

When the outrage mob comes knocking, Claude Shannon smiles down on you.

RIP David Swensen

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:43 +0000

David Swensen and University Endowments.

28 Lines of Code Will Forever Change Lending

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:40 +0000

Why flash loans are important.

Publishing Software for Hackers Who Write

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:38 +0000

The publishing platform that now hosts this site.

What's Next: EIR at Paradigm

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:43 +0000

I'm joining Paradigm as an EIR for the next 6 months.

Amazon Managed Blockchain + Web3.py Provider

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:36 +0000

Web3.py HTTP and Websocket Providers for Amazon Managed Blockchain

Feedback and Social Progress

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:40 +0000

Everybody knows feedback can be hard. Here's why.

Run Multistep Workflows with react-use-workflow

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:36 +0000

Lightweight framework for running multistep workflows.

Accountable: Succinct Ruby Ledger Engine

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:35 +0000

Ruby ledger engine I've been thinking about.

On Randomness and Hashing Functions

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:35 +0000

Something I believe that not many others do.

What Impedes Distributed Ledger Technology?

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:35 +0000

Maybe the actual reason is more prosaic than we thought.

"We Didn't Do Anything Wrong, But Somehow, We Lost"

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:34 +0000

You were saying something about.. best intentions?

Before Long

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:34 +0000

Some things I think I've figured out.

Postgres Views in Rails

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:34 +0000

Simple pattern for accessing views in Rails.

Blockchain & Back-Office Technologies

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:33 +0000

Why blockchain is exciting.

Split Collections in Jekyll

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:33 +0000

Jekyll Generator to split up collections.

Productive Redux

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:33 +0000

A simple framework to be more productive with Redux and Typescript.

How to Level Up and Write Better Code

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:32 +0000

Guaranteed way to get better at writing code.

Four-Handed Clock

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:32 +0000

Why would someone make a clock with four hands?

Loose Notes on Conversational Frameworks

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:32 +0000

What we still might need to figure out to pass the Turing Test.

Engineering Recruiting Lessons Learned

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:31 +0000

Everything I learned about eng recruiting in 2018.

Ruby Keyword Arguments and Defaults

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:31 +0000

Fun with shorthand method signatures in Ruby.

Parsing Meta Blocks using Python's dataclass

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:30 +0000

A powerful construct to parse class Meta blocks.

Convert Markdown to Slack Formatting

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:30 +0000

Here's a small pandoc extension to convert Markdown to Slack formatting.

Wells & Fidelity: Dealing with Culture Problems

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:30 +0000

Difficult problems can be easy to solve if you catch them early enough.

Joining Coinbase

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:29 +0000

I'm joining Coinbase as part of the Earn.com acquisition.

Shortcut to Creating a New Post in Jekyll

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:29 +0000

A quick shortcut to make a new post in Jekyll.

Upgrade: Online Lending and Blockchain

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:29 +0000

An interesting use case of a blockchain can be used in a business.

Anonymous Publishing

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:28 +0000

We need a way for authors to share work without huge reputational risk.

Solving the NYT Crossword with a SQL Query

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:28 +0000

Fun with SAT Solvers, SQL, and the NY Times Crossword.

Mutations: A Python Package for Business Logic

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:27 +0000

Introducing a Python Package for handling business logic in web apps.

Recurse Center Return Statement

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:27 +0000

Reflecting on my time at the Recurse Center.

Techniques for Parametric Cybersecurity Insurance

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:38 +0000

Sixteen Books & Papers

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:27 +0000

Assorted books / papers I've enjoyed reading over the past weeks.

Optimistic Nihilism

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:26 +0000

We counter existential dread with optimistic nihilism.

Traversing Graphs and Finding Cats

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:26 +0000

My solution to one of Facebook's early engineering challenges.

Joining the Recurse Center

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:25 +0000

I'm joining the Recurse Center's Fall batch in New York City.

Disabling Command+T and the Productivity Tax

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:26 +0000

How remapping Command+T on my mac helped me focus on what's important.

Exsupero Ursus

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:25 +0000

You might have heard the old joke about two hikers getting ready for a walk into the woods.

Helpful Design Resources

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:24 +0000

A few helpful design principles I've learned over the years.

Nootrobox on Shark Tank

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:24 +0000

You came in and gave us sugar cubes!

LendingHome's Technology Stack

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:24 +0000

Learn about the stack we've used to deliver over $750M in investments.

We All Press the Same Upload Button

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:23 +0000

A good reminder that we all use relatively similar tools.

Practical Guide to PostgreSQL Optimizations

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:23 +0000

A guide to tweaking one of the most popular databases.

Changing and Augmenting Habits

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:23 +0000

Thinking about mobile apps that direct you to something better instead of reminding you what not to do.

How Jeff Bezos Thinks About Failure

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:22 +0000

We're working on much bigger failures right now. And I'm not kidding.

Ideas: Automatic Thoughts, Cybersecurity Insurance, and Books

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:22 +0000

Three things I've been thinking about recently.

New Technologies and Their Megapolitical Consequences

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:21 +0000

Room for Improvement.

Conflating Focus With Intensity

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:21 +0000

I used to think these two things were the same.

Lessons from Marathon Training

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:21 +0000

If a person trained for a marathon but didn't write about it on the internet, did they ever train?

Four Kinds of Luck

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:20 +0000

Chase, Chance, and Creativity: The Lucky Art of Novelty

The Link Between Mindfulness and Systems Thinking

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:20 +0000

It feels like the left and right hemispheres of my brain are becoming great waltz partners.

The Work We Do - Debt and Equity

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:20 +0000

It's indeed possible to do incredible work while also iterating rapidly.

Joining LendingHome

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:19 +0000

I'm joining LendingHome to work on the retail investing platform! Some thoughts on the decision and space.

Invisible Apps

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:19 +0000

Why I'm excited about chat interfaces

Focusing on things you can control

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:18 +0000

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Tips on Moving Data from PostgreSQL to Vertica

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:39 +0000

Migrating Data to a Columnar Database

Five Ways to Reach Near-Light-Speed Travel

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:18 +0000

Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life

Tweetable: A plugin to make any text easily tweetable

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:18 +0000

The “Understanding Your Market” Multiplier

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:17 +0000

Better late than never: when the technical cofounder begins to understand the value of a non-technical cofounder.

Staying Focused at 150 mph

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:17 +0000

As long as you remain in control of what you're doing, you'll be A-O-K.

Thin Python Cache Decorator

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:17 +0000

That great feeling with python decorators start to make intuitive sense.

Google Circles

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:16 +0000

This seems interesting.

Custom Firefox Profile in Selenium RC2

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:16 +0000

It took me a lot longer than I'd like to admit to figure this one out.

Django - Restrict View Access by Group Membership

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:16 +0000

chmod g+r

Predicting Earnings via Satellite Imagery

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:15 +0000

Top-Down Metrics

Entrepreneurship Advice

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:15 +0000

Balancing "Make Something People Want" and "Scratch the Itch"

Kuitman - Thru You

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:15 +0000

I am new.

Life, Value, and the Paradoxes of Risk

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:14 +0000

If pure self–seeking is so pervasive, it’s because those who seek only for themselves imagine that they are the whole world.

Ben Franklin's Insight

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:14 +0000

"...self-deprecating humor, unpretentious demeanor, and unaggressive style in conversation"

FratMusic.com in the Cav Daily

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:13 +0000

Didn't rush for a frat, started a frat music website instead.

Helpful Advice On Setting Goals

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:13 +0000

First, you must decide exactly what it is you want to accomplish. Most people never do that in their entire lives.

The world you desired can be won

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 07:09:13 +0000

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark