T-Lind's Motivation

My Motivation For Working On Hard Problems (And Working In General)

I get a lot of questions asking me why I work so much, and what I'm trying to achieve.

A lot of people make grand (and vague) statements about "making the world a better place" but they just say that during interviews. They don't really mean it. And they certainly don't act like they mean it, because if they were, they would be working a lot harder. This doesn't mean you have to be working 24/7, but it means working as much as possible (like 80-90hrs/wk). For most people, this is not a sacrifice they're willing to make, and I don't blame them.

But me? I guess I just don't operate that way. I love working, and I know how to tune out the distractions. I know how to find and work with other highly talented (and often smarter people). Which makes me love my work even more. In particular, I love both AI and spaceflight (but more the latter) because both advance intelligence and exploration, respectively.

I’m not just interested in technical things either. My inquisitive nature drives me to explore every area of business and beyond—whether it’s technology, sales, or venture capital investing, I’m fascinated by it all. I have a massive appetite for understanding the world and how it works. This curiosity fuels my ambition to not only solve technical challenges but also to understand how these solutions can be scaled, funded, and brought to the world at large. I want to know it all, master it all, and contribute wherever I can.

Because I'm serious about this, I've always tried to take the hardest (while still sensible) option given to me. I took as many AP classes in high school as I could. I competed (and placed in the top 50 projects worldwide) at the International Science & Engineering Fair. In college, I decided to pursue a Computer Science degree and when that wasn't hard enough, I tacked on a Physics degree too. I took the hardest math classes available to me right out of the gate. I work on hard problems outside of my 18hr class load, both brainstorming and actually implementing them.

But it’s not just academics. I started LindauerAI, an AI edtech company, and went through the intense process of building the concept, developing the technology, and pitching it to potential partners. It taught me a lot about leadership, resilience, and the intersection of technology and business. In high school, I pushed myself even further out of my comfort zone by joining NJROTC. As a tech and science-focused student, this was an entirely different world for me. It challenged me to think differently, develop discipline, and gain confidence in areas I never expected to.

This sensibility has served me very well. I'm at Texas A&M on a full ride, I've already got a six-figure job offer (before college even) and, most importantly, I've got a good trajectory towards improving human intelligence and exploration.

With all of this, I'm hoping to make my mark. Preferably in a big, notable way, but I'd be extraordinarily satisfied to be half as influential as Dennis Ritchie was, while being largely unknown. I want to work making life multi-planetary, hopefully by my technical and leadership skills. With enough luck and hard work, I might even be able to go to Mars.

So that's why I do it. It might be a sentimental reason, sure, but I've already proven I'm willing to go to extreme lengths to progress towards that goal. The big question now? Can I handle the next big set of challenges life throws at me, given I'm largely on my own?

You can never know for certain, but I certainly know it's within my capabilities.