About Ryan Stephens

I’ve been writing online since 2008. This site has evolved a lot over the years — from early blogging experiments to what’s now my personal lab of ideas on work, family, and intentional living.

If you found this page through Google: welcome. Here’s the résumé version of who I am, followed by some of the ideas and principles that guide me.

Quick Overview

Small town kid from East Texas; high school athlete
Played college baseball at a small school in Central, TX
Masters of Science degree in Marketing (#2-ranked MS Marketing Program in the U.S.)
2008: Launched this site
2009: First Community Manager for sports marketing firm in Charlotte, NC
2013: Married a woman who once poured a whiskey down my back
2014: Director of Marketing for seed stage sports tech start-up
- Led successful Kickstarter
- Received Series A funding from Samsung
2014 – Present: Lead a team building corporate cause-marketing campaigns that have raised more than $40 million for cancer education, prevention, research, and treatment
2016: Became a father to Rhett
2018: Added Lyla to our family
2018: Launched Dialed In Men
2021: Father x3 with Cade joining us in Sept
Other
- Call my parents (almost) every day
- Read a lot; reviews here
- Optimistic contrarian
- Pretty good at chess
- Not slow

Want more? Check out five things you may not know about me here.

Some Things I Believe

(Accumulated slowly over the years, borrowed and adapted from thinkers I admire. If you recognize one of your own, I’m happy to give credit. People that influence my thinking a lot include: Naval Ravikant, Shane Parrish, Patrick Collison, Balaji Srinivasan, Sam Hinkie, Rich Barton and Bill Gurley.)

Good systems typically outperform goals.
Plodding along in the right direction matters.
The universe rewards people biased toward action.
Learning is like sweeping. You have to keep doing it.
Look for asymmetric opportunities (unlimited upside, negligible downside).
Sharing ideas before they’re fully formed is one of the best ways to sharpen them.
You should invest in things that compound: relationships, physical health, and finances.
If the first-order consequences are negative, but the second- and third-order consequences are positive, it’s probably worth doing.
To live a great life, focus with energetic intention on what really matters — in work, at home, and in your soul — and waste less attention on what doesn’t.

Companies I Admire:

(Updated periodically as I find organizations that embody values I respect.)

87 Capital – A pioneering approach to supporting emerging talent in venture and tech, focusing on building enduring relationships and nurturing diverse, transformative founders.
On Deck – A vibrant community enabling ambitious professionals to accelerate their careers, driven by a unique blend of access, learning, and collaboration.
Stripe – A sense of urgency with a long-term vision towards the future, and a writing-heavy culture that enables rigorous thinking and extreme attention to detail.
Synthesis School – Revolutionizing education by fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork through engaging simulations inspired by innovative schooling philosophy.

Closing Note

I don’t have all the answers. But I’m deliberate about how I work, live, and raise my family — and this site is where I share what I’m learning along the way.

Additional menu