I left a leadership position in a fast growing startup where I gave 110% of myself everyday for 7 yrs. All my waking hours was consumed by the mission. Spent a 1 yr sabbatical - and just basically rested. It took that long of a time for my nervous system to calm down and for my head to clear.
Hopefully, AI will create enough wealth in the economy that all of us don't need to work a corporate job to make a living.
The safety net of working for someone else definitely helps to take that leap. I wouldn't jump without it. But maybe my kids have that safety net of a place to live and food to eat thanks to AI, instead of having to work for N years of their lives to have that opportunity
Many people want to work in Goolge, but some google staffs want to leave, it's very common . People have different dreams at different time, but the same is to chase happy life .
For now, I'm going to keep that specific, personal story just on my channels. But perhaps in the future, if I change my mind, I'll reach out!
In the meantime, I'm absolutely happy for you to translate and share any of my other posts, especially the ones that focus on tech topics. Please feel free to do so!
Really love your story ! so much of what you shared resonates with my own experience. Having the time and energy to explore and learn new ideas feels incredibly important, yet it’s not easy for those of us working in tech with long work hours.
If I had more free time, I’d love to look into how parents like myself can better support my children to thrive in the age of AI. I am sure meta skills such as learning to learn will become even more valuable. But if schools are NOT ahead of curve and adapt the curriculum for what’s coming in the future. Then for me,
it’s worth spending more time to seriously think about core skills that my kids need.
Like you, I've been considering what the best approach is for my own kid. For now, I'm focusing on timeless, fundamental skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds. This includes clear communication and public speaking, physical health, and crucial soft skills. While schools provide a great environment for social practice, I believe reinforcing these core abilities and encouraging any progress they make is a practical strategy for now.
If I had more time and freedom, I would devote myself to helping others. I feel that the luck I’ve had in life has given me so much, and when we have more than enough, we have a responsibility—and a reason—to share it with others. It’s true that when we’re struggling just to get by, this ideal can feel distant or out of reach. But if I ever have the time and freedom, I would choose to follow my heart and pursue this path.
I am someone who has been working in tech for 5-6 years now and have been facing challenges in communicating my thoughts clearly. This has hindered my growth and my impact. My native language isn’t English and I get insanely anxious when I have to speak up. As I am looking into growing into the role of tech lead, it is becoming more and more clear that I need to hone my communication and language skills. I was wondering if you had any guidance around this.
I am not a native English speaker either, and I can totally understand your pain and the anxiety that comes with it. That feeling is real, and it can be paralyzing.
You are 100% correct that communication is critical for a Tech Lead, but I want to stress this: Don't think mastering English is the requirement for effective communication.
The minimum bar is this: You need to understand what others are saying, and you need to let others understand what you are saying. Your accent and minor grammar mistakes are generally not critical.
Instead of language mastery, I recommend you focus on the strategic communication skills that truly define a leader:
Understanding Motivation: Instead of blindly answering a question, take a moment to understand the person's real intent.
Stakeholder Management: Regularly loop in stakeholders for visibility. Proactive, clear updates are far more valuable than perfect English.
For addressing the anxiety around speaking, I have two practical tips:
Write to Speak: For high-stakes meetings (like design reviews), pre-write your opening statement (the first 2-3 sentences). This gives you a clear, confident launch point and helps calm your nerves.
Write More: Leverage writing as your primary communication medium, especially for summaries. Sending out a quick summary and next steps after a meeting ensures clarity and builds your authority. In these cases, you can use AI tools to refine the clarity of your writing.
Language skills will naturally improve over time, but your impact as a Tech Lead will come from your ability to structure your thoughts, listen actively, and manage information.
That's a fantastic topic, and I'll add it to my blog idea list!
However, the best approach is to ask a Staff Engineer or experienced Tech Lead within your own company.
The reason is that every company and team values leadership differently—some focus heavily on documentation, others on rapid delivery. Getting advice from someone who understands your specific environment will provide you with a more tailored and actionable growth roadmap than any general blog post can.
Thanks for the elaborate reply. I would love to see a blog about being a tech lead (staff engineer) who builds roadmap, owns technical vision and empowers others in the team.
Wow, best story I’ve read today! Had to create an account just to comment. I’m excited to follow your journey. Although I’m new to the corporate world, I’ve been trying to keep my passion and curiosity alive by publicly documenting my personal project on Youtube to share my fascination. I can’t wait to see how someone with your depth of knowledge approaches their projects. Cheers!
Thanks for your subscription to my newsletter! It will take me some time to adapt after more than 10 years, especially when everything has changed so much with AI.
I'd really encourage you to keep working on your personal project as you can. You will feel rewarded over the years!
I left a leadership position in a fast growing startup where I gave 110% of myself everyday for 7 yrs. All my waking hours was consumed by the mission. Spent a 1 yr sabbatical - and just basically rested. It took that long of a time for my nervous system to calm down and for my head to clear.
Thanks for sharing your story! That sounds like an incredibly intense seven years. I'm genuinely glad you took the full year to reset.
Hopefully, AI will create enough wealth in the economy that all of us don't need to work a corporate job to make a living.
The safety net of working for someone else definitely helps to take that leap. I wouldn't jump without it. But maybe my kids have that safety net of a place to live and food to eat thanks to AI, instead of having to work for N years of their lives to have that opportunity
Yes, a better world for the next generation would be wonderful.
Welcome to the other side of the world! There will be ups and downs but hang in there, you will enjoy it.
Yes, I think that will be fun!
Many people want to work in Goolge, but some google staffs want to leave, it's very common . People have different dreams at different time, but the same is to chase happy life .
Everyone has their own, ever-changing definition of happiness.
can I share this article to China in Chinese if I have time ?
I really appreciate your offer to translate!
For now, I'm going to keep that specific, personal story just on my channels. But perhaps in the future, if I change my mind, I'll reach out!
In the meantime, I'm absolutely happy for you to translate and share any of my other posts, especially the ones that focus on tech topics. Please feel free to do so!
OK
Really love your story ! so much of what you shared resonates with my own experience. Having the time and energy to explore and learn new ideas feels incredibly important, yet it’s not easy for those of us working in tech with long work hours.
If I had more free time, I’d love to look into how parents like myself can better support my children to thrive in the age of AI. I am sure meta skills such as learning to learn will become even more valuable. But if schools are NOT ahead of curve and adapt the curriculum for what’s coming in the future. Then for me,
it’s worth spending more time to seriously think about core skills that my kids need.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Like you, I've been considering what the best approach is for my own kid. For now, I'm focusing on timeless, fundamental skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds. This includes clear communication and public speaking, physical health, and crucial soft skills. While schools provide a great environment for social practice, I believe reinforcing these core abilities and encouraging any progress they make is a practical strategy for now.
If I had more time and freedom, I would devote myself to helping others. I feel that the luck I’ve had in life has given me so much, and when we have more than enough, we have a responsibility—and a reason—to share it with others. It’s true that when we’re struggling just to get by, this ideal can feel distant or out of reach. But if I ever have the time and freedom, I would choose to follow my heart and pursue this path.
I would write a book.
I will seriously think about that :)
Let me know if you do!
Thank you for writing this!
I am someone who has been working in tech for 5-6 years now and have been facing challenges in communicating my thoughts clearly. This has hindered my growth and my impact. My native language isn’t English and I get insanely anxious when I have to speak up. As I am looking into growing into the role of tech lead, it is becoming more and more clear that I need to hone my communication and language skills. I was wondering if you had any guidance around this.
I am not a native English speaker either, and I can totally understand your pain and the anxiety that comes with it. That feeling is real, and it can be paralyzing.
You are 100% correct that communication is critical for a Tech Lead, but I want to stress this: Don't think mastering English is the requirement for effective communication.
The minimum bar is this: You need to understand what others are saying, and you need to let others understand what you are saying. Your accent and minor grammar mistakes are generally not critical.
Instead of language mastery, I recommend you focus on the strategic communication skills that truly define a leader:
Understanding Motivation: Instead of blindly answering a question, take a moment to understand the person's real intent.
Stakeholder Management: Regularly loop in stakeholders for visibility. Proactive, clear updates are far more valuable than perfect English.
For addressing the anxiety around speaking, I have two practical tips:
Write to Speak: For high-stakes meetings (like design reviews), pre-write your opening statement (the first 2-3 sentences). This gives you a clear, confident launch point and helps calm your nerves.
Write More: Leverage writing as your primary communication medium, especially for summaries. Sending out a quick summary and next steps after a meeting ensures clarity and builds your authority. In these cases, you can use AI tools to refine the clarity of your writing.
Language skills will naturally improve over time, but your impact as a Tech Lead will come from your ability to structure your thoughts, listen actively, and manage information.
That's a fantastic topic, and I'll add it to my blog idea list!
However, the best approach is to ask a Staff Engineer or experienced Tech Lead within your own company.
The reason is that every company and team values leadership differently—some focus heavily on documentation, others on rapid delivery. Getting advice from someone who understands your specific environment will provide you with a more tailored and actionable growth roadmap than any general blog post can.
Thanks for the elaborate reply. I would love to see a blog about being a tech lead (staff engineer) who builds roadmap, owns technical vision and empowers others in the team.
Wow, best story I’ve read today! Had to create an account just to comment. I’m excited to follow your journey. Although I’m new to the corporate world, I’ve been trying to keep my passion and curiosity alive by publicly documenting my personal project on Youtube to share my fascination. I can’t wait to see how someone with your depth of knowledge approaches their projects. Cheers!
Thanks for your subscription to my newsletter! It will take me some time to adapt after more than 10 years, especially when everything has changed so much with AI.
I'd really encourage you to keep working on your personal project as you can. You will feel rewarded over the years!