phil hedayatnia
@PhilHedayatnia
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cofounder 🛫 @airfoilstudio , contributor 🇸🇬 @sgbuidl | prev @southpkcommons @beondeck @getro @trustedfor_ (YC S19)
🇸🇬 singapore 🌁 sf
Joined November 2018
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Many thanks to
@solana
for having me as a speaker at
#Breakpoint2023
.
At
@AirfoilStudio
, we've helped bring 150+ products across the web3 space to life... and we've learned a lot along the way.
I hope this talk can be of help to anyone taking something new from 0→1.
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Literally swap Cuomo’s name for Trump and this story would remain 100% believable
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if you are a college student
and you are interning somewhere for three months
you are not “investor at x” “engineer at x”
YOU ARE IN SCHOOL
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@jimmy_daly
once upon a time, there was a designer/illustrator named
@byalicelee
. She made really awesome, fun, human illustrations for Dropbox, Google, Slack, and others.
people liked them. so often that I've actually heard product leaders request "Alice Lee" illustrations before.
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Design is like a science. But it's something everyone can learn.
Here's 10 principles I (and the
@AirfoilStudio
design team) use to design brilliantly simple products:
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@MalwareTechBlog
Can confirm my friend who works there had his browser homepage remotely changed to a full uncensored penis
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@Shit_Posting_HQ
@Kanthan2030
Concerns over what might happen if US-Chinese ties worsen and either side intervenes in Apple’s business as a result. Vietnam and India are rapidly improving, but they have a long way to go.
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While this might be a controversial opinion in crypto, I don’t think most users want self-custodial wallets and web3 will end up becoming more like, well, the web — something in the background that users barely notice is there until they need to shift data between services
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gm! Toronto ppl in web3 — Airfoil will be hosting a meetup in July, open invite!
our new office has a literal bank vault in it — no better place to celebrate the rise of DeFi than in a 🏦
comment below to be added to the RSVP 🎉
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@RNCResearch
This is accurate:
Biden is talking about the Voting Rights Act reauthorization of 1982 where Thurmond (who had opposed earlier iterations of VRA) was a key player because he chaired the Judiciary Committee.
Biden was a key negotiator from the Democratic side.
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6K
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If you're seeking a UX/UI design internship for the winter, DM me.
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Airfoil in Singapore events post!
Many of you know
@AirfoilStudio
is based in Singapore, and we're so excited to welcome everyone visiting SG for the first time or returning this week. Along with
@sgbuidl
, we're hosting lots of events this week and would love to see you there.
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NFTs aren’t JPGs.
They're records of ownership with real-world utility.
My NFT predictions for 2023:
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Incredibly, I’ve been blocked by
@wework
.
They still owe us $14000 after promising to send it to us 2 weeks ago — and we’re actively renting with them still! WTF?
I’m honestly kinda stunned.
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@ghosttyped
@tolstoybb
That’s comparing vs Austin, which just isn’t the right comparison. Houston is much cheaper and better value, and far more diverse (the most diverse city in the US!). The Midwest is also far far cheaper. I kind of agree that Austin doesn’t provide good value vs CA anymore.
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🍾 Happy new year from Singapore 🇸🇬
I wanted to share a thread on some thoughts from 2021. This year was a challenging one, but I have tremendous gratitude for those who helped me pull through and thrive:
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See this beautiful computer?
If you find me my next design hire at
@AirfoilStudio
, I’ll buy you one.
See the thread for more info on us ⬇️⬇️⬇️
(BTW, for those wondering, I just got mine and it’s everything it’s cracked up to be. 10/10 recommend)
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@ajithchelsea
@raagulanpathy
They're almost the same in both land area and population, one is just drastically better run.
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No matter how much effort I put into our Seoul office, I’m not sure I can beat the coziness of the study cafe I’m working from right now.
it’s so cozy…
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I want to express my thanks to everyone who’s reached out over the past 72h, after a former employee made a series of allegations about their time at Airfoil and about me personally. I’d heard chatter about this for a few months now secondhand, but wasn’t sure about the specific
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take a break from mindless networking & come hang
we’re hosting two things this week:
— a brunch on Thurs in Chelsea (capped at 25)
— a speakeasy on Fri night in SoHo (capped at 75)
dm myself or
@floguo
for access
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In all honesty: there are other tools that fit my workflow better than Basecamp so I'm not a user, but I've always been in admiration of what y'all are building: not just a company, but a community.
Something I'm thinking about a lot as I move on to my next thing...
The venture-capital mindset is so defined by the accumulation of money that it perceives "haha you're not a billionaire" to be an actual insult. That OF COURSE anyone would give up whatever they're doing to run or own a unicorn, because any value not defined in $ is irrelevant.
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My entire feed is just people talking about the
@launch_house
yacht party tonight
time to b̶u̶i̶l̶d̶ SHIP 🛳
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@LevNovak
@Austin_Federa
I think this is also why I sadly see so much more negativity coming from Americans specifically -- we don't have systems that ensure everyone's included as progress happens. It's just a free-for-all. Then people in tech get surprised when there's backlash.
It's really sad, tbh.
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BTC = Beware The Correlation
ETH = Every Transaction Hurts
SOL = Sometimes On-Line
LUNA = Let’s Undo Noobs Algorithmically
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A bank just failed and put my whole industry at risk, but you know what — Singapore is looking really pretty today and at least I can be grateful for that.
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@Noahpinion
Also notable that it’s not left wing countries that hate us — it’s right wing ones
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If you're a newsletter writer or avid reader --
@_patriciamou
and I are building some cool stuff to try to make your experience better. Let's chat!
phil.hedayatnia
@hey
.com
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@vivianphung
like I think it’s awesome that someone doesn’t have to spend $20 on an Uber and scramble back to their place, spend an hour getting presentable, then head back out just bc they’ll get funny looks if they’re wearing work clothes or have their MacBook with them
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Why do I keep seeing web3 investors on podcasts struggle to articulate a web3 use case?
So many simple ones. Core concept: sometimes it's really difficult for a single company to solve a really difficult problem, and it's better for multiple co's to create solutions that connect
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It’s icky to brag about sales/growth success… but holy crap, over the last week we had a record number of web3 companies reach out to work with Airfoil — 20+ in one week.
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Crazy: one month ago, we moved into our cozy little Toronto office.
This week, we added a second right across the hall.
Now it's filled and we might need another.
(pic from team brunch yesterday -- more folks have joined since!!)
#AirfoilTO
🇨🇦
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@PokerCookieM
@SpiffyItalian
@ArmandDoma
@Noahpinion
Disagree. In all the ways they differ, Warsaw would be a harder place to build, yet they did it anyway and it worked.
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One really smart decision I’m seeing a lot of young people make in their tech careers is “delaying the start” — e.g. 3x dropouts, multiple gap years, 4+ internships, etc.
Maximizing time to tinker and learn b4 having responsibilities is great.
(
#1
regret of mine personally)
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we need a good web3 crm. all contacts on telegram, 100+ from this week alone and even with two people working on it documenting all the contacts has been sooo hard
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@ajithchelsea
@raagulanpathy
Yep, but the other way around -- Singapore doesn't have a massive economy the size of the US to back it up, little to no natural resources, etc. NYC has the natural advantage. Singapore should be the undeveloped one, not NYC.
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@JakeAnbinder
What’s wild too is that the Biden admin’s recent shift away from full support of Israeli actions in Gaza is because they are concerned *public support is waning.* They’re concerned about elections. So it very much matters not to piss off the general public if the goal is to get
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Super excited to be joining the first
@beondeck
Catalyst cohort! Thanks to
@shriyanevatia
+ co for the opportunity 🥰
(There's still time to apply! Join me ⬇️)
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Any interest in doing a weekly Twitter Space or screencast where I’ll dive into your web3 product and suggest aspects of its UX to improve?
I’m legit down to do this. Would love to partner with other designers on this as well.
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Quick plug for anyone screwed by the recent changes at Twitter, or the Silicon Valley companies that have fired thousands recently, potentially forcing them to need to leave the US:
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My takeaway from returning to SF for a month so far has been two things:
1) Crypto is essentially dead in the Bay. I still think Singapore and NYC are the two biggest hubs by far for web3.
2) SF, as a city, is nearly as lively as it was pre-pandemic. Not 2012-2015 era SF, but
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grateful that we got to host something last night where people had long convos & made friends, not just mindlessly pitching over and over
we’re hosting a bunch more events this year, but it’ll always be a curated group & it’s important to get the vibe right
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Searching for engineers interested in collaborating on something new in media/the passion economy space. My DMs are open 🙂
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Hiring an assistant — if you’re scrappy and good at scheduling, organizing travel, wrangling email, etc I’d like to talk to you!
DMs are open. Paid role + mentorship & support (in addition) if you want to get more involved in web3.
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This is some bullsh*t.
Rents are high in Singapore, yes. But 1) only for foreigners and 2) Singaporeans also make nearly the same median income as Americans.
Cars are expensive — insanely! $120k for a Toyota expensive. That’s why only 30% of the country drives, and the rest
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Asian cities by the first word that comes to mind for me, honest answers:
Seoul: Excellence
Tokyo: Tradition
Bangkok: Lively
HCMC: Liftoff
Kuala Lumpur: Construction
Singapore: Utopia
Taipei: Friendly
Hong Kong: Hardcore
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I think being bullish on individual products like
@joinClubhouse
is a difficult bet in general, but I'm bullish on live audio even vs. recorded (respectfully disagree,
@ShaanVP
!)
Here's why:
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While filling out the Vietnam visa application, I noticed that this is apparently a valid reason to enter the country:
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@vivianphung
I think we’re both in nyc bc we don’t like stuff like this *but* one of the most awesome things about sf for me was how people didn’t really care how people dressed or if they had their work bag with them at a house party, for example
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Quick reminder that startups ≠ tech, you should not take a startup job if you aren’t in the position to handle the immense *personal* or financial risk involved.
There are many other awesome tech careers that may be a better fit.
But let’s stop hating on them.
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Web3 usability sucks.
Confusing jargon, superficial promises, constant headaches...
10 ways to fix it:
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We’re at the point where people know what Airfoil is before I explain it in the NYC crypto community and I don’t know how to handle this
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I’ll be honest: I missed SF and it’s exciting to be back (even if only sporadically now).
I spent more time in this city than any other than my hometown… and even then, it’s the city I know best.
I don’t feel like a visitor when I return.
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These aren’t just my colleagues — they’re family to me. Honored to work alongside you and build the future together.
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I get why — the English-speaking world will always be more focused on the US or Europe, or look to larger Asian countries like China or Japan — but there are sooo many builders here working on really valuable shit, and the talent pool is incredible
Time to study up on Korean
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@twobitidiot
I got Long COVID before getting the shots (the vaccines hadn’t come out yet). It’s been 3 years of not being able to breathe properly or truly live normally. It sucks. That’s an outcome worth avoiding at all costs.
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People in San Francisco FB message
People in LA Snap and IG message
People in NYC text
I don’t make the rules
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I promise to never get offended by you offering to save us both time and effort by (gasp!) having me schedule time on your Calendly.
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@AutismCapital
This is not true — still haven’t signed into Google on mine and I’m having no problems with it. It’s an optional, opt-in step in the setup process.
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happy to announce that as of June 14 I’ll be joining the first On Deck NYC cohort!
if you wanna join me:
cc
@conormbrady
@beondeck
@david__booth
@eriktorenberg
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This week,
@ModuFellowship
1 fellows will present their work to 50+ co’s.
This is an incredible group of designers— even relative to most of the folks I’ve worked with across my career.
And they’re looking for roles: FT, PT, contract.
DM me if you want to be 1st to meet them.
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If you’ve looked at what’s being built today in web3 and wondered how you can join in on the fun —
We’re hiring across design and engineering right now (🇨🇦, 🇸🇬, and 🌎) and we’d love to have you join us.
Let’s build a better web, together.
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Give me 5 minutes of your time and I'll give you hours of time back every week in Figma.
57 Figma shortcuts to 10x productivity:
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@0xfbifemboy
This is a really frustrating take TBH. I get the intent — students should not drop out without fully understanding the risks — but many dropouts in crypto did so because of debt or a lack of support from their college (both in my case)… and being early matters
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excited to return to Toronto, a city that isn’t the hub of crypto or tech or finance or whatever but it’s just *nice*
if I didn’t have to travel to scale Airfoil I’d just stay there tbh
(Toronto friends — sticking around for a few weeks! let’s hang!)
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just reviewed one of my designers’ work and dammit, I’m very sure at this point I’m outclassed by my own employees
It’s both heartwarming and overwhelmingly joyful (because we’ve built a great team!!) and also a little scary because DAMN self-doubt creeping in
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If you keep seeing posts about me holding a mic and standing on a stage, here’s video (for the first time!) of what I actually say
“Why Web3 UX Sucks — And How To Fix It”
thanks
@kryptoseoul
for having me!
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While we in the US bicker about whether or not web3 is necessary…
Meanwhile in Korea:
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@immad
I want to add here for anyone considering Mercury that I called their support line this morning to request help with something related to the SVB fiasco. Got through in 1 minute to an agent. Got helpful answers. Gives me peace of mind.
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With some brief relapses, I've now recovered from long COVID after ~6 months of hell.
I feel damn good.
I have my energy back and can start planning for the future again.
Can't express how amazing this feels...
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I've been telling y'all all year that:
1. Web3 is booming in Asia.
2. Singapore is the hub of web3 in Asia.
3. Token2049 will be the largest web3 event of the year.
As of tonight:
⚡ There's 275+ side events for Token 2049. ⚡
(EthDenver had 180.)
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One of the things I love most about
@heyhey
is the feeling when I've completed all my "Focus and Reply" email, I see the "nothing new for you" pop up, followed by a photo of Taipei I took a few months back.
Glad I switched from Superhuman. Intentionality > efficiency.
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.
@daylight
is so cool. Super well designed & I will legit use it often. Kudos to the team!
(We did not work on this, btw)
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There is nothing I’d rather be doing than working alongside the Airfoil team. You could not pay me to leave. If I have my way, I’ll do this job for the rest of my life.
These are special people. I pray we’ll continue to do right by them and never lose our culture of care.
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Hi, I'm Phil.
I'm the founder of Airfoil, a web3-focused design company.
This month, Vitalik published 5,500 words on the future of crypto.
My takeaways...
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Tip of the day:
Get international friends across many timezones.
Your birthday will then start the day before and end the day after — maximum birthday greetings time.
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@nbdyspfect
@jasaviato
@StarboySAR
@coomerchie
Also, it’s flatly untrue that foreigners can’t get eSIMs or SIMs in China. It takes 5 minutes at any major airport.
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Does anyone know any kick-ass logo designers? Looking to hire someone quickly for a brief project. DMs are open!
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Just crossed 900 applications for the inaugural Modu Fellowship cohort -- insane.
I'm so excited to get the first Fellowship started in the next few weeks.
If you're a designer looking to upgrade your career, apply now!
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Friends in VC, but just in tech in general:
I'm launching something new soon to help you share recommended talent with your portfolio companies/founders you know.
Would appreciate your thoughts/feedback!
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The public's perception of NFTs as "people selling images for thousands of dollars online" when that's one of the most limited and insignificant uses of the technology is proof that web3 players have utterly failed to communicate what this technology is and why it matters.
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We don’t promo much at
@AirfoilStudio
, but just noticed today that we just completed our 40th project in web3.
We didn’t start as a crypto-focused agency, and we still do other things, but I have to say — it’s so exciting working on things that are genuinely *new*.
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The way you know the Korean government is finally serious about supporting startups is that there is now an actual K-drama about startups
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Crypto will work.
Web3 will work.
VR will work.
AR will work.
AI will work.
Hype cycles betray the fact that on a long enough timescale, much is possible…
but as human beings, we’re bad at estimating how likely they are to come soon.
Stop hyping, keep building.
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What the actual fuck has happened to Facebook design
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Airfoil now has multiple employees living on every continent on earth except for South America (and ofc Antarctica).
As a 🇨🇴🇺🇸, I want to change this stat.
Who are the best South American product designers, engineers, or illustrators you know?
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Onboarded with
@copilotmoney
today.
It’s the first personal finance app I’ve wanted to check daily, and the iOS 14 widget is now on my home screen to remind me not to spend more.
Beautiful. A must try!
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The longer I spend in Singapore, the more I love it. What a wonderful country.
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