Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with my roommate, who studies set design at Northwestern’s Theatre Department, about “How can we define art”. She introduced me to “Tilted Arc” by Richard Serra, a piece installed in the heart of Manhattan from 1981 to 1989. This massive sculpture sparked controversy by impeding the free use of the public space, leading to its eventual removal.

However, this artwork triggered an important dialogue—not about its aesthetic or inconvenience, but about the role and significance of public spaces. While some saw it as an obstruction, others viewed it as an opportunity to reconsider how we interact with and value our communal environments.

Simply opening up the opportunity for discussion means a lot.

Working in tech, we often aim for definitive answers, building systems with specific purposes that fit expected outcomes perfectly. This art discussion reminded me one of the blog post by Eunjoo Kim, a UX designer at Google, shared how the Google embrace trial and error.

She shared how a culture of trying out the smallest ideas even if it seems inefficient and causes loss in terms of opportunity cost, and extracting lessons from failures not only helps in solving immediate problems but also opens up new directions for projects and encourages others to think differently.

Working in a field that often seeks predetermined solutions, I aspire to be an engineer who embraces diverse perspectives and sees the potential for new paths through experimentation, rather than hastily dismissing them as simple errors. I’m excited to navigate the vast sea of ideas in the world of data, ready to unlock new possibilities 🌊 .

I know the IT job market is full of talented people but also exhausted and often jittery with unsettling news of layoffs. Despite this, I hope our efforts to keep trying, asking questions, and inspire others to think for themselves will be valued.

Wishing everyone a good start to the week this Monday 😄

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