Not everything we build needs to scale. The cost of building is dropping fast. And for the first time, it’s normal to create things that only need to serve you.
Six lessons I learned from volunteering at the Computer History Museum
Recently, I started volunteering at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View as a docent (tour guide), where I guide visitors through tours covering the past 100 years in computer history. This has been one of my most intellectually fulfilling experiences, and here are the top lessons I learned.
Beyond the AI tutor: What AI can do for language learning
I've been an avid learner of foreign languages my whole life. It's not just what I do; it's who I am. Learning English as a girl took me from a small Chinese city to Harvard. While most people consider language learning tedious, I consider it an indulgence, a hobby. I collect words like Pokémon cards, … Continue reading Beyond the AI tutor: What AI can do for language learning
Why Sending WeChat Voice Messages is a Status Symbol
WeChat has a voice message function that allows you to press a button and record your message. For the uninitiated, this is just another way of sending messages that’s interchangeable with text messages. However, sending a voice message on WeChat is considered obnoxious in the Chinese professional world, and usually only tolerated if it is … Continue reading Why Sending WeChat Voice Messages is a Status Symbol
4 Philosophies Underlying the WeChat Mini-Program – Lessons from the Father of WeChat
The man who built WeChat, China’s No.1 communication tool with 877 million daily users, rarely appears in public. The 47-year-old Allen Zhang (Zhang Xiaolong) is a low-profile, chain-smoking, and hardcore programmer who prefers to let his product speak for itself. However, last December, WeChat held its own version of the WWDC in Guangzhou, where Zhang … Continue reading 4 Philosophies Underlying the WeChat Mini-Program – Lessons from the Father of WeChat
Why Unread Messages Are Dangerous
When I was younger and living in China, I used to read the book “Harvard Girl Liu Yiting,” a bestselling parenting bible that detailed the education of Liu Yiting, who was one of the very few students from Mainland China admitted to Harvard College in that era. Most of the content of that book has … Continue reading Why Unread Messages Are Dangerous
A Guide to Using WeChat Emojis
It is very difficult to talk to Chinese people without using emojis. Whenever a Chinese friend Facebook messages me, I feel compelled to reply with WeChat because there are messages and nuances that can only be expressed with emojis that only exist on WeChat. The difference between emojis on Chinese and Western apps can shed … Continue reading A Guide to Using WeChat Emojis
Zara Zhang 