CK Lin | Startup, Product, & Productivity Tips

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Read this if you find people fascinating and you want to understand your partners better.

I am student of human behaviors.  I find people fascinating.  Fascinating but equally perplexed.

For example, men’s obsession with cars and women’s obsession with shoes.

I’d like to be able to predict the general behavior of someone.

So over the years I have studied Myers Brigg and other personality typing methodology and body language analysis.  And more recently dabbled in the art of handwriting analysis.   I learned that there aren’t any silver bullets that can determine someone’s behavior with absolute certainty.  Human beings are complex human beings after all.   Like Sigmund Freud said: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”

This morning I came across a Chinese passage that condenses what I have learned from all the years of watching people in a just few sentences.

to evaluate a man’s character, watch his eyes
to evaluate the worth of a man, watch who he picks as his opponent
to evaluate someone’s potential, watch how he spends time alone
to evaluate someone’s true self, watch people surrounding him
to evaluate someone’s personality, watch how he writes
to evaluate if someone is happy, don’t watch how he smiles, watch the first facial expression when he wakes up in the morning
to evaluate the size of someone’s tolerance, evaluate his reaction during failure and betrayal
to evaluate someone’s courage, watch how he faces death
to evaluate the true relationship between two people, watch how anxious one gets when the other is in danger

As well as I know myself, I tested these statements against myself.  Thinking back the moments when I had faced death a few times, the test is accurate. It also gave me an opportunity to evaluate how I have grown over the years.  How I acted when I was 5 versus 15 versus 20 and so on.

Take a moment to reflect back how you acted and reacted when you faced the circumstances stated in the quote.  Are they accurate?

Hope this helps you gain more clarity in who you are and what you stand for.

Ready this if you are interested in free wi-fi spaces in the Orange County area

With my new focus on internet marketing and publishing, I found myself in a lot of meetings that require everyone to have wi-fi.

Unfortunately, not all wi-fi is free and not all wi-fi locations are created equal.  It’s quite frustrating at times to find the perfect  meeting spot that works for not only me but everyone I work with.  Would you agree with me?

Since I live in the Orange County area, I decided to compile a list of locations suitable for business settings.

Here is my criteria:

1.  Free wi-fi.  You may be surprised by the lack of access in cities as a whole.  Restaurant and coffee shop owners, why wouldn’t you install them at your business place?  Free wifi=free traffic and more goods and services.

2.  Quietude.  Ahh..yes.  But not too quiet where business discussions can’t happen without other patrons give you the look.

3.  Comfortable seating/standing options.  If you haven’t tried working standing up, try it.  You’ll be amazed by the amount of focus and energy you will have.

4.  Whiteboard.  Visual learners and list builders, this is for you.  Like my living space, I need space for brainstorming and action items.

After scouring the internet, here is the compilation other people recommend:

• Boudin Sourdough Bakery 2803 Main St, Irvine
• UCI University Library 4512 Sandburg Way, Irvine, CA 92612, USA
• Champps Americana 51 Fortune Drive Suite 500 Irvine, CA 92618
• Corner Bakery Cafe 91 Fortune Dr, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
• Earth Cafe 5409 University Dr Irvine, CA 92612
• Java City 18100 Culver Blvd. Irvine, California 92603
• Cha for Tea Cafe 4187 Campus Drive Irvine, CA 92612
• Tully’s Coffee 4610 Barranca Pkwy Irvine, CA 92604-4735
• Diedrich Coffee
• Peet’s Coffee & Tea
• Panera Bread

I am going to evaluate these entries based on my criteria and let you know.

Where do you work?  Do you settle for uncomfortable, noisy places for your business meetings?

Go write down your criteria.

I’d like to know what criteria you use to find the perfect spot for your productivity.

I Procrastinate Too Much- How can I do it productively?

It’s Thursday! Which means it’s almost Friday, which means it’s almost the weekend, which means you are almost doing your work.

Here’s a video that explains how the phrase “productive procrastination” is not oxymoronic.

Let’s face it people love to procrastinate.

And contrary to popular belief… grad students are people too.

From ESPN to celebrity gossip, YOUTUBE and Comedy Central, we have a million and one ways to procrastinate.

So, the real question is: How can we procrastinate productively?

How can we move forward with our research, still pass the time, but not waste it?

There really is no better way to procrastinate productively, than to hear the musings of other scientists. Try the following Read the rest of this entry »

I have arrived at the grad school of my choice- NOW WHAT?

SO, you’ve gotten into the grad school of your choice…NOW what?

Starting grad school is a challenge (understatement).

Not only do you have to navigate a new place, meet your peers, find mentors, and engage in rigorous academic activity… you also have to finish on time!

The key to accomplishing this is to immediately assess where you want to be when you graduate, and take the path of least resistance to get there.

Here’s how. Read the rest of this entry »

Most Popular Grad Schools, Departments in Down Economy

Here’s an AP report that shows which graduate schools and departments have seen the biggest rise in applications, as students look to avoid the job market.

Hacking the PhD: Find a Mentor

I want to give grad students and researchers real PhD career advice and a big picture perspective.

The most important step (among dozens of other most important steps) to ensure success in grad school and beyond… is finding yourself a mentor.

Many of you, especially you guys, are still driving around in circles, just hoping to luck out. Swallow your pride and ask for directions.

Believe me, there is no better and easier way to get to where you want to go, than to ask someone who knows the area well.

That’s what a mentor is AND finding the right one is critical.

Finding a research advisor is a lot like finding a mate, there is no such thing as the perfect mentor, only the perfect mentor for you.

BUT, enough with the analogies…

Here are the 6 critical questions you should ask before you select your mentor… Read the rest of this entry »

Hacking the PhD with Dr. CK Lin

Here’s a quick intro to my new PhD career advice video series, titled…

Drum roll please…

“Hacking the PhD”

I’m trying to go “Beyond the B.S.” (thats right, I really just said that).

My goal is to give researchers and grad students some real PhD career advice and a big picture perspective.

You can check out more of the series here, here, and  here.

As always I’d love feedback and I am open to any suggestions about future video topics.

Twitter- Why the @reply?

If you think of Twitter like a noisy bar where everyone is talking and no one is really listening, then the @reply function is the equivalent of buying someone a drink. It might not lead to anything substantial (like a follow), but you will guarantee yourself a second look.

So why aren’t more of you @replying?

If you are struggling to gain followers, hone your voice, or find a niche, the @reply is a great way to practice.

Here are some tips for using the tool effectively… Read the rest of this entry »

Ole, Genius! A chat with Elizabeth Gilbert

Author and Tedster Elizabeth Gilbert discusses creative genius, the mega-success of her latest book Eat, Pray, Love, and the mounting external (and internal) pressure to top herself.



It’s an interesting take on the fear of failure.

Fear seems to persist throughout the creative process- from the conception (and prospective failure) of the dream to the daunting task of living up to your own success.

She asks of us: “aren’t you afraid of dying in a scrap heap of broken dreams with your mouth filled with bitter ash of failure?”

Well Elizabeth… Yes I am! And I’m sure most of you are too.

But she suggests that we shift our thinking and fast.

In her humorous examination of creativity or rather the “maddening capriciousness of the creative process,” she explains how it can all feel “downright paranormal.” If VH1′s Behind the Music has taught us anything, it’s that artists, and bright minds in general, all too often drown in their own ego (and other substances) and burden themselves with the identity of “genius.”

Instead we should think about the possibility of accessing our genius. It’s liberating.

For example, in Jamie Cullum’s performance, I witnessed the sheer brilliance of his performance through his physical presence. In Elizabeth’s words, he was “lit up on fire with divinity”.

Ole!

Tedsters big and small bought Jamie’s inspired albums en masse after the conference. (I downloaded 7.)

At the ripe old age of 30, Jaime is a prolific and award winning musician with all the trappings of… well… a genius, but he appears to be handling things pretty well. A popular Chinese adage says that success at a young age is a curse not a blessing. But I think that only success at young age, without maturity and mental dexterity, is a curse.

In my own pursuit of genius I just have to remember to say… “Come on, you crazy little genius who is assigned to me, I’m showing up for my part. What are you doing on your end?”

I encourage you to do the same… you owe it to your sanity.

Unity in Diversity by Untitled blue

Why All Your Smart Friends are Talking about Seth Godin: Tips from “Tribes”

2008 was a pretty great year for Seths. 20th Century Fox made “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane the highest-paid writer-producer on planet earth, Seth Rogen proved moreover that he’s worth his (considerable) weight in box-office gold, and Seth Godin’s book Tribes became a consensus must-read in business and innovation circles.

Ok, so the latter Seth might not exactly be a household name just yet, but I’m sure some of your friends are talking about him…at least the smart ones are.

If you haven’t read Tribes, buy it or stea-…I…uh… mean borrow it from a friend… YESTERDAY.

Seriously.

I just finished the book and it speaks to me on several levels AND I want to share with you some of the more critical points and highlights that will help you grow as an innovator and as a leader.

Read the rest of this entry »