Creative Filipino-American building products with ❤️

Product leader with over a decade of experience leading product teams and initiatives, from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies, focused on building exceptional products within AI/ML and robotics. I am proud to be a key employee of two startup acquisitions, TeachStreet (acquired by Amazon) and Mighty Ai (acquired by Uber), and was a part of Aurora going public. I have a track record of rallying cross-functional teams and leadership to build products that bring joy to our customers.

Currently, I am building product at Waabi. In my spare time, I angel invest in startups I want to see in the world and I serve as a proud Board Member at Artist Trust supporting artists be artists for a living in Washington State. I also consider myself an artist and home cook along with being deeply involved with my family, friends, and community.

✉️ Email | 🐦 Twitter | 👔 Linkedin

Sit back and get comfortable. This is how I felt after hearing, from an Uber All-hands, we were going to be working from home until June 2021. The hits keep on coming in 2020. During these last 5 months, I learned I really enjoyed walking by my friend's area at work catching up on random stuff, having serendipitous lunch discussions, and brainstorming or jamming on a whiteboard. The simple joys of seeing someone laugh in-person. All things I truly miss. But, I coped with it all since it is out of my control. It would be over 15 months by the time we get back to the office. I figured I should get situated and accept this reality.

In the beginning, I was working directly out of my bedroom. A natural start since I never really worked from home during my career. That got old real quick. The separation of work and my personal life was getting detrimentally blurred since it was where I slept. I never was able to turn off "work mode" and it was getting unhealthy. I needed a change. My brother mentioned we should take over the dining room table. No one was coming over anyways during these COVID-19 times, so using the dining room would be a good spot to set up the makeshift office.

Our dining room is situated right in the middle of the house. Right between the living room and the kitchen. So far, it has been perfect. An area where I can focus on work and if I ever needed a breather, I could go to the kitchen to make something, the living room to watch some TV, or back to my bedroom just to rest up. And sometimes, I would take my laptop outside on my porch for some fresh air and a different view. And funny enough, I have met more of my neighbors during these times than before just by working outside. Good times.

I do not think I will ever get used to this, but I have learned to deal with it. Unsure if we will ever be back in the office. Many tech companies are rethinking offices nowadays since it is clear folks are still performing while working from home. And even if we do, I wonder if it will be the same. I am excited to find out when the time comes. Until then, I am sure I will be continually evolving my office setup for the foreseeable future.

So, what is your home office setup? How are you handling this work from home reality?

Drink Setup

Le Creuset French Press

I was in a habit of drinking 2-3 cups of coffee during the workweek. I could lift my hand up and see it jitter after a while. Using my huge french press made too much coffee. So, with this personal-sized french press, I get to 1 cup which is plenty to get me through the day.

• Le Creuset French Press

Le Creuset Mug

I had to get the matching mug to go with my french press. It is a nice and hefty mug to hold my tasty coffee in the morning and keep it warm. It is also a good holder of the french press filter while a wait for the coffee to steep over time. Perfect combination.

• Le Creuset Mug

Zojirushi Stainless Mug

You need to stay hydrated. I really like drinking ice-cold water, so the Zojirushi water bottle is the best to keep your water cold. Also, the flip-top for the lid that keeps the lid open and the silicone lip is nice.

• Zojirushi Stainless Mug

Stanley Classic Easy-Pour Growler

Ok, I am a little lazy. With back-to-back Zoom meetings, I forget to get up and get water. So having a growler has been a lifesaver at times. Plus, it allows me to keep more water cool while a new batch is getting cold in the fridge.

• Stanley Classic Easy-Pour Growler

Computer Setup

Dell 24" UltraSharp Monitor

A large bright monitor with a matte finish screen has helped as my main view when doing my work online. The adjustable height has been nice to support my frequent changes in seating.

• Dell 24" UltraSharp Monitor (U2415)

Logitech C920s Pro HD Webcam

I have been using my MacBook Pro's built-in camera for the longest time, but it was time to upgrade my Zoom video with this webcam. Plus, the privacy attachable cover is a nice touch.

• Logitech C920s Pro HD Webcam

Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016)

Both my personal and work laptop is a MacBook Pro. I have had a MacBook since college and never looked back.

• Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016)

Rain Design mStand

This laptop stand is a strong and sturdy stand, which elevates my laptop at a perfect height for me while I am working. The area under the laptop is a good area for accessories too.

• Rain Design mStand

Apple Magic Keyboard

Just a simple keyboard that works. It connects really well with my MacBook and super easy to charge up when the battery is depleted.

• Apple Magic Keyboard

Apple Magic Trackpad 2

I have both the Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse, but I have swayed towards the trackpad since you can charge it while using it and the amount of gestures is super useful.

• Apple Magic Trackpad 2

Sony Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones

When I want to tune out and get a ton of writing or work done, these headphones get me into the zone. These noise-canceling headphones let me escape in lofi hip-hop goodness. (thanks Spare5!)

• Sony Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones (MDR-ZX770BN)

Old Logitech Wired Headset

I was having a lot of Zoom issues when I was working from home. Specifically, whenever I joined a Zoom meeting I would cause echoes within the meeting, so I had to mute and unmute to clear it up. It was very annoying, so I dug up this headset from the early 2000s.

Chair Setup

Office Chair from Uber

I do not know what type of chair this is, but it is super comfy. We were able to take home our office chairs from the Uber office (thanks Uber!) during these work from home times. I forgot how nice these were.

Accessories Setup

Satechi USB-C Slim Multi-Port

There are so many different wires. For your monitor, you charger, your headset, and your webcam. Instead of plugging them in separately, use a hub to connect it all. Then you can just connect one wire to your computer.

• Satechi USB-C Slim Multi-Port

Headset Hook

The headset was always in my way on my desk when I was not using it. Sometimes I would have kept it on my head to keep things clean. This headset hook is such a simple way to hang my headset when I am not using it.

• Headset Hook

UGREEN Desk Tablet Stand

This is a perfect spot for just placing my iPhone to see if anyone is calling me or any important push notifications. It is also adjustable for viewing videos if you need that. Plus, I definitely have used this as a fidget tool.

• UGREEN Desk Tablet Stand

Bolt and Washer

I found this in a random conference room in the Uber offices. I have no idea what it was used for, but this is my favorite fidget tool. It is a bolt that you can stick into the washer. Two pieces that occupies my hands while I am in meetings.

Random Accessories

This is a simple container of everything else. From post-it notes and pens to more fidget cubes or a knitted turkey (thank you Manda!), this is the final spot for my random accessories.

What is your home office setup? How are you handling this work from home reality?

I saw Kiana Ledé perform "Dear Mr. President" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this week, which led me to the song's original video and it brought a tear to my eye. I said to myself, "Am I crying?". The specific part was when a beautiful Black couple was getting married at a protest, fists proudly in the air. Portraying love in the middle of a peaceful protest. It got me good. I have been involved in these issues since college. From the injustices of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many more; I never really decompressed from this recent uprising of protests, rallies, and marches. I do not think I ever will. I have sat with my feelings bottled up, and that was not healthy. So here is my attempt to share my experience. I understand I have lived with certain privileges, so I know I am not going through the same experiences as my fellow Black, Indigenous, and people of color. But, I want to let folks know that I stand with you. With that said, let me narrate my inner dialogue during some key events from these last several months.

Protesting in Social Media

I was quarantined in my house, like everyone else. Witnessing my friends, who I have shared deep conversations with these issues, take to the streets. Letting their voices be heard. Even seeing some of my past minority mentees from the UW standing up for what they believe, damn near 4 blocks from where I live. They were loud and non-stop, just like they should be. You could not ignore the cries for justice throughout the streets and social media. I was inspired and guilty at the same time. There was despair in me. I wanted to join them in the street, but I did not want to risk possibly infecting family if I happened to catch COVID-19. So, I found other ways and ended up donating to causes, signing a bunch of petitions, and shared content. I stayed home.

Though, once upon a time, I used to create a lot of content for social media. As I continued to watch the protests from Twitch hearing the sounds and roaring chants, I wanted to capture that in some way. Using the images from the protests happening in my neighborhood matched with those persistent chants, I created these images. Simple and straight to the point. I churned out as many of these as I could and shared them in all of the social media outlets I could. It was a small action, but action nonetheless.

"We Want To Live" March

I decided to go on my first march during this pandemic. I woke up that morning and I apologized to my brother, who I have been quarantining with. He looked at me and gave me the nod like any Kuya would. He understood. I still had a concern sitting in the back of my head that I would bring something back. And if I contributed to infecting my family, that would have stuck with me forever. But, I walked out of the house. Mask in hand. Hand sanitizers in my pocket. Conscious to not interact with anyone. I was on a mission.

As I drove down to South Seattle, I found it fitting this was going to start where I grew up most of my life. I did not know how many people were going to be there, but I know I wanted to be there. I wanted to support the community where I grew up. Born and raised in Seattle, this was a special march for me. Back home, back in the neighborhood where I played basketball at the park. I parked my car in a neighborhood I knew that would have parking and I walked. Not seeing many people at first, but that changed when I hit Othello Street and Martin Luther King Jr Way. People were coming out of their cars, coming down the hill, jumping out of the trains, they were all coming out. The closer I got to Othello Park, that is when I saw the people came out. Masked up and socially distancing. It was in the back of their minds too. I was not alone.

We heard the roaring crowds chant, "Black Lives Matter", with speakers grounding the march to what matters. Led by the young Black community, we started to march and that is when you see the crowd when we got to Rainier Avenue. Sun blazing, people were out chanting in unison, playing their music, marching with a purpose. I even saw spectators out of their houses cheering us all along while recording the moment themselves. I remember spotting a Black elderly woman crying with her hands above her head clapping. There was a joy to see the community come out. We ended the march at the Rainier Beach Safeway, where the community restaurants fed us and a group of speakers solidified the message through speeches and songs. I was hopeful. I was proud to march with my friends and my community. No police were present at this march.

CHAZ

I was standing on the corner where I witnessed the Seattle Police Department threw flash bombs, tear gas, and pepper spray into a crowd of peaceful protestors. I stood in horror with my phone in the air recording what I was seeing. Eyes wide open looking into the eyes of other protestors, I still have that image in my mind. I could not believe it. People trying to avoid violence and chaos. I captured what I could before the fear came over me and then I started to run the route I said I would when things went bad. As I walked home, I was still in disbelief about what just happened.

Days later, I stood in the same corner after the Seattle Police Department abandoned the East Precinct. The area had much more of a joyous vibe. The sounds were replaced by people playing music, painting art, and teach-in discussions. They even had a "No Cop Co-op" where folks could grab snacks and drinks while you enjoyed the festivities. It felt different, it felt peaceful. I know it did not last, but I enjoyed that brief moment. Even if it was only for a couple of fleeting days in the beginning.

March in Silence for Black Lives

Amid COVID-19, a silent march made a lot of sense. Both in the practicality of not actively spreading anything through chants and the power of a crowd not speaking a word. My brother joined me this time around. It was raining that morning. Raining hard. I thought no one would be there, but I was wrong. From the 8:46 minutes of silence to the speeches from the organizers, it was a moving experience. I saw a huge crowd of people standing 6-feet apart practicing social distancing and they all had masks. And if you did not have one, they were handing them out. Along with water, snacks, and even coffee from Boona Boona Coffee we were taken care of.

As we marched out of Judkins Park towards Jefferson Park, the walking was slower than expected and we did not know why. So we circled the park and jumped back into the march on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Then we realized why it was taking so long. There were thousands of people on the streets, all coming in from the side streets. You could not see where the people started and where it ended. Marching down the hill, you did not hear a thing except for marching footsteps and raindrops falling. It was surreal. And when we reached the peak of the hill towards the park, we looked back and you could not imagine the neverending sea of people coming towards us. That night I found out it was close to over 60,000 people who participated that day. In the rain. For justice. This is the movement.

Several days after, we both got free COVID-19 tests to check whether we caught anything. We pulled into the defunct drive-thru for emissions testing that was outfitted now with coronavirus testing by the Seattle Fire Department. Within minutes, we were at the front in our car having someone stick something up both my nostrils farther than I ever expected. And that was it. Less than 10 minutes. Thankfully, after a day we received our notification we tested negative.

Now I sit here today, still participating in my way through candid discussions with friends, family, strangers, and community members alike. Trying to find ways I can help with my time, money, and conversations. Am I going as hard as I was before? I know I am not. There was a time I was thinking about this nonstop and I feel it was a mix of the 24/7 life of quarantine, social media, and the news. But my BIPOC friends think about this all the time. They do not have the privilege to shut it off and I truly sympathize with that. They live this every single day. So here I am, focusing back on things to keep my mind at ease. Family. Friends. Work. Cooking. Running. Art. Though, I still hear and see the struggle being fought. This is not just their struggle to fight alone, this is our struggle too. So I will continue to do the work on being an ally. ✊🏽 🖤

I drew 65 postcards commissioned by 59 donors raising $1,204 in donations for the COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Funds earlier this year. In May 2020, Governor Jay Inslee issued a "stay-at-home" order until the end of the month, so I wanted to keep my mind busy by diving into some creativity and raising funds for a good cause during this pandemic. It was humbling to see the outpouring of all the love for this special art project. Thanks to all of my friends and family for the support.

The inspiration for this project came from what I was seeing in the community, especially what I was seeing from my cousin Evalynn Romano who was helping the UW custodians with surprise breakfasts. I felt if she was able to take time to contribute, I could do the same. So I tested it out and asked my close group of friends on GroupMe if they would donate for a "postcard drawing" from me and my friend Hua Yu did just that. I received $1 via PayPal for my first postcard drawing. That was enough validation for me. I chose a non-profit in the Artist Trust who helped local artists in Seattle. I created a personalized Google Form where potential donors learn about the art project and fill out a form with their name, address, a drawing prompt, and how much they wanted to donate for a postcard (e.g. $1, $5, $10, $20, and Other). After submitting, they would get an automatic personalized email with information to send the donations via PayPal or Venmo. I even got a couple of physical checks. It was a super simple set up.

And that is how it started. I posted a call for postcard art commissions on Facebook and Instagram with links to the #DrawingsForDonations Google Form and waited. I was nervous in anticipation. Were people going to contribute? Was this a stupid idea? I began second-guessing myself. But within a couple of hours, I received several submissions. And throughout the month, they continued thankfully flowing in. The whole plan was to complete some postcard drawings, post them on Facebook and Instagram with links to the form, tagging the donor with a personal message on the post — rinse and repeat. The postcard drawings received 1,137 reactions and 143 comments across Facebook and Instagram. The more I shared the artwork, the more submissions I would get. It was working! This became a perfect way to fill my time while stuck at home.

The heart of this art project was the variety of drawing prompts I received from all of the donors. Each submission was entertaining, intimidating, and encouraging in their own ways. It was a challenge forcing me to push my creative boundaries for what I could draw.

From drawing animals and flowers…

…to scenic views and family portraits…

…to birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and even baby reveals.

The drawing prompts were all over the place, which was fun and kept me on my toes. I have talked about my love for drawing before. And each time I looked at the blank postcard, I saw the progression from laying it down with a pencil, to making it permanent with ink, and then adding some life to the postcard with colored pencils — such a satisfying experience. With every postcard I mailed out, it put a smile on my face and I hope it showed.

Sharing creativity with my friends and family was an enjoyable experience. It gave me a chance to catch up with so many folks in this process. I really felt connected, even if it was just text back and forth or hopping on a quick FaceTime call. During this pandemic, it was good to make those connections. And if my postcard doodles was a chance to symbolically visit the homes of my friends and family, that in itself was all worth it. I will continue to find similar art projects to do moving forward and I am excited to see where this creative journey takes me. Be on the lookout.

Thank you for all the support 😊💌

$1,204 for 65 Postcards from 59 Donors

#DrawingsForDonations Postcards in the wild

If you received a postcard, I would love to see where in the wild they live today. Feel free to email me a photo and I can add it to the gallery below.

Today marks the 1-year anniversary of Mighty Ai joining Uber ATG. Time flies. It is somewhat crazy to say that I have been, more or less, with this crew for over 5 years now. And it continues to be a fun rollercoaster of a ride personally, professionally, and emotionally. I will happily admit, more highs than lows. Though it has not been easy, I have grown a lot.

I have made a ton of friends along the way and have seen some come and go. Watched our product go from a purely iOS app crowdsourcing annotations for companies like Bing, Snapchat, and Pinterest to being laser-focused on building out labeling products for the self-driving use case at Uber ATG -- and everything in between. The evolution has been eye-opening and gratifying to be a part of. We have moved in and out of 4 different offices and have visited offices and customers all around the world -- Boston, Pittsburgh, Boulder, Austin, San Francisco, San Jose, Stuttgart, and Bangalore. We just keep moving forward.

I always see myself coming back to the experience. There is a joy with the process of building amazing products with a group of extraordinary individuals looking to make a dent in the world, especially now in self-driving. I sometimes cannot describe the feeling, but when you have that alignment -- it works, and it is such a rush. I experience that a lot here and that is why I probably have stuck around for so long.

I look forward to seeing where this rollercoaster goes and will continue to make moves to build some amazing products along the way. Cheers! 🥃

One year after the first Women's March, like clockwork, we took to the street to voice our disapproval with everything. A lot of my fellow citizens came to march for women's rights, the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter, immigrant rights, DACA, #shitholecountries, and even just the vehement disapproval of our current administration and President Donald Trump. Whatever it was folks came out to protest and march for, they came with an extraordinary combination of anger, disgust, hope, and excitement for what they believed in. They came out. They made themselves known and I was glad to march along side with them.

I wouldn't say I'm the most vocal person about these kinds of topics, but I do love putting ink to paper. Since President Donald Trump has taken the White House, I have been sporadically sending the man some postcards regarding how I feel about his horrendous performance so far. Each postcard consists of two things:

1. A drawing on one side since I do like to draw.

2. A short message addressed to President Donald Trump.

3. My return address just in case he wants to write me back.

The funny thing is, I probably have had more interactions (albeit postcards) with President Donald Trump than I ever did with President Barack Obama. I wish I did this when he was in office, the messages and drawings would have been so much more positive. Come back, Barack!

Yesterday was Seahawks Sunday here in Seattle, and it started as any one of these would. Woke up at 6am to get the tailgating party started. Checked the weather and checked for directions on my iPhone. Scootered over to Utah St. right behind Macrina Bakery on 1st Avenue since it wasn’t raining. My dad and I setup shop and used my iPhone to notify folks of our location and coordinated by messaging missing items. When the tailgate started, we were able to post photos onto Facebook and Twitter easily and even comment on status for folks to come on by before the game. From 6am to 1pm, using the internet was as smooth as being at home — but when you hit CenturyLink Field, you can kiss that goodbye.

It’s funny with a stadium named after “high-speed internet” company like CenturyLink, it exactly lacks what it sells. It was the same feeling when it was called Qwest Field. This isn’t anything new. As a season ticket holder for the last several years, I’ve always found myself doing the patented “lift your hand up high with your phone to get reception” move with no avail. I know it may be my AT&T coverage, but fellow season ticket holders with Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have had the same problem. This is an issue.

CenturyLink Field hosts over 67,000+ fans each Seattle Seahawk game and even with the Seattle Sounders FC, they’re able to hold 33,000+ fans each game. That’s selling out the stadium each game, and the majority of those rabid fans use smartphones — so why are they making it hard for fans to talk about their product on the field. They’re not leveraging them to spread the word about the players, the teams, the game, and more importantly the experience. The teams are missing out on people posting their thoughts, photos, and location on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. What better idea would it be to provide the fans who are struggling to send out tweets, statuses, and photos with the ability to do so?

For this NFL season, five stadiums have already been outfitted as a pilot for in-stadium wifi: MetLife Stadium (Jets/Giants), Gillette Stadium (Patriots), Bank of America (Panthers), Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts), and the Superdome (Saints). This isn’t a new idea with teams from both the MLB and NFL exploring wifi opportunities. I’m just surprised for a tech hub like Seattle, why don’t we have wifi in CenturyLink Field? As a huge fan, the product is the experience. I’d rather share my experiences in the moment rather than waiting after the game or when I’m home to do so and I believe the majority of the 67,000+ fans feel the same way.

Back in high school, I was all about doing things in tech. We were lucky since Mr. Wes Felty was a faculty member at Ingraham High School, and he also doubled as the network system administrator for the whole Seattle Schools District. There was a ton of opportunity to experiment, and here are some of the projects we were able to do:

• Friends and I helped rebuild and update our school’s website

• Learned how to build computers in our A+ course

• Wired and set up the Rainier Beach High School network

• Through MESA, helped Seattle Parks and Recreation improve their website

I can only imagine what kids are learning nowadays. Ten years later, I’ve continued to stay within the HTML and CSS borders of coding. This year, I’ll be breaking free from those borders. The goal is to learn the basics and harness some coding skills which will come in super handy. As the “business” guy, I think it’s especially important to learn since understanding what goes into coding could be your leg up whether you’re the one coding or managing the product. I want to be able to build product and having a skill set to build prototypes without waiting for this “special” developer to do it is key for me.

So along with 300,000+ others, I joined Code Year brought to you by Codecademy. I just finished my first week of lessons in Javascript, and I’m left wanting more and lucky me there’s a couple more lessons to do. Naturally, I’ll probably be diving into other resources on top of the to-dos for Code Year. Having minimal coding experience, I’m looking to catch up and there’s a ton of resources out there as my buddy Scott Windsor says:

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up at codeyear or codeacademy or tryruby or Khan Academy. I even teach ruby lessons as well if you want one on one help and instruction.

Scott Windsor

Coding is just like any skill set. Let’s just take sales, for instance. A lot of folks don’t have any selling experience, but they end up learning how to do it because in the end — it’s a good to have. I feel the same with coding. You may not end up being the best coder in the world, but having the extra bit of knowledge will go a long way in whatever job you have and it may even help you land one. You’ll eventually be learning this stuff sometime in the future, why not just start now. Don’t wait 10 years like me.

Check out my first application from Codecademy, FizzBuzz. It’s crude, but it’s a start.

// for the numbers 1 through XX,

var number = prompt ("How many numbers do you want?");

for (i=1; i<=number; i++) {

// if the number is divisible by 3, write "Fizz"
// if the number is also divisible by 5, write "FizzBuzz"
 
 if ( i % 3 === 0 ) {
 if ( i % 5 === 0) {
 console.log("FizzBuzz")
 }
 else {
 console.log("Fizz");
 }
 }
 
// if the number is divisible by 5, write "Buzz"
 
 else if ( i % 5 === 0 ) {
 console.log("Buzz");
 }
 
// otherwise, write just the number

else {
 console.log(i);
 }
}

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

Victor Hugo

Have you ever had this happen to you? You’re listening to your music on your iPhone on the bus or train, and it cycles to a song you know all the words to so you start singing along…aloud. Sometimes those songs aren’t the best to share, and you get a bit embarrassed afterwards. I know I’ve had my moments in the past, but nowadays I really don’t care. If it’s good enough to sing, it has to be somehow. You can find me doing this a ton when I drive.

As much as I love to let everyone know what I’m listening to, I kind of only let them know when they’re good. With Spotify, there isn’t such a filter. What ever I listen to, it gets posted on Facebook. This is happening a lot with articles also due to Facebook’s Open Graph. You can see whatever anyone is viewing on The Washington Post or The Guardian. Note, I said “view” and not “read.” If they just view the article for two seconds and close, it still shows their network that they “read” it and give an unconscious recommendation. This is similar to what Spotify is doing with music. I skip a lot of the music I don’t like, but low and behold — Facebook tells everyone I listened to it.

I really do want to share what I’m listening to with my friends and family, but I only want to share the music I feel is worth sharing. Sometimes on Spotify, I listen to lists just to find music, or just tune out. In this case, sometimes songs come up with K$sha or Justin Bieber and that’s shared with my network — and to me that doesn’t make any sense. I’m not a fan of either, so I wouldn’t want to share it.

It would be nice to have the ability to set a hotkey to post to Facebook when I hear a song I’d like to share on Spotify. This will allow me to listen to all the music I want and with a push of some keys, I can feature the songs I really like and share it accordingly with my network. Is that so much to ask?

You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too.

Frederick Terral

While I was in high school, I was getting tired of all my friends gleaming over these boy bands like the Backstreet Boys and NSync. It was annoying. They would play their music loud in their cars, sing them in the hallways, and even expect dudes like me to take heed in what these manufactured bands were singing about. What did I naturally do? I took it to the pencil and paper and decided to create a little comic book parodying the whole boy band craze called Whackstreet Boys. Not the most creative title in the world, but it got the reaction I wanted.

I love being able take an idea, creating something, and see if it was anywhere along the lines of what I imagined in my head. Sometimes it’s not exactly what I imagined but going through that process over and over again — you begin to get better and better. And seeing those improvements over time in my drawings have always excited me and that’s a huge reason why I continue to draw. Here’s the elements and a bit of a breakdown of why I draw:

The beauty of a blank page

A blank page represents the excitement of creating. The page is just calling for you to make a mark and start anew. There’s just so many possibilities here and you’re in control. You can do anything and no one can stop you. If anything, you can always start with a new blank page.

The wonder of an imagination

When I draw, anything is possible. You literally draw from your experiences and the imagination hopefully you haven’t lost while you were a kid. From the graffiti you see on brick walls, cartoon characters you see in the Sunday funnies to artists you meet at local Sketchbombs — you’re creating something inspired but unique to you.

The satisfaction of being done

There’s always an end point when I draw, whether it’s what you expected or something totally different — you end with a finished product. Either I say, “damn, that’s not what I wanted” and scrap it or “sweet — that’s going up somewhere!”. There’s definitely a lot of the former, but when a drawing clicks — it’s a great feeling. Sometimes it takes a ton of “damns” before you get to a “sweet”.

I continue to draw today mostly on my iPad — I love Zen Brush. I’m not the best artist by any means, but like I mentioned a week ago — “it soothes my soul.” Drawing keeps my brain fresh and taps into the creativity I want to keep from my childhood. Maybe that’s why I love working and building products at startups so much. There’s a sense of taking an idea, building it, and seeing it through while getting feedback. It’s a fun continuous process.

I know there’s a ton of artists at heart out there. It would be great to hear from you on why you draw. Feel free to just tweet me @joesunga with a #whyidraw hashtag to a tweet explaining why you draw or leave a comment below. I’d love to start curating everyone’s thoughts.

#whyidraw around the world

Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.

Robert Frost

I’ve been traveling the last several weeks through Europe and have been using Airbnb for some of my lodging choices. It’s been hit or miss, but luckily more hits than misses. I really do like how the site works in connecting travelers with hosts around the world, it made it super easy to get a nice spot on the cheap around the world. I could have done hostels but when you have to pay $30/bed for two people, that’s $60 per night already. If I could find private space under $60, I’m golden and we were always able to. Here are some of the tips I’d give to future folks using Airbnb.

Rent from folks with one listing only on Airbnb

The reason why I’d only rent from folks with one listing is because more likely than not, it’s their own space of your renting a private rooms from them. With that in mind, people who are giving their space up are more likely to have a more cleanly space since that’s where going to be sleeping after you’re gone. I’ve done both renting out a private room and the whole apartment — both had a cozy charm about them.

If you do rent from someone who has more than one listing, you’re going to have to ask yourself if the host is doing this as a business or is it actually their space. The experience I had with someone like this only provided us the minimum in accommodations and it didn’t have any charm or character since the host didn’t even live there (or even in the building). I wouldn’t do that again.

Have open communication with your host

You’re going to a home, apartment, or condo — you’re not going to a hotel or even a hostel with a front desk to checkin to. You’re not going to have room service or anything like that, so I suggest you do a lot of your communication on the front end.

1. Connect with your host well before your arrival to discuss checkin process (i.e. getting there, key exchange, etc.)

2. Get the phone numbers and emails needed — sometimes the host isn’t the one you communicate with.

3. Make sure you get wifi code (if available)

4. Make sure you get the ground rules for the space

5. Try and get some tips and recommendations from the host since many of them are local

Communication is going to be key on the front end because it’s going to be so much harder to figure all this out during the vacation, plus you don’t want to worry about that when you’re trying to figure out what sites to see. Remember there isn’t any 24/7 desk you can call like at a hotel.

Utilize everything in the space you’re in

When you’re renting your space from folks on Airbnb, a lot of them are going to have some amenities you’d have to sometimes pay extra for at a hotel. For instance, while I was at Amsterdam — we had a washer we could have used to wash a lot of our clothes, which was awesome. The host even provided us with detergent to use. Plus, since these places is where they actually live, you’ll have access to their kitchen which includes the fridge and stove. These were super useful during our trip to help save money on food and drinks.

Definitely remember to take a look at the amenities on Airbnb because some of them are great to have. I know we didn’t even consider places that didn’t have wifi — so that’s definitely something to consider while you’re using the service.

So let's recap:

Now the question is, would I do Airbnb again? Yes, I definitely would with the above things in mind. There’s definitely a different take to traveling when you get greeted by someone locally and if you’re able to get connected with people who welcome folks with open arms — even better. Several of the places we stayed at greeted us with beers and food upon arrival. It’s the little things that’ll make me use it again.

If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Isaac Newton

When you start out as a startup, no one knows who the hell you are. You can always make your big splash on TechCrunch, Mashable, etc. — but that traffic will just come and go. Sometimes people have this mentality of, “If I build it, they will come,” and I can tell you now that isn’t the case. You’re just an upstart trying to build credibility in the industry/space you’re competing in. It’s an uphill battle you have to face in order to educate everyone who you come in contact with about what you’re looking to build, but it gets easier and easier after getting some wins in your pocket. One way to build a winning streak is to use larger known brands to help build your brand.

Make connections with recognizable brands

During the earlier days at TeachStreet, we wanted to see if larger educational companies would like to use our platform of connecting with students looking to learn to gain more leads/sales for their business. I literally did the following to put together my list of brands I’d like to work with:

1. Identify the categories we wanted to go after. In our case, it was: test prep, tutoring, music, fitness, and business/computer training.

2. Within the categories identified, list the desired companies in those industries.
   Measure the opportunities with each company. For us, it was city and category coverage. Which one had the most centers, teachers, etc.

3. Check your network and see if any of your connections have any ties with the companies on the list. We used our networks heavily, which even included teachers on TeachStreet. Linkedin is also a gold mine to help find the connection you need.

4. Prioritize with the leads through introductions from your network first then move to cold calling.

This is probably the most difficult part of the process because it’s about landing that first partner to take a chance on what you’re doing. Once you land those first few established partners, you’re off to a great start. We were lucky to have a couple of great partners initially here at TeachStreet like Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.

The brands should help promote the partnership

Once you get the first few companies on board, be sure to treat them as partners and have them understand that their involvement will help this partnership succeed. One of the ways these larger companies can help you is by promoting their presence on TeachStreet through email newsletters, blog posts, Facebook posts, and Twitter. This is probably one of the most valuable things you can get from your initial partners since their network of customers are probably larger than yours and if you’re able to capture a portion of those customers to use your site — that’s a great start. Plus, more likely than not, their competitors are following what they’re doing and their announcement will allow you to have easier conversations with potential partners in the future.

Showcase the successful partners as much as possible

Use the partners who have been successful on your site and showcase them like no other. Promote them on your blog, social media outlets, and primarily on your site. It’s important to have these initial partners be successful because in the end, you’ll be using them as your case study examples to potential partners on why your product is working. At TeachStreet, we were able to eventually bring on a good amount of Premium Partners to create a showcase page, which helped us get more business.

So let’s recap:

1. Connect with larger brands you’d like to work with and close those deals

2. Try and have those larger brands promote their presence on your product

3. Promote and showcase the hell out of those partners

If you do those right, all you really need to do is rinse and repeat while improving the process and product along the way.