Q&A
Questions and answers about learning Mandarin, building tools, and the journey.
Q: How do you find people for your podcast?
Sometimes when I make a new friend I share "also I've been doing this podcast project, at some point I'd love to hear your story if you're interested." Other times, I get introduced to other Mandarin learners and we become friends during the podcast! Fun and meaningful either way!
The exception to the rule is that sometimes it happens spontaneously when I feel like I've having a conversation with someone (or inner monologue with myself) that I think others might be interested in and/or benefit from.
Q: How do you manage the tension between building community, supporting learners, and running a business?
This is a real tension. One that I am actively navigating, because all my life I've been the type of person that loves helping people and hates selling things. I live and breathe my app every day, it's what I jump out of bed for every morning. Building better tools for me, my friends, and all the other Mandarin learners out there.
So it's happened where I make a new friend and I get too excited about all my projects, and simply...overshare. And then it feels like oh wow, I just pushed my product even though I didn't mean to.
So I'm writing this note to remind myself, Gene, (1) remember to lead with your journey and not your product, and (2) help and be useful to others, share what I've found is working and what's not, offer to help others debug their study methods, provide accountability, practicing Chinese, really any and all forms of support.
Q: How did you start learning Mandarin?
Answer here...
Q: Why did you build your own learning app?
Answer here...
Q: What's the biggest challenge you've faced?
Answer here...