Ever get the feeling that reality's a bit… off?
Like we are inside some kind of simulation or a game?
Pop culture's been trying to tell us something for years:
The Matrix, Westworld, The Truman Show, Free Guy, The Thirteenth Floor.
Books like The Simulation Hypothesis by Rizwan Virk or Are You Living in a Computer Simulation? by Stephen Hawley Martin.
Ancient philosophies like Buddhism and Hinduism called it Maya—the illusion. Gnostics believed the material world was a flawed or even evil creation of a lesser deity called Demiurge.
Even Elon Musk once famously said:
"There's a one in billions chance we are in base reality."
Is it true? I have no idea. This is not metaphysics or science.
But I've found one thing that helps keep me sane, especially when things feel chaotic:
Treating Life like a Role-Playing Game.
Seriously.
It can give structure. Purpose. Playfulness. Control.
Once you shift to this lens, you stop drifting and start designing. You can create your personal operating system — and take agency over how you play the game.
So here's how I see it — and maybe it'll resonate with you.
Player or NPC?
In every game, you've got two types of characters:
You're either the Player… or an NPC (non-player character).
Most start as an NPC.
It's not our fault—we're running default code installed by parents, schools, culture and society. We're taught how to think, what to want, and who to become.
Our reactions and feelings are programmed. Remember the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
Julia Carrie Wong
Lately, the media's influence has intensified even more. You don't know what to believe anymore.
Here's the thing: if you like the program you're running, great. No need to change.
If not—then maybe it's time to pick up the Controller.
In RPG terms:
- Your Body is your Avatar.
- Your Higher Self (or call it intuition, inner compass, soul, whatever resonates with you) is the actual Player.
Once you realise that, the Game begins, and you embark on the Quest.
Your Character & Core Stats
The first step is choosing your character.
Are you the Fighter, the Scholar, the Builder, the Wizard, the Artist… or someone else?
It's less about finding "your passion" (that phrase has been overcooked) and more about identifying your archetype — the kind of missions you naturally gravitate toward.
It takes some inner work. There are no shortcuts to "soul-searching", but it's worth it.
At Level 1, every character starts with some mix of:
💪 Health & Physical Abilities
🧠 Personality, Emotional Intelligence, Knowledge
💰 Resources (money, time, skills)
👫 Social Environment (family, friends, work, business)
This is your starting build. Some stats are higher; some are lower.
As you play, you "level up" by improving in these areas — ideally aligned with your chosen quest.
If you're an athlete, physical stats are your power zone. You spend most of your time training and mastering the craft.
If you're a scientist, it's your knowledge and logic matrix. You learn, experiment, make mistakes, and achieve breakthroughs.
If you're a builder or a founder, you need a bit of everything: resilience, strategy, people skills, resources and capital. You create products, businesses or solutions, and people pay you well for it.
Regardless of your character, the meta goal is the same.
Become a better version of yourself.
Progress through the game levels.
You can switch classes. Evolve. Add new skills. Pursue side quests.
But first, you need to understand the game you're playing, what mission you're on and the position from which you start.
Progress Through the Levels
Like any good game, life is built around quests.
Some are exciting. Some are brutal. Some feel like pointless errands until you realise they are shaping you for the next level.
Growth is painful. And that's by design. It happens through challenge, discomfort, and transformation.
You gain XP (experience points) through action. Upgrade your skills and obtain resources. Form alliances and navigate the complex web of social interactions. Adapt your strategy and optimise it.
You level up by surviving the boss fights — the failures, rejections, heartbreaks, identity crises, and tax audits (just kidding… kind of).
The Quest of a Capital Founder
This newsletter is about what I call The Quest of Capital Founder.
Mission? Build. Create value. Make things better.
As it happens, my business revolves around money—investments and wealth management, financial planning and advice. I am building a company that helps people take control of their personal finances and design better operating systems to manage their wealth.
That's the quest that I'm on.
Now, let's pause for a second and talk about money — because it's often misunderstood.
Why Money Matters
Let me be clear: money is not the endpoint of the game.
Health is still your most important stat. Imagine you're going on a cross-country road trip and need a car. You want something reliable — not the one that breaks down halfway through.
Then goes our environment. If you're driving through a lawless wasteland with potholes, scams, and road rage everywhere, your journey's going to suck. But if you're winding through the Swiss Alps or Tuscany… Big difference. You need to enjoy your ride.
And money? Money is the fuel. It's what lets you choose the route — how far and where you can go.
As Dr. Julie Gurner puts it, "Money buys optionality."
Money buys optionality...
— Dr. Julie Gurner (@drgurner) March 24, 2025
Having options in where you live, what you eat (if you can afford to eat), having heat & how warm you want to be, what you buy, where you go, what you do for work, if you work, and how you spend your time.
Optionality is King. https://t.co/sxtRwTNSUu
And in my world — helping people build wealth systems — that's what I focus on.
Money buys Time.
Money buys Financial Freedom.
Money allows you to do what you want.
So, What is CapitalFounders.io?
This newsletter is my way of sharing what I've learned — and what I'm still figuring out.
It's part logbook, part playbook.
It's not about giving financial advice. It's not motivational fluff. I like the no-BS approach.
It's about sharing tools, frameworks, and mental models that help us take control of our own game.
Here's what I write about:
🏦 Building a Business
- Lessons from my journey and interesting observations
- Growth strategies, founder psychology, and digital economy trends
- What works—and what doesn't.
📈 Money & Wealth
- How to think about wealth and money
- Building, growing, and protecting it
- We'll also explore private markets, alternative investments, digital assets, capital structures and emerging themes.
😎 Life Design
- How to build a personal operating system and optimise life for better outcomes
- Mental models, decision frameworks and productivity strategies
- Life hacks & cheat codes
Final Thought
This post turned out to be more philosophical than I planned — but maybe that's the right tone to set.
If you're on a similar quest, welcome.
There is a proverb:
If you want to go fast, go alone.
If yo u want to go far, go together.
On this quest, it is essential to have a Guild of like-minded players. So we can learn from each other, combine the resources and go on even bigger missions.
Want to join?