1718T2 Silicon Valley/Reflection/Day1

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REFLECTION

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Reflections

Student Name	Facebook & Instagram	Daylight	VISA
Adeline Jong	Sean addressed the hot issue on Facebook’s Analytica scandal relating to data privacy. And one takeaway from his response was that he sees this as an opportunity for Facebook to improve consumers’ trust rather than a negative impact on some of their projects. This speaks a lot about the good working attitude of the people who worked for Facebook. While talking to Yang Shun, he shared that he felt that he was not good enough when he works with the best and most talented people in Silicon Valley. And he mentions that many people felt the same way. This was relatable to me as I at times have such thoughts while studying in IS. After hearing that, it encourages me to continue pursue my dreams of working in the IT field just like him even if I have such thoughts.	It’s business relies heavily on the systems thinking framework to solve a current problem. He mentioned that doing iteratively will produce even something greater. I believe that it is really true and applicable when doing front end development. He also highlighted the difference between a product prototype vs a digital prototype. He advised digital prototype to do a certain number of iterations and just launch the product. I agree very much as there’s so much to gain from analyze how people use the applications/platforms and gain feedback from them like A/B testing. It is also inspiring that the whole culture is built on “be inspired by people. Design by impact.” These values drives employees to create great and meaningful works, which is my definition of a successful company.	Something interesting VISA has mentioned was voice user interface design. Unlike usually user interface where users navigate website around with navigation bar/sidebar/search bar, using voice user interface design is a whole different ball game where you map conversation flows and help users complete specific tasks through correct pathways. It is so challenging yet exciting if I will get to work on such development task in future. There are many different ways a user would make a voice command and the virtual assistant has to understand the users’ intention correctly. Contrary to FB view on separating each function such as messenger, FB for business etc, VISA is heading towards integrating all devices through a single application like wechat. As a user, I agree that there are too many apps, described as “app fatigue”, and Facebook should also work towards creating a super app.�
Andrew Tay	“The technology industry landscape in Singapore has not yet matured to the the state of Silicon Valley where there are ample opportunities available”	“Never go to a meeting without a prototype. It doesn’t need to be a final design. It could be a paper prototype or a sketch and have reactive feedback from the user.”	“A large part of what we are doing is through human centric design. That is to demonstrate the desirability, desirable and viability of the product.”
Benedict Wee	Facebook is a “Vehicle that give people voice” that enable a person to express how the feel and they do projects that are more impactful that help the community and focus on finding your strengths which you are good at and tend to have more energy from it that enable you to have a higher bar which you can aim for.	Daylight does design work where you need solve needs of others which are complex, dynamic and constantly changing and i learn that “A team should never be bigger than a school bus” for a great team and not be afraid of receiving feedback from your prototypes even though you spend a lot of time on it.	Visa “Focus on human centric design” which give user the best user experience and constantly improving in innovation make VISA one of the leading competitor in the market as we “do not just enable payment but give user a better experience using them”
Claire Teo	I felt that there could have been more sharing about the different business units in instagram, how these units support one another, and how they collaboratively generate revenue for the company. As much as we use instagram on a day to day basis, it would be nice to see what goes on behind the scene, allowing us to understand how a simple social media app that primarily focuses on photo sharing, eventually became a $35million valuated company. One thing that i find very interesting was how facebook values the welfare of their employees. Simple thing like providing lunch for them allows them to better focus on their work such that when these employees come to work, the only thing they have to put their mind on is their work, and the rest of the things are well taken care by Facebook. - I wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of the main reasons why Facebook employees are highly efficient. I personally enjoyed the panel discussion as it allows us to dive deeper into what the employees do on a day to day basis. On the other hand, i also do wish that people from the business units could do some sharing as well as much as technology is the building blocks of tech firms, sales and business strategy team plays an important role to grow the business. Facebook despite being an MNC still retains an entrepreneurial environment for their employees, allowing them to be in control of their growth, and nurture the strengths of their employees. Shaun (from consumer market department) mentioned how typical companies conduct employee review by asking them to improve on their weakness and that indeed could not only demoralize their employees, and divert their attention from improving their strengths. (Just like Singapore’s education system - where students are supposed to be aceing all modules) Like in many companies sharing sessions i’ve attended in the past, successful founders always emphasize on the importance of having a diverse team so that the strengths of different people can complement one another, making them an A team. I feel that one of the success factors of Facebook is precisely because they grow the strengths of their employees, making them exceptionally talented individuals, which also helps to retain them in the company as people are usually always hungry for growth. (They tend to stay in a company who gives them opportunity for growth and resources to learn)	Like some of the startups, the founders of daylight started their business because of their passion but not necessary for growth. I find a similar characteristics in these founders as they usually show so much passion in the things they do, and they are usually very particular about culture. Perhaps due to the nature of the business of daylight where it comprises of a “consulting” service, it is important to have a strong culture as it will draw them the right and quality customer. Culture is something that differentiates themselves from the other companies who may be providing the same services. Design thinking tool is indeed useful and i believe school has tried to teach this concept to us in different modules, such as entrepreneurship practicum and business capstone. It reflected how a simple tool if being used correctly and seriously, it can create great ideas.	It is interesting that Visa has an innovation team that works on innovative projects with different clients. It is a smart approach for Visa as it allows the company to always be ahead of the payments trends, allowing them to be integrated in the ecosystem, and being able to catch any business opportunities. It is true that many always think that Visa/Master are credit card companies, and it’s nice to visit them to understand the ecosystem of the payments landscape - which i think can be further elaborated. E.g. what is payments service providers, merchants. issue bank, receiving bank. How does visa play a role in the midst of all these. All in all, interesting to know there’s many upcoming forms of payments (which im not aware of!)
Clara Chong	People get energized by their strengths: I love what Sean said about Facebook being “strengths” focused and that it contrasts greatly with how in Asia, most workers are expected to “get better” at their job by improving on their weaknesses. It’s part of what differentiates Facebook and makes it a great place to work at!	Fail often to succeed faster: Sven shared “Instead of saying what’s a good idea? It’s better to go out there and try and fail early to succeed sooner.” And I couldn’t agree more! Yet, between failing and the success that hopefully follows, lies mastering how to pick oneself up after multiple failures and I believe Daylight Design has done that extremely well.	Innovation is in the way we look at things: “Innovation is not always about using new technology but can also be about using existing technology in different ways. “ - Natalie, Visa Visa may not be at the forefront of fintech innovation but one cannot deny that they have innovated in ways that make them relevant and still, the largest payment network of today!
Clarissa Poedjiono	“Facebook is a platform to help other voice, but not the voice itself.” Since its conception, Facebook has been developed to be a platform where everyone can have a say on the internet. It has also been pushing to help the underprivileged to gain access to the information and technology. The working culture at Facebook has been said to be encouraging as it is focused on leveraging on people’s strength and the individuals working at Facebook are more energized because they’re always doing what they like and are good at. Overall, the trip to Facebook was very interesting but however it can be improved if we spend longer time there so that we can explore the office in depth.	“Work with, not for”. As a company that bases their work on design thinking, Daylight Design puts its total focus on the people that will be using the solutions and work closely with them to develop the best possible solutions for them. This makes it easier for them to always get feedback and iterate through the prototyping process. The company is also a strong believer of not growing for the growth sake. While they are always motivated to find the way out from the problems that the clients propose to them as long, it also has to align with their goal regardless what kind of problems they are. Overall, as someone who has always been wanting to see how design thinking is used in a company, I found the visit to be exciting and interesting.	“Some people may know us for different things. But what we are actually a payment technology company and we don’t issue cards.” Visa has long been known as a payment mode for decades but not so many people know what they’re doing in reality. Visa’s clients are banks and merchants. So what it provides to its clients are solutions to enable their clients to transact securely and promptly. Visa has also been innovating in ways to make this possible through different kinds of means and leverages on IoT and token to serve this purpose. Not forgetting that they are big on security and their security has never been breached in the last half of the century. Overall, the trip was eye opening to me such that I know that Visa is doing more than just a payment gateway but so many other cool stuff but however the visit can be improved if the company was able to explain more on the Visa technology in broad rather than focusing on retail technology only in the presentation.
Derrick Lee Ming Yang	“The opportunity for development is everywhere, it’s up to the individual to take ownership for development”. I took down this quote in particular because I agree with it as a developer myself. Many times I hear friends and people saying that they can’t code or do certain things because they don’t have the resources to do so. However, I find it very untrue because If i could do the things that they wish to do just by “googling” for resources and tutorials, I don’t understand why they can’t do the same as well.	“If the same problem keeps coming back in different ways, there’s usually a larger system at play”. The point of contact gave a very good analogy regarding how the same problem always come back. I find this quote intriguing because it can be applied anywhere. For example, my girlfriend and I always fight, and I see each fight as the same problem. After today, I know that since we keep fighting, there’s usually a larger problem at hand (i.e. larger system). But question is, how do I know what the larger problem is and how do i fix it? I believe I would need advice from good old married man like my father, but his advice to me was “don’t try too hard”. So perhaps someone can help me? “Your team should never be bigger than a school bus” I believe that this is very subjective. For a startup/boutique consulting firm like Daylight itself, it could be very true. However, from a business point of view, it doesn’t really make sense. By not expanding on the team, there is only n numbers of projects that they company can fulfill. Having n numbers of projects means they have only a fixed amount of profit. It might work for them because they’re fueled by passion. “Never go into a meeting without a prototype”I learnt the importance of prototyping when I joined a Business-IT competition called Innovate IT back in 2011. I led a team from ITE to clinch their first prize. I believe that we stood out from the other teams only because we spent the time to actually develop a prototype, which impressed the panel of judges.	“New ways to pay are emerging to meet consumer and retailer needs”. The use cases and possibilities of blockchain and tokens are endless. However, one must note that many times the media portray these technology as disruptive and a “scam”. But we must not forget that those are the black sheep misusing the technology. There’s a saying that the solution to money laundering is through blockchain. Perhaps in the near future, we’ll see the true power of blockchain.
Eustace Zheng	Giving everyone in the world community a voice through the plethora of products and services in the company’s arsenal.	A business with only profits in mind is easy to achieve but a business grounded with principles and sticking to them with values is what make things meaningful. Quote: “We always ensure to match values of the customer with ours”	Enabling payments with a human centered focus and bringing in the revolution of different mechanism and methods of payment for all of VISA’s customers. Quote: “We are not simply enabling payments but we are enabling experiences”
Felix Wu	Today I learnt about how best to get a foothold into the valley. Referrals are the way to go and though it is not easy to get they are the best means of getting a chance. Thereafter there are a set of rigorous assessments that have to be prepared for depending on the position you apply for.	In order to be a good designer, you need both a hard skill and a soft skill.The hard skill lies in being a subject matter expert in designing in different mediums. The soft skill lies in being able to synthesize feedback into insights and conclusions.	Payment systems are getting more and more complex and companies need to adapt to the changing needs/landscape/demands of the consumers to offer better convenience.I feel that Visa could be a very interesting company to work for for me given their focus on tech while still
Student Name	Facebook & Instagram	Daylight	VISA
Goh Jia Yi Timothy	FB: Diversity of culture that broaden my world view and how a young Mark Zuckerberg idea at his Havard dorm room can change the world. Through the different cultures and diverse communities in Facebook, we get to experience knowledge from across the world plus the food there is amazing! Instagram: Fun creative work environment that fosters out of the box thinking methods and styles to encourage new ideas and growth to the company!	Design thinking that focuses on consumers as a priority and knowing their needs and wants and executing them accurately .This helps to give what the consumer really wants and helps to change the world!	Internet of things is applicable throughout our life from cars to our homes and creating a whole new experiences that can be available for much more purposes such as data analytics that can help improve our lives! In addition plastic credit cards may be irrelevant to our life soon!
Goh Jin Qiang	“Meetings is to update people and not for problem solving”. Any prolonged discussion/ problems needs to be taken offline for productive meeting, to maximise people concentration and prevent wasting their time.	Every successful product has to be inspired by people. Talk to people, observe them and understand their needs. Doing it right is more important than doing it better or differently.	Innovation is the key to improve people’s life. Innovation is not about doing things differently or finding new technological breakthrough. Using traditional methods or old technology can also improve user’s life and their experience. “You do not always have to find a new dinosaur to have new discovery”
Jacquelyn See	Quote: Vehicle that give people voice from Facebook. I feel that Facebook is a successful platform in giving their users the power to share their thoughts and experiences freely through news feeds. For underprivileged countries, Facebook has projects to let them stay connected. Therefore, Facebook is a platform that allows the world to stay connected regardless of inequality.	Quote: “A team should never be bigger than a school bus” As long as you are able to get a team of expertise who are driven towards common goals and are able to work well with one another, strength can overcome its size.	Although Visa is a company that connects people every day through innovative payment solutions, it holds rich transaction data that many companies need to make analytic decisions on customer purchases. It was interesting for me to learn that Visa has also worked with other companies by using their transaction data to come up with campaign measurement tools for advertisers.
Jamie Chew	“At Facebook, there is no such thing as stupid idea. Every idea counts.” Today, it is hard to find a single idea that has not been thought of. Many times, we place unnecessary pressure on ourselves to come up with the best idea, and are afraid to speak up whenever we are not confident of what we have brainstormed. By dismissing “stupid” ideas, we may actually miss out on opportunities. After all, many great companies that we have today actually came from ideas which most people thought were “crazy”.	“Don’t sit on your idea for too long, get your hands dirty and do a prototype to test out the idea.” It was encouraging to hear from Daylight that they do not believe in launching the perfect product. I too, believe that design thinking is an iterative process. Instead of coming up with the best solution, we should always push out “good enough” products quickly to gain feedback and to learn on how to be better.	“Our innovation lab is based on human-centric design principles - we design for users, like you and I.” Seeing how a large company adopts a creative approach to problem solving by putting people first, and developing innovation solutions to suit their needs is truly exciting, as I believe that the best resources are put in to create new and innovative solutions for consumers. I also feel incredibly privileged to catch a glimpse into the future of driving through its Visa-connected car prototype in its Innovation Lab.
Jared Sim	There are many more opportunities here compared to Singapore, all the major tech companies are here.	Think about the whole system rather than just solving the problem	Enabling commerce to happen at scale
Jeremy Bachtiar	We should not expect to always wait for instructions. Be proactive in learning and coming out with new idea.	“There is no precious prototype” - Sven Newman. It is better to have many rough options that just 1 good one.	Innovation is a process of coming out with original ideas that give surprises but yet is still useful
Jolyn Yio	Today I learned that Facebook and Instagram have amazing offices and working environments with lots of autonomy and free food. However, they do face several problems that users like us do not see. One of which is the recent privacy controversy that led to a trust deficit between users and the company.	And at Daylight, a design firm where design thinking is the heart of the company, the whole process enables Daylight to solve their customers’ problems by always putting their customers first.	Lastly, VISA was an amazing place to visit. The way they transform the whole payment experience by making it really trustworthy and secure. All in all, I learned that that different companies face different issues everyday and by tackling each issue, they too make money on it.
Jonathan Chew	While Facebook provides the platform and resources for learning and growth, one should take ownership and responsibility for their own learning, growth and progression. There is an emphasis empowering your own employees and trust in the abilities of your employees to improve themselves and the company.	“We do reject some clients because we want to ensure that our values matches well with that of our customers.” In design, constant communication and goal alignment requires both parties to work together closely to achieve the solution together.	“We’re not just in the business of enabling transactions, we’re also in the business of enabling experiences.” It was interesting to see that Visa is actually exploring more than just traditional methods of payment, but integrating it to our daily lives through IOT.�
Moses Fam	“Deficit of trust has impacted the ability to communicate” The issue of privacy has created an impact that has caused the trust of consumers in using facebook and as such people who used to use Facebook without the fear of their information getting lost are more wary and has such hindered the way things communicate. That is something that is important for businesses to work out. The trust is something that can be destroyed over a day but not built over a day.	“Fail early to succeed sooner” Having the need to prototype in design thinking, failure is part of the process. No matter how many failures it maybe, having to fail early would mean that through more experience , i’m able to succeed sooner. A unique perspective that i find special to me.	“Physical Retail Space is Reborn” Sometimes stepping out of the usual space is good for companies to actually move forward in their approach and their business. Just like physical retail space, with possibility of having shops coming in shops and driving towards consumers, constant innovation is important for other companies as well to continuously move forward.
Remy Ng	Focus on whatever you are strong at, that energises you and take it to the next level	User-centric problem solving	Distribution as a differentiator
Student Name	Facebook & Instagram	Daylight	VISA
Rizudin Bin Jalar	Opinion: I guess Eugene was right. Most of the times, we always do not believe in ourselves and think we can't do it. We should start believing and start doing!	People always come first! Opinion: Your idea is only useful when it brings value to people! Hence it is true that people always come first cause if we never think of the users and empathize them, our ideas will fail cause the users do not want to use them.	We have to always improve. Nothing except change is permanent. Opinion: Though Visa is a huge company, the company continues to improve and innovate to keep ahead of its competitor. Keep changing and keep innovating!
Shilpa Suresh	The culture at both is quite similar and focuses on talent that is inspired and able to innovate. A quote that stuck with me was “everyone who works here really wants to make a difference. Sounds corny but that is the best way to describe us”	Very interesting company. Maintaining a sustainable size to keep up the quality was and interesting and definitely logical move.Their focus on simplicity and minimalism is reflected not only in their work but also in the way their company is run. The activity made me think about how I can come up with creative solutions in my life.	Very open culture with employees being brutally honest about the quality of their product. If there’s a limitation,they’re not scared to talk about it. They’re focus on the consumer when adapting cutting edge research is something that brings immense value not only for the customer but also to the greater scientific community.
Tan Jian Hua	Instagram - Instagram to me is about expressing oneself, and appreciating the strengths and weaknesses of others. Today’s visit to Instagram was fun and memorable as I discovered that Instagram has many ways of motivating their employees, through smart working spaces and free food and drinks for their employees. Facebook - Facebook came across to me as a company that cares a lot about their employees, allowing them to excel in their field of expertise. For instance, software engineers are able to work from home on wednesdays.	Design thinking opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of designing a product or system. A person’s view may be differing from another person. It is in this diversity which contributes to the process of design thinking	Age old systems from centuries ago can be improved on through the use of modern day technology. The vast applications of these modern technologies is up to our creativity and intuition, and the possibilities are endless.
Tan Ming Sheng	Facebook - Be sure that we pursue the right goals so that everyday we can stay motivated in regardless of what industry we are working in. At the end of the day, it is the learning process that helps us to grow and arrive at our destination. One main take away is to know exactly what you are doing and not just to perform a task that is require by your company, every task have a purpose. Instagram - Keep an open mindset, do not have a fixed direction of doing things. Be more logical when solving problems or overcoming challenges are more important than focusing on your skill set. One main take away is to speak up among your team members because they will not assume what you have in mind.	To differentiate yourselves between your competitors would require you to set the right culture is more important than focusing your differentiated offering. One main take away is that we don't make things that are simply different or even just better, but rather we should aim for solutions that are thoughtful and appropriate for the world.	The best way to influence your culture or client to use your product is to fully understand your customer's needs, developing a solution that will solve their problems. One main take away is that we should stay committed to build a product just for your customer and not simply introducing a disruptive technology that is fitted for all the companies.
Tay Wei Xuan	Thoughts: Facebook should be transparent with regards to the use of its users’ personal data as it is important for users to understand how their personal data is used so as to prevent any misunderstandings from happening. Quote: “Facebook is a strength-focused company. They do not pick on your weak points but focus on your strengths instead.”	Thoughts: It is important for consultants like Daylight to walk through their ideation process with their clients so that they are able to incorporate the maximum amount of feedback in the minimum amount of iterations. Quote: “Say it straight, then worry about it being great.”	Thoughts: Innovation is key to Visa’s success as a financial services company. Quote: “Payments is a functional element to bring new & personalized retail experiences to life.”
Terence Yeo	“It’s harder to communicate with distrust” - It is important to build a trust radar in times of crisis. Companies can build a trust radar through transparency, expertise, commitment and empathy.	“Launch to learn” - Learning can also be done after launching. Once prototype has been reiterated several times, the final design revision should be pushed to the market. Product can be continually revised even after product launch.	“Transactions are everywhere” - VISA needs to move fast in the rapidly changing fintech landscape. They have to work together with hardware and merchants to constantly come up with more possibilities to enable payments. They can explore launching their own VISA token to prevent themselves from getting disrupted by cryptocurrency. �
Wong Zhe Yin, Treasa	Great start with Instagram and Facebook! Had the chance to take photos at the Instagram Headquarters before we moved to Facebook’s headquarter. Realised that most employees are computer science graduates. It’s inspiring that employees are able to fight for the projects which they feel are meaningful as it empowers them to make decisions. It’s also great that the work they do are strength-focused because it makes the employees a specialist in their field of work. Lastly, lunch at Facebook’s little town was great!	Learnt a great concept called design thinking where problems are solved by interviewing potential users and coming up with solutions based on those insights. My next take away is the fact that initial work hard would lead to better clients in the future. And it is important to provide the right solution not just providing different or better ones.	A digital payment vendor with clients such as banks and merchants. I learnt that their main processes consist of physical machines that process over 60 thousand transactions every second. They even have an innovation lab where Engineers work on the latest digital technologies.
Xavier See	Facebook has pride itself as a vehicle that gives people voice, but not as an entity that has a voice.I feel that what the facebook spokesperson mentioned was a good way of summarizing facebook’s stand on their view of the privacy leak issue. As it is a platform that empowers people to make connection and stand up for things they believe in, but Facebook views that regarding data privacy issues, it is not something that is expected to actually be treated as one that is able to have thoughts and emotions and hence be able to “steal” data from others.	We are a Swiss Army knife - we have people good at different aspects. Daylight design uses a multidisciplinary team which is important in achieving its goals. It of course would require engineers to do up products for their clients. At the same time, it is equally important to have people specializing in various fields thus being able to bring the entire project together based on their own strengths. For example, Daylight design would require people who are creative to think of idea, even if that is their only job.	Visa is about the clients. Whatever products customers want we produce - e.g. customers want fridge/light bulbs with auto-payment system. It is important to be customer-centric when producing innovations as it is ultimately the customer who decides whether that product will succeed or fail. Some companies may choose to create products that they are good at or which is cheaper to produce. However, such as products often fail after a while, in entering the market, as it does not provide good solutions to customers’ problems. Thus, customers are not motivated to purchase that product.
Zhuo Yunying (Kaelyn)	Instagram - The office tour was quite brief as we only visited the photo taking booths and did not have the chance to see their office. However, the idea of including photo taking booths at the office space aligns with Instagram’s photo sharing concept. The company visit could have improved if we can have a look at the various units in the office or we could have someone working at Instagram to share with us directly their experience in the Instagram unit. Facebook - The employees gave very interesting initiatives Facebook has done to improve the connectivity for the underprivileged. For instance, the Facebook marketplace features is a C2C platform that allows the less privileged people in Thailand to create more opportunities for themselves. One main difference in the work culture of Facebook and other companies would be the fact that Facebook focus on employees’ strengths and not overly emphasize on focusing on the need to be a all rounder by solely improving on the aspects we are weak at. Hence, “Focus on your strength and not held back on your weakness.”	The design thinking workshop on creating a perfect wallet for the users is very interactive and effective in giving us the understanding of the various steps in Design Thinking. They also shared the their company values in being user-centric, having the right design with simple solution and the need to constantly ask for feedbacks for the prototypes. What strikes me most would be the company’s intention in keeping a small company team and also being values-driven (instead of profit drive) in client selection and also the designing process of the solutions.	Visa company visit was really interesting. Despite having a long history (since 1958), Visa is continuing improving and experimenting new B2B payment technologies in various areas such as retail, point of purchase, smarthome, cars and chatbox. Moreover, you don’t have to come up with brilliant and groundtaking ideas for innovation as innovation also includes using a common item in a different way or in a different context. The importance is to identify the gap in the payment technology and test different ideas to automate secured payment transactions.