I heard Garry Tan speak earlier this week, and afterwards, I was surprised by how much it felt like a "meet your maker" moment.

In late middle school, my brother recommended I read a Paul Graham essay: The Top Idea in Your Mind. I didn't know why at the time, but this essay excited me in a way I had never felt before. I loved how PG thought about things, but more than that, his plain, powerful prose.

Discovering PG's blog propelled me to read and research. Now that I had a taste of what was out there, I wanted to keep hunting for the treasures that the internet had to offer. I read to resonate; I read to be transformed. Reading was, and still is, incredibly rewarding.

YC's ethos isn't always explicitly said, but it can always be felt. Garry phrased it perfectly that day: You have the capacity to do anything and learn anything. The whole world is your oyster, there are no things you cannot extend yourself to.

I'm on a Bay Wheels bike in the Pacific Heights, wind in my face, and in that moment, I think I know exactly what Garry was talking about.