The Motivation – Rands in Repose Skip to content<br>Why do I write? I write because I like the mental state created by writing. It calms and quiets me, but that is not why I write.<br>Why do I write? I write because I am curious and like to understand the world. Writing forces me to understand a thing, a person, a situation. I don’t think many humans do this, but I am addicted to it. But that is not why I write.<br>Why do I write? I write because I like helping. People are often the worst, but I have a desire to help. This internal contradiction is confusing. Humans who approach me looking for Rands, but find Lopp, are disappointed and confused because Rands helped them and Lopp apparently couldn’t care less? Introvert. But helping is not why I write.<br>Why do I write? I deeply believe it is important for humans to build stuff. I think this is a primary reason we are on the planet, and I think that the ways a human can build are as varied as the humans who do the building.<br>Failure to build is abhorrent to me. Much of the anger on the planet right now is from humans who aren’t building, believing they are owed a free lunch because they showed up, or they know better, or some other poorly informed worldview they acquired without effort, without curiosity… just because they exist in their particular circumstances.<br>Writing is how I build. That’s why I write .<br>You will never do 150% of a thing if you do not have a version of these motivations. 15% effort means you have not found your reasons yet.
July 27, 2026<br>New from Rands<br>A Day in the Life of a Senior Leader<br>Everything they forgot to mention when they handed you the title.<br>Pre-order it →
The Leadership Newsletter<br>Get It In Your Inbox<br>Rands reposes about leadership — in email form.
Rands Leadership Slack<br>Think Out Loud With Us<br>Thousands of leaders. Come find your people.<br>Learn more →
Leave a reply Leave a Reply Cancel reply<br>Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *<br>Comment *<br>Name *<br>Email *<br>Website
BOOKS<br>Managing Humans: Tales of leadership from the Silicon Valley.<br>The Software Developer's Career Handbook: Chaos is an Opportunity.<br>Small Things, Done Well: Practice becoming a better leader. Daily.<br>Merch<br>Rands Schwag: Leadership leading with the letter R.
Don't Skip This<br>Thank you for scrolling to the bottom. If this is your first visit, I recommend starting by reading don't skip this.<br>Categories<br>Apple<br>Biking<br>Buzz<br>Design<br>Excerpt<br>Fake Notebook<br>Guides<br>Hollywood<br>Management<br>Media<br>Photo<br>Plugs<br>Product<br>Rands<br>Surf<br>SXSW<br>Tech Life<br>The Important Thing<br>Tools<br>Vegas<br>Writing
The Leadership Newsletter<br>New writing and links on leadership, technology, and the things in between. Delivered weekly.
FAILING.<br>We dabbled, we didn't deliver.<br>39,837 leaders in Rands Leadership Slack
Rands in Repose · est. Los Gatos, California<br>ReadYour Writing<br>Rands in Repose · est. NorCal Redwoods<br>STOP.<br>The discipline isn't picking a stance — it's knowing which moment you're in.<br>912 posts since 2002<br>Writing about leaders & builders since 2002<br>It's not if I am going to be hit by a car, but when.<br>39,520 words written in the last year<br>ReadOne Hundred Mondays<br>WANDER.