https://sameerkhadka.com/Essays and notes on business, economics, entrepreneurship, and philosophy.en https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/09/06/how-quickly-do-you-let-go/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/09/06/how-quickly-do-you-let-go/Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000When things don’t turn out the way you expected, how do you cope with the disappointment? How long does it take you to let go of what you pictured in your mind and accept what actually happened? Do you remain attached to the original expectation, replaying the outcome and wishing things had gone… https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/08/23/remembering-yesterday-chasing-tomorrow/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/08/23/remembering-yesterday-chasing-tomorrow/Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000In Arthur Schopenhauer’s essay “The Vanity of Existence,” there is a haunting passage about the human experience that transcends generations. It has not only stood the test of time but is perhaps even more relevant today than when he wrote it in 1851. He wrote: "We are always living in expectation… https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/04/05/the-beautiful-silence-the-sovereignty-of-the-absurd/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/04/05/the-beautiful-silence-the-sovereignty-of-the-absurd/Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000"We are born without reason, we suffer without meaning, and we die without purpose. The universe doesn’t know we exist and it never cared." - Albert Camus It’s a heavy thought to wake up to, isn't it? On the surface, it feels like the ultimate cosmic rejection. We spend our lives looking for… https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/03/29/renting-illusion/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/03/29/renting-illusion/Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000Franz Kafka captured something unsettlingly true when he wrote, “Reality is too heavy for people, so they rent illusion and call it happiness.” There is a harsh wisdom in that line. Most people do not avoid reality because they are weak-minded. They avoid it because reality is heavy. It asks us to… https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/03/21/the-rise-of-the-new-normal/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/03/21/the-rise-of-the-new-normal/Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000There is always conflict somewhere in the world. But lately, it feels like the scale is changing. Russia and Ukraine. Israel and Palestine. Afghanistan and Pakistan. And now the growing tension involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. And maybe in future China and Taiwan... What unsettles me… https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/03/16/software-in-the-age-of-ai/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/03/16/software-in-the-age-of-ai/Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000Artificial intelligence is often described as the next great engine of software growth. It writes code, answers questions, automates support, summarizes documents, and reduces friction across digital work. For years, that promise made AI sound like an upgrade for the software industry. But a… https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/01/30/kleptocracy-public-support-america/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/01/30/kleptocracy-public-support-america/Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000When people hear kleptocracy , they picture obvious corruption: dictators, suitcases of cash, offshore accounts. But the more durable form is subtler. A kleptocracy is a system where political power is used primarily to extract wealth and privileges for insiders—while maintaining enough legitimacy… https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/01/18/peter-lynch-6-stock-categories-2026-watchlist/https://sameerkhadka.com/2026/01/18/peter-lynch-6-stock-categories-2026-watchlist/Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000Peter Lynch’s One Up on Wall Street gives retail investors a practical framework that still holds up: classify a stock by “what kind of business it is right now,” then match your expectations, valuation discipline, and monitoring checklist to that category. The core idea is simple: a great company… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/12/20/the-self-in-the-mirror-of-others/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/12/20/the-self-in-the-mirror-of-others/Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000In 1902, sociologist Charles Horton Cooley introduced the idea of the looking-glass self : we form our sense of self partly by imagining how others see us. The process is simple: We imagine how we appear to others. We imagine how they judge us. We develop feelings about ourselves from that imagined… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/12/03/happiness-or-experience/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/12/03/happiness-or-experience/Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000We often talk about how to be happy as if happiness is the ultimate purpose of life. Philosophers, poets, religions, and modern self-help books have all tried to answer the same question: How do we become happy? But why do we talk about happiness so much? Is happiness truly the purpose of life? Are… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/09/14/why-nation-fails-and-and-the-path-forward-for-nepal/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/09/14/why-nation-fails-and-and-the-path-forward-for-nepal/Sun, 14 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000A few years ago, I read two books that left a lasting impact on me: “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty” and “Capitalism, Alone.” Today, as I reflect on the situation back home in Nepal, their lessons feel more relevant than ever. Why Nations Fail It’s not geography… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/08/16/the-nature-of-innovation-and-competition/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/08/16/the-nature-of-innovation-and-competition/Sat, 16 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000I recently came across a striking quote: “The disruptor can be disrupted, and the disrupted can become the disruptor.” This simple phrase captures the cyclical nature of innovation and competition. In every industry, no leader is untouchable. The innovator of today can quickly be overtaken if they… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/07/20/play-your-own-game/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/07/20/play-your-own-game/Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000Everyone is playing a different game, even in the same arena. Two entrepreneurs can chase the same startup idea or enter the same market, yet end up with completely different outcomes. Why? Because it’s not just about what you’re doing, but how and why you’re doing it. The varying visions make the… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/07/05/nothing-is-free/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/07/05/nothing-is-free/Sat, 05 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000Nothing worthwhile is free. Everything of true value comes at a cost. First, you need to define what you want. Then you should be prepared to pay the price. In the financial world, you pay with capital, time, and discipline for returns, wealth, or a successful business. There are no shortcuts;… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/06/28/grow-like-bamboo/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/06/28/grow-like-bamboo/Sat, 28 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000Real growth often looks like nothing. No results. No breakthrough. No applause. But underneath? Roots are spreading. Strength is forming. Patience is paying off. Bamboo grows underground for years. Then in days, it shoots up feet at a time. Not suddenly— but silently prepared. Like an iceberg, like… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/06/08/before-you-became-you/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/06/08/before-you-became-you/Sun, 08 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000We don't get to choose most of our thoughts. Before we chose our values, someone modeled them. Before we formed our beliefs, we absorbed them. Before we defined our standards, we reacted to expectations. Much of what we call “identity” is repetition that started early and continued unchallenged.… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/05/01/a-wise-old-owl/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/05/01/a-wise-old-owl/Thu, 01 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000This 19th century song explains it all when it comes to listening more than talking: "A wise old owl lived in an oak. The more he saw the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard. Why aren't we all like that old wise bird? " https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/30/asking-the-right-question/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/30/asking-the-right-question/Sun, 30 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000We spend much of our lives looking for answers; answers to problems, to relationships, to purpose. But what if we’ve been starting in the wrong place? The true breakthrough often doesn’t come from the right solution ; it comes from the right question . A question sharpens vision. It reframes… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/16/the-wisdom-we-abandon/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/16/the-wisdom-we-abandon/Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000One of the deep and often overlooked contradiction in human behavior is our tendency to verbalize wisdom without actually embodying it. This gap between what we say and what we do is a fundamental challenge in philosophy, psychology and human behavior. Change, for instance, is hailed as… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/15/the-quiet-danger-of-artificial-intelligence/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/15/the-quiet-danger-of-artificial-intelligence/Sat, 15 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a part of modern life so quickly that we barely notice how much space it already occupies. It is no longer something limited to science fiction, research labs, or large tech companies. It is now present in the ordinary structure of life. In daily life, it… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/02/perspective-changes/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/03/02/perspective-changes/Sun, 02 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000As we grow, it’s natural for our perspectives to evolve. But why does this happen? One reason is learning—whether through formal education, personal experiences, or exposure to diverse people, cultures, books, and political ideas. Every encounter introduces new viewpoints, challenging our old… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/21/one-step-at-a-time/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/21/one-step-at-a-time/Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000We should always take one step at a time while keeping our eyes on the future. Progress is a paradox requiring patience in small steps while also navigating the ambition to achieve something greater. To remain grounded in the present while reaching for the extraordinary is one of our most… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/11/going-fast-slow/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/11/going-fast-slow/Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000Speed does not matter nearly as much as direction. A lot of people panic because they feel behind. They compare timelines, measure progress against others, and mistake slowness for failure. But a fast life in the wrong direction only creates deeper confusion. What matters most is whether your… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/09/walking-with-the-flow/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/09/walking-with-the-flow/Sun, 09 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000Certainty is an illusion. Change is the only constant. Everything is going to change as the world is dynamic. That's how we evolve. Resisting change is human—we crave stability, cling to routines, and fear the unknown. But in a world that never stops evolving, clinging to certainty is like building… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/06/leaping-downward/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/06/leaping-downward/Thu, 06 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000Life often requires us to step back or descend momentarily to propel ourselves forward... Sometimes we all have to go through this journey where we have to experience losses, setbacks, lows to achieve higher ends. Like crouching before a jump, that temporary dip is simply part of the process.… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/04/panta-rhei-everything-flows/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/04/panta-rhei-everything-flows/Tue, 04 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000The only constant is change. Heraclitus once said, “Fire lives the death of earth, and air lives the death of fire; water lives the death of air, and earth that of water.” All things transform—nothing remains still. This eternal flux shapes human existence. Growth and decay, creation and… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/03/these-two-questions/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/02/03/these-two-questions/Mon, 03 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000We all face overwhelming and stressful situations. A powerful strategy to deal with this is to pause and ask ourselves two clarifying questions "Is this within my control?" "Is this necessary?" If the answer to the first question is no , recognize that expending energy on circumstances beyond our… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/01/29/preparing-for-tomorrow/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/01/29/preparing-for-tomorrow/Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000One must always be prepared for the unusual events that might occur in the future. It is mostly when the times are good, we all must toughen up and be prepared for tomorrow. Stoics called this Premeditatio malorum , which means to anticipate the future misfortunes One must always be cultivating a… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/01/28/connecting-the-how-and-the-what/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/01/28/connecting-the-how-and-the-what/Tue, 28 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000Understanding the world around us is one of the greatest challenges we face... We all see what is happening—we read the news, witness technological advancements, and observe changes in society. But do we really understand how these things come to be? Most of us absorb information passively, rarely… https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/01/27/the-deepseek-drama/https://sameerkhadka.com/2025/01/27/the-deepseek-drama/Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000Yesterday, the AI world was rocked by a surprising announcement from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. The company unveiled an open-source large language model that has reportedly outperformed industry giants like ChatGPT, Google, Microsoft and others. Early user reactions have been overwhelmingly…