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mashupDay 1

Day 1: The Beginning of a 100-Day Journey

January 20, 20262 min read

Today marks Day 1 of my 100-day polymath challenge. I'm committing to learning something new every single day across 8 different domains: AI & Agentic Systems, Web Dev + DevOps, Robotics, Quantum Computing, Biotech & Longevity, Peak Health, Spatial XR, and Wildcard Mashups.

Why This Challenge?

The traditional career advice says "specialize." Pick one thing and become the best at it. But in a world where AI can accelerate learning 10x, I think there's a new opportunity: strategic breadth.

What if the most valuable skill in the AI age isn't depth, but the ability to connect dots across multiple domains?

The Plan

Every day for 100 days, I'll:

  1. Learn 5-6 new concepts across my 8 domains
  2. Document wins AND failures publicly
  3. Use AI tools (Claude, GPT, Cursor) to accelerate learning
  4. Look for unexpected connections between domains

What I Learned Today

AI & Agentic Systems

  • Set up my first local LLM using Ollama
  • Learned about the difference between fine-tuning and RAG
  • Explored agentic workflows and tool-calling patterns

Web Dev + DevOps

  • Initialized this very website using Next.js 14
  • Implemented MDX for blog posts
  • Set up CI/CD pipeline basics

Biotech & Longevity

  • Started exploring the basics of synthetic biology
  • Read about CRISPR and gene editing fundamentals

Honest Assessment

Wins: Actually started. Shipped this website. Didn't overthink it.

Struggles: Spent too long on website design instead of learning. Need to timebox better.

Tomorrow's Focus: Dive deeper into AI agents and quantum computing basics. Maybe explore some spatial computing concepts.


Day 1 of 100. Let's see where this goes.

Follow along: @KarthNode

Tags
#challenge#learning#polymath