Tag: work

Two Years in Flux

I just had my two-year anniversary in Flux. Time really flies by so fast. I do find myself using the phrase “I’m doing a startup” more than “I started a company” a bit more these days.

Looking back, one biggest feeling is how we have been accelerating. My first few months in Flux was to set up some foundation work and recruit the initial team members. By Oct 2018, we had the initial two engineers Rachel and JB onboard, and the production actually started. I think we had our first version prototype website by Jan 2019 and shipped our 1.0 version by Apr, and the first client started using our product by Jun. That’s almost my first anniversary. There were just a lot of things to do at the beginning, between setting up a company, recruiting, and building the product.

Then things moved a lot faster. In the 2nd year, we’ve shipped so many more features, done a redesign of the website, built out new components like reporting and matching engine. It feels kind of like a rollercoaster, the first year was to slowly crawl to a high point, then we gain speed and rush! A lot of early time investment has paid off and helped us keep momentum when we shift to the product-building phase: development workflow and standards, code conventions, CI/CD pipelines, infra as codes, familiarity with our tech stack, team member collaboration styles, etc. These things need leadership to define and calibrate, and more importantly, they need time to grow and ingrain in the team. It is what defines a team.

With the COVID situation, we swiftly changed the work style. It was tough to make sales when the whole system was in shock, but it looks like people are adapting and companies are recovering. This period also allows us to further solidify our product and adjust our market strategy. We’re putting our name out there on the market and seeing more opportunities. I’m very confident about our product. Now we need more eyes on it, need some people who can appreciate our idea and product, and maybe a little luck.

Onwards and upwards, Flux!

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Sampling WeWork

WeWork is booming. I sometimes feel the amount of WeWork co-working spaces are as many as Starbucks in NYC. Just like using Cloud instead of putting together servers these days, startups go to WeWork or other co-working spaces by default, before they get large enough to afford their administration, especially in US cities.

Flux currently rents a 4-person office in WeWork Montgomery St in SF. I use WeWork credits to rent “hot desk” in NYC from time to time, each credit (~25$ value) can get me one desk for one day. I’ve been leveraging the flexibility to go to different WeWork places based on my schedule. It’s interesting to notice WeWork places vary quite a bit. Some have larger open-floor areas, nicer decoration, or more open layout. One “indicator” I use is to check if there is fresh milk besides coffee machine: most places have that, but some don’t.

Also, some places are busier than others. If it becomes difficult to find a phone booth, I consider that place over-crowded. It depends on weekdays, too. Friday tends to be… busier than usual, believe it or not.

Another interesting part is social function. Do strangers get to know each other and social in WeWork? Based on my observation, not much… people are more in work mode in WeWork, and most wear headphones in open spaces. So it’s not really a social scene. There are sofas for people to talk, but as I see, mostly for co-workers or people who already know each other. 

Hello, Flux

After leaving FreeWheel and playing hide-and-seek with bears in Glacier National Park for a week, I’d joined two ex-FreeWheelers (Nick and Max) to co-found a startup called Flux.

Flux aims to help enterprise better understand talents and internal needs, to increase internal mobility. Our own stories led to this idea. I changed jobs six times across three departments in FreeWheel. Each time I switch a position, it’s not only a good challenge and growth opportunity for myself but also a great benefit for the FreeWheel. By keeping experienced talents around and motivating them with new positions, companies minimize attrition cost and maximize productivities.

We’re starting the company in a truly distributed fashion. Nick/Max are in California, and I’m in NYC. I understand the importance of face time, so we’ll get together often, and I also believe modern technology has advanced to the point that people can collaborate seamlessly online. And I’m looking forward to the life of coding a few hours at home and going to a gym on my schedule. After all, engineers all wear headphones when they work in an open office, don’t they?

We plan to hire a few engineers at the beginning. If you’re interested, check out our open positions and drop an email to journeys@fluxwork.co, or feel free to message me. I’m happy to share more information.

Bye, FreeWheel

07年10月，我结束了在加州Bosch半年的实习，回北京毕业加上找工作。那时候在四个大大小小的公司实习过，做过悠闲的螺丝钉也做过996的接地气创业公司。找工作的时候想的倒也简单：找个不怎么加班的创业公司（现在想想这还真挺难）。在9#上看到Di的一篇招工文，就懵懵懂懂的来了FreeWheel开始实习，写Ruby on Rails。

刚来不久就发现其实还是要加班的。07年底的时候想上线1.0版本，于是在办公室附近订了几个旅馆房间，员工都干到半夜十二点然后去住那里。我那会儿还实习，一周只上两三天班，但也有幸体验了一两次。还好事实证明之后的这些年里，我需要加班的时候并不多。

那会儿我做的第一个功能是用户登录和权限控制。当时我的感觉是这你们都让实习生做，也是挺敢的。弄了几周做出来了，还附赠了一个巨简陋的登录后首页。没想到那首页一用就用了五六年。现在美化过的版本还是隐隐有当年的影子。

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