In Hong Kong, we’re lucky enough to celebrate two New Years! The Western New Year (Jan 1st) often focuses on professional goals, while Chinese New Year brings a focus on health, family, and spring.
This “double New Year” encourages a holistic approach to goal setting. I’m using the Western New Year to reflect on work achievements and set career intentions. Chinese New Year then shifts the focus to well-being, family, and personal growth.
Having two “New Years” helps integrate both professional and personal aspirations. What about you? How do you approach this unique opportunity? Do you set separate resolutions? Share your thoughts!
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, let’s remember that life, much like a game of snakes and ladders, is full of twists and turns. ๐
But here’s the thing: we have the power to choose our responses to the challenges and opportunities that come our way.
Will we let setbacks slide us down to glumtown? Or will we find the strength and wisdom to climb the ladder towards happiness and success? ๐ช
This year, let’s embrace the wisdom and agility of the snake. Let’s navigate the “game board” of life with intention, making choices that propel us forward and upward.
Wishing you a year filled with joy, prosperity, and plenty of ladder climbs! ๐
Remember Y2K? 25 years ago today (December 31st, 1999), the world held its breath as the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 2000. Teams everywhere, from customer services, to IT and finance, were on high alert, ready to tackle the deadly millennium bug.
I was leading the Internet Services team of an eCommerce company at the time, and we were no exception. The tension was apparent as we meticulously checked databases, applications, and all critical business processes. And then โฆ nothing happened. Business as usual. ๐
Whether the bug was real or not, our two years of preparation paid off. It was a testament to the power of teamwork, detailed planning, and a healthy dose of paranoia!
A new technological dawn is upon us. AI is rapidly evolving, with Agentic AI poised to become a significant force in 2025. And the quantum computing revolution, with its potential to disrupt everything, is approaching closer than ever (aka Q-Day).
Are we ready for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead? Let’s embrace the future with the same diligence and collaborative spirit that helped us conquer the millennium bug!
In 2024, information overload was a constant companion. AI tools could now summarize anything from websites to audiobooks, but it lacked the depth and nuance of truly engaging with a story. Still, finding a good reason for long-from reading felt like a big challenge nowadays.
Yet, I carved out precious moments for some reading escapes. Here are a few of my favorite books from this year:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ: ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐, ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ป of AI by Fei-Fei Li (Kindle link: https://amzn.to/3PcxNVI) explores the exciting intersection of AI and human understanding.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐๐ป: ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ by Chris Dixon (Kindle Link: https://amzn.to/3VZHrPj) dives into the future of the internet, shaped by Web3 technologies.
๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐ by Nick Bostrom (Kindle link: https://amzn.to/3BKBTBq) examines the potential risks and rewards of superintelligent AI.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐จ๐ป๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ: ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐ง๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป by Adrian Niculescu (Kindle Link: https://amzn.to/3ZYd9O2) explores the world of tokenized assets and blockchain investing.
Reading in the age of AI comes with its own set of challenges, so here are some tips to help you squeeze in reading time:
๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐-๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ: I carry my Kindle Colorsoft (my 6th Kindle! – https://amzn.to/4gVnNvT) with me everywhere. Unlike tablets, e-readers minimize distractions from emails, notifications, and social media.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐: Even short bursts of dedicated reading can make a big difference. Utilize commutes, waiting times, or short breaks for focused reading. In my case, I also enjoy a dedicated reading session after lunch.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐: Designate a quiet, comfortable space in your home and office to signal to your brain that it’s time to focus on reading.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Discuss books with friends, join a book club, or connect with online reading communities to enrich your reading experience.
Ultimately, reading remains a source of deep satisfaction and intellectual growth. It allows us to escape the noise, explore new ideas, and connect with the power of human imagination.
What were your reading highlights of 2024? ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐!
My career journey in the ever-evolving world of information technology started back in September 1984. At that time, the 8-inch floppy disk was considered cutting-edge technology! Fresh out of university, I embarked on my career at a local software development company, where I maintained a system for a British bank on an IBM System/34 using RPG II. This was a significant leap forward from the punch cards, teletypes, and dumb terminals I had used during my university days.
Four decades on, the technological advancements I’ve witnessed still leave me in awe. We’ve moved from the physical constraints of punch cards and magnetic tapes to the limitless potential of the cloud. My personal computing journey mirrors this progress, starting with my trusty Commodore 64 and Apple II, then transitioning through PCs and MacBooks, and now embracing the efficiency of Chromebooks.
The programming languages Iโve learned and utilized over the years paint a vivid picture of the industryโs evolution: Assembly Language, Fortran, APL, LISP, PL/1, COBOL, Pascal, Basics, Prolog, RPG, 3GL, C, C++, JAVA, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Objective C, Swift, and currently, Flutter. And who could forget the revolution in mobile communication, from the humble pager to the Personal Digital Assistant and feature-rich smartphones of today โ Psion, Nokia, Sony, iPaq, Dopod, iPhone, and Android.
What about databases ? IDMSX, Informix, Ingres, Sybase, Oracle, MySQL, and of course, dBase, Clipper, Foxbase, FoxPro, Filemaker โฆ
My career path has zigzagged through diverse sectors, including banking, freight forwarding, supermarkets, container terminals, computer vendors, management consulting, e-government, e-commerce, tourism, media, airlines, and now, cloud service provider – Google Cloud.
I also have had the privilege of holding a variety of roles in these 40 years, starting as a Programmer and progressing to Analyst Programmer, Systems Analyst, Project Manager, Database Consultant, Managing Consultant, System Architect, Project Director, General Manager, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer, Head of Digital and currently, Strategic Advisor.
As I reflect on my journey, I’m humbled by the remarkable strides technology has made and deeply grateful for the experiences I’ve gained along the way. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had a career that has allowed me to continuously learn, grow, and contribute to the fascinating field of information technology.
As I prepare for the next 40 years ๐คช, I’m filled with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude. I’m excited to see what the future holds for technology and the generations to come. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey. Your contributions will continue to shape the world for years to come.
As the saying goes, itโs not about the destination, itโs not about the journey either โฆ itโs about the person you become on the journey.
M.Y. Lessons Learnt 