Michael Yu

Some things about me

• Grew up in Auckland, New Zealand
• Started coding in high school, fell in love with building things
• Studied Computer Science at Auckland University of Technology
• Worked at Sandfield as a Full Stack Developer, building web apps and internal tools for clients in transport, logistics, and construction. Contributed to both client projects and internal systems in JavaScript, TypeScript, C#, and SQL, and worked closely with the team to deliver new features quickly.
• Live in Auckland
• Love hiking in the Waitakere Ranges on weekends

Experience LinkedIn

Some things I believe

• We have the right and arguably the responsibility to reshape the universe to fit our vision and needs. Knowledge, especially technological knowledge, empowers us to do this. Aim to raise what’s possible, not just to improve minimum standards.
• Genuine enthusiasm fuels achievement. It’s easier, and often more effective, to work on exciting ideas. Big goals are often more motivating. Progress demands a lot of energy.
• Speed is essential. You learn more when you act quickly and adjust in response to reality. Moving fast brings focus and cuts out noise. Slow progress is deceptive. A week is 2 percent of the year. Time always counts.
• The efficient market hypothesis is mostly flawed. The best opportunities are where it fails. Sometimes, what happens in the world is influenced by a handful of people, not billions. Most people simply follow others.
• We know less than we think. Accepted knowledge is often wrong; many times, we haven’t even asked the right questions. The replication crisis is a warning, not an exception.
• Micromanagement is not always bad. People with good judgment should have room to act. Making big things happen justifies the risk of mistakes.
• Small teams work better than large ones. They’re quicker, have fewer meetings, and are more fun. There’s no need for average contributors if you have a small, strong group. Most big projects are challenges of intelligence, not simply manpower. Many companies are overstaffed.
• Your sources of motivation matter. It’s healthier and more productive to get satisfaction from improving your work, not just from validation. Making things happen is also a valid source of drive.
• You’re capable of much more than you think. Invisible rules and groupthink limit us more than real barriers. Physics is the only true constraint.