Career

“Is common sense the same as the mechanism underneath?” That was where I got stuck while testing ideas across several industries. I had also reviewed the published work of 22 frontier AI teams and more than 70 people whose work is public. A pattern kept returning: pursue one long-running question, define what good work looks like, connect papers, code, and products, then turn production failures into the next round of tests. But the pattern still did not tell me where industry analysis should begin. ...

This is a thought experiment-style simulated interview. The respondents are composed of organizational psychology and organizational economics perspectives, and do not represent any real individuals’ original statements. In my June 2026 monthly review, I wrote: Incentive structures colonize personality. At that time, I studied several founders and observed myself. An organization initially selects a particular narrative, user model, and revenue framework primarily to launch a business. Years later, that structure reverses to filter what members can see, what they are willing to acknowledge, and which behaviors persist. ...

This is the final essay in Reckoning with Reality. The first six considered profit, competence, action, feedback, and technology. The last returns to a question no model or market can decide for us: what kind of life am I willing to pay for? When we discuss a choice, we habitually list the returns. How large is the market? How high is the income ceiling? Will growth come faster? Can the path eventually produce a moat? The more complete the spreadsheet, the more rational the choice appears. ...

This is the fourth essay in Reckoning with Reality. The previous essay examined how intelligent people use competence to escape. This one asks the next question: once we leave the study, what kind of action actually brings us closer to the facts? “Think less, do more” may be one of the hardest pieces of advice to dispute today. It sounds brave and direct, and it often works. Many people are stuck not because they lack ability, but because they never quite put their work into someone else’s hands. ...

This is the third essay in Reckoning with Reality. The previous essay examined the limits of profit. This one turns to a more personal question: why can greater ability sometimes make it harder to reach the facts? I used to think that avoiding something must look like scrolling on a phone, procrastinating, or doing nothing. Later I learned that the hardest form of avoidance to recognize is often remarkably diligent. It comes with thorough documentation, elegant architecture, an unbroken commit history, and late nights at work. ...

This is the second essay in Reckoning with Reality. The introduction began with a dinner-table argument. This essay asks only one question: what exactly does profit record on its scorecard? “If a business makes a lot of money,” my friend said, “that means it creates value.” My first impulse was to argue. Then I realized that calling him wrong was easy. Explaining precisely where he was right, and where he went too far, was much harder. ...

This is the introduction to Reckoning with Reality, a seven-part collection of audits on profit, action, technology, and choice. A few days ago, over dinner with a friend, we began talking about what to do next. “The essence of entrepreneurship is making money,” he said. “If a business makes a lot of money, that means it creates value. If it keeps losing money, it is wasting everyone’s time and capital.” ...

In the vast sea of job hunting, a well-prepared resume acts like a well-designed sailboat, helping you navigate through the fierce waves of competition. With the flourishing development of the open-source community, many excellent resume building tools have emerged, designed to help job seekers create professional and personalized resumes at minimal cost. This article will introduce you to several top-tier open-source resume builders and provide practical tips for crafting and optimizing your resume. ...

My 2023 Annual Summary As 2023 swiftly draws to a close, my university life is nearing its end with just half a year remaining. A friend once said, “What’s frightening is not losing your passion for work, but never being able to find it again.” This year, I encountered many people and experienced numerous events, gradually shaping my world view. I’m fond of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and often reflect on my own state through it. I enjoy challenges, both in my work and hobbies (like hiking, cycling…). It seems I’ve successfully fulfilled the first four levels of Maslow’s theory: physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, and esteem needs. I’m probably at the stage of self-actualization needs. However, it’s worth mentioning that while Maslow’s theory is hierarchical, human needs aren’t always linear or fixed. For instance, someone at the self-actualization stage might still encounter needs from other levels at different times. If a person loses their job or faces financial difficulties, they may refocus on safety needs like financial security and stability. Similarly, the end of a close relationship or changes in one’s social network might reignite a desire for social needs. Even in everyday life, when we fall ill or feel hungry, our focus might temporarily shift from higher-level needs like self-actualization to physiological needs. ...