Andrew Yeung

Hands down, the desk. Standing desks are under-rated. The benefit of to me is increased mobility while working–I’m able to walk, skip, jump, etc. and let my creative juices flow. Then for calls. I present a lot on video. Standing helps me present 10x better. My voice is louder, my energy is better, and I’m less awkward with my hands.

Creativity to me is the output of collecting and synthesizing high quality inputs. It can be from reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts and so forth. As it relates to my workspace, I find that being by a window, by nature, and in a quiet environment helps bring out the creative juices. I’m currently writing this (and working on my newsletter) to the sound of the rain, with Kamauu softly playing in the background.

I design my life with strict rules and boundaries in place. No working between X hours. Only working my side gig during Y times. No alcohol or socializing on certain days. I have rules for 80% of the activities I do, and this exponentially reduces the amount of cognitive load and decision making needed during tough times.

So luckily for me, I’ve managed to design a life with great work-life balance–or rather, work-life integration. I put in 80+ hours a week between a full-time big tech job, hosting events for 10,000+ people, writing a newsletter, running a job board, and advising startups, but am constantly happy, grateful, and in the moment. AND I still have plenty of time to go out to concerts and have crazy weekends ;)