Oren Hodes

Founder, World On Purpose | Get off autopilot. Live on purpose.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

if the mission resonates, i hope you’ll join us.

on purpose,
oren

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

this is my untold founder story.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

my dream is to build telos into the home for self discovery. a platform that empowers us to look inward and live on purpose.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

by becoming who we authentically are.
by opening our hearts.
by daring to chase our dreams, together.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

but i know the essence of telos is in all of us, its a movement we create by choosing to live off autopilot.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

im pouring my heart into it, from our app to pocket journal and everything still to come.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

less than 10% of new year's resolutions stick...

the annual reset is a free, self-guided reflection to capture highlights from 2024, review your life today, and craft a motto for 2025.

i promise it’s worth your time, and fun to do with a loved one.

on purpose,
oren

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

@the_carlosdp @zack_overflow agreed with all these points! sliding in a question here, what nyc tech events would you recommend?

searching for an engineering lead (mental health consumer ai), want to build nyc-based team but friends/founders all say go to SF to find the right person!

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

Embody.

The control panel to how we feel: our body.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

@dickiebush I can only help with 5 but I can over-deliver.

Sharing music is a love language:
https://t.co/Ak3os1AETS

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

As we consider unintended consequences with Generative AI,

words from @JamesCurrier struck a chord.

“Better to be thoughtful and […] early on the field – to be the one figuring it out – rather than left behind, wringing your hands with a furrowed brow on the sidelines.”

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

Zoom out to solve problems.

Example: the $5 experiment.

A Stanford class of students get $5 and 2 hours to make money.

The winner? A group that saw the $5 and 2 hours as distractions.

They sold their three-min presentation to a company recruiting Stanford grads for $650.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

@AlexAuerbachPhD Any goal-setting structure you recommend to help others set meaningful goals?

@nntaleb calls out how most outcome-based frameworks (like SMART) are too rigid.

@anthilemoon favors output-based goals or “growth loops”.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

@camthaman @thedankoe Your goals may be too rigid or a layer above what’s *actually* motivating to you.

Set a vision that fires you up, commit to next steps, and reflect weekly.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

@thedankoe Focus is a skill, I’m with you, but only 1% of people are actually trained to set flexible goals that leave room to adapt.

We’re rarely going a strict A to B, so an inspiring vision with commitments to take action & reflect often is the winning recipe.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

@niftyhontas @TurnerNovak I hear you on the noise but I see this leading to three separate experiences for discovery (TikTok scroll), navigation (current setup) and creation (future of radio?).

If you can easily toggle between, still not into it?

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

Most AI startups will fail by “building a feature, not a product”.

Are you:

(a) developing core AI that others plug onto

(b) beating a lagging incumbent

(c) creating a new platform to serve an unmet need (not AI-related)

Build infrastructure or win through distribution.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

#Earlystagefounders advice:

Know your why. What led you to build? What’s the unshakable belief?

Iterate on how. Strong opinions, loosely held. Test assumptions, adjust quickly.

Have fun. The kanban never slows down. Invite play and creativity in, don’t wait for it to show up.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

Why people go back to school using the SCARF model:

Status. Walk away w/ a degree.

Certainty. Courses and curriculums curated for you.

Autonomy: Sense of control where to steer career next.

Relatedness: Surrounded by peers, “part of a group”.

Fairness: Transparent rules.

[Oren Hodes @orenhodes]

Imagine if all athletes ate the same meals and worked out together.

Then why do most knowledge workers?

You need an information diet.

You do not need to be following those around you.

Explore your interests & who you aspire to be.

Overlap that with emerging trends.