Vince Chan

And one of the things I learned in that discipline is that when you are trying to optimize a mathematical function under a lot of uncertainty, What you do is you actually double down on the areas of the function that you just have no data points on. So you actually gauge whether those parts of the functions are high value or not for you. So I apply that principle to my career, which means I...

And one of the things I learned in that discipline is that when you are trying to optimize a mathematical function under a lot of uncertainty, What you do is you actually double down on the areas of the function that you just have no data points on. So you actually gauge whether those parts of the functions are high value or not for you. So I apply that principle to my career, which means I...

When I first started undergrad, I went to McKinsey and that was honestly just me not knowing what I wanted to do at all. And McKinsey just sounded like a cool organization that everyone said was prestigious and good to work for. So I just went into it blind. But

When I first started undergrad, I went to McKinsey and that was honestly just me not knowing what I wanted to do at all. And McKinsey just sounded like a cool organization that everyone said was prestigious and good to work for. So I just went into it blind. But

Beyond that point, I was chasing things that I just hadn't experienced, where things were uncertain, so I can learn more about them and letting my intuition guide me. For instance, right after McKinsey, I went to Tanzania and worked at an NGO. I had an inkling that I cared about social impact, I had an inkling that maybe nonprofit could be a really interesting kind of organization to work for.

Beyond that point, I was chasing things that I just hadn't experienced, where things were uncertain, so I can learn more about them and letting my intuition guide me. For instance, right after McKinsey, I went to Tanzania and worked at an NGO. I had an inkling that I cared about social impact, I had an inkling that maybe nonprofit could be a really interesting kind of organization to work for.

I obviously had no experience working in Africa. I had no experience really working as a project manager in an NGO. And it felt like an opportunity that was very far away from what I knew. And by going there, I would discover. After that, I went to a year in Tanzania. I realized I really like high impact work, but they didn't really like the

I obviously had no experience working in Africa. I had no experience really working as a project manager in an NGO. And it felt like an opportunity that was very far away from what I knew. And by going there, I would discover. After that, I went to a year in Tanzania. I realized I really like high impact work, but they didn't really like the

NGO model and the incentives around what that environment creates. And so I actually ended up going to Colombia in Latin America and working at a startup. My first time in Latin America and my first time in a startup, but it was a way for me to really discover, again, a very different environment where I can experience that setting. and see what I like.

NGO model and the incentives around what that environment creates. And so I actually ended up going to Colombia in Latin America and working at a startup. My first time in Latin America and my first time in a startup, but it was a way for me to really discover, again, a very different environment where I can experience that setting. and see what I like.

So those are a couple examples of how I chase uncertainty as a way to really discover what is it that really motivates me. There's the second sort of thing that I use a mental model I use is the idea that you can only really discover and learn your true preferences by gaining firsthand experience.

So those are a couple examples of how I chase uncertainty as a way to really discover what is it that really motivates me. There's the second sort of thing that I use a mental model I use is the idea that you can only really discover and learn your true preferences by gaining firsthand experience.

I think a lot of times people spend a lot of time theorizing what might be good and then apply after theory. I think the other way around, I feel like you're better off

I think a lot of times people spend a lot of time theorizing what might be good and then apply after theory. I think the other way around, I feel like you're better off

leading with experience and then distilling and creating mental models around yourself and defining your principles from actually putting yourself in situations where you feel the real constraints of realities and then you realize, okay, this is what I really care about versus this. I don't really care about this.

leading with experience and then distilling and creating mental models around yourself and defining your principles from actually putting yourself in situations where you feel the real constraints of realities and then you realize, okay, this is what I really care about versus this. I don't really care about this.

And for me, that's the reason why I was jumping into these very different environments. And from that, learn what is it that I really care about.

And for me, that's the reason why I was jumping into these very different environments. And from that, learn what is it that I really care about.

And as I mentioned earlier, briefly, through all these experiences, I learned the thing that I always thought about and found enjoyment in was doing things around people development, talent development, thinking about how do you unlock people's potential and so on. And once I got enough of those data points across settings,

And as I mentioned earlier, briefly, through all these experiences, I learned the thing that I always thought about and found enjoyment in was doing things around people development, talent development, thinking about how do you unlock people's potential and so on. And once I got enough of those data points across settings,