Cities should be built for people, not cars. Ridesharing was the last major shift in transportation, and I was fortunate to have been a part of it. The perspectives I gained at Lyft really struck me — even after I left, I never stopped thinking about how to improve transportation in cities. There just had to be an aspect of transportation not covered by the ridesharing giants. So 2016, I dove back…
I wrote this shortly after Sir Alex announced his retirement a year ago, but I never did hit publish. In light of today’s news about David Moyes , this piece feels especially apt. Just like that Sir Alex Ferguson has retired. And a million voices did cry out in terror. 659 million fans to be exact. Football fandom is a weird beast. I grew up 6800 miles from Manchester. Why should I even care what…
Ever since mobile phones have become our de facto camera, the cost of taking a photo has plummeted. We are now taking more photos of the world around us than ever before. Photos have become such a crucial piece in the consumer app space that companies are basing entire strategies around them . And thus far, our love of nostalgia and our need for validation have been the guiding motivations behind…
Every opportunity has its costs. On hindsight, we celebrate the great ones and try not to regret the missed ones. How then, should we approach opportunities that come our way? To me, it’s about understanding how we want to mold ourselves, and using that to influence our decisions accordingly. Two years ago, I had a cushy consulting job at Pivotal Labs Singapore when I was given the opportunity to…
Meet Mr Kwee. Source: HGW He arguably fries one of the best plates of char kway teow , an intricate noodle dish constructed from the most basic of ingredients. For the past 40 years, Mr Kwee has been frying the same plate of noodles, every day. Mr Kwee is a hawker in Singapore. Hawkers serve food out of stalls that are barely large enough to fit two people, in what can be best described as an…
So you’ve been looking for startups to join as an early employee. You’ve an offer letter in your inbox. You like the numbers. You call to accept. Stop. I’ve seen too many people – for better or for worse – rush to accept an offer without much consideration. Don’t make that mistake. While most startups have great founders who are honest, have the right motivations, and properly value what you bring…
With the rise of “design centric teams”, there has been a lot of talk about the differences between designers and engineers. Sadly, they seldom are about anything constructive. But hey, aren’t twists and conflicts just more entertaining to read? The reality is far from a Mars vs Venus situation, as described by some . I have worked with many design teams – more notably IDEO, and more recently ,…
Ever notice that job listings always call for 5 years of experience? There is a reason for that, and it is arbitrary. The critical difference between expert musicians differing in the level of attained solo performance concerned the amounts of time they had spent in solitary practice during their music development, which totaled around 10,000 hours by age 20 for the best experts. Dr. Anders…
Kevin at Microsoft writes: Startups can seem exciting, but when you consider tech jobs, remember the risks. When you picture success at an early-stage company, you may take inspiration from the money you will earn once the company “hits it big.” On the other hand, choosing Microsoft to launch your career provides nothing but upside. … Don’t believe the hype. I admit I’m biased, but for tech jobs,…
With this morning’s launch, there has been a slew of articles proclaiming that the iPhone 5 is boring . Reviewers, quick to call winners and losers in the space, have spent the last few months lamenting that the iPhone doesn’t offer more. Even some hard-core Apple fans questioned whether the iPhone can continue to trail blaze or if it’s becoming a snoozer. One Apple employee recently confided he…