“Let us reach for the world that ought to be—that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls.” —Barack Obama

Hi there, 

I’m Madhu Narasimhan. I’m a founder, lawyer, and policy advisor based in San Francisco. 

Welcome to Let Us Reach, a newsletter-blog covering my work and professional/intellectual interests. Thanks for joining me and taking a moment to read this introductory post! (I should note that you might have seen an earlier version of this on my LinkedIn page, where I initially launched the newsletter a few months ago. I’m now migrating, and you’ll receive brand new content starting with the next installment).

Who is this newsletter for, and what am I writing about?

Let Us Reach is a newsletter for thinkers and doers, movers and shakers. I’ll be sharing insights and perspectives primarily on entrepreneurship & technology, law, politics & public policy, global affairs, and grassroots service. In short, you might think of this newsletter as “Silicon Valley x Washington, DC” (but we’ll sub out the unbridled pursuit of wealth, power, and exclusivity for some healthier vibes). :)

I’ll cover lessons I’ve picked up during the course of my journeys in these spaces, things I’m thinking about and building right now, and where we might go from here. In one post, you might read about what it’s like to seek out VC funding for a startup for the first time—and how you might go about doing that yourself. In another, I might be examining the promise of the “Bay Area Dream” and proposals for the future direction of California policymaking. And in another piece, I might explain why I think everyone should take up the practice of “grassroots diplomacy”—particularly at this moment. Whether seemingly interconnected or disparate on the surface, all of these explorations are fundamentally underpinned by an aspiration to do creative and meaningful work; to serve; to help empower people’s stories, hopes, and dreams; and ultimately, to “let us reach for the world that ought to be.”

Now, how exactly you process this and then think, do, move, and shake can take many forms, of course. You might be interested in building businesses or running for office. Or perhaps institutions aren’t your thing, and you’re a grassroots organizer or an artist advocating for say, urgent climate action. Regardless, whatever path you’re taking, you’re likely interested in big ideas, bold action, improving quality of life for others, and practicing the art of changemaking—and so I hope you’ll find some value here. Or, you might find all of this to be hopelessly naive or obnoxiously ambitious (or both)—but you might be my friend or my mom, and you may thus wish to stay subscribed. (So I hope). Everyone is welcome here!

What else?

Let Us Reach is a community of thousands of people spanning the globe, including friends and mentors I’ve been lucky to meet in the places where I’ve lived, studied, or worked (SF & Silicon Valley, LA, NYC, DC, London, Singapore / SE Asia). I used to be pretty good at reaching out and staying in touch, but I’ve gotten worse over the years, as professional and personal obligations have stacked up. While it’s no substitute for the joys of 1:1 in-person interaction, perhaps this newsletter can be a starting point for me to regularly say hello to you via your inbox.

To that end, I’ll periodically share my personal updates, a round-up of my writing and social media content, any upcoming events I’m hosting or attending, and my latest reading/listening/watching recommendations.

Speaking of recommendations, I’ll engage in some shameless self-promotion for a moment: if you’d like to check out my recently launched newsletter on life design, personal development, high performance in the midst of daily chaos, and all things life (beyond work), subscribe to my Substack, Narasimhan’s Persimmons. There, I’ll explore a range of personal blueprints, from meditation to building community in a new city to finding the best teahouses in the world.

I’m excited for our journey up ahead. Together, we’ll keep cultivating knowledge and optimism about our work and our world.

Best wishes,

Madhu

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