Twenty Three. / Contributor Seventeen: Chris Hsiao, Vari
On Being Grateful for the Present, Bouroullec Tables, and Mixing the Technical and the Art.
Happy Tax Day, everybody! (Just kidding.) In between getting various work done and updating Haus of Merch, I’ve been getting a great list of contributors coming in to Le Cinq. While we all continue to stay healthy, safe, and (somewhat) sane, our latest contributor is another old friend from the startup world.
I met Chris Hsiao during my early days in the VC world as well (specifically at South By Southwest a few years back!) when he was running Gossamer. Chris is now handling engineering work at Vari (formerly Varidesk), and I’ll let him take the show from here.
Enjoy!
Chris Hsiao is the Director of Product Engineering at Vari (formerly Varidesk). Prior to Vari, he ran a product design firm called Gossamer where we designed consumer products in the IoT, healthcare, and drone space. Before that, Chris was an aerospace engineer for over a decade, working on products like the Boeing 787.
A fun fact: I enjoy visiting McDonald’s in every country I visit because it’s a pretty great reflection of how that country views America…and because most countries outside of America aren’t afraid of dark chicken meat. Fat is flavor!
(Editor’s Note: Oh. So. True.)
What are you currently working on?
Along with all the B2C and B2B products I help lead at Vari, we’ve also had this incredibly successful space-as-a-service venture called Varispace. Working with consumer products has always been complicated in terms of compliance with consumer regulatory bodies, but designing products for commercial real estate (think of products that directly tie into building infrastructure) has been especially eye opening since we deal with product-specific regulations that are specific down to the city we operate in. What works in Dallas won’t work in Los Angeles, and neither of those will work in Chicago.
It weirdly makes my previous career in designing airplanes seem very straightforward.
What are you currently excited about?
While I’m of course excited for when this quarantine is over (though I haven’t picked the perfect fit for that day yet), I’m also slowly turning the initial anxiety and depression around to really embrace this current lifestyle. As corny as it sounds, spending this time with my wife and kids at a slower pace has been incredible.
I notice the kinds of birds outside my home office. I research house plants. We read books together and struggle with online learning as a family. Every day sort of blends together in a hazy fog of puzzles, baking, work, rollerblading, skateboarding, basketball, Animal Crossing, and a lot more sleep.
And that excites me.
This is all underscored with a huge gigantic SIZE 72 caveat that we are privileged in countless ways and beyond lucky to have our jobs and our health right now. These things turn on a dime, and the best we can do is be grateful for the present.
What’s a story or article that you're currently thinking about?
This is a bit of a cheat, since I stumbled upon this research paper when I was trying to extrapolate what the new normal will be as it relates to work and space once we get through this quarantine. In short, the study looked into changes in the work environment after 9/11, and while the study dealt with a much smaller sample size and relied heavily on anecdotal evidence, I expect a lot of post-9/11 narratives to likely ring true in the coming months as we return to work.
One company after 9/11 made an office out of a large temporary space - creating a de-facto open office - and they actually found it extremely comforting to be in each other’s company and be able to process their emotions together.
I do wonder how we’ll balance our longing for interaction with the remnants of social distancing still lingering.
What’s a product you’re currently obsessed with?
This table I got recently for the breakfast nook. On top of it being beautifully designed by Bouroullec Brothers (I mean, even the underside is gorgeous!), the tabletop is this incredible matte linoleum, which in the age of COVID has proven to be hugely advantageous since the material is naturally antimicrobial. I would have loved to be part of this design process.
Other products I wish I had also been part of the process are:
This specific Muji pen
Wild Card: What’s an item you can’t shake your mind off of?
Tigertail on Netflix. Even though I just watched this last night, it’s going to be one that sticks with me for some time. My parents immigrated from Taiwan, I’m about the same age as Alan Yang, and I’ve actually been traveling to my parents’ hometown pretty frequently for work.
It sounds odd (and even embarrassing) to start reconnecting with your roots this late in life, but I suppose it’s better late than never. Beyond the personal ties to the movie, the cinematography and score were stunningly perfect. If I could ever choose another career, it would undoubtedly be as a cinematographer.
The combination of technical and art always speaks to me.
~ C O L O P H O N ~
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