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Me in one minute

Hi, thanks for visiting. My name is Liant, and I’m 22 years old.

By training, I am a mechanical engineer. I spent years learning how to optimize systems, design hardware, and make things work efficiently. However, my curiosity has always spilled over the edges of my degree. I have always been a student of history, economics, and philosophy.

I am a synthesiser at heart. I spend hours every week falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes, reading the news, and consuming content from different cultures. I’m also a massive sci-fi nerd—I love rockets, space, and I’ve read an unhealthy amount of HFY (Humanity, Fuck Yeah!) fanfiction.

I live in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is a unique place: perhaps the only region in the world where a monarchy still functions within a secular republic. Fun fact: I actually shook hands with the Queen of this monarchy back in high school!

My native language is Javanese (spoken by over 100 million people) and, of course, Indonesian. I also love learning foreign languages—most recently, I taught myself Korean from scratch to fluency.

What this website is about

My goal with this website is simple: to figure out how things work so we can make them better.

I also use this space to document my journey in "building in public." For example, I am currently building a business and intend to see it through to success, sharing the lessons I learn right here.

Beyond my personal projects, my writing crystallizes around eight specific questions that I have been asking over and over:

  1. Why do some countries successfully skyrocket their economies while others stagnate? What is the repeatable algorithm for national wealth?
  2. In a general sense, how can we quantify and improve life for everyone?
  3. Technology (especially AI) is moving faster than culture. How do we adapt our ethics and actions to keep up?
  4. Motivation is fickle. What are the specific mechanisms and systems we can use to stick to goals reliably?
  5. Progress isn't inevitable. I want to know exactly what steps we need to take to bring the "Sci-Fi Future" (flying cars, space tourism, Mars) into reality sooner.
  6. Traditional religion is fading for many, yet the need for a philosophy of life remains. What replaces it as a framework for dealing with setbacks?
  7. The traditional education model is outdated. How can we use new mental models to learn skills 10x faster?
  8. What practical, actionable things have we learned from thousands of years of philosophy across all cultures?

Expect to see posts related to philosophy, history, geopolitics, productivity, science, AI, meta-learning, and economics.

Contact

If any of my interests or writing resonates with you, please feel free to reach out via email.

I read and reply to everything. I would love to hear your thoughts or feedback. Did I make a mistake in one of my essays? Do you have a different opinion? Either way, I would be glad to hear from you.

A Short History of Indonesia

For those unfamiliar with where I come from, here is a brief primer on my home country.

The Republic of Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state, consisting of over 17,000 islands positioned between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world's fourth-most populous country, with an estimated population of 285 million (2025). The nation is exceptionally multicultural, with over 1,300 recognized ethnic groups and over 700 distinct local languages, though Bahasa Indonesia functions as the national lingua franca.

History: The nation's history is marked by a long colonial period under the Netherlands (Dutch East Indies), which was dismantled during World War II by Japanese occupation. Following Japan's surrender, nationalist leaders proclaimed independence on August 17, 1945. This sparked a four-year armed and diplomatic conflict known as the National Revolution, ending in 1949 with Dutch recognition of sovereignty.

The post-independence era saw President Sukarno's "Guided Democracy" (1959–1967), followed by General Suharto's "New Order" (1967–1998)—a period of centralized power and economic growth, but also political repression. The 1997 Asian financial crisis triggered the Reformasi movement, forcing Suharto's resignation and initiating a transition to democracy.

Today: Indonesia is the third largest democracy in the world, a unitary presidential republic and the largest economy in Southeast Asia (a G20 member). The President is elected directly, and legislative power is held by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). The economy is classified as a newly industrialized emerging market, with a GDP estimated at approximately $1.4 trillion (Nominal) and $5.0 trillion (PPP) for 2025.