Stephy Deng

Human-in-the-loop

We're back in the time of taking Palantirization. a16z.news/p/the-palantir…

This industry still runs on invisible expertise. Not systems. Not shared logic. Just senior people carrying the know-how in their heads.

Factories look replaceable until you realize what you’re really replacing is ？ note.com/adofaer/n/n786…

MINISO + POP MART are a reality check on SKU velocity: 300–400 new SKUs/year can be normal. That flips the question from "can we build more" to "how many items will an average fan buy for the SAME IP in 12 months (same market)?" Demand is finite—reverse the math, then plan drops

If every SKU has to be a masterpiece, you’re probably not running a business — you’re running ego. note.com/adofaer/n/ncbc…

Avoiding supply chain innovation feels cheap today, but the hidden costs will bill you tomorrow.

We say “it didn’t sell” — but rarely admit we never had a real reason to make it. note.com/adofaer/n/nc3a…

Sometimes I wonder if calling ourselves a “toy company” is just a way of thinking smaller than we actually are. note.com/adofaer/n/ncff…

To some extend, Factories are replaceable. System nodes aren’t. If your factory only makes products, it’s execution. What if it improves your validation speed, feeds your data layer, and compounds learning across launches?

VCs love to say: “Factories are replaceable” Try finding one that: – survives endless IP revisions – aligns on quality standards – and doesn’t implode mid-iteration You’re not swapping a supplier. You’re resetting a learning curve. Replaceable in theory ≠ replaceable in practice

A native English speaker would never write “Throw me a hard one. I’ll dig deep” (pause) It’s not technically wrong but is just…off This is why translation is so hard. You need someone who’s a native speaker of the target language rather than the source language, so they can nail the idioms It’s also caused many tales of woe for American companies operating in China Uber translated “black car” literally, but “black” in Chinese means illicit (like blackmarket or blackmail). Airbnb translated its name into something involving “mutual love” and you can guess how that went

Anything purely functional eventually depreciates. It gets optimized. Replaced. Upgraded.

You can immediately tell if a product was made just to meet a deadline or if it was made with a sincere desire to move humanity forward. youtu.be/wLb9g_8r-mE?si…

This resonates. Process is part of the product.

Most people see toys as merchandise. We see toys as a medium.

Hey! Calling all Wonder Women! We all are sisters…pulling together with one spirit. 50 years ago today the first episode of the series Wonder Woman aired. I truly believe the reason we liked her was because we recognized her within ourselves. The multifaceted parts of her personality, her strength, her beauty, her warmth, her tenacity, and her honesty is who you are! We recognize those qualities in her because those are the qualities that women possess. We understand one another because we alone are the Mothers of all Mankind. We are magnificent…at every age…at every challenge, and we do whatever it takes. I love you all and as I reflect on the stories I have heard you share with me, the art you have drawn for me, and the kindness you have given me for 50 years….. I WANT TO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR THE LOVE YOU HAVE SHOWN ME. THANK YOU GAL GADOT, and DIRECTOR PATTY JENKINS, FOR KEEPING HER LEGEND ALIVE AND STRONG! Tons of love to all of you, Lynda Art by: Catherine and Sarah Satrun

i stopped at a tokyo convenience store to buy tape for a prototype. the cashier asked if it was for “art or fixing life.” i said “both.” turns out most of my job is making broken ideas stick long enough to see if they’re worth keeping.