About — Kaighn

I'm a software engineer living in New York. I grew up in North Carolina and went to Duke for Math and CS.

Ever since 8th grade, I wanted to be an economist. I have always been fascinated by exploring the inner workings of society, and I tend to see the world in terms of incentives, game theory, and utility maximization. Because of that, you might be tempted to write me off as a standard tech-bro rationalist—but the truth is, I'm a big feeler.

My rationalism was a defense mechanism. When you grow up with an alcoholic mother and a sister with bipolar disorder who believes she can talk to God, you need a way to make sense of the chaos. I lost my parents in high school and college, and my sister later on. Through all of that, school was my safe space. It was a refuge that offered structured feedback, infinite potential for learning, and a community of teachers and classmates I genuinely loved.

I still love learning, which is why this blog exists. This is a place for me to explore ideas, share what I've learned, and invite feedback and criticism. There is something uniquely motivating about working in the public square. I want to write about everything—from my frustrations with math education to the hard, vulnerable parts of my life. When I was navigating my own grief, I remember how incredibly lonely it felt. I wished people opened up more so we could learn from each other and find comfort in shared experiences. I hope this site can be a small piece of that.

I am also deeply motivated by a frustration with gatekept knowledge. In college, I took a class called Existentialist Cinema. Half the time, it was a profound experience; the other half, the professor (who I suspect did a lot of drugs back in the day) just chained word associations and told random stories about actors. But it opened my eyes to films like Rashomon, Breathless, and Vertigo. I realized how much depth I would have missed—and how I probably never would have watched them in the first place—without that guided analysis. When I graduated, I was struck by how high-level movie analysis is locked away in paid academic journals. Movies are supposed to be an accessible art form, yet truly understanding what the hell Blow-Up was about is hidden behind a paywall. That irks me to no end.

More than anything, I love education and connection. When I'm not writing or coding, you can find me around the West Village, fostering cats, and hanging out with friends.

All views, opinions, and projects shared on this site are my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer.