Category: Uncategorized

Asian-Americans Are Cultural Orphans (aka I hope Crazy Rich Asians isn’t a flop)

The most anxiety-inducing movie poster ever I just found out that there’s a movie coming out this summer with an all-Asian cast called Crazy Rich Asians and it’s making me very nervous. Is this supposed to be our Black Panther moment for stereotype-shattering Asian-American representation in mainstream media? Ok, that’s probably an exaggeration. I’m happy we … Continue reading Asian-Americans Are Cultural Orphans (aka I hope Crazy Rich Asians isn’t a flop) →

The immigrant time capsule

MIT’s time capsule. Buried in 1957 to be opened in year 2957. As an immigrant myself, I’ve been thinking about the idea of a time capsule and how it could be a useful tool to understand the immigrant experience. What is the immigrant time capsule? Let me introduce two characters based on people I know to … Continue reading The immigrant time capsule →

What will it take for us to trust Facebook again?

Are we about to see a Facebook bank run? Building trust is hard because trust has to be built incrementally, and it only takes one (perceived) mistake to undo years of trust-building. Facebook is very publicly dealing with this issue today, but the problem they face goes beyond locking down developer access to user data and … Continue reading What will it take for us to trust Facebook again? →

A San Franciscan tries the future of mobility — LimeBike, SPIN, Bird, and JUMP Bike

When I moved from Taipei to Los Angeles at the age of 11, I had already heard much about “America” and how it’s the best country in the world. My dad and I got off the airplane, got in a car, and went on the 405. I saw the vast freeway traversing through bald, brown … Continue reading A San Franciscan tries the future of mobility — LimeBike, SPIN, Bird, and JUMP Bike →

How Facebook saved the news industry

Mark Zuckerberg’s news feed in 2006 (source: Slate) Last Friday, Facebook’s Head of News Feed Adam Mosseri announced that Facebook will begin prioritizing content created by friends and family over content from the media, brands and other Pages since space in the News Feed is limited. This is a good long-term move for Facebook and I … Continue reading How Facebook saved the news industry →

Privilege and inequality in Silicon Valley

Why “few successful startup founders grew up desperately poor” My co-founder David and I both grew up in poverty and can call ourselves “battle-tested” when it comes to both life and startups, so when the talk in the Valley turned to income inequality, our ears perked up. For a moment, our two worlds were colliding. … Continue reading Privilege and inequality in Silicon Valley →