Justin Jay Wang

22 notes across all tags.

I came across, by way of Soleio, the February 1985 Steve Jobs interview with Playboy magazine. That referenced interview transcript is no longer online, so I’ve reproduced it here on my site.

Steve Jobs Playboy Interview
David Sheff, Playboy, February 1985 Playboy: We survived 1984, and computers did not take over the world, though some people might find that hard to believe. If there’s any one individual who can be either blamed or praised for the proliferation of computers, you, the 29-year-old father of the

Well worth the read and packed with interesting ideas, including:

  1. On rigid thinking:
People get stuck as they get older. Our minds are sort of electrochemical computers. Your thoughts construct patterns like scaffolding in your mind. You are really etching chemical patterns. In most cases, people get stuck in those patterns, just like grooves in a record, and they never get out of them. It’s a rare person who etches grooves that are other than a specific way of looking at things, a specific way of questioning things.
  1. On intuitive and expressive tools:
[The telephone] performed basically the same function as the telegraph, but people already knew how to use it. Also, the neatest thing about it was that besides allowing you to communicate with just words, it allowed you to sing. […] That is what Macintosh is all about. It’s the first “telephone” of our industry. And, besides that, the neatest thing about it, to me, is that the Macintosh lets you sing the way the telephone did. You don’t simply communicate words, you have special print styles and the ability to draw and add pictures to express yourself.
  1. On embracing corporate troublemakers:
What happens in most companies is that you don’t keep great people under working environments where individual accomplishment is discouraged rather than encouraged. The great people leave and you end up with mediocrity. I know, because that’s how Apple was built. Apple is an Ellis Island company. Apple is built on refugees from other companies. These are the extremely bright individual contributors who were troublemakers at other companies.
Filed under: Media Technology


I asked ChatGPT:

this is a picture of me. can you roast me?

ChatGPT:

Haha, you sure you want me to roast this? Alright, let’s see…

You look like the kind of guy who corrects people’s grammar mid-conversation and then says, “Just trying to help!” The peace sign screams “I’m chill,” but the tucked-in elbow says “but also kinda anxious.” And I see you holding that guitar—bet you’ve played Wonderwall at least once to impress someone. 🤣

That oversized tee is giving “I wanted to wear a blanket but settled for this.” And that haircut? It’s like you told the barber, “Make me look like every indie film protagonist who stares out of windows contemplatively.”

Honestly though, you look like the friend who always has the best music recs but refuses to share them because “you probably haven’t heard of them.”

All in good fun—you’re rocking the effortlessly casual look! 😄

Not bad.

Filed under: Technology

Basketball rules that people shouldn’t forget:

  1. a team has five players on the floor,
  2. there’s only one ball to go around, and
  3. most importantly, the game is played on both ends of the court.
Filed under: Lists Sports

More albums that, without exaggeration, changed my life:

  1. Ágætis byrjun (1999) by Sigur Rós
  2. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (2008) by Sigur Rós
  3. Bryter Layter (1971) by Nick Drake
  4. Bloom (2012) by Beach House
  5. Atlas (2014) by Real Estate
  6. Carrie & Lowell (2015) by Sufjan Stevens
  7. Golden Hour (2018) by Kacey Musgraves
  8. Deeper Well (2024) by Kacey Musgraves
  9. Rumours (1977) by Fleetwood Mac

Music has that unique ability to transport you back in time and place, to that particular season of your life where you listened to it.

Albums that changed my life
Filed under: Lists Media

Reflecting on everything that’s happened in the past couple years, a few thoughts and lessons come to mind:

  1. Don’t be afraid to scrap something or walk away, even if you’ve already invested a lot (the sunk cost fallacy).
  2. Keep things close to the core.
  3. Hiring is the highest-leverage investment of your time.
  4. If something smells a little off, it probably is.
  5. The truth can be inconvenient and easy to dismiss.
  6. Life is full of sliding doors moments.
  7. Go towards good vibes.
Filed under: Reflection

Who doesn’t love a good easter egg? There’s a fun one in Google for typophiles: try searching for Matthew Carter or Georgia font. Works for a handful of other fonts, too.

Filed under: Design


I had fun creating Notion-style avatars of the family using their new Notion Faces tool. What a clever idea, to take their branded illustration style—which they’ve consistently used since day one—and open it up for anyone to create their own portraits.

Filed under: Design

Over the break, I rewatched the Japanese television mini-series Going My Home. Written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda of Shoplifters fame and starring Hiroshi Abe and Tomoko Yamaguchi, it’s low-key, charming, and quite possibly the best show I’ve ever seen.

A few favorite quotes:

If you don’t look for them, you won’t know if they are there or not.
It’s those things you just glance at that can be what’s important.
This world isn’t made up with just what you can see with your eyes.
Filed under: Media

This new year’s resolution: be more grateful, patient, and kind.

Past resolutions:

  1. focus (2016)
  2. take action (2015)
  3. stay inspired (2014)
  4. go with the flow (2012)
  5. connect with people more (2011)
  6. don’t be lazy (2000)
Filed under: Reflection

I’m diving into Next.js, and absolutely love it. To me, it’s as if they’ve anticipated every pain point of web development—things I don’t want to deal with, like configuration, performance, asset optimization, and deployment—and found an elegant solution.

Filed under: Development

Things I believe:

  • Straightforward is best
  • Constraints help creativity
  • Critical thinking is invaluable
  • People respect honesty
  • Process matters
  • Consistency is underrated
  • Humor shouldn’t be forgotten
  • New is not often an improvement
  • Sometimes “nothing” is better than “something”
Filed under: Lists Reflection

The following is a letter to myself, written five years ago on this date in 2013.

Justin,

I hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to provide a good checkpoint for you, so double check that you’re on your way to achieving what you want to during your time.

I’m predicting that you:

  • Are working a job that you’re passionate about
  • Became an even better designer
  • Love where you live
  • Love who you’re with
  • Kept in shape
  • Traveled the world a bit
Filed under: Reflection

Rules for living:

  1. Do things the right way.
  2. Do things with style.
  3. Do things you should.
  4. Be honest.
  5. Be deliberate.
  6. Embrace discomfort.
  7. Know what you don’t know.
  8. Keep your composure.
  9. Mostly do things that are sustainable.
  10. Don’t let anyone else slow you down.
  11. Don’t feel sorry for yourself.
  12. Love what you do.
Filed under: Lists

Virtues:

  • Honesty: towards self and others
  • Frugality: want less and lead a simple life
  • Industry: no wasted time
  • Humility: every man is your superior in some way
  • Moderation: do things that are mostly sustainable
  • Tranquility: maintain composure
  • Preparedness: put yourself in the best position to succeed
Filed under: Lists Reflection

Albums that changed my life:

  • OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead
  • If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996) by Belle & Sebastian
  • xx (2009) by the xx
  • The Year of Hibernation (2011) by Youth Lagoon
Filed under: Lists Media

Well-designed products, brands, experiences:

  • Apple
  • Clear
  • Medium
  • Rdio
  • SoundCloud
  • Southwest Airlines
  • Dropbox
  • Zappos
  • Amazon
  • Dyson
  • Jawbone
  • New York Yankees
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Feltron annual reports
  • IKEA
  • American Apparel
  • Uniqlo
  • Target
  • The NBA
  • The New York Times interactive stories
  • Wes Anderson films
  • tennis
  • soccer
Filed under: Lists Design

How do you lead a simple life? By identifying what’s most important to you, and focusing on these priorities. What I value the most:

  • relationships, with family and close friends
  • creating things, be it design, art, music, food
  • taking care of myself—eating well, staying active
Filed under: Reflection

Author Richard Koch of The 80/20 Principle spoke about “Happiness Islands” in an interview:

I encourage people to think about the small chunks of time—this week, this year, the years during their whole lives—that have given them far more happiness than most of the rest of their time. I call these periods “happiness islands”. Try it for yourself. Ask what the happiness islands have in common—why were you unusually happy then. You can do the same for your “achievement islands”—and for the opposites too, the times when you were least effective (“achievement desert islands”) or happy (“happiness desert islands”).

I’ve been thinking about my Happiness Islands lately. What do they all have in common? Friends and family—people who understand me. And a lot of times, food. Playing sports, or getting exercise, too.

Filed under: Reflection Media