Grace C.

It was great hearing from Tony Xu, 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 & 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗼𝗳 DoorDash, speak at our weekly YC dinner. Here are my main takeaways: 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁: Tony shared a story where one of the restaurants they were onboarding was short-staffed because the salad chef didn't show up. He personally stepped in as the salad chef for the day, going above and beyond to help. This act built a lot of trust with the restaurant. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁/𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: It was surprising to hear that Tony and his team still do deliveries personally at least once a quarter. They believe in staying connected with the customer experience. Check it out - https://lnkd.in/dan3RNXx 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆: With four founders, they made sure each person had a specific area of responsibility. This clear division helped avoid disagreements and allowed each founder to execute their role effectively. 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: Tony believes one reason for their success is that the founders deeply cared about solving the problem, which resulted in a great founder-market fit. #YC #entrepreneur #startups #founderlessons

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Week 8 of my LIT series, where I share a 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 tidbit from my time @ UCLA Anderson School of Management 🌶️ 𝗟: I had the privilege of participating in UCLA Anderson’s Net Impact Case Competition (NICC), where teams of students partner with nonprofit organizations to tackle strategic challenges. My team worked with a nonprofit startup accelerator in Latin America, which felt especially meaningful given my startup background and Mexican origin. This experience reminded me of something fundamental: how can I help? It’s easy to get caught up in recruiting and forget that the ultimate goal is finding where I can make the biggest impact. Instead of focusing on whether the team wants me, the reframed mindset is, where can I be the most help? What problems can I help solve? This experience reinforced the importance of using my skills and experiences to create meaningful, lasting impact. Grateful for yet another opportunity to grow! 🍿 𝗜: Our MSBA program includes Improv into the curriculum YES AND I learned so much from the first session YES AND I’ll share one of the major lessons with you. Try this today: tally the times you start a conversation with "No." You might find that it’s a higher tally than you expected. In Improv, this YES AND was one of the activities that we did. We made up a story with a partner (with unwavering eye contact I might add 👀 ) where we built on what the other person said—without negating it. There’s an art to guiding conversations without shutting people down with that instinctively bristling word: “No”. While this wasn’t the activity that pushed us furthest out of our comfort zones, it might be the most practical takeaway to apply today. Try the shift from starting with No to Yes and see what changes. We have a few more improv sessions to come. Will report back again then 🫡 🧩 𝗧: “It’s likely” could spark some serious confusion in the world of statistics. In everyday language, “it’s likely” means something is probably going to happen—like pushing that diet goal for the new year. But in statistics, likelihood isn’t about predicting an outcome; it’s about measuring how well a model explains what we’ve already observed. Imagine trying to fit puzzle pieces together: likelihood tells us how snugly the pieces (data) fit into the frame (model). For example, in logistic regression, the model assigns probabilities to each data point, and likelihood multiplies them to say, “This is how well these coefficients explain the story.” To avoid the math equivalent of drowning in tiny decimals, we take a shortcut: the log-likelihood, which makes the math easier to handle. The ultimate goal? Tweaking the coefficients to maximize this value, ensuring our model is telling the most probable version of the story. #WhyAnderson #BusinessAnalytics #Lesson #Insight #Technical

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Rev Delivery Turns 1 Year Old… What's next? After graduating UCSB in 2023, I teamed up with Griffin Chen and Lucas Krall to co-found Rev Delivery—a technology enabled delivery service designed around college campuses.  This past September, we celebrated Rev’s 1-year anniversary. That same month, we hit another big milestone in our professional journey: the business acquisition of the Duffl brand, a Series A-funded and Y Combinator graduate with 8+ locations.  Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve been up to: - We moved to Seattle with the idea to start a hyperlocal delivery company serving the University of Washington community. ✈️ - Built our fulfillment technology. 👨‍💻 - Leased our first commercial space (in Bruce Lee’s old studio), purchased our first inventory, and started delivering orders to our customers in ten minutes or less, using electric scooters, for a delivery fee of $0.99. 🛴⚡️ - Lived in the back of our warehouse for months (ask about our homemade shower and kitchen setup). 😁 Since then: - We’ve scaled to tens of thousands of unique monthly orders and 100 employees by leveraging: ​ - Data-Driven Pricing and Products 📊 - Grassroots Marketing 🌱 - Student Culture 👥 - We acquired the Duffl brand – The OG of the hyperlocal delivery space with 19+ million in revenue under their belt. ✴️ So what’s next? It’s time to grow even more.  We’re enabling other entrepreneurs to open their own Duffl / Rev stores at college campuses.  If you (or any aspiring entrepreneur you know) want to explore owning your own 7-figure business, powered by our tech, data, and experience – then let's talk ⬇️ Calendly link: https://lnkd.in/gGHKsQFU https://duffl.com https://lnkd.in/gECwTJkx https://rev.delivery https://lnkd.in/gBWVQUDg

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Week 4 of my LIT series, where I share a 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 tidbit from time @ UCLA Anderson School of Management 🚑 𝗟:  I went to the ER this week for stitches after a minor case of clumsiness. Before this, I was stressed—midterms were ramping up, and my to-do list felt endless. My first thought when I got hurt was, ‘I don’t have time for this.’ This unexpected accident reminded me how little control we actually have. We can plan every detail and worry about things going our way, only to realize that the one predictable thing about life is its unpredictability. Is it logical then to worry about things in advance? If I can’t even predict the outcome, why not expect the best? What if things turn out even better than I imagined?! That’s my challenge for this week: focus on what I can control (my efforts) and replace worry with hopeful anticipation. 🏠 𝗜: Fundamentals are everything. We had lunch with Professor Hamza Farooq, who emphasized two key points. First, mastering the basics is essential before diving into the "exciting" hot topics. While you can always build on your knowledge, a solid foundation is crucial to make progress. Second, learning never ends. Stay curious and invest in yourself—whether through YouTube, reading, or projects. This was a valuable reminder, especially in technical fields where there is always so much to learn and catch up on. After all, we can’t build a house without laying down the bricks first. 🔮 𝗧: Predictions! While life isn't predictable, data analysis allows us to make informed predictions about potential outcomes. This is one reason there is such a demand for data experts. Businesses need professionals who can apply various models and techniques to sift through the noise and extract meaningful insights. Even in the data world, predictions aren't always accurate. This is where tests and methods come in to assess how reliable, variable, and overall accurate the estimates and predictions are. It's interesting to note that while worrying about life outcomes is often ineffective, using predictions to inform business decisions is critical. #WhyAnderson #BusinessAnalytics #Lesson #Insight #Technical

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Week 1 of my LIT series, where I document a 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 tidbit from my week @ UCLA Anderson School of Management 💥 𝗟: I ran into someone yesterday whom I’d only met once, and surprisingly, he remembered my full name. Maybe it’s because my name is easy, or he actively listened during my introduction. Either way, “I’m bad with names” doesn’t cut it anymore. Any tips for remembering names? Let me know! 👇 💡 𝗜: Key takeaway from my conversations with women in leadership is to speak up. It might seem obvious, but growing up Asian with less representation, I believed the narrative: speak when I have all the answers or when I reach a certain level of competence. Your skills earn you advocates, but you must advocate for yourself first. Time to speak up and take up space! 🌱 𝗧: Python, R, and SQL are all in session 🫡 While each language is different, the goal is clear: How can I gather the right data and communicate it effectively (even through code) so my team can easily extract valuable insights for business success? I appreciate how this program strikes a balance between business and analytics, reminding us of the purpose behind our technical work. #WhyAnderson #BusinessAnalytics #Lesson #Insight #Tech

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Week 2 of my LIT series, where I share a 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 tidbit from time @ UCLA Anderson School of Management: 💪 𝗟: Action > Planning. It’s easy to confuse being busy planning with being productive. But my mentor gave it to me straight: act. Maybe you need this reminder too (even if it stings a little). My goal for the next meeting is to show, not tell—even if that means sharing mistakes—because you can’t even make those if you don’t act. What short-term goal are you setting for yourself? 🧯𝗜: One of the best parts of business school is the professional panels where people who’ve done awesome work share their experience (often with free food!). A recent panel emphasized passion, with speakers discussing how their interest in Y industry fueled their success at X. This is why interviewers ask, "Why us?"—it’s not just about proving your research but demonstrating genuine curiosity and excitement. For me, that curiosity lies in software, particularly B2B solutions. I’m passionate about solving complex problems and improving efficiency with accessible tools that not only drive my company's success but also empower other businesses. What's yours? 🚦 𝗧: Efficiency is key! I used to think that technical languages were just about knowing what to do—like which function to call, what variables to create, and what output I wanted. But in the workplace, you need to think in a business context. What data type is most efficient for storage? Is there enough space for future use? Does this approach make sense? Your decisions matter. #WhyAnderson  #BusinessAnalytics  #Lesson #Insight #Tech

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Last year, I lived in SF and flew to LA weekly to attend MBA classes at UCLA. I flew back and forth at least 20 times. I am not a morning person by any means, but this required me to have a routine of waking up at 5:00AM on Sunday, Ubering to SFO to catch the earliest flight that would get me to LA before my classes started at 8:00. I would attend class all day Sunday, work remotely Mondays, attend more classes Monday night and then fly back Tuesday morning just in time to get to the office before standup. I am proud to say that I did not miss a single flight or a single class during this period. Last month, I officially graduated from UCLA Anderson. I wore my graduation cap and gown and lived through an event I had been dreaming about for the past 3 years. Now the big question: was it worth all the flights, tuition costs, and time spent studying? Yes, it was absolutely worth it. And here’s a story that encapsulates why. On one my MBA trips, we had a few executives from the Executive MBA program join us on the trip. One of the executives had immigrated to the US over 20 years ago and was nearly a billionaire. He snuck a few of us Chinese speaking MBA students out for a dinner and afterwards we all grabbed beers by the beach. Towards the end of the dinner he told us that we were no different than him. He pointed at each one of us and told us that we could all become successful too as long we just went for it. I’ve heard similar words from guest speakers, but the informal setting of having a mentor tell us this to our faces while enjoying beers near the beach in a foreign country really made me believe that I could do it. To sum up my MBA experience, being able to learn valuable life lessons from classmates, professors, and guest speakers made me confident that I could pursue whatever I put my mind towards. This is the true value of the MBA in my opinion. So what’s next? Before entering UCLA, my goal was to start my own startup and be a "real" founder. I can proudly say that my dream is starting to become a reality. I will be posting more news about this in the future, but my cofounders and I just raised an angel round and are now working full time on a new startup with a mission that we all care deeply about. #mba #uclaanderson #startup #graduation

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Grateful to the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business for the opportunity to speak at their Product Con Summit alongside an incredible lineup of leaders I look up to as Ami Vora (CPO Faire), Laura Teclemariam (Sr. Director LinkedIn), Shreyas Doshi and Todd Yellin (ex-VP of Product Netflix). My panel explored the transformation of Product Management in the AI era. Here are some of the key takeaways: 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. It is time to learn "Enough" the capabilities of tools beyond PM tools. PMs need to know enough about : prototyping with Figma,  ML concept, applications as well as the latest developments, data analytics (Amplitude, Mixpanel), and prompt engineering. 2️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗔𝗜 "𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱" 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀. 70% of PMs already use AI tools to increase their productivity so if you are not using AI tools you are going to not be able to compete with those who do. Must-have AI tools: ChatGPT for ideation, Claude for analysis, Midjourney for mockups, ChatPRD for PRDs, GitHub Copilot for basic prototyping. 3️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗮𝘁. Did you know in a recent Wharton MBA, GenAI generated 90% of the winning business innovation ideas, thanks to good prompting. 4️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Entrepreneurial spirit paired with a creative mind and a business hat. It is going to be less about mastering how to write PRDs, and writing updates in decks and more about how to leverage tools to come up with some great ideas to quickly test. 5️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴. Beyond the classical skills like Customer obsessions, analytical skills like creativity, great product sense, adaptability, and a growth mindset will make you stand out. 6️⃣ 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: AI tools are generating outputs faster than we can process them. That together with the Constant context-switching and multitasking between tools, calls, and channels will present true human challenges to overcome. Special thanks to Ansu George Raghuveer Ausoori for the invite and for pulling this event off. It was truly inspiring to talk to you all and be back to school (even if it was only for a little bit :)) #HaasProductCon #ProductManagement #AI #Networking #CareerGrowth #Innovation #HaasMBA #UCBerkeley #techsummit

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💪 The Power of Community: How Ottodot Overcomes Startup Challenges with the Help of a Strong Community In 2019, Le Yi Khor entered the startup world right after graduation, starting Ottodot with her college roommate, Wong Lei Lei. They knew little about startups but were driven by a desire to change how kids learn by delivering high-quality science education through immersive gaming experiences. Like many first-time founders, Le Yi and Wong Lei faced many uncertainties. Is this the right strategy? How should we price it? Do we need a CTO? Throughout her journey, Le Yi often doubted herself. “There were so many moments where I felt like I just wanted to dig a hole to bury myself in,” she says. Founders often struggle to find support, which can hinder their startup's growth. That's why our mission is to build the most supportive and intellectually honest community of founders from various industries, sectors, countries, and stages. As challenges arise, someone in the community can likely help. Ottodot joined Iterative in the Winter 2022 batch, and three years later, they’re still receiving support from the community. 🤝 Instant Community Support “The biggest win for me is I get to learn from other founders as a first-time founder,” Le Yi reflects. “It accelerates the process for us. When I feel stuck, I can just throw it out there and ask for help." All Iterative founders join the community Slack, gaining instant access to 200+ founders in various stages, industries, and countries. Le Yi was exploring options for a CRM tool and asked the community for recommendations. She received over 12+ responses and suggestions, which saved her hours of research and helped 3x their sales productivity in just a few weeks. Such interactions are common within the community. When you’re working on something, someone else has likely faced a similar challenge and can offer valuable insights. 📲 Personalised Help from the Iterative Team Ottodot recently launched online tuition classes for children to learn science via a virtual classroom. A teacher guides the students, and children can join from anywhere. It's a new addition, so Le Yi wanted to redesign the website but didn't know where to start. Iterative's Portfolio Success Manager, Léana Traing, who has experience in education, helped. After an hour of feedback, Le Yi successfully redesigned Ottodot's entire website. “Everybody is open to sharing their learnings and has everyone's best interest at heart. That’s one of the most valuable things I treasure from the Iterative community.” 💪 Supporting Founders After Iterative Ottodot now engages over 800 students and has expanded beyond Singapore to markets in Hong Kong and Australia. We're excited to see them continue to grow. Thank you, Le Yi, for sharing your story! The Iterative program is a three-month orientation into our community. Join us! The deadline for the Summer 2024 batch is June 24. Find the 📌 emoji in the comments for the link to apply.

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Professor Meredith Woo from Arizona State University's School of Politics and Global Studies shared valuable insights on TSMC's success in establishing factories in the U.S. According to her, TSMC's triumph can be attributed to its flexibility, adaptability, and knack for seizing opportunities. Professor Woo believes that these qualities will be instrumental in TSMC's success in Arizona as well. Despite the contrasts in manufacturing and organizational cultures between Taiwan and the U.S., Professor Woo remains optimistic. She emphasized that with openness and willingness to adapt from both sides, challenges arising from these differences can be effectively tackled. Expressing confidence in TSMC's ability to navigate these cultural nuances, she sees a bright future for their development in the U.S. To delve deeper into Professor Woo's insights on TSMC's achievements and the challenges they face in the U.S., check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/g5dvKZiP #Arizona

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🌏 Southeast Asian startups shouldn’t have to cross oceans for capital. A recent piece from Jenny Lee and Yao Loong Ng in Fortune discusses the challenges faced by regional companies in accessing international capital markets. Despite regional dominance, many of our brightest companies struggle to gain traction in international capital markets. Yet, Southeast Asia is brimming with potential and high savings rates. The region needs a more integrated, regional market where companies can raise funds closer to home, and investors can seamlessly access opportunities across borders. This is crucial as global markets turn inward, potentially leaving emerging markets behind in the funding race. Liquidity begets liquidity. Simple but not easy. Initiatives like the collaboration between the Stock Exchange of Thailand and SGX to enable cross-border access are a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done. By harnessing regional savings and supporting active asset managers with a deep understanding of local markets, we can create a vibrant and resilient funding environment for Southeast Asia’s future unicorns.🌱 https://lnkd.in/gsiedfnN #SoutheastAsia #Innovation #CapitalMarkets #RegionalGrowth #GraniteAsia #InvestingInTheFuture #EmpoweringStartups

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G’Day! After 4+ years at Amazon, I've embarked on a new journey! Grateful for the invaluable experience of building inclusive solutions in policy, programs, and physical spaces to improve lives of our employees, customers, and communities. My work with Alexa, World-Wide Amazon Stores, and Inclusive Experiences and Technology allowed me to broaden my delivery globally, build with the impact of our end customer in mind, and design with a balance of scale and nuance to get me to my next big thing. From supporting healthcare systems during peak pandemic with Alexa and Ring devices, building community and cultural celebrations and commemoration strategies across the company, driving Pride into the heart of hometowns in our communities, and scaling women in tech across our lines of business, I learned how to harness the power of business needs and community priorities to reach mutually beneficial impact. From deep-diving on needs of our LGBTQIA+ employees with the first ever Amazon-wide employee sentiment survey, to changing policy to include all-gender restrooms at our sites, or working with fashion teams on the launch of our first all-gender store on amazon.com, and framing strategies for practicing allyship across languages, cultures, and shared histories, I learned how the power of belonging can change the course of an individual, team, and even a company. And through highlighting employees around the world quietly making impact in their sites and communities when nobody was looking, I learned how the power of storytelling can ignite real change by Making the Invisible, Visible. Excited to kick off my new role at ATLASSIAN as a lead DEI Business Partner, focusing on fostering diversity and inclusion in Technology and Engineering. Looking forward to contributing to sustainable and inclusive AI for our Atlassian customers! #Diversity #Inclusion #Technology #Engineering #DEI #NewBeginnings #Amazon #Atlassian

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This week in #MC6372, Dr. Catherine Wu talked about the sphere of influence and shared an example that really stuck with me. When China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw that Singapore’s Foreign Minister wasn’t wearing a tie, he immediately took his off. This showed Wang Yi’s quick adaptation to the situation and respect for the local norms. By making this simple but thoughtful move, he demonstrated high CQ— he quickly understood that, in this setting, the local custom might be more fitting, and he adjusted his behavior accordingly. It wasn’t just about fitting in but also showing respect for others’ customs. What’s more, Wang’s team followed his lead and also removed their ties. This highlights how influence works. As a leader, Wang Yi didn’t just adapt himself; he set the tone for his team, showing that high CQ isn’t just about personal adaptation but about leading others to do the same, creating smoother cross-cultural interactions. Honestly, I used to not think much about these details from a CQ perspective. For example, I never realized how gestures like a thumbs-up could mean different things in different cultures. Now I get that non-verbal cues aren’t just minor details—they can send messages deeper than words. Language is just the start; true CQ is about noticing these small cues and adjusting in real time. I’ve learned that by adapting gestures, expressions, and even what I wear, I can fit more naturally into different cultural settings and avoid misunderstandings in future interactions. #NTU #MMC

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Week 6 of my LIT series, where I share a 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 tidbit from my time @ UCLA Anderson School of Management 🌀 𝗟: I recently spoke with a female industry leader and asked her a few questions on leadership. Her answer humbled me. My recent thoughts on leadership have been centered around how can 𝘐 be more charismatic, confident, and inspiring—all about me. But she described her priority as a leader as doing everything she can to ensure her team has a positive experience. Whether that means having tough conversations with stakeholders or pushing back on unrealistic expectations, she willingly takes the bullet so her team doesn’t have to. She understands that true leadership is about having people who trust her enough to follow. Leadership is less about oneself and more about others. Have you had any misconceptions about leadership? ❓ 𝗜: True understanding begins with asking 'why.' Why does it work this way? Why not another way? This approach is valuable in the workplace too—teams value teammates who guide them toward success. In recent conversations with leaders across diverse industries, I've learned how often they need to pause and question: Why are we doing this in X way? Is this the top priority for today? This resonated with me because, as an Asian female, I’ve had to train myself to question—a shift from my instinct to say, 'Yes, no questions asked.' Effective pushback, though, relies on a strong reputation. When you've built a reputation for delivering quality, others trust that your questions and boundaries have a purpose, making them more natural and respected. First step: let’s go build that reputation. 👷 🤝 𝗧: Relational algebra and SQL—did you know they go hand in hand? I didn’t at first, but the reason why is fascinating. If you’re unfamiliar with relational algebra, a quick Google search will bring up a lot of Greek letters. Relational algebra provides a standardized way for people to understand the intent behind SQL code. As technical as concepts and tools might get, it all comes down to one question: how can we communicate and share this information effectively with one another? Relational algebra answers this by creating a common language that demonstrates what the code is conveying. By asking 'why?' I dug deeper to understand the significance of relational algebra within the SQL context, rather than just accepting it at face value because the professor said so. Already applying my insight in action 🫡 #WhyAnderson #BusinessAnalytics #Lesson #Insight #Technical

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Earlier this month, I went deep into the mountains in east Taiwan for a 1-week meditation break. As I reflected on this year, I was filled with gratitude for:  - my talented team at DMKTZ Inc, TG3D Studio, and NunoX. - my community who encourage me to explore uncertainties and take on new challenges. - the abundance of resources I can tap into to grow my businesses. Wherever you are in your journey, keep going! Behind every success is a story of failure.  Failures are just lessons to learn from.  Look back, adjust, and move forward. #startupmindset #learning #entrepreneurship

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Excited to share that I recently completed the in-person UC Berkeley Executive Product Management Program! This intensive program provided a fresh perspective on how we create value for our users, focused on customer-centric design (designing user experiences that foster attitudinal loyalty and long-term engagement), strategic product roadmapping, and effective leadership. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in creating exceptional customer experiences? #productmanagement #innovation #berkeleyexeceed

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I had the privilege of joining NCAPEC’s mission to Korea along with esteemed colleagues from member companies. We were fortunate to meet with senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance as well as the US Embassy to discuss the most salient topics, opportunities and challenges of the time. It behooves us to create and develop an innovative digital economy across APEC economies by harnessing the power of AI in an inclusive and sustainable way. What this means in real terms is ensuring small businesses have access to the same cutting-edge technology that large businesses do and that people are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven digital economy so that no one is left behind. It also means integrating more clean, carbon-free energy into the grid, making the necessary infrastructure investments to enhance grid resilience, and leveraging advanced artificial intelligence to address the most challenging sustainability issues. Public-private partnerships are crucial to achieving these goals, and open communication and ongoing collaboration are essential. I look forward to Korea’s leadership with APEC 2025 to uplift everyone across the region, including remote and low-income communities. Microsoft stands ready to support this mission. #APEC #NCAPEC #DigitalEconomy #AI #Sustainability #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Innovation #CleanEnergy

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Life in your 30s often feels like walking a tightrope. When I started at Apple as a Technical Specialist and went back to school at California State University, Stanislaus, I was in my early 20s and determined to succeed. Managing my job, personal availability, and school schedule was a test of endurance and strategy. To handle this, I chose a hybrid school schedule, attending classes in person two days a week and completing the rest online. This balance allowed me to keep learning at Apple and in school without burning out. Fast forward to today, and my life is even busier. Now, I’m the head of a household, working 40 hours a week, supporting my wife and two kids, and taking care of our home and two cats. Yet, my passion for learning hasn’t waned. Through Coursera in 2024 alone, I’ve added to my skills with courses such as: →Foundations of Digital Marketing by Google →Principles of UX/UI Design by Meta →Mastering Final Cut Pro by LearnQuest →Creating the User Interface with Swift UI by Meta →Attract and Engage Customers with Digital Marketing by Google →Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) by the Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan How do I make it all work? 🔵Strategic Planning and Adaptability🔵 Plan Ruthlessly:  The Things app is my secret weapon. It helps me map out my days and stick to my commitments. When I start a new course, I dive into Coursera’s schedule, noting every deadline and setting personal milestones with push notifications to keep myself on track. Prioritize Wisely:  Some days demand more from my job, others from my family. I always ensure there’s time set aside for learning, making it a crucial part of my weekly routine. Adapt Quickly:  Life’s unpredictable. Flexibility allows me to handle surprises without losing focus on my goals. 🔵Continuous Learning for the Win🔵 Working at Apple, I was surrounded by colleagues who were always learning. This environment instilled in me the value of continuous education. It’s a mindset that drives me to expand my skills and knowledge despite my growing responsibilities. Balancing a career, family, and personal growth is a challenge, but it’s incredibly fulfilling. By planning, prioritizing, and staying adaptable, I’ve managed to keep learning and growing both professionally and personally. To my fellow 30-somethings navigating the chaos, remember that with the right strategies, you can achieve your goals and thrive amidst the hustle. #TimeManagement #ContinuousLearning #CareerGrowth #Education #WorkLifeBalance #Coursera #Apple #CSUStanislaus #ProfessionalDevelopment

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