Ian Tan

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

@VadimStrizheus @GhostofBG Hi does this mean once installed as a skill I can use it on cowork?

[Steve Magness @stevemagness]

Resilience isn't the absence of struggle—it's mastery of recovery.

When setbacks inevitably happen, remind yourself it's temporary, informational, and manageable.

Your growth and success depend less on avoiding stress than on rapidly rebounding from it. (Follow for deeper insights on real strength.)

[Mark Manson @Markmanson]

Competence is how good you are when there is something to gain. Character is how good you are when there is nothing to gain.

People will reward you for competence. But people will only love you for your character.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” — Abraham Maslow

I first learnt this lesson as a psychology student 18 years ago. The older I get, the more I understand how much this applies to all aspects of life.

Problem solving, business building, team cohesion, communication techniques, exercise science, behaviour change, stress management, relationship building, parenting… I can go on.

We should never stop learning; wisdom is earned and there is no limit.

Hope this helps.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

@lexfridman I agree. But can we accept it if we don’t live long enough to experience that win?

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

@matt_gray_ Such a great analogy. Left foot, right foot.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

@profbohns Lol it’s so human of us to think it is our world to control

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

@markmanson Damn that hit home.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

Just ask.

Sometimes I forget that if I’m facing a set of problems, I should just ask for help. Almost always, people close to you will try to help.

I had dinner with an investor / friend recently, and it was just supposed to be a catch-up.

I didn’t plan on making it a serious work thing, but he asked some questions, and I was honest. The conversation that unfolded ended up being so unbelievably impactful.

It wasn’t just fresh eyes; it was fresh eyes + deep experience + deep understanding of what we do and where we want to get to. His off-the-cuff advice was exactly the mindset shift I didn’t know I needed.

Don’t be afraid to ask.

Hope this helps.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

This data was published last year. A similar pattern exists in every developed country.

https://t.co/QEtk7RGQk5

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

Top 2 reasons why adults in Singapore don’t exercise are lack of time (65.3%) and fatigue (64.7%).

It’s wild that we keep pushing ‘perfect plans’ and ‘killer workouts’ to people, and pressuring people to train like athletes. Let’s think about fitness services through the lens of public health.

Most adults need convenient solutions and time-efficienct solutions. We need to encourage people to show up in whatever way they can, and not make it too intimidating.

And, if you’re thinking of starting your journey, choose something you can sustain indefinitely. The real benefits come from being able to stick to your exercise habit for a really long time; that’s the type of habit that 70 year old you will look back and be proud of.

Hope this helps.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

https://t.co/MiHxwCng27

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

From 1990 to 2050, obesity in Singapore is forecasted to quadruple.

At this rate, by 2050, lifetime risk of developing type 2 diabetes will be 1 in 2.

Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable with lifestyle interventions, like regular exercise and eating a little better.

Having type 2 diabetes increases risk of death by 1.3-2x.

Forget the perfect plan, forget the workout routines that sound great but you can’t stick to. Just move daily, and find things you can sustain indefinitely!

[Adam Grant @AdamMGrant]

A good apology doesn't just express remorse for what we did wrong last time. It highlights what we're going to do better next time.

To repair a relationship, it isn't enough to acknowledge mistakes. We need to stop making the same mistakes.

Trust is regained as actions change.

https://t.co/6gyOTlaRUM

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

“Slip for a moment, but not for a day.”

This is a little mantra I repeat to myself on the days I feel swayed by my anxiety. I must make room to allow myself to feel anxious without feeling inadequacy or shame about it. But, equally important is a proactive approach to re-centre. It is my responsibility. This morning all I needed was 5 minutes of the Physiological Sigh, a cold plunge and a bunch of hugs from m’lady and m’baby ❤️😂.

Hope this helps!

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

Seek real feedback.

When I get too tangled up in my head about a work issue, I’m often that guy who chooses a hard workout, meditation or breathwork to reset my perspective.

While these tools are great, the best thing might sometimes actually be a deep, vulnerable conversation with someone in my inner circle. I specifically have a group of close teammates and also a group of close founder friends who are excellent sounding boards and sanity checks.

They know the types of struggles intimately, they’ve been around the block, they are in-the-trenches people, they know the true value in showing support, but they also know the value in being absolutely truthful, because they understand that harsh truths often make or break a business. These are the types of conversations we need if we’re trying to make a real, lasting impact.

If you can, build yourself a little circle where you can get real feedback, and always be ready to return the favour.

Forever grateful for our chats, you know who you are ❤️.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

Don’t underestimate the power of friendship.

Humans are wired to help — we get a beautiful wash of neurochemicals through our brains and bodies when we give and when we receive. If it’s unsolicited, even better.

The issue with our busy lives, and society’s almost-singular focus on pursuing money and individualistic goals over everything else, is that we try to turn interactions into transactions. From a “life worth living” point of view, we’ve lost the plot. We miss key opportunities to form genuine, deep, lasting connections, which by the way, is a key to longevity and true joy.

I’m not saying money doesn’t matter. I’m saying taking the long view — the human view — will likely take us further, both economically and on a soul level.

Let’s build genuine relationships. Find people whose missions or vibes energise you, and support them. Help them bridge connections, show them love; give without being calculative.

We tend to spend more time at work than we do with our families. Let’s be more human. On the timescale of life, we’ll look back and be happy we chose this path.

Across 15 years of business I’ve found that those who’ve shown me the greatest support are those I have real, genuine connections with. It’s beautiful. It also just makes the cold business world a warmer, more supportive environment :-).

Hope this helps.

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

@mattragland Super resonate with this. Thanks for sharing, I face many of the same pressures and am gonna steal a couple of these scheduling principles from you!

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.”
- Marcus Aurelius

I’ve been stuck in a negative headspace for a few days because of a personal struggle and a misstep at work that have both caused people significant inconvenience.

Unsurprisingly, both situations required better communication on my part, and while I had the right intentions, I fell short. It��s okay; these relationships are strong, so we know how to take a few bruises together.

I am in the process of trying to lead with clear ownership of where and how I’ve erred: apologise for the missteps, give context on why the missteps happened so we can learn and distill lessons together, and then (now) move to fortifying our bridges. There’s always room to turn challenges into opportunities — core value #7 in our culture guide.

But, with my recent history of anxiety issues and associated symptoms, it is easy for me to regress significantly if I lean in to the insecurities and negative thought spirals.

This quote serves as an important reminder for me that while it’s important to work towards resolutions and foster deeper understanding and connection, I don’t need to lean in to the narrative of inadequacy and self-doubt. We all misstep; show yourself empathy like you would to someone you care about.

Hope this helps!

[Ian Tan @_iantan]

Great to see this great human in action in our ‘lab’ again, working on innovation. I love these focus groups where we get to try stuff and get deep feedback from high intent users of our service. It’s so important to stay close to the conversation of what customers actually want. Core value #9 in our culture guide is to embrace change and progress; “Innovate or die”. Excited for what’s to come in the coming months!