Good morning, friends!

On April 17, I celebrated 25 years since my family moved from Bulgaria to the United States. That single decision changed the trajectory of my entire life.

If my parents hadn’t won the green card lottery and decided to move to the United States in 2000, I would have grown up in Bulgaria. I probably wouldn’t have become a journalist, most likely wouldn’t be working on a newsletter full-time, and our paths, dear reader, definitely wouldn’t have crossed.

That’s the beauty — and mystery — of the paths we take. Every fork in the road, every decision made or missed, leads us to this exact moment. You’re reading these words because of the chain of choices — some small, some seismic — that brought you here.

It’s because you chose certain things in lieu of other things, you turned left instead of right, and you happened to click on something that led you to be here in this exact moment.

We love to imagine all the lives we didn’t live. Some of those imagined paths haunt us. Others fill us with gratitude.

And here’s the revelation I recently had: No matter your situation at this present moment, you can choose to see it in a new light.

Robert Hoge was born with a tumor in the middle of his face and two severely mangled legs. Doctors suspected an anti-depressant his mother took when she was pregnant might have caused Hoge’s birth defects. When a reporter asked him if he could go back in time and tell his mother not to take the anti-depressants, would he do it?

His answer is a resounding no. “I have a good life. I’m happy, I’m healthy. I’ve got a wonderful wife, two wonderful daughters. And the other life I would have had might have been wonderful in many different ways, but it would not have been this life, and I’m pretty happy with this life,” he says.

Hoge has made peace with the choices of the past, and he doesn’t waste time playing the anxiety-inducing game of “what if.”

When you fall into the ‘what-if’ spiral, remind yourself of this Wait But Why graphic, and focus on the green lines rather than the black:

Polina @polina_marinova

This @waitbutwhy graphic is absolutely mesmerizing.

3:04 PM ∙ Apr 26, 2021

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19,208Likes3,518Retweets

The truth is that we’ll never know where our unlived lives could’ve led us and the people we could’ve become — and that’s probably for the best.

Nat Sharpe on Twitter put it perfectly: “There are thousands of lives you could live. And be perfectly happy in each one.”

— Polina

PROFILES.

— The AI romance novelists
— The former news host embracing her bias
— The media-shy folk legend speaking out
— The actress who fought to rise above the chaos
— The monastery for startup founders [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The AI romance novelists: A college grad stuck in lockdown, Manjari Sharma wrote a romance novel on a whim — and it unexpectedly became a viral hit. Her book Keily catapulted her into Inkitt’s AI-powered publishing empire, where sequels and screen adaptations were churned out with little of her input but plenty of tech. The founder of Inkitt, an AI startup, envisions a future where AI “authors” generate endless stories with human-like personas, transforming publishing into a data-driven content machine. But as Sharma reflects on the rise of automated storytelling, she wonders: if a machine can write like her, what’s left for the writer? (Bloomberg; alternate link)

“I see a future where we’ll have human-written stories, AI-assisted stories and fully AI-generated stories.”

The former news host embracing her bias: Megyn Kelly, once a prominent mainstream journalist, has fully stepped into the MAGA media world — even endorsing Trump onstage at his final 2024 campaign rally. After high-profile stints at Fox News and NBC, she’s now focused on YouTube and podcasting, where her show has nearly 3.5 million subscribers. Her sharp pivot signals both a personal evolution and the growing power of right-wing independent media. With a new podcast network on the way, Kelly’s betting big on this next chapter. (The New York Times; alternate link)

“I finally have my life exactly as I want it, and I have no desire to upend it in any way right now.”

The media-shy folk legend speaking out: After years of near silence, Tracy Chapman emerges to reflect on her iconic debut album, reissued on vinyl nearly four decades after its release. The folk legend opens up about her emotional Grammy duet with Luke Combs, the enduring relevance of Fast Car, and why she still refuses to stream music. Fiercely private yet deeply thoughtful, Chapman reveals how songwriting shaped her identity — and why her 16-year-old revolutionary spirit still burns bright at 61. This rare interview isn’t just nostalgia — it’s a quiet, powerful reminder of music’s lasting truth. (The New York Times; alternate link)

“When you play by yourself, you can do whatever you want. In part, that shaped the way that I developed.”

The actress who fought to rise above the chaos: In this profile, Olivia Munn opens the door — literally and emotionally — in a raw, funny, and deeply human portrait of survival. Between scattered toys and takeout containers, she talks postpartum anxiety, losing breast milk, battling cancer, and the brutal beauty of motherhood. After five surgeries, hormonal chaos, and a baby via surrogate, Munn doesn’t wallow or complain. She battles, with humor, grit, and a partner by her side. She doesn’t see her scars as flaws but rather as proof she fought to stay alive. (SELF)

“I felt like I had one hand on a door with a monster trying to break in, and I was just holding it there the whole time … Just at any second, it’s going to burst through.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The monastery for startup founders: At HF0, startup founders trade ramen for robes and VC pitches for breathwork in a San Francisco mansion turned hacker monastery. Dubbed “monastery mode,” this live-in accelerator strips away life’s distractions (like laundry, rent, phones) so founders can focus obsessively on building their companies (and themselves). With meditation sessions, cold plunges, and affirmations like, “You’re good at fundraising!” shouted in hallways, HF0 blends Silicon Valley hustle with Burning Man energy and spiritual woo. (Bloomberg; alternate link)

“There are things that humans figured out thousands of years ago in a monastic setting around meditation that just can totally be applied to company building.”

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