The twilight of 2023 - Here is what I learned this year

This year is full of challenges, passion, heartbreak, and accomplishments. Accepted by the top quantum AI journal, got into the top-tier quantum computing conference for 2024, and built my first full-stack AI application from zero to one in just 1.5 months. But, often, those successes came after the tears and joys during these journeys. And there is what I learned, so much to learn, and so much to share; here is the distilled version of what I went through this year.

Intelligence is more than just an IQ score or GPA.

I used to be a failure at my previous university. Very low GPA, hard to fit in, difficult to learn what professors are talking about, but the same person turns out to publish a quantum machine learning paper in one of the top journals in the field while being accepted to the top-tier conference in quantum computing. Moreover, I got accepted to the University of London's Goldsmiths College for the international program. Sometimes, it is not about you being wrong but not finding the right environment for you to learn, transform, and be your true self. I used to think I was stupid or unintelligent, but sometimes it was just because the environment was not right. I am competent and smart but humble to learn more about the world. Like a quantum computer, you can change the world with the right conditions and configurations.

However, it is hard to find the right place at first time. It takes time, but just like what I learned this year. Do what you love, do it the best, and continue to seek a better place and opportunity; you will find where you belong. It is just a matter of time. Yes, the process is not easy; it is even very painful, but it will be one of the greatest stories you can earn in our journey, our journey before our destination.

Build, learn, and iterate.

During my work at Tokai, an international AI start-up I co-founded, I learned that the goal of building an MVP is not just about the end product. It is about the continuous process of creating what people need, learning from failure, iterating it again, and ultimately learning how to build something people want. Moreover, it applies to my personal life and my academic career. Especially in the flight of darkness or the time of creating something new, it is hard to make a perfect plan for everything we do; it is about building things, learning from failures, and reflecting on those setbacks to iterate again and again.

Communication is vital for team collaboration.

Effective communication is more than just learning how to talk; thinking from another perspective, thinking from different angles, and communicating problems early and effectively. Learning effective communication is much more challenging than I used to think. Interdependence is often greater than independence. All great things today are accomplished by a group of people, not individuals.

I admit that it is faster in the short term that you can learn on your own and build things faster. Still, I found that effective communication and efficient delegation will give you immensely more time and leverage to do many more great projects. Therefore, one of my goals next year is to learn how to communicate and delegate things effectively.

Have faith in you and the people around you.

I also found that having faith in myself and the people around me is the foundation of effective communication since that forms a sense of trust between you and the team. For example, during my time at Tokai, my previous venture on developing an AI solution to write documentation faster and easier with your GitHub repos, I found that if I can establish more trust with my co-founder Seth, I am much more willing to work with him and open a difficult conversation that is vital the survival to the company's future. I learned this in the hard way, but it is worth a lesson.

Journey before destination.

We often stress too much about the destination, the award, and the fame, but those who get these things often don't even focus on these final outcomes; instead, they focus on the journey before the destination. I love researching AI and quantum computing not because I want to publish papers but because I enjoy discovering something new, building novel tools, and writing them down to communicate with peers. Enjoy the journey because you will find yourself on the journey before your destination.

Finally, I am grateful for the people around me who helped me through various challenges this year. I can't made it this far without your unwavering support. 2024 is coming. Let's go for it!