En on 编译日志 | The Build Log

044 | What Not to Build

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:56:42 +0000

the hard part now is choosing

My instinct, faced with any problem, is to build a solution for it — and lately I realized the harder skill is knowing what to leave unbuilt. Building has always been the slow, hard part, so being good at it felt like the whole job. That’s not where the hard part lives anymore. When we can stand up almost anything in an afternoon, the question worth asking stops being can I build it and becomes should I. The eye to see what’s worth building, and the nerve to drop the rest — that’s the skill I think matters most now, and the one I’m still working on.

043 | Six Years In, and the Illusion of Control

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:40:28 +0000

6-year anniversary reflection

The moment you finally get the thing you wanted, strangely, the doubt shows up. I graduated in May 2014 and have worked ever since — 12 years. On 5/26 I hit six years at Instagram and a career the 24-year-old me wanted. I thought I’d feel like I’d arrived. Instead I feel uneasy, and I’ve come to think the unease is the more useful thing to write down.

042 | Few Thoughts on Leadership Traits

Wed, 20 May 2026 07:29:46 +0000

Be a noob; admit I'm wrong; uplift others

Lately I’ve been thinking about leadership traits. I’d like to reflect on a few things. I’m sure I’ll return in a year and comment something different; but here is what I had on mind for the past 1-2 years.

A year ago I stepped into a refreshed role to cover more areas in the 40-eng org. A break-through happened in trust building with folks: we had an external conflict with a different team; I ended up protecting my engineers’ scope, navigating through different org’s incentives, and putting off the fire. These in return rewarded me with more people’s trust. A few points to reflect:

041 | The Happiness of Pursuit

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:50:18 +0000

having things isn't fun, getting things are

Jimmy Carr said: it’s not the pursuit of happiness — it’s the happiness of pursuit.

I heard this after about ten years in my career, and it clicked immediately — because I had already learned the lesson the hard way.

Back in 2020, I joined my company one level lower than I wanted due to an interview hiccup. So I chased the Senior title as hard as I could. I got there. And when I did, it was just... depressing. The goalpost moved immediately — Staff Engineer became my new reality overnight. I felt like I’d already exhausted everything I had and yet I was on this new marathon right away. I’m still behind because of that setback. I can’t rest or waste any time.

040 | The AI Cognitive Offload Problem

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:30:23 +0000

Claude, Cognitive Regression

There’s a gold rush happening right now. Everyone’s scrambling to “learn AI” — the message is loud and clear: get on the train or get left behind.

Anthropic recently published a study that put hard numbers to something many of us have been feeling. They ran an experiment where developers learned a new Python library — half with AI assistance, half without. The AI group finished a bit faster, but scored the equivalent of nearly two letter grades lower on comprehension tests afterward. The speed came at a real cost to understanding, especially around debugging. This isn’t a fringe concern anymore — even the companies building these tools are flagging the tradeoff.

034 | Allies at Work

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 07:03:01 +0000

a reminder that we need allies

Today I had a rare opportunity to chat with a co-worker about our similar approach to work and the challenges we both face. I was surprised to realize how much I needed allies — more than I had previously understood.

I’m not even hiding my weaknesses or vulnerabilities; I’m just really good at not showing them at work. Navigating the workplace can feel like walking a narrow path. In recent years, I’ve often been the one setting expectations for a small cohort of peers, which leaves me with fewer opportunities to express my own struggles. Of course, I’m privileged to have support systems — a strong circle of managers and mentors. But even with them, I naturally position myself as someone with a high caliber, someone who has things under control. It’s hard to loosen up, if ever.

027 | 2024 Retro

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:23:24 +0000

life, career, pitfalls and thanks

The highlights of 2024 were a few long-term goals coming together, both in my personal life and career. On the flip side, there were also matters that I was underprepared for, which led to harsh life lessons. Overall, the past year was a challenging but productive experience.

Why bother writing about the recent past?

Writing about the 45%–65% of my awake time is a meaningful practice for the year’s finale. Like many others, I dedicate a lot of effort to the yearly performance reviews for myself and others at work. However that only represents merely 40–60 hours per week (~35%–55% of the 112 hours of non-sleep active time). Ignoring the rest 45% — 65% seems silly.

026 | Staff Engineer, Now What?

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:59:06 +0000

Senior Engineer vs Staff Engineer

For a long time, I have been chasing after the prestigious title of senior engineer. I was mentally exhausted when I achieved it a few years back. Leading up to this latest title update, my anxieties piled up— what’s next? (vol.15 小宇宙FM)

Senior Engineer, 2022

In 2020, I flopped my interview for the senior engineer role at my dream company. Through a series of debates, I also gave up on the senior engineer role at Uber for which I aced the interview. I proved that I was worthy of a senior title, even just for a few hours at San Francisco Uber HQ. But on the flip side, I picked the lower rank in favor of my dream company.

024 | Performance Review

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 21:08:57 +0000

Corporate Culture, Yearly Review, Constructive Feedback

A private jet landed at SF airport, breezing through the runway.

Delayed Flight

Yeah, my regular United Airlines flight was delayed. The storm was right on. Less did I know, that aside from the bad weather, I was heading into a personal life storm in those two weeks. This story will be reserved for another time.

A bit emotional, with mixed feelings - I sat back, opened the laptop, and started typing.

023 | 2024: Resetting and Learning

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:33:32 +0000

TL Role, Inspirations, Catching Up With AI Trends

It was in 2020 when I first acknowledged a gap in the content I was creating. With a new job at stake, 'messing around' no longer seemed like the right choice. Delving deeper, I realized my impostor syndrome stemmed from a question: "Who am I to advise on various software engineering topics?" After all, I had only recently found my path, while others had propelled large tech companies forward years before me. This realization left me with a lingering fear of not providing value.

022 | Recap of The Troubled 2023

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:27:54 +0000

Navigating the Tech Bubble Through Layoffs, ChatGPT 4.0, Newsletter in 2024

① Navigating the Tech Bubble in 2023 at Silicon Valley

2023 was like a rollercoaster for many of us in the tech industry, especially in Silicon Valley. We experienced the tech bubble making its best impression of a popped balloon.

This year put my ego on a diet. Despite the ups and downs, this year taught me invaluable lessons. One key takeaway I want to share is the power of optimism during tough times.