David Xia

Why an Aesthetically-pleasing Internet is Important

2012-01-04T16:34:28+00:00 | By

I prefer to write code for backend. The plumbing, infrastructure, functionality of a product. Backend developers want the computer to spit out all the relevant data for a page as fast as possible. Their primary concern isn’t how it looks, just that it gets there efficiently.

But I’ve learned that functionality is necessary but not sufficient. Form that only fits function fails to attract users. A well-crafted web app must also have good design. This is why UX and UI are increasingly more important. In the early days of the Internet when only hardcore hackers and geeks were online… more...

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How to Work Happily with Developers

2012-02-12T22:45:52+00:00 | By

Since I didn’t know how to program last year, it’s better to write my thoughts down now before I become a tech elitist who can’t relate to people who don’t know and don’t care about the difference between interpreted and compiled languages.

1. Don’t treat developers as commodities.
Why would you treat anybody in your organization as commodities? If your team hired the right people, you should value each of them.

2. Simple things can often be complex (and complex things can be simple).
So don’t expect seemingly small changes to be done in the blink of an… more...

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How to Find Good Mentors

2012-02-09T18:34:11+00:00 | By

I spent time over the holidays thinking about what makes a good mentor. Here’s my summary after thinking about the mentors I’ve had so far.

Good mentors:

  1. cultivate long-term relationships with their mentees
  2. can distill their years of experience into good advice that’d take mentees years to figure out on their own
  3. want a mutually beneficial relationship where they get something out of it too
  4. have experience and proven track record in an industry related to the mentee

1. Ben, whom I’ve written about before, is a good mentor because he was good at setting aside… more...

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Why You Should Read Steve Jobs’ Biography

2012-01-07T19:09:01+00:00 | By

I’ve got 140 pages left to go in Steve Jobs’ biography, and I’ve laughed, shuddered, but most of all, felt inspired by all the pages so far. I can’t believe I didn’t know more about Jobs’ personal background; the creation, near death, and triumphant rise of Apple; or the myriad other people in the tech world that were related to Jobs’ life.

Isaacson writes with clarity and detail. The anecdotes are numerous and often funny. The portrait Isaacson paints of Jobs has inspired, scared, and taught me a lot. I… more...

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A Difference Between New York and Silicon Valley Startups?

2011-12-21T00:07:48+00:00 | By

I just talked with a Silicon Valley friend who’s written code since middle school and has lots of startup experience. This friend recently moved to New York and told me the differences between New York and Silicon Valley startup mentality.

The thing that struck me most was his description of how the average Silicon Valley startup perceives itself and how that differs a lot from the average New York startup. Here’s his lengthy description boiled down. This is grossly generalized. I’m sure not every startup in New York is A and every West Coast startup is like B. I’m… more...

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How to Make Chocolate Soufflé, Sauce, and Truffles

2011-12-05T12:22:16+00:00 | By

On October 30, I attended Mehdi Chellaoui’s Intro to Chocolate workshop. It was the perfect laid-back class to do on a brisk Sunday afternoon. Mehdi held his class on the second floor of Zabar’s, a grocery and kitchenware store on 80th Street and Broadway.

He worked on a large table in front of an audience of about 26 people. Most were middle-aged and elderly women. Some were shopping at Zabar’s and happened to hear the announcement of the free chocolate class over the loudspeaker. I was one of only four guys in attendance. We learned how to… more...

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I Want to Learn How to Take Better Photographs

2012-02-12T22:44:45+00:00 | By

November 24, 2011
1:00 PM
I’m tired of using taking bad photos. I’m tired of seeing other people’s bad photos. I’m tired of point-and-shoots.

I’m not sure exactly what kind of photography I want to improve on, but often I see something beautiful and wish I could capture that moment.

Because I spend most of my time in the urban landscape of New York City surrounded by people, I’ll want to become better at taking photos of people and manmade structures. Not Ansel Adams landscapes.

As I’ve started reading resources online, I came across a sensible… more...

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Why I Hate Shopping For Clothes

2011-11-24T10:26:28+00:00 | By

I hate shopping for clothes not because I don’t like seeing what’s new at stores or because I don’t care about what I wear. I hate it because searching for clothes that fit me in American stores is nearly impossible. My measurements are:

  • neck: 14.5″
  • chest: 38″
  • sleeve: 32.5″
  • waist: 28″
  • inseam: 30″

No store sells 28-inch waist pants. I’ve looked everywhere. Perhaps children’s clothing stores but not adults.

All the shirts I ever come across are rectangular shaped. Even the fitted ones don’t always fit me. If the shoulders fit then the lower half… more...

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I Love The Moth. Why is Voss Underwriting them?

2011-11-26T23:06:47+00:00 | By

The Moth is an organization that hosts events made of real stories told live on stage. Every event has a different theme around which story tellers weave their narratives. They’re one of my favorite podcasts. I love listening to the well-crafted stories told by writers, artists, and regular folk.

The stories are about 15 minutes long with simple narrative arcs, but their messages are often complex. Some of the most memorable stories for me are:

Mike Birbiglia talks about breaking up with his girlfriend while stranded on an island:
[audio:http://cdn.themoth.prx.org/moth-podcast-149-mike-birbiglia.mp3]

Steve Burns of children’s show… more...

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What I Learned From Chris Dixon’s Skillshare Class

2012-02-09T16:48:18+00:00 | By

I attended Chris Dixon’s Skillshare class “How to Raise Your First Round” earlier this week. It was my first time meeting the entrepreneur and investor. I learned a lot from his class. Here’s a summary.

Whether to Raise Money

Avoid taking money if you can. Some businesses are not suitable for VC funding. This includes mom and pop stores and companies that can’t scale up to have revenue in at least the hundreds of millions.

I asked whether our current culture of celebrating fundraising as a mark of success is a recent… more...

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