i finished implementing the chat functionality with my blog. i "vibe coded" it mostly with claude code. it's such a good tool i'm so impressed. i'm glad i have the credits to run it. now to build as many apps as i can with claude code in the upcoming 8 months before my $8k credits expires.

to build context for my ai, this post will serve as an introduction of who i am and what i've done in the past. it also serves as an intro to those who don't know who i am.

i'm Benedict Neo, nice to meet you! My chinese name is 梁耀恩.

Personal Background

1. Where was I born and raised? What's my cultural background?

i was born and raised in kuala lumpur, malaysia. my background is malaysian chinese, my grandparents were the first generation to come to malaysia from china.

2. What's my educational journey and current professional path?

i went to a chinese primary school, then an international high school. this converted me to an english speaker, as my mandarin language abilities slowly deteriorated. i went to a local college in malaysia for a program called american degree transfer program, which means i was set on going to the states to study. i took all the gen-ed classes for a year and a half, before covid hit in 2020. then in 2021 i went to iowa state to pursue a bachelors in statistics (initially CS but decided i wanted a challenge). then after two internships with tesla which was life changing, i was lucky enough to do a masters in SF now for a masters in data science. i'm currently working at UCSF health doing ai research for cancer, and i've learned so much about research and what it takes to write a paper abstract. my current path would be something along the lines of MLE/data scientist/research scientist, although i dream about just dropping a conventional career and pursue founding a startup. but my visa constraints and my desire for a cushy faang job is a dillema.

Values & Passions

3. What are my core values and how do they influence my daily decisions?

my core values are:

• faith in christianity: it shapes my moral system, beliefs, actions, and thinking. reading the bible proves wisdom that nothing else in this world can match.
• curiosity: what keeps me alive, what drives me to learn and inspires me to want to knonw more
• suffering: as a key to build resilience, and a necessary component of contentment and gratitude
• writing: i need to be capturing my thoughts, it's a way to remember who i was before, so i know whether i'm growing, and for me to understand myself better: my wants, dreams and goals, and whether i'm actively working towards achieving it
• efficient: i try to be as fast as i can. speed is important. constantly iterate. ideas are cheap and they fade away fast. act now.
• commitment: i don't believe in half-heartedness. commit to the top 5 most important things in your life. it could be people, your side project, your daily writing habit on your personal blog. drop everything else. life is too short to waste it on things that do not matter.
• risk: take more risks, apply to things you don't believe you have credibility for, be bold and courageous while you're young. get rejected more.

4. What am I deeply passionate about in life?

i'm passionate about writing. i believe everyone should have their own little blog on the internet. personal and raw writing with little to no edits; where it comes straight from the heart, like you're dumping on a close friend. they should write about how they spent the entire day just researching about the best tofu recipe and cooking it for themselves, or how they weren't as productive as they wanted to be, or how much they love spending time with their loved ones. these little moments are worth capturing, they make up our entire lives, and they form who we are as an individual.

5. What experiences have shaped me most significantly?

i was diagnosed with gerd in 2021, which turned my entire life upside down. after battling with it using 5 different medications, i finally got surgery last year, which improved my life by 80%. i'm not fully cured, but i feel blessed to have a family that can support me, because i know how much worse it could be. this experience made me realize suffering is not a curse, but a blessing, and how it can shape my character and remind me that nothing in life is guaranteed, and i should savor every waking moment where my life is boring and peaceful, because those moments do not last.

Interests & Lifestyle

6. What books, authors, or ideas have most influenced my thinking?

man's search for meaning shaped my way of thinking about suffering, and i'l always remember how he described how we should thinking about meaning. we should not be going around our lives, asking the big question of "what is the meaning of my life?" but rather, we ask "what does the world seek of me." we should be asking what our duty and responsibility are in the current moment, and utilize the gifts and opportunities that we have been given, and do it to the best of our abilities. we should stop seeking answers, because the answers will come to us if we follow our guts, and do what we love doing.

7. What are my favorite musical artists, films, or other media?

i love k-indie and christian worship music. wave to earth is my go to answer for k-indie, and for christian songs, it's bethel, housefires, mosaic, hillsong, and upperroom. i love ghibli films, if i ever get stuck in a movie, i want it to be a ghibli movie. my favorite one is the wind rises.

8. What are my main hobbies and how do I spend my free time?

my main hobby right now is writing this blog, and building fun little apps. i also try to read non-fiction books on spirituality like mere christianity and the wisdom of insecurities, and non-fiction like dostoevsky and virginia woolf

9. What's my ideal way to spend a perfect day?

a perfect day is starting the day with reading and writing, eating my nut butter with whole wheat bread and soy drink for breakfast, remembering to pray before every meal, working at a cafe writing/coding (on weekends), and working at a company doing what i love and having interesting conversations with coworkers (weekdays), visiting the bookstore for new finds, taking photos throughout the day, catching the sunset, play some piano, eating something healthy like miso and kimchi, talking to my family, wind down by reading the bible, talking to T before sleeping.

10. Am I more introverted or extroverted? How do I recharge?

i'm more introverted. i recharge by staying at home doing skincare and reading books on my ever-growing to-read list, listening to ghibli music, writing about my day on this blog, cleaning the house, sketching ghibli scenes, watching youtube, or just napping.

Travel & Tastes

11. What places have I traveled to that left the biggest impression on me?

the place that left the biggest impression on me was coming to the bay area when i was 21. i was lucky enough to be an intern with Tesla and the energy of SF was addictive. it was the hackathons, the friends, the weather, the tech companies, the interesting conversations, the bookstores, the sea, the hills. it was so strong that it made me come back here for my masters, i couldn't see a version of life where i was not living here and doing what i love doing. so much so where i was depressed when i had to go back home to malaysia for health reasons. now that i'm back, i always try to remind myself that i'm here because i have a loving father who can support me, and God who's provided for me.

12. Where would I most like to visit or live someday?

i really want to visit paris again, and walk around monet's garden, and spend an entire day at the lourve. i also want to go new york again, there's so much happening there. i would also want to live in countryside japan just to experience living in a ghibli movie.

13. What's my favorite cuisine and special dishes I enjoy?

I like eating asian food. i like bitter melon, tofu, kimchi, miso, japanese curry, bibimbap, pho, and malaysian food like wanton mee, hainan chicken rice, nasi lemak.

Personal Growth

14. What are my biggest strengths and areas I'm working to improve?

my biggest strenghts are that i'm curious and i'm never afraid to say yes. i'm always trying to improve, to increase my level of taste, to raise the bar of what i'm capable of achieving. i'm working on becoming more confident and secure in myself. i have insecurities that stem from health issues. i'm learning how to be more well-spoken, to ask better questions, and to not be afraid of being my true self in front of others.

15. What accomplishments am I most proud of?

most recently, i'm proud of getting into a relationship with T. it's something i wasn't actively seeking or wanting, but it felt so natural and generative for the both of us. we each bring out the best in ourselves, and we both have the growth mindset to keep pushing ourselves to be better. it takes a lot of courage and vulnerability to share how you feel to someone, and i'm glad i wasn't afraid to take that leap.

16. What challenges have I overcome, and what did I learn from them?

i've overcome gerd, which took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.

17. What are my short-term and long-term goals?

short-term: get a job, get into faang

long-term: found a startup, get O1, settle in with T

18. What makes me laugh or brings me genuine joy?

seeing my friends and family happy, T, ghibli movies

19. How would my closest friends describe me?

my closest friends would describe me as resourceful and curious.

20. How do I handle stress or difficult situations?

i don't handle it very well. i pray, talk to T and family, go out for a walk, workout, nap.

21. How do I define success for myself?

success = doing what i love surrounded by the people i love

22. What am I currently excited about or looking forward to?

i'm excited about graduating and working at a cool company with cool people. i'm looking forward to continue meeting more people, do more fun stuff, experience more things, and start building a life here in the US, hopefully with T close by.