William Liao @williamliao
Taiwanese American, daily blogger of ideas about impactful work in service of others, photographer (ephemera.photography)
William Liao last shared their writing
spotting weeds
To be “lost in the weeds” is to be so caught up in minor detail as to completely miss the point.
Imagine two people getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum.
One person spends this opportunity scanning the painting while admiring da Vinci’s creation;...
Imagine two people getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum.
One person spends this opportunity scanning the painting while admiring da Vinci’s creation;...
William's Pantry
🍺
40
Beers
🥟
46
Dumplings
🧇
29
Waffles
🍪
29
Cookies
🍵
49
Teas
🍣
38
Sushis
☕️
38
Coffees
🍫
41
Chocolate Bars
🍍
36
Pineapples
🥓
36
Bacons
🥚
36
Eggs
🥩
26
Steaks
🍊
45
Tangerines
🍓
25
Strawberries
🥃
28
Whiskeys
Collections
you're allowed to be here
As a kid, I saw the minimization of oneself — blending in — as a virtue.
Despite being an avid photographer for the last decade, I never did self-portraits in part because of this mindset which led me to conclude that they were distasteful, too vain. Whatever that actually...
letting go of sunk costs
I recently caught up with a friend who was lamenting the fact that he spent 4 years getting a degree in computer science only to realize that he didn’t want to be a software engineer.
‘What a waste’, he said.
Here was my response to him:
It...
‘What a waste’, he said.
Here was my response to him:
It...
one punt a day
Strive for one punt a day.
Some days you’re going to feel amazing and the ball will go far.
On other days it will be a struggle to even show up, and the ball will hardly move.
This is okay because 9 times out of 10 consistency...
Some days you’re going to feel amazing and the ball will go far.
On other days it will be a struggle to even show up, and the ball will hardly move.
This is okay because 9 times out of 10 consistency...
default to kindness
I feel like I’ve witnessed more callus and harmful human interactions in the last several days than I have in the last year.
Name-calling, shaming, shouting — online and offline.
While we can’t change the behavior of those around us, we can always choose how to respond.
Choosing...
Name-calling, shaming, shouting — online and offline.
While we can’t change the behavior of those around us, we can always choose how to respond.
Choosing...
performance
My piano teacher once shared with me what it was like to watch a former champion of The International Chopin Piano Competition prepare for their performance.
For 6–8 hours each day in the week leading up to the competition, the competitor would pick apart different sections of music from...
For 6–8 hours each day in the week leading up to the competition, the competitor would pick apart different sections of music from...
crazy ideas
In his 112-page manifesto titled Do the Work, Steven Pressfield writes “when an idea pops into our head and we think, ‘No, this is too crazy,’… that’s the idea we want.”
A perfectly reasonable person might ask the perfectly reasonable question: “why on Earth would someone pursue an idea...
A perfectly reasonable person might ask the perfectly reasonable question: “why on Earth would someone pursue an idea...
practical questions versus curiosities
A few years ago during an interview with a marketing executive at a medical device company, she asked me: ‘what product color sells the most? Is it green? Is it blue? What about purple?’
Using my background in data analysis I proposed how we could find out, but before I...
Using my background in data analysis I proposed how we could find out, but before I...
what's the problem really?
The problem isn’t how to build a model, it’s figuring out how to keep your customers happier so they’re less likely to churn.
The problem isn’t poor prioritization or a cluttered calendar, it’s figuring out how to achieve a result or level of performance that you aren’t achieving yet. ...
The problem isn’t poor prioritization or a cluttered calendar, it’s figuring out how to achieve a result or level of performance that you aren’t achieving yet. ...
agitation
agitation isn’t always a negative trait; acceptance isn’t always a positive trait.
the kind of person willing to move mountains to make a change isn’t going to be the one comfortable sitting still — it will always be the one who physically can’t.
your restlessness may not be...
the kind of person willing to move mountains to make a change isn’t going to be the one comfortable sitting still — it will always be the one who physically can’t.
your restlessness may not be...
attention
the value of your attention depends on where you spend it.
the number of things that compete for your attention at any given moment is constantly growing: you can pay attention to the phone in your pocket, the e-mail in your inbox, the friend who is calling you right now,...
the number of things that compete for your attention at any given moment is constantly growing: you can pay attention to the phone in your pocket, the e-mail in your inbox, the friend who is calling you right now,...