@ninaxiang1 on X
Once, CZ (Changpeng Zhao) once explained why he didn't lose sleep over layoffs.
"If they are strong, they will stand firm; if they are weak, well, they shouldn't be here."
When I was laid off from Binance last month, I thought it was just capitalist bluff. He's a billionaire and certainly doesn't understand the pain of losing his job.
But a month later, I completely agree with CZ. Being laid off turned out to be an amazing growth opportunity.
Instead of spinning like a top every day, I can stop, stand still, reflect deeply on my career, and ask some very basic questions:
What do I like to do?
What do I want to achieve in this life?
Life-writing work in Beijing at age 21 was fun; working at the embassy was shocking; that PR career in Shanghai wasn't entirely smooth; reporting on Wall Street figures in New York was fascinating.
But the most exciting thing is writing about AI and innovative technology startups/ventures while running my own company. Of course, I also enjoy writing my three books!
The best part is, my work makes an impact. I am shaping public discourse and key government policymaking on key topics such as artificial intelligence. Being invited to speak around the world is just the icing on the cake.
The 16 months at Binance have been rewarding in many ways. I learned a lot more about crypto/Web3; and how cryptocurrency exchanges work; how big companies work... and it was financially rewarding too (thanks to buying Bitcoin at a low price last year).
But it also showed me how limited you are when you're stuck in a company's organizational structure. I was unable to utilize all my skills and expertise; it was difficult to effect change in a very rigid environment.
I spent a few weeks thinking hard about these questions. Talking to friends helped a lot. Obviously, writing about technological innovations (including cryptocurrencies) has always been a passion of mine, and by all accounts I'm pretty good at it.
So, for the time being, I will continue writing for Forbes (reports) and Nikkei (opinion articles); I plan to write a series of crypto-science fiction short stories;I will serve as a mentor to startups; and will join a good friend’s advisory team at TH Capital, an investment advisory firm.
But ultimately, to answer the second question, I dream of writing an ambitious book about this amazing century that we've had and that we're still living in.
While the past 40 years have been prosperous, peaceful, and wonderful, over the next four decades we will see the exact opposite. I wanted to tell that story in a Gone with the Wind style.
This is going to be epic.
I can confidently say I’m firmly on my feet. The work ahead of me is actually quite challenging and exciting :)
(This is a repost from LinkedIn) #币安 #人工智能 #Web3 #AI #BTC