Sunday I raced my final track meet of the season, and it was a blast.
Back in July, I raced my first masters track meet at CU Boulder since my failed comeback attempt last year. I beat my target times in the 100m, 200m, and 400m, and, most importantly, didn’t get injured! I returned after two weeks of sprint training and improved on those times while winning a gold and two silvers at the Colorado Masters Track & Field Championships. Then, Sunday, there was a final meet of the season. There I raced only the 100m and 200m, and improved my times further.
Results
My records this outdoor track season are:
100m – 14.29s
200m – 30.43s
400m – 1:13.9
Looking Back
Those aren’t particularly impressive, but they have me feeling good after not much training. I can compare them to PR times of my past:
100m – 13.2s (2014)
200m – 27.7s (2014)
400m – 1:03 (2015)
However, that doesn’t seem like a fair comparison, looking back 10+ years – before kids, before spinal surgery, and 20 kg (50 lbs) lighter. There is a way to normalize results by age, though, called age grading (AG), and so that is a more useful way to measure whether I have been improving, falling, or holding steady:
Event
2014
AG
2015
AG
2018
AG
2019
AG
2025
AG
100m
13.2s
72.58
13.7s
70.39
13.7s
71.81
13.9s
71.28
14.29
72.19
200m
27.7s
70.73
28.5s
69.20
29.4s
68.39
28.6s
70.76
30.43
69.13
400m
64s
68.43
63s
69.97
65.5s
68.57
65.2s
69.43
73.9s
63.64
It’s neat to see that my 100m sprint has remained relatively steady. My 200m has slipped a bit, and my 400m has slipped a lot. That feels right to me, as I can feel my form breaking down toward the end of the longer sprints. The good news is that sprint endurance is trainable – I just haven’t been training it for the past five years!
Looking Across
Another lens through which to analyze my performances is how they compare to my age group peers. In 2014, I was ranked #375 (out of 532) in the world and #61 (out of 120) in the US for the 400m, so in the middle of the pack. I didn’t have rankings for the 100m and 200m, because they weren’t electronically timed. By 2019, my time was a little slower, but I was in a similar position – #39 (out of 63) in my new 40-44 age group.
Outside of sprints, I did race some top masters track national times in other events about 10 years ago.
This season I finished #39 (out of 42) in the US in my new 45-49 age group in the 400m, #48 (out of 52) in the 200m, and #54 (out of 61) in the 100m, so near the bottom of the field. That’s to be expected, coming out of five years of not training/competing for track. I’m back now, though, and I look forward to getting back in better competition form before next season.
Final Thoughts
A few more interesting take-aways from these few 2025 track meets:
In the Colorado Masters Track & Field Championships, the same guy beat me in the 100m and 200m. He likely would have beaten me in the 400m, too, but he scratched out of it, so I won the gold. As I get older, half the game is just showing up. As the saying goes, “You can’t win it if you ain’t in it.”
In one of my 100m races, I recorded peak power output of 850W! If I can drop some weight while maintaining that same power output, that will substantially increase my speed.
ChatGPT analyzed my Garmin data and estimated that I ran my first 40 yards of my 100m race in 5.6s. That’s a lot slower than the 4.9s I ran in high school and the 4.7s I ran in college, but it’s a lot faster than the 6.0s I ran a few weeks ago before shifting into track gear. I’m encouraged by the improvement!
Today I had a delightful surprise. I was working from home when my canine alarm system let me know that someone was approaching the front door. Assuming it was a delivery, I stepped away from a Zoom meeting to see if they needed a signature.
It was a delivery, but it was also so much more. The person dropping off the package was none other than Dave of Game Sack! Game Sack is one of the most preeminent Youtube channels for retrogaming content, and I have been watching them for years. Dave actually left the show a few years ago, but he is remembered and loved by all the fans. I had forgotten that Game Sack is produced here in Colorado, and I guess Dave’s day job is nearby. FedEx, if you’re watching, give this man a raise!
I jokingly invited him in to play TurboGrafx. He was a good sport about it and took a selfie with me. I thought about running back inside to change into a TurboGrafx shirt for the picture, but I figured I was already fanboying a bit too much.
About that time, my colleague – who was working at my house too – came outside to remind me that I was missing the Zoom call. Oops! Ah well, it was a great diversion and a very, very small world. The world is even smaller when you consider what was inside the package he delivered . . . TurboGrafx games, of course!
Five years. That’s how long it had been since Katie and I moved to Colorado, and shamefully, how long it had taken us to make the mere 2½-hour drive north to visit one of my favorite IMD professors, Corey Billington, in Laramie, Wyoming. I blame COVID, then having a second baby, but really there’s no excuse for letting geography keep us from one of those deeply valued relationships that transcends the classroom.
From Swiss Alps to Wyoming Plains
Corey was one of my favorite professors during my 2008 IMD MBA, and, like John Bennett from my previous post, he’s evolved from beloved professor to dear friend and DexMat investor-advisor who also happens to enjoy excellent wine. For family reasons, Corey moved from Switzerland to Wyoming several years ago, where he now teaches Entrepreneurship and Supply Chain at the University of Wyoming’s College of Business in Laramie—bringing his wealth of experience from IBM, HP, and startups to the Mountain West.
Even across the distance, we’ve maintained our professional collaboration. I’ve been fortunate to engage Corey as a supply chain advisor for DexMat, where his expertise has been invaluable as we scale our advanced materials production. Additionally, I’ve had the privilege of guest lecturing in his entrepreneurship course, sharing lessons from my experience raising over $100M across nine ventures with the next generation of Wyoming entrepreneurs. These remote touchpoints have kept our relationship alive, but nothing replaces the magic of face-to-face connection.
It was actually Corey’s dog, Acacia, who first caused Katie and me to fall in love with the Bernese Mountain Dog breed, which ultimately led to us adopting our beloved Genève many years later. Though Acacia is no longer with us, Corey and his partner, Katherine, now have Ollie, a sweet Welsh Springer Spaniel who was incredibly patient with our kids—and seemed to particularly appreciate how much food two small children can drop during meals!
Wyoming Really Is Small
As we drove north from Boulder after our 4th of July race, I was struck by just how sparsely populated Wyoming truly is. With a total state population of just 590,169 people, Wyoming is indeed the least populous state in the nation. Laramie itself has only about 32,638 residents, making it the 4th largest city in a state where over half the cities have fewer than 500 people.
The drive was refreshingly easy—plenty of EV chargers along the way, though unnecessary for such a short trip. The change of scenery from Colorado’s Front Range to Wyoming’s high plains was exactly what we needed.
A Weekend of Home Cooking and Friendship
Friday afternoon brought us straight into Laramie’s 4th of July celebration, with the downtown park bustling with vendors and activities. His kids all grown up now, Corey and Katherine have become empty nesters—though I suspect they’d forgotten just how much entropy two small children can bring to a peaceful household!
Corey, who is an excellent chef, took charge of Friday dinner, treating us to one of many incredible home-cooked meals of the weekend. Saturday saw Katherine handling breakfast and lunch duties with equal skill, while Corey once again worked his culinary magic for dinner. Between meals, we explored a nearby school playground and enjoyed a tour of downtown Laramie, including the University of Wyoming campus where Corey teaches. I succeeded in throwing a pine cone into Rexy’s mouth, which means I’m assured an “A” on my next exam . . . whenever that will be! Corey treated us to another sumptuous dinner, and great wine was enjoyed by all—except the kids, of course!
It has probably been since before we had children that we’d enjoyed so many consecutive home-cooked meals, which was an incredible treat in itself. Sunday morning brought another fantastic Katherine breakfast before we made our way back to Colorado.
Lessons in Long-Term Relationships
This quick trip reinforced something I’ve learned throughout my entrepreneurial journey: the relationships you build along the way are what you carry from one adventure to the next. Whether it’s former professors turned advisors, or longtime friends who become investors (or vice versa!), these connections form the foundation of everything we do.
Corey embodies the kind of long-game thinking I’ve written about before—someone who brings both academic rigor and real-world experience to every conversation. His transition from the corporate world to academia to now supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs in Wyoming’s emerging ecosystem reflects the kind of purposeful deployment of time – the one thing we can never raise more of – that inspires me.
Passing away the late evening hours sharing learnings about AI-augmented leadership (one of his areas of research) transported me back to the very beginning of our relationship. It was glorious. Restorative. And the food, wine, and company didn’t hurt either!
Looking to reconnect with long-distance relationships in your network? Consider a weekend road trip—sometimes the most meaningful experiences are closer than you think.
A year ago, we lined up for our first family road race. This Fourth of July, we celebrated our one-year anniversary of running together—and crushed our personal best in the process.
Friday, July 4th marked a special milestone for our family: the one-year anniversary of our first road race together. We returned to the Avery Brewing 4k on the 4th, the same race that introduced us to the joy of family running in 2024. What started as a tentative experiment with an 8-month-old in a stroller has evolved into a family tradition—and a testament to how quickly kids develop.
From First Steps to Personal Records
Last year’s race was filled with firsts. Our then-6-year-old was tackling their first road race and longest continuous distance ever. Katie was returning to racing for the first time since giving birth to our second child. I had only recently returned to racing myself. We broke the race into run-walk intervals, focusing purely on having fun and finishing together. Our 34:00 finish time (8:30/km pace) felt like a victory just for crossing the line as a family.
Fast forward twelve months, and our now-7-year-old has transformed into a confident runner. And, as a family, we have developed the muscle of running together. This year we’ve already run several races together:
June: Pearl Street Mile – Our 7-year-old completing the kids 800m in 3:52, and me completing the stroller mile in 8:38
Each race built confidence and endurance, setting us up perfectly for this year’s 4K anniversary celebration.
Setting Goals for Family Running Races
For this year’s 4K on the 4th, we established five clear objectives:
Have fun
Work hard
Run the entire way
Stay together as a family
Beat our 34:00 time from last year
Our strategy was simple: start at our proven 8:00/km pace from the Bolder Boulder and assess whether to pick up the pace each kilometer. Starting from the back due to our stroller meant we’d spend the first kilometer weaving through walkers and other stroller pushers.
Race Day Execution
Colorado’s summer heat and surprising humidity added an extra challenge, but we came prepared with water bottles loaded in the stroller – extra weight for me to push, enhancing my workout!
The starting horn went off, and then our splits tell the story of the race:
KM 1: 7:08 (faster than target, everyone feeling strong)
KM 2: 7:16 (slight slowdown, but running by feel, not pace)
KM 3: 7:21 (maintaining effort, passing runners consistently)
KM 4: 6:31 (unleashing the sprint finish)
Final time: 28:15 (7:03/km pace)
The 6-minute improvement from last year represented our fastest sustained family effort to date. More importantly, we executed our strategy and achieved our goals – negative splitting while staying together and having a blast.
The Team Sport Transformation
What I love most about family running races is how it transforms an inherently individual sport into a team effort. My team happens to comprise my favorite people in the world, which makes every stride more meaningful. Our 7-year-old’s excitement when passing runners in the final stretch was infectious. Even our 20-month-old squealed with glee at the breeze in their hair during our finishing kick.
We don’t have any delusions: our 7-year-old will likely outpace us within a few years. We’re making the most of this precious window when we can run together as equals. Soon, our toddler will graduate from stroller passenger to active participant, adding another active teammate to our family running adventures.
Beyond the Finish Line
The lessons our kids are absorbing extend far beyond running technique or race strategy. They’re learning to set goals, work hard to achieve them, and feel genuine pride in their performance. These skills compound over time, creating value that extends into every aspect of life.
Running together costs nothing, requires minimal equipment, and creates shared experiences that strengthen family bonds while building physical fitness.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate this one-year milestone, we’re already thinking about what’s next. The possibilities are endless, but the core mission remains unchanged: having fun, working hard, and supporting each other across the finish line.
Whether you’re considering your first family race or you’re veterans looking for new challenges, remember that the magic isn’t in the times or distances—it’s in the shared journey. Every family’s running story will look different, but the joy of crossing finish lines together is universal.
What goals are you setting with your family this year? Share your family fitness adventures in the comments below.
After leaving Oregon, we headed south to one of North America’s most spectacular natural destinations: Lake Tahoe. We stayed on the California side in South Lake Tahoe, and I was immediately struck by something remarkable – despite being the biggest town around the entire lake, it hasn’t built up very much at all. Sure, there are some big casinos just over the state line in Nevada – not my jam – but the town maintains that authentic small lake town feel that makes places like this so special – the perfect setting for our Lake Tahoe family reunion.
A Lake That Rivals the Alps
Lake Tahoe reminds me in many ways of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), where I used to live in Switzerland. While Lac Léman covers 580 km² and Lake Tahoe only 490, Tahoe is actually much larger, containing 150 km³ of water to Léman’s 89, due to Tahoe’s greater depth (501 meters vs 310).
Both lakes share that bone-chilling cold water and are surrounded by dramatic alpine mountains. Lake Tahoe’s surface sits at 1,900 meters above sea level, giving it crisp mountain air and ice-bath-level frigidity when you take the plunge.
Twelve Years Later, Everything Has Changed
This trip was a reunion twelve years after the wedding of my sister- and brother-in-law, so lots of Katie’s family were there. It’s remarkable how much life changes in just over a decade. Twelve years ago, those of us in our generation were only recently married, but now we all have kids running around. The entire dynamic of our gathering was completely different – instead of staying up late and sleeping in, we were operating on nap schedules, snack packing, and the chaos that comes with multi-generational family travel.
Thursday: Reunion at the Brew Pub
Thursday evening marked our arrival and immediate reconnection with everyone at a nearby brew pub. The kids ran absolutely wild, and it was incredibly relaxing to have the collective eyes of parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all watching them. “It takes a village to raise a child,” and we all had our village there.
Friday: From Creek to Bay to Beach
Friday morning we walked the nature loop at Taylor Creek Visitor Center. The Rainbow Trail is an easy 1 km walk that is paved and wheelchair accessible, making it perfect for our multi-generational group. The real highlight was the Stream Profile Chamber – this unique underground viewing chamber provides a view of the stream environment through aquarium-like windows, offering a fish-eye view of Taylor Creek’s underwater wildlife.
After lunch – and ice cream – at nearby Camp Richardson, we drove to Emerald Bay – and nothing could have prepared us for our first of many take-my-breath-away moments. We drove around a bend, there was a break in the trees, and suddenly the entire bay opened up beneath us: sapphire water fading to turquoise near the shore. The hike down took us through towering pines, and ended at the majestic Vikingsholm castle. It felt like we had stepped into another world, transported to a Scandinavian fjord!
The hike back up reminded me rather abruptly that just a few days on the Oregon coast had already affected my elevation acclimation! But every labored breath was worth it for the changing panorama as we climbed back toward the overlook.
Friday Evening: Geese Guard Duty
Friday evening we brought dinner to Pope Beach, where the kids played in the sand while I stood guard against some very brazen geese trying to steal our food. These weren’t your average timid waterfowl; they had clearly learned that families with picnics made for easy meals – but they hadn’t counted on encountering me!
Saturday: Beach Day and S’mores
Saturday was our designated beach day at Zephyr Cove, which was clearly a local hangout. We arrived just as they opened, and immediately the entire beach was swamped by people with tents, stoves, and everything else they needed for a full day along the lake. Other members of our party wore wetsuits, but I ventured into the water unaided – and was rewarded with a very different kind of take-my-breath-away moment!
That evening we gathered at the hotel fire pits for s’mores and hot chocolate. We taught the kids bocce and cornhole, which provided hours of entertainment and gave the adults a chance to engage in some good-natured intergenerational competition.
Sunday: From Sea Level Runners to Mountain Heights
Sunday morning some of our party ran the Rock Tahoe half marathon, so we all went out to support them. It must have been very challenging to run 13.1 miles at elevation, but at least the race was net downhill.
After cheering on our runners, we took the gondola experience that had been beckoning to us since our arrival. The Heavenly Mountain Gondola offers a 4-km ride up the mountain with breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. We started at 1,950 meters elevation and climbed to 2,750.
The resort offers summer activities including a Ridge Rider Coaster, rock climbing, and snow tubing – yes, in June! We rode that mountain coaster over and over again, each ride delivering more take-my-breath-away views of the entire Lake Tahoe basin spread out below us like a blue jewel set in rock.
Sunday Evening: Beer Mission Accomplished
Sunday afternoon my father-in-law and I embarked on what I can only describe as a scientific mission to drink all of the hotel’s stout beers. Mission accomplished. Then we headed to Himmel Haus for excellent German fare and, naturally, more beer!
Monday: Departure and Reflection
Monday we departed, but not without considerable reflection on what a perfect trip this had been. It struck me how returning to the same location with a completely different MO – kids instead of just couples, early bedtimes instead of late nights – had created an entirely new experience while still honoring the connection to that original celebration twelve years ago. Lake Tahoe welcomed our chaos of children and grandparents with the same serene beauty it had offered our younger selves twelve years earlier. That’s the mark of a special place – it adapts to who you are in any given moment while remaining fundamentally timelessly itself.
What experiences have you had returning to meaningful places with family? Share your Lake Tahoe memories or ask questions about planning your own family reunion in the comments below.
There’s something magical about the intersection of mentorship, family, and new adventures. Last week, Katie, our two kids, and I experienced all three during our first Oregon Coast family travel, hosted by one of the most influential figures from my Rice University days.
The Professor Who Changed Everything
My host wasn’t just any professor—he was one of my favorite computer engineering instructors at Rice and is a multi-degreed Rice alum himself (as is his wife). Beyond his technical expertise, he profoundly shaped my life in an unexpected way: he introduced me to wine with the unforgettable declaration, “Taste that? That’s French dirt!” That moment sparked a lifelong appreciation that extends far beyond the glass.
Today, he serves as both an investor in and advisor to DexMat, demonstrating the enduring power of academic relationships. His impact on our company extends beyond capital: he helped us recruit our incredible Chief of Staff, proving that great mentors continue giving long after graduation.
Pacific Northwest Hospitality
For years, he and his wife had been encouraging us to visit their house in Neskowin on the Oregon Coast. With hectic schedules and young children, the invitation always seemed just out of reach. Finally, the stars aligned for a perfect family getaway.
This marked my second visit to Oregon—my first trip took me only inland, leaving the legendary coastline unexplored. This time, we’d experience the full Pacific Northwest treatment.
Donuts and Departures
Our adventure began at the airport with a delightful discovery: Blue Star Donuts, the gourmet donut shop I remembered fondly from my previous Oregon visit, now had an airport location! We grabbed a box containing one of each variety for our two-hour drive to the coast—the perfect fuel for a family road trip.
Beach Days and Creek Adventures
Arriving Monday afternoon, we immediately made our way to the beach, where Hawk Creek empties into the Pacific. The creek provided the perfect introduction to Oregon’s coastline for our young explorers—gentler than the ocean waves yet still magical. There, we encountered two of the coast’s iconic landmarks: Proposal Rock and the Ghost Forest, natural monuments that speak to both romance and the raw power of nature.
Tuesday morning brought us to a different stretch of beach, where I enjoyed a solo run while our kids collected shells and sand dollars—treasures that would rival any pirate’s hoard. Speaking of pirates, I couldn’t help but reflect on perfect timing: we were visiting during the 40th anniversary year of The Goonies, which famously took place on this very Oregon Coast in Astoria. The adventure-seeking spirit of that classic film felt tangible here.
Coincidentally, I had recently backed the Life After The Goonies documentary—a passion project celebrating the film’s enduring legacy. Being here on the actual coast where Mikey, Data, and the gang searched for One-Eyed Willy’s treasure added an extra layer of magic to our own family adventure. “HEY, YOU GU-UYS!”
Connections and Generations
Tuesday afternoon delivered an unexpected reunion when my college roommate—who happens to be our hosts’ nephew—arrived with his kids. Multiple generations and decades of friendship converged on this beautiful beach, creating the kind of spontaneous joy that defines the best vacations.
Our evening adventure took us to a brewpub in Pacific City for dinner, followed by an ambitious climb up a massive 400-meter-tall sand dune near Haystack Rock. The steep ascent tested my stamina, but the panoramic views justified every challenging step.
Pacific Northwest Perfection
Wednesday we embraced the region’s signature experience: a lush forest hike surrounded by towering trees and verdant greenery. This felt quintessentially Pacific Northwest—the kind of environment that reminds you why this region inspires such fierce loyalty among its residents.
Our afternoon featured ice cream at Nestucca Bay Creamery (because what’s a family vacation without strategic dessert stops?) before one final creek session. The kids’ laughter echoing off the water provided the perfect soundtrack to our last full day.
Wine and Wisdom
True to form, my wine-introducing mentor ensured we experienced exceptional bottles throughout our stay. The quality reflected his discerning palate—the same attention to detail that made him such an inspiring professor and now makes him such a valuable advisor.
Airport Excellence
Thursday’s departure gave us a chance to tarry at Portland International Airport (PDX), which exceeded all expectations. The highlight was discovering the Tillamook playground in Concourse E—a 608-square-foot interactive play area featuring a life-sized flying “Yum Bus” that doubles as a slide. Tillamook, the cheese brand we love, had created this thoughtful space for traveling families. Our kids burned energy while we enjoyed Tillamook ice cream, proving that great brands understand their customers’ real needs.
Lessons from the Coast
This trip reinforced several truths about meaningful relationships and experiences. Great mentors continue shaping your life long after formal education ends. The best adventures happen when you finally accept those long-standing invitations. Family travel, while challenging, creates irreplaceable memories. And sometimes the most impactful people in your life are those who share not just knowledge, but also “French dirt” in a glass!
The Oregon Coast delivered everything promised: dramatic landscapes, family bonding, professional relationships deepened, and enough natural beauty to fuel months of inspiration. Most importantly, it reminded us that the most valuable investments aren’t financial; they’re the time we spend with people who’ve shaped who we are and who we’re becoming.
What mentors have had an outsized impact on your life? How do you maintain those relationships as they evolve from academic to professional to personal? Share your stories—I’d love to hear about the professors, advisors, and guides who’ve shaped your journey.
Recently, my 7-year-old clutched my TurboExpress as we boarded a plane. “Dad, can we beat Cadash together?” they asked. Watching them discover the same wonder I felt 35 years ago, I realized the TurboGrafx-16 wasn’t just a console—it was a lifelong companion that has shaped both my gaming journey and now his.
Summer 1989: When Everything Changed
Picture this: I was a new latchkey kid in a new city, watching The Super Mario Bros. Super Show after school, when those first TurboGrafx-16 commercials exploded across my TV. The graphics were unlike anything I’d seen—Keith Courage leaping across alien landscapes, The Legendary Axe taking on a screen-filling boss. And the promise of CD-ROM technology? Light years ahead of anything else in 1989.
Christmas came and went disappointingly without the console under our tree. But here’s where the story takes a turn that would echo through decades: by combining Christmas money with months of saved allowance, I bought a TurboGrafx-16 myself in January 1990. My first major purchase. My first taste of financial independence.
Now, when I teach my kid about saving money, he always references “like when you saved for your TurboGrafx, Dad.” That $199.99+tax investment has paid dividends I never could have imagined.
The Golden Years: Military Madness, Multiplayer Mayhem, and Annual Rituals
Five-player Dungeon Explorer sleepovers: Nothing compared to the chaos of five friends crowding around one TV
Annual TV Sports: Football completions: Every summer before two-a-day football practices began, I’d beat the entire game—a personal ritual to get my head in the game
The TurboGrafx-16 wasn’t just entertainment; it was the backdrop to adolescence, the common thread weaving through friendships and seasons.
The Dark Age and Glorious Return
Like many teenagers, high school and college pulled me away from gaming. In what would become one of my life’s great regrets, I sold my entire TurboGrafx collection to a friend for $50. The console that had been my companion for years, gone for gas money.
But true loves have a way of returning.
In my 30s, emulation opened a portal to the past. Not only could I reunite with old friends like Military Madness and China Warrior, but I discovered treasures I’d missed the first time around—Blazing Lazers, Ys Books I & II, and countless PC Engine imports. Decades later, the TurboGrafx-16 library could still induce the same childlike wonder of my youth.
The Collector’s Journey and Passing the Torch
Now in my 40s, I’ve rebuilt my collection with the dedication of someone making amends. Original hardware lines my shelves, including my holy grail: a SuperGrafx. I’ve published Military Madness strategy guides and I now have all the games I never could have afforded back then.
But the greatest joy? Sharing this journey with my kids. My 7-year-old doesn’t just play these games—they experience them with the same awe I felt in the early 1990s. When we work together to beat Cadash or Bomberman, or when he takes my TurboExpress on trips, we’re not just playing games; we’re sharing a cultural experience that transcends generations.
Why the TurboGrafx-16 Still Matters in 2025
The TurboGrafx-16 may have been a commercial underdog in North America, but for those who experienced it, the connection runs deeper than nostalgia. Here’s why this “failed” console continues to captivate:
Groundbreaking Technology: First console with CD-ROM support, and epic graphics that went toe-to-toe with much newer consoles
Unique Library: Games you couldn’t find anywhere else, especially shooters – not the typical IPs that have become so entrenched over the decades
Import Heaven: For every TurboGrafx-16 game, there are six more Japanese games in the massive PC-Engine library
Timeless Design: Pixel art, manuals, and magazine covers that still look gorgeous today
Your Gift: The China Warrior Secret Technique
As a thank you for reading this far, here’s a game secret I discovered as a kid that I’ve never seen published anywhere else:
The China Warrior “Machine Gun Punch” Technique
Everyone knows China Warrior’s Super Punch (Right + I simultaneously) is notoriously inconsistent. The 1-900-FUN-TG16 tipline taught me that you can execute it reliably by taking two hits first, then pressing I. The Super Punch deals 3 damage.
But here’s what I discovered through experimentation: Take THREE hits, then press I, and you’ll unleash what I call the “Machine Gun Punch”—it deals 4 damage instead of 3. If you have enough health to spare, it’s a game-changing technique for stubborn bosses.
Getting Started with TurboGrafx-16 in 2025
Playing TurboGrafx-16 games has never been easier:
Original Hardware: Check local retro game stores or eBay
TurboGrafx-Mini: The best mini-console on the market – and someday it may eventually be jail-broken
Emulation: Multiple options for desktop and mobile devices
The Legacy Continues
Some relationships transcend time. Some consoles transcend generations. The TurboGrafx-16 taught me about saving money, sharing with friends, and the joy of discovery. Now it’s teaching my children the same lessons.
Whether you’re rediscovering these games or experiencing them for the first time, the TurboGrafx-16 library awaits with the same magic it offered in 1989. And who knows? Maybe in another 35 years, my grandchildren will be clutching a TurboExpress, asking to beat Cadash together.
The circle of gaming life continues.
What are your TurboGrafx-16 memories? Have you tried the Machine Gun Punch technique in China Warrior? Share your stories in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more retro gaming deep dives and hidden secrets.
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a fascinating panel at Colorado Climate Week titled “Full Circle: Transforming Waste into Worth.” The session explored how innovations in the circular economy are transforming what we traditionally consider waste into valuable resources – a critical component of our climate solution toolkit.
The Scale of Our Materials Challenge
When asked about the importance of circularity in sustainability, I shared some eye-opening statistics about our current materials economy:
We currently have approximately 32 billion tons of steel in use globally – enough to wrap Earth in I-beams 33 times or build high-speed rail tracks that could stretch to the sun and back 4 times. That’s roughly 4 tons of steel for every person on the planet, and we’re adding nearly 2 billion more tons annually.
The problem isn’t just scale – it’s that producing conventional materials like metals is inherently extractive, inefficient, and wasteful. We’re facing increasing supply constraints with materials like copper ore, making legacy approaches to materials increasingly unsustainable.
Galvorn: A Circular Carbon Material
At DexMat, we’re addressing these challenges through our advanced nanomaterial, Galvorn. What makes Galvorn unique in the materials landscape:
It’s produced from captured carbon rather than extracted resources.
It’s infinitely recyclable without degradation of properties.
We’ve designed a truly circular supply chain by paying customers for Galvorn once they’re done with it, allowing us to recycle it over and over again.
This approach aligns with what I believe is needed most for circular economy success: techno-economic scalability. The most successful circular systems are those where the cost to recycle is the same or less than the cost to produce virgin material.
Breaking Down Industry Roadblocks
During our Colorado Climate Week discussion about obstacles to circularity, I highlighted the significant fragmentation across value chains as a primary challenge. While industrial policy could theoretically address this, I’m more optimistic about industry consortia like the Rice Carbon Hub, which brings together academia, startups, and public companies to create collaborative solutions.
An important point I emphasized is that effective circularity isn’t necessarily one big circle but many smaller, interconnected cycles – similar to how the carbon cycle itself operates in nature. Free market capitalism can be quite efficient at optimizing these cycles, but artificial barriers like tariffs across arbitrary geographic boundaries disrupt these natural efficiencies.
Beyond Sustainability: Resilience and Independence
Perhaps my most important message at Colorado Climate Week was that we need to reframe how we talk about circularity. While sustainability remains critical, we can also make compelling arguments for circular economy based on supply chain resilience and energy/materials independence – concerns that resonate across the political spectrum.
Our Biggest Climate Challenge
When asked about our biggest climate challenge today, my answer was simple: being artificially constrained by the status quo. Too often, we limit our thinking to incremental improvements of existing systems rather than reimagining what’s possible.
As an example, took the opportunity to highlight Syzygy Plasmonics, an innovative company (and fellow spin-out from Rice University!) producing hydrogen and ammonia using light rather than electricity to energize chemical reactions – a perfect example of the kind of transformative thinking we need.
Looking Forward: The Future of Circular Economy
The Colorado Climate Week panel, which I shared with Henry Ines of Chainparency abd Sudeshna Mohanty of RMI, and moderated by Gordon Ho of Cooley LLP, demonstrated that circular economy innovations aren’t just environmental necessities – they’re becoming business imperatives.
As we continue to scale up Galvorn production exponentially, we’re excited about expanding beyond our current focus on conductive applications into structural applications, creating even more opportunities to replace traditional materials with circular alternatives.
Connecting the Circular Dots
What circular economy innovations are you most excited about? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
This post is based on my participation in the “Full Circle: Transforming Waste into Worth” panel at Colorado Climate Week on March 25, 2025, at INDUSTRY RiNo.
In a “full circle” moment, I’m elated to share that, five years after founding Third Derivative (D3), and two and a half years after stepping away from leading it to join DexMat as CEO, DexMat is now joining D3’s inaugural Industrial Innovation Cohort focused on decarbonizing steel.
In the intervening two and a half years, I have invested in many D3 portfolio companies and mentored many more, and now I am honored to be participating in a very new way. Congratulations to the other cohort members, who, as I know firsthand, were selected from hundreds of incredibly worthy climatetech ventures.
The challenges our fellow startups are tackling are of paramount importance, as the steel industry alone contributes 7-9% of global emissions. The problem is massive, but the good news is that there are many solutions to solving it. The many members of this cohort are a testament to that. Shoutout to the other members of our steel cohort: Binding Solutions Limited, Greenore, Helios, Hertha Metals, Inc., and SUN METALON. Like DexMat, the solutions they are bringing to market are not simply making legacy materials “greener,” but as D3 notes in their announcement, their portfolio theses come down to three categories:
Can we make less material? Reduce materials demand by substitution, recycling, upcycling, and increasing supply chain and material use efficiency.
Can we make better materials? Reducing emissions in existing processes through direct electrification, materials and feedstock innovations, and process efficiency.
Can we make new materials? Disruptive technologies and novel processes to fundamentally change how materials are produced, with low or zero emissions.
The key challenge in fulfilling these theses is not constraining tomorrow’s solutions to the problems created by yesterday’s technologies. Centering decarbonization on the perpetuation of steel, a millennia-old technology, artificially reduces our solution space to treating symptoms rather than the underlying disease. “Green” steel production uses green hydrogen (or other clean or renewable energy sources) to reduce CO2 emissions. However, we must also find new and better alternatives. Here’s my take on the limitations of “green” steel and why we need to use first principles to expand our solution space to include steel alternatives.
“Green” steel is at a fundamental disadvantage for several techno-economic reasons, including:
Global demand for energy already outpaces the supply of clean energy (and that supply is not readily available everywhere). Allocating clean energy to the production of an inferior material is irresponsible; that clean energy has better decarbonization ROI in other sectors.
#2 Clean hydrogen is expensive. Much of the focus on “green” steel is predicated upon using clean hydrogen sources. Hydrogen is energy dense, which seems a fitting match for energy-intense steel production.
However, clean hydrogen production is expensive and would require significant subsidies to be economic for steel. Bloomberg NEF predicts that any clean hydrogen projects operating by 2030 will have production costs between $3 and $5 per kilogram, at a minimum.
From the perspective of steel plants, clean hydrogen needs to be cost-competitive with natural gas. This would require clean hydrogen to sell at about $2.50 below production or import cost. Scaled globally, “finance ministries of the world would need to slap no less than $2.3 trillion dollars on the table [to hit stated clean hydrogen supply targets], and do it in time to build the projects before 2030.”
To put that in perspective, for $2.3 trillion dollars, DexMat could build enough Galvorn production capacity to displace all global steel production globally! The economics of clean hydrogen for “greening” steel production simply don’t pencil out.
#3 There isn’t enough clean hydrogen. According to Bloomberg, just under $280 billion has been committed to fund clean hydrogen around the world. In this article, Michael Liebreich estimates that investors will disburse just $200 billion of that amount in time to produce clean hydrogen by 2030. He also estimates that the production of low-carbon hydrogen in 2030 would be no greater than 15 million tons.
15 million tons of hydrogen can supply about 450 terawatt hours of electricity. According to the IEA, “greening” global steel production would require more than 1900 terawatt hours of electricity today, and likely more by 2030. At 15 million tons of production capacity, clean hydrogen could only power a fraction of that demand.
#4 It is extremely expensive to retrofit existing steel plants. Converting existing coking-coal based plants requires billions of dollars of investment. On top of this capex, these retrofitted plants then incur “hundreds of millions more per year in higher running costs.”
According to RMI, as of 2019 all the steel mills from all the companies currently investing in or committing to zero-carbon technology only represented 8% of global steel production. There have been many decarbonization targets set and commitments made, but actions speak louder than words; greater capex and greater opex limits the speed and scale of “green” steel deployment.
“Green” steel is also at a disadvantage from a broader environmental and performance impact:
#1 “Green” steel does not avoid the environmental impacts of mining, which include deforestation, noxious air pollution, and toxic liquid waste. It only addresses CO2 emissions.
#2 Steel, green or not, is no longer the highest performing material on the market. The metal is heavy, brittle, susceptible to corrosion, and can fail with fluctuations in temperature.
This is why, for many applications, alternative materials have already displaced steel based on performance. For example, carbon fiber has displaced steel (and aluminum) in automobiles, aircraft, and bicycles, as well as in power transmission line cores. The lightweight, super strong, and non-corrosive material is also seeing growing adoption in building and construction.
Carbon fiber is problematic in other ways—slow/expensive to produce, and even dirtier than steel—but it has demonstrated that markets and applications are ready to upgrade from steel to materials with superior properties.
There can be no energy transition without a materials transition.
Whether you’re concerned about the economics or the climate impact, it’s hard to justify “green” steel over alternative materials.
Materials like Galvorn are inevitable. Over the arc of human history, materials with better properties and lower costs that enable new applications and generate less waste inevitably hit an inflection point and displace their legacy incumbents at global scale—so much so that we even name eras of human civilizations after them.
Whether Galvorn hits that inflection point in centuries, like steel, decades, like plastics, or years has gigaton-scale climate implications. Accelerating our path to that inflection point is where we think the D3 ecosystem will be catalytic for DexMat’s progress.
As I have said since the earliest days of D3: together, and only together, will we build the sustainable, prosperous, equitable future. I am both grateful and excited to be back together with my D3 and RMI colleagues, and together for the first time with these other amazing startups in the Industrial Innovation Cohort. Let’s go!
I still remember the day in 1990 when I brought home my shiny new TurboGrafx-16 game, Military Madness (known as Nectaris in Japan). Little did I know that this turn-based strategy game set on the moon would become a lifelong passion. In the decades since, I’ve beaten the game more times than I can count, perfecting strategies and discovering nuances that continue to make this classic engaging after all these years.
For those unfamiliar, I’m not just an enthusiast—I currently hold the vast majority of speedrunning world records for Military Madness (view my records on Speedrun.com). While the records aren’t important, it is fair to say that I know a thing or two about battle tactics for lunar domination!
This brief Military Madness strategy guide shares the general strategies and tactical approaches I’ve refined over thousands of hours of gameplay. Whether you’re a nostalgic veteran returning to the battlefield or a newcomer discovering this gem for the first time, these proven strategies will help you crush your opposition over 64 levels on the moon’s desolate terrain.
Essential Military Madness Strategies for Victory
Establish Air Superiority
Perhaps the most powerful advantage in Military Madness is gaining and maintaining air superiority. Most ground units cannot attack air units at all, creating a fundamental asymmetry you can exploit. By prioritizing the elimination of all the enemy’s starting air forces (and anti-air guns) – and/or preventing the enemy from acquiring any new ones – while preserving your own, you can dominate the battlefield even when facing superior numbers.
With just a single air unit, you can harass ground forces with impunity, gradually wearing them down while they helplessly attempt to maneuver away. This strategy becomes particularly devastating once you’ve acquired Eagles or Hunters, which can attack ground units that cannot retaliate. Even with Falcons and Pelicons, though, you can sneak around behind ground troops to surround them.
Master the Surround Effect
The surround effect is the game’s most powerful combat mechanic. When your units surround an enemy (two units on opposite sides of the enemy unit), the enemy unit’s stats are cut in half—usually resulting in their swift destruction. This often turns what would be a balanced engagement into a guaranteed victory, and weaker units can even take on much stronger units this way. This principle works for the enemy, too, so avoid letting them surround your units at all cost.
Leverage the Support Effect
Never attack alone if you can help it. When your units attack with support (other friendly units adjacent to the target), they receive substantial attack bonuses. When you have an enemy unit surrounded, the two effects stack, enemy stats in half (surround effect) + increased attack power for you (support effect), often resulting in total annihilation of the enemy.
Defensively, arrange your units to support each other when the enemy attacks. Geometric patterns like diagonal lines and chevrons maximize mutual support. Units with high defense values—Giants, Triggers, and Polars especially—make excellent anchors for these formations.
Advanced Tactical Considerations
Optimize Order of Operations
Because of surround and support effects, the sequence of your actions can dramatically impact outcomes. If you have multiple units to attack but can’t get a surround, attack with your strongest unit first. That way, when your weaker unit comes in to attack, it will get more support from from your stronger unit than your stronger unit would have gotten from the weaker unit if you had attacked in the opposite order.
If you have multiple units to attack and can surround the enemy, send your weaker unit in first. You don’t even have to attack with it. Then send your stronger unit in to surround the enemy and attack with a massive advantage.
When you have an enemy unit surrounded or multiple units adjacent to it, attack and destroy it before repositioning any of your units. For example, if an enemy Titan is surrounded by your Rabbit and Bison, and you want to move the Rabbit to engage another target, attack with the Bison first. This preserves both the surround effect and the support bonus during the attack, maximizing damage and minimizing return fire before the Rabbit moves away.
Exploit Unit Mismatches in Military Madness
Each unit type has specific strengths and weaknesses that can be leveraged for tactical advantage. Strive to match up your unit’s strengths against an enemy unit’s weaknesses. For example:
Seekers excel against air units but struggle against ground forces and have weak defenses. Use them specifically for hunting Falcons and Pelicans, which cannot counter-attack.
Rabbits are the opposite: very strong against ground units but weak against air and with low defense. Use them for surrounding and destroying infantry, artillery, and other low-offense ground units.
Eagles and Hunters represent the pinnacle of mismatch potential, as they can attack many ground units with complete immunity from retaliation.
Artillery should be targeted at units with low defense, which they can destroy and rapidly gain experience. Don’t waste artillery on Giants or Triggers; they will only get one or maybe two; Giants really need to be surrounded to be vulnerable to attack.
Understanding these Military Madness unit mismatches allows you to consistently position your forces advantageously, applying strength against weakness rather than engaging in fair fights.
Master Terrain
The lunar landscape offers defensive bonuses ranging from 0% (roads, bridges) to 40% (mountains). This seemingly simple mechanic enables sophisticated positional play:
Lure enemies into attacking you across low-defense terrain while your units enjoy high-defense positions.
Base defenses seem to provide advantages beyond their stated 35% bonus—exploit this when defending critical positions.
I’ve seen through countless battles that a seemingly inferior force positioned with terrain advantage can consistently defeat larger armies caught in disadvantageous terrain.
Bait and Trap
One of my favorite Military Madness tactics involves sacrificial plays—offering an infantry unit or even a Rabbit as bait. When enemies move to capitalize on this apparently vulnerable unit, spring the trap by surrounding and eliminating them with nearby forces.
A variation on this tactic is to use such troops to draw enemy aircraft into range of your Hawkeyes. The enemy AI cannot resist going after such troops; make them pay for their greed!
Create and Control Bottlenecks
The geography of many maps features natural bottlenecks between mountains or other impassable terrain. Establishing strong defensive positions at these points allows you to neutralize the enemy’s numerical advantage:
Position high-defense units at the front of the bottleneck.
Set up favorable engagement ratios (three units against their two, or two against one).
Place artillery within range to provide supporting fire.
In these scenarios, enemies are forced to attack into your strength one unit at a time, creating a “death box” where you can systematically eliminate their forces.
Train Artillery On Artillery
When both sides have artillery within range of each other, target their artillery first. While this temporarily diverts your ranged support from the front line, it ensures long-term fire superiority. Artillery duels should almost always take precedence over other targets when the opportunity presents itself.
In Military Madness, properly positioned artillery can turn the tide of battle by:
Providing damage without risk of counterattack
Softening targets before direct engagement
Controlling areas of the map without physically occupying them
Creating zones where enemy movement is severely punished
Remember that artillery units are vulnerable to direct attack, so always keep them protected behind your front lines.
Use Units as Fullbacks
Even units without attack power or much defense – Pelicans, for example, or Hawkeyes after you have decimated the enemy’s airforce – can be useful. Only one unit can occupy any given space, so, in addition to adding support or surround effects, these offense-less units can also be very effective “blocking backs”.
The enemy will require one or more attacks to destroy such units, so they can slow down enemy advances, completely prevent them from reaching key units of yours, or even “reserve” a space for another unit of yours to take on the next turn – like the enemy’s base!
Go For the Kill
Because units with even a single troop left can heal to full health (and increased experience), try not to let a hobbled enemy get away. It can be tempting to target your next attack at another unit where it can do more total damage, but you are usually better served by finishing off the unit that is already near death. And the opposite is true as well; send your highly damaged units in full retreat to the nearest factory so that they might live to fight another turn.
Parting Thoughts on Military Madness Strategy
Military Madness rewards methodical, thoughtful play more than frantic action. The game’s seemingly simple mechanics conceal remarkable strategic depth that continues to engage even after decades of play. Whether you’re battling the computer or challenging human opponents, these principles should serve you well in your lunar campaigns.
For those looking to master this classic strategy game, I recommend starting with the easier scenarios to practice these core tactics before moving to the more challenging maps. You can also check out my speedrun videos to see these strategies applied in real gameplay situations:
I’d love to hear about your own Military Madness experiences and strategies in the comments. Are there approaches I’ve overlooked? Tactics you’ve found particularly effective? The conversation around this classic game continues to evolve even after all these years!
Are you a fan of classic strategy games? Check out my other retrospectives on strategic gaming classics or follow me for more content about sustainable technology, leadership, and occasional gaming nostalgia.
FAQs About Military Madness Strategy
What is the strongest unit in Military Madness? The strongest offensive unit is generally considered to be the Hunter, which can attack ground units without fear of retaliation, is very strong against air, and is highly mobile. For defense, Giants and Polars offer exceptional durability, especially when positioned in favorable terrain.
How important is factory control in Military Madness? Factory control is critical. Each captured factory adds units to your team and allows you to heal damaged units, creating advantage immediately and over time. Securing factories – and denying them to the enemy – early should be a top priority in most scenarios.
What’s the best opening strategy in Military Madness? While it varies by map, focusing on securing nearby factories and establishing strong defensive positions near bottlenecks generally provides the best foundation for victory. On maps with central factories, racing to control these is often worth the risk.
Can you play Military Madness today on modern systems? Yes! Military Madness is available on various virtual console platforms, on emulators, and through retro gaming collections. The strategy principles remain just as relevant today as they were in 1990.
