One sentence reality check

Social media makes it easy to lose yourself in the “lives” of your “connections.” A two-hour Instagram binge can feel like a five-minute “wait… what just happened?!?” moment. It’s time to pause and be real with ourselves and with the people we love.

Who am I, and why do you care?

My name is Malcolm Paul, founder of Ninjas in the Machine. I’m a bit stubborn, but over the years I’ve grown to deeply value the connections I’ve made with the people in my life, family, friends, loves, colleagues, and the random acquaintances who add unexpected color to the journey.

For the past 25 years, I’ve been learning technology, building technology, and building startups. I chased the kind of success that our current media culture glorifies, only to realize that the real value in life is in the relationships you create, nurture, and cherish. I’ve been fortunate to build long-term, short-term, and genuine connections with people from all walks of life. These relationships continue to shape the painting of my life.

In 2025, I was let go as a CTO from what I thought was my big opportunity to “prove myself” professionally. We were supposed to do big things together, and I made friendships that will last a lifetime. But in the middle of that transition, I nearly failed to nurture a budding relationship that meant even more to me, and I almost lost it. I needed to have an honest conversation, but the only tools I knew were physical. I needed to have a sensitive, vulnerable conversation over long distance, with support, and nothing out there helped me do this seamlessly.

Through that experience, Let’s Be Real About aka LEBRA was born, a way to enable openness, transparency, and honesty anywhere, anytime.

Why is it important

Let’s Be Real About (LEBRA) is about intentional, honest, open connections with the people who matter most. In the age of AI, it has become far too easy to be duped, coerced, or straight-up lied to by a faceless algorithm. Add AI-generated slop on top of that, and… well, that’s a whole different conversation.

With LEBRA, my goal is to enable quick, meaningful, effortless conversations that respect your privacy, promote openness, and encourage true ownership of your life experiences.

We’re all overwhelmed by tools. What we’re missing is connection. In the age of AI, simplifying the way we talk to each other helps us focus on what really matters: reaching the hearts and minds of the people we care about.

What’s my ethos?

As someone who’s been baptized in tech and is going under again in the age of AI, I value:

1. The right to be anonymous
2. The right to pay only for what you need
3. The right to your data, and transparency around it
4. The right to opt out at any time
5. The truth that people are fundamentally social and need each other to lead meaningful lives

Sounds good so far … how does this work?

LEBRA is an anonymous-first conversation platform. The goal is transparent conversations that happen effortlessly while still respecting your privacy.

Here’s how it works:

1. Visit letsberealabout.com
2. Start a session by selecting a topic and difficulty level
3. Invite friends by sharing the link, or explore solo
4. Or generate a private session by typing (or telling us) your topic
5. Have fun. It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about the honest connections you nurture

That’s it.

Hmmm. What's the catch?

I’m always wary of things that are “free,” so here’s some transparency from my side:

1. Sessions last a maximum of 1 hour and are limited to 3 people, running this in real-time, securely and anonymously, is expensive
2. The platform is anonymous by default, no account required
3. We do not record or store sessions at this stage; when we eventually offer it, it will be fully opt-in
4. We collect anonymous pre- and post-session survey data to understand your experience

That’s it. The real “win” is in the meaningful conversations you have with others. I’m an ambivert, when I’m social, I like going deep. I think we should all aspire to bring a little more depth into our connections.

Ok, sign me up!

If you feel this might help you, give it a try. Have as many or as few sessions as you want. Take the pre/post survey, leave audio feedback, and help us learn what works.

Naw, I'm good fam

Honestly, that’s real, and I respect it. My only ask is that you stay real in your own life. Whether you’re dating, nurturing friendships, catching up with colleagues, or influencing your tribe, lead with authenticity. Be transparent. Be honest.

AI will tell you what you want to hear. Real connections tell you what you need to hear.