Acquaint

Hello, I'm Hector Tan

A short introduction — the person behind the pages.

I move between three registers that, to me, have always been one practice. I build because making something real is the fastest way to test an idea. I give because what's built ought to circle back to the people it didn't start with. And I think, in writing, because neither of the first two means much without the discipline of examining why.

Building

My working life has been spent starting things — some that lasted, some that taught me more by failing. I'm drawn to problems that reward a second, third and tenth look, which is exactly the spirit behind Hector Philosophy and its endless loop.

Giving

I believe capital and time are only interesting insofar as they move. Where I can, I try to put both behind causes and people doing patient, unglamorous work — the kind that rarely makes a headline but changes a life on a longer timescale.

Thinking

Writing is how I hold myself accountable to my own reasoning. The essays under Musings are less conclusions than a record of me thinking something through in public. When I'm away from a screen you'll usually find me chasing one of the hobbies listed in Fun Facts.

Say hello

The fastest way to reach me is email — reachout@hectortan.com — or through the contact page.