Why I Optimize for Fun

Most people, when they're being honest, optimize for one of three things: money, status, or security. Makes sense. Those are the things society tells you to chase. Get the bag, get the title, get the 401k. Then you'll be happy.

I tried that for a while. It's boring as hell.

Don't get me wrong — money is useful, titles are whatever, and security is nice when you have it. But none of them make me want to get out of bed in the morning. You know what does? Fun.

Not "let's go to Disneyland" fun (though I'm not opposed). I'm talking about the specific kind of fun that comes from building something and watching it work. The fun of asking a question nobody's asking and finding an answer that changes how you think. The fun of being terrible at something and getting better at it. The fun of starting a conversation that goes somewhere unexpected.

I call it "Time to Fun" — it's a metric I made up, and it's the only one I actually care about. For any decision, I ask: how fast does this get me to something genuinely fun? Not hedonistic, not irresponsible — just... alive. Engaged. The opposite of going through the motions.

When I applied this to my work, everything changed. I stopped taking projects that paid well but bored me. I started building things just because I wanted to see if I could. I gave myself permission to be curious without needing a business case first. And weirdly, the money and the opportunities followed — because it turns out people can tell when you actually give a shit about what you're doing.

Here's the secret nobody talks about: fun is a leading indicator. If you're having fun, you're engaged. If you're engaged, you're doing your best work. If you're doing your best work, the results take care of themselves. It's not magic — it's just alignment.

So yeah, I optimize for fun. Every project on this site exists because it sounded fun to build. Every consulting gig I take is because the problem sounds fun to solve. Every blog post I write (including this one) is because the thought was fun to think about.

Is it reckless? Maybe a little. But I've never been more productive, more creative, or more excited about what's next. And if that's reckless, I'll take it over "responsible" any day.

Time to Fun. That's the whole philosophy. Everything else is just details.