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Ricky Yean
Ricky Yean

4K Followers

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Dec 4, 2020

Why I use Spotify for podcasts (and you will too)

This is a post on why I switched to using Spotify for podcasts and why I think you will, too. If you already do, check out Palcast to discover your podcast personality and compare with friends. If you want to import your subscriptions to Spotify (which you can’t do now)…

Podcast

5 min read

Why I use Spotify for podcasts (and you will too)
Why I use Spotify for podcasts (and you will too)
Podcast

5 min read


Jan 20, 2020

From Socialcam to TikTok: How we figured out video social in a decade

When Facebook ushered in the era of social media, the core insight was that by creating a space for us and our friends online, we would be motivated to share more. What we shared in the beginning was predominantly text because our phone cameras produced low-quality photos. Instagram changed all…

Social Media

5 min read

From Socialcam to TikTok: How we figured out video social in a decade
From Socialcam to TikTok: How we figured out video social in a decade
Social Media

5 min read


Nov 19, 2019

Reflecting on my newsletter experiment (stats included)

This is an excerpt from my newsletter titled A newsletter about the newsletter (Ricky Weekly #17). If you want more of my newsletters, I recommend Ideas matter, but clear-seeing matters more (Ricky Weekly #4), “Strong opinions, weakly held” (Ricky Weekly #12), and Dabblin’ (Ricky Weekly #20). Or just subscribe. Thing…

Email Marketing

5 min read

Reflecting on my newsletter experiment (stats included)
Reflecting on my newsletter experiment (stats included)
Email Marketing

5 min read


Nov 1, 2019

Single-serving friends

Whenever people talk about the loneliness epidemic, I can’t help but nod my head in agreement. For people who know me, that may seem odd because I’m constantly surrounded by friends and loved ones. But loneliness is felt in the soul rather than in physical space. I guess that’s why…

Relationships

7 min read

Single-serving friends
Single-serving friends
Relationships

7 min read


Sep 3, 2019

The arc of social

The era of social media feels like it’s coming to an end, but it shouldn’t because I’m not done with it yet. Recently Eugene Wei’s Invisible Asymptotes and Kevin Kwok’s The Arc of Collaboration gave me the language to decipher why I feel like there’s still a ton of white…

Social Media

8 min read

The arc of social
The arc of social
Social Media

8 min read


Jun 19, 2019

“I got next!” — a personal #RequestForStartups

A snapshot of what I’m interested in working on next — This post will be continuously updated on my website. Last updated June 19, 2019 “I GOT NEXT!” is what you say when you walk up to a pick-up basketball game that’s in session to declare that you’re next-up. You gotta do it loudly so people know. I’m at the phase…

Startup

11 min read

“I got next!” — a personal #RequestForStartups
“I got next!” — a personal #RequestForStartups
Startup

11 min read


Jun 6, 2019

The next Silicon Valley is already online

For me, college was the best time to build startups. Living and working in the Silicon Valley has been the second best. Nowhere else in the world comes close, but will it stay that way? No. The next Silicon Valley is already online. Why do all the best startups come out of Silicon Valley? Life is just a game. We can…

Startup

8 min read

The next Silicon Valley is already online
The next Silicon Valley is already online
Startup

8 min read


May 22, 2019

Founder dating ritual

The most important atomic unit of Silicon Valley is a team of two or three building something together out of nothing. I’ve been watching the team formation process over the last ten years and even though it’s more popular than ever to do startups today, finding teammates to work on…

Startup

5 min read

Founder dating ritual
Founder dating ritual
Startup

5 min read


May 20, 2019

How technology is making us feel so out of sorts these days

I remember the sense of wonder when I first signed up for Facebook and Twitter. Facebook helped me feel more connected to my friends, especially as I was graduating high school and going away to college. Twitter helped me find like-minded people who were also obsessed about technology and encouraged…

Facebook

7 min read

How technology is making us feel so out of sorts these days
How technology is making us feel so out of sorts these days
Facebook

7 min read


Apr 15, 2019

Should you build a full-stack startup? 7 factors for consider

As pure software opportunities become more scarce and capital becomes more abundant, full-stack startups are in vogue. What distinguishes a full-stack startup from a traditional startup? Traditional startups sell software tools, full-stack startups are services that sell outcomes. It’s the difference between Taxi Magic and Uber. I’ve written about this…

Startup

12 min read

Should you build a full-stack startup? 7 factors for consider
Should you build a full-stack startup? 7 factors for consider
Startup

12 min read

Ricky Yean

Ricky Yean

4K Followers

2x startup founder. Stanford, YC and StartX alum.

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