Hi there, I'm Siddharth. It's almost 2026 and I'm doing that thing where I convince myself that arbitrary calendar dates will suddenly make me a different person. Spoiler alert, they won't. But here's my January goals list anyway, because apparently I haven't learned my lesson from the last five years of abandoned resolutions. Also, I'm cutting sugar. (I'm lying to myself, I know.)
I've always loved finance. Like, genuinely. Not just the making money part (though that's nice too), but the way markets work, how assets get priced, why people make irrational decisions, what makes a good investment thesis. This stuff keeps me up at night in a good way.
Here's the endgame though, the big drumroll moment. I want to be a tech VC. I want to spot the next big thing, help founders build companies that actually matter, understand both the technical and financial sides deeply enough to make smart bets. But you don't just become a VC by wanting to be one. You need a track record. You need to understand how money works. You need to know what makes companies valuable.
So quant is my stepping stone. Learn how to analyze markets systematically. Learn how to build models that predict things. Learn how to think in probabilities and expected values. Plus all the technical skills transfer directly. If I can build trading algorithms, I can evaluate tech companies building fintech products. If I understand high-frequency systems, I can assess infrastructure startups. It all connects.
But first, C++. Quant requires knowing C++ for real. Not "I wrote a Hello World once" knowing it. Not "I can read it if I squint" knowing it. I need to understand memory management, pointers, references, all that low-level stuff that makes JavaScript developers cry.
So January is C++ month. I'm going through Learn C++ by Alex (because everyone says it's good and I trust random internet people), focusing on the fundamentals. Pointers. Memory allocation. Stack vs heap. RAII. Move semantics. All the stuff that doesn't exist in the languages I actually use.
And algorithms. Oh god, the algorithms. LeetCode is my nightmare. I hate it. But quant interviews are basically LeetCode on steroids, so here we are. Dynamic programming, graph traversals, tree problems, all of it. I'm aiming to do at least one problem a day, which sounds easy until you realize how soul-crushing it is to fail the same problem three times in a row.
The plan is learning C++ deeply enough to write performant code, getting comfortable with memory management (because segfaults are apparently a feature, not a bug), and grinding enough algorithms to not embarrass myself in interviews. Will this happen in January? Probably not. But I'm trying.
I've built a bunch of CLI tools now (QuackStack, DevBackup, you know the drill), but they're all TypeScript/Node.js. Which is fine, but there's a whole world of performance I'm missing by not using C++. So I want to build tools that combine both. C++ for the heavy lifting, TypeScript for the interface.
Imagine a CLI tool where the core logic, the part that actually does the work, is written in C++ and compiled to native code. Fast as hell. But the user-facing part, the CLI interface and the interactivity, is TypeScript because way easier to work with. Best of both worlds, right?
I don't know what I'm building yet (great start, I know), but I'm thinking something in the dev tools space. Maybe a better code formatter that's actually fast. Maybe a build tool that doesn't take three years to compile. Maybe something completely different. The point is learning how to integrate C++ with TypeScript properly, learning about native modules and bindings, and actually shipping something that people might use.
This feeds into the VC goal too. If I want to evaluate dev tools companies, I should probably understand how to build dev tools at the deepest level. What makes something fast? What are the technical trade-offs? Where do teams usually mess up? Can't learn that from pitch decks alone.
I already have GlitchCN (check it out at glitchcn-ui.vercel.app if you're into component libraries), but now I want to actually use it to build something real. A full developer-focused app with great design, smooth interactions, and that premium feel. Think Railway, Vercel, Sentry, those polished developer tools that make you think "wow, someone actually cared about UX here."
I'm thinking something like Sentry but for C++ projects. Error tracking and monitoring for C++ is kind of a mess right now. Most tools are either enterprise-grade expensive or they look like they were designed in 2003. There's space for something that actually looks good and works well.
Again, VC angle here. If I want to fund dev tools companies, I should probably understand what makes a developer product actually good. Not just functional, but delightful. Vercel didn't win just because Next.js is technically superior (debatable), they won because the whole experience is smooth as butter.
This one's fun. I want to build a trading algorithm. Not because I think I'll get rich (I won't), but because the problem is cool. Take market data, analyze it, make decisions, execute trades automatically. It combines everything: data processing, algorithms, real-time systems, and the constant fear of losing actual money.
I'm thinking something simple to start. Pick a strategy (moving averages, RSI, whatever), backtest it on historical data, paper trade it for a while with fake money and real APIs, then maybe eventually run it with real money. Very small amounts because I'm not an idiot.
The C++ knowledge will help here. Low-latency trading algorithms are often written in C++ because milliseconds matter when you're competing with hedge funds. Will my tiny algorithm need that level of performance? No. Will I do it anyway because cool? Yes.
I'm using Alpaca's API because free for paper trading and has good documentation. The plan is build something that works, make it fast, add proper risk management like stop losses and position sizing and all that responsible trading stuff, then see what happens.
If I lose money, at least I'll learn something. That's what I'll tell myself when my algorithm decides to short everything right before a bull market.
And honestly, understanding algorithmic trading deeply will help when I'm eventually evaluating fintech startups or companies building trading infrastructure. Can't fake deep technical knowledge in a pitch meeting. Either you know how the sausage is made or you don't.
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. Or should I say, the elephant I'm becoming because I eat like garbage.
I need to lose weight. Not a lot, but enough that I don't get winded walking up stairs. And the main culprit? Sugar. I'm addicted to it. Peanut butter M&Ms (yes, the same ones that almost killed my laptop), chocolate, all of it.
So here's the goal for January. Cut sugar. No candy, no sugary drinks, no desserts. Just normal food. Like an adult. (I'm 24, I should probably start eating like one.)
Will this work? Historically, no. I've tried this before. I lasted three days before I found myself in a 7-Eleven at 11 PM buying a family-sized bag of Nerds. But maybe this time is different? (Probably not, but let me have this.)
The weight loss goal is secondary. If I cut sugar and move around a bit more (maybe walk instead of sitting at my desk for 14 hours straight), the weight will probably take care of itself. Or it won't, and I'll just be a sugar-free version of my current self. Either way, worth a shot.
Also, VCs probably shouldn't look like they live exclusively on energy drinks and M&Ms. Just saying. Professional appearance matters. (Look at me, already thinking about the future where I'm wearing a Patagonia vest and taking Zoom calls about cap tables.)
Here's the thing about January goals. They're artificially constrained. Why January? Why not start in October? Or March? Or literally any other time? The only reason is because we've collectively decided that January 1st is a fresh start, even though just another Tuesday.
But you know what? Sometimes artificial constraints are useful. Sometimes you need a deadline, even if fake. Sometimes you need to tell yourself "I'm doing this in January" because otherwise you'll procrastinate forever.
So yeah, these goals are ambitious. Learning C++ properly, building multiple projects, cutting sugar, all in one month? Probably too much. I'll probably fail at half of them. But I'd rather aim high and fall short than aim low and wonder what I could've done.
If I'm being honest with myself (which I should be, my blog), here's what will probably happen.
C++ progress will be solid but I won't master it in a month. That's fine, mastery takes years. Algorithms will be enough LeetCode to not completely embarrass myself. Still won't enjoy it. Build tools will be starting one project, maybe finishing it, maybe not. But learning a ton either way. Design engineering app will have a prototype of something. It'll probably look okay. That's enough. Trading algorithm will have a working backtest system. Paper trading by end of January if lucky. Sugar and weight will be cut sugar for like two weeks, cave during a stressful coding session, feel guilty, then get back on track. The cycle continues.
And honestly? That's fine. Progress, not perfection. (Did I just use a motivational quote? What's happening to me?)
Here's what I'm actually doing with all of this. Building a track record. Not for employers (though that's nice), but for myself. And eventually, for limited partners who'll hopefully trust me with their money when I start a fund.
VCs need domain expertise, which I'm building through dev tools, fintech, and understanding markets. They need a network, working on this through building in public and actually shipping things people use. They need a track record, which is the hard part, but quant experience plus successful projects plus understanding what makes companies valuable gets me there.
January is just the start. But you've got to start somewhere, right?
You didn't think you'd achieve your 2026 goals just by reading about mine, right? The real work happens when you actually start. Pick something, anything, and just begin. Learn that language you've been putting off. Build that project you've been thinking about. Cut that habit you know is bad for you.
Will you succeed at everything? Probably not. Will you learn something? Definitely. And that's kind of the point.
So here's to January 2026. May our ambitions be high, our failures be educational, and our sugar consumption be well, lower than December, at least.
(And if you're reading this in February and I've already given up on everything, no you didn't. This blog post doesn't exist. Move along.)
tl;dr Learning C++ and algorithms for quant (stepping stone to tech VC), building dev tools that combine C++ and TypeScript, using GlitchCN to build a Sentry-like app for C++ projects, developing a trading algorithm, and cutting sugar. All in January. Let's see what happens. Also, Happy New Year <3!