Stuff.

Hello all. I wanted to drop a quick post since I’ve been MIA. As of this evening, I am officially finished with my studies here at the University of San Francisco. Finals were a struggle, but I think I made it out alive. Now that I’m done with school, I’ll have more time to write more about the blend of my two passions:

Startups + travelling = Web Travel Startups

There are a lot of possible game-changing startups in the travel space right now. I’ll be updating in a few days on sites that could be taking the place of dinosaurs such as Orbitz and TripAdvisor.

All college students should be required to read this article based on a recent prediction by Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal. He states that the higher education system isn’t working in today’s economic climate.

It’s thought provoking, scary, but most importantly, true.

As a senior at the University of San Francisco, I can feel the stress and uncertainty among my classmates after the $250,000 education we’ve purchased. In all small talk conversations, the inevitable question is always brought up.

“So…what are you doing after college??”

Never in our lives has there been such a defining question. On the surface it looks like a question with an open-ended answer, but at the core there are really only two. Do you have a job, or not.

If you answer with “yeah, I have something lined up” the conversation immediately has a more lighthearted feel. The tension is cut, and your friends know you’ll be doing just fine.
If you answer “I don’t know”, people immediately say. Oh ok, so what are you thinking? The mood is cloudy, passive, and uncertain. Your friends then think through all the assumptions below in a split second.

- Are you trying to find a job?
- Do you think you’ll find a job?
- Did four years in college help at all?
- Is your major worth anything?
- Are you scared?
- Do you feel unsuccessful?
- Will you move in with your parents?
- Are you gona enjoy eating PB and J for dinner every night until you get a paycheck?

So…what are you doing after college?

To the Hjerrilds,

It’s great to connect with everyone on Facebook. I’m glad all this social media technology actually did some good. It normally wastes my time pointlessly, but I have to say when Ben requested me I realized there was actually some value in all this digital stuff .

Where do I start? Currently, I’m a senior at the University of San Francisco. Been living in the city for the last four years where it has become my second home. The weather is just like Washington, except less rain, for which I cannot complain. I’m spoiled now. Whenever I go home I get more and more impatient with the gloomy weather. I’m studying Finance, but see myself working more in technology in startups. The eccentric entrepreneurism of my inventor dad must have rubbed off on me. I don’t think I have enough of a coffee addiction to go into a number crunching finance job for 90 hours a week. I like wearing a lot of hats and being in a creative, innovative environment.

Last fall, I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia (I heard from Ben you guys were in Australia too, I’ll have to catch up on some Hjerrild Herald reading). I worked on a reef tour boat in the Great Barrier Reef for a few days, made some East Coast friends through my host program Boston University, and enjoyed how much Eastern influence there was in Sydney and Melbourne (though I wish there was more racial equality and awareness).

Since my winter break was an eternity, I decided to backpack New Zealand for a month. I used a site called helpx.net (work 4 hours a day at places in exchange for food and board) and found a luxury lakehouse in Wanaka to stay and work at (If any of the Hjerrilds are in NZ you’ll have to helpx at this beautiful place). I did online marketing work for the Lodge and got them digitalized with the the latest SEO and social media tools. During my stay at the lodge I got to know two Dutch and a Canadien couple (from Kelowna, BC) really well. I did some hitch hiking (most of my friends think I’m crazy for doing this, but you guys as worldly travelers would approve), exploring of Milford Sound, Franz Josef Glacier, and camping with some friends in the back of an auto shop’s junkyard in Queenstown for New Year’s (a whole other story in itself).

I guess I’m doing this in reverse chronological order, so I’ll keep rolling backwards. My next experience is relevant to Ben’s CS degree hehe.

During the summer of 2010 and most of my junior year in college, a friend of mine and I decided to found our own web startup. A lot of my posts in this blog are related to it, but in a nutshell, we went from developing an idea because we were too lazy to text friends to building a social networking site that instantly answers which of your friends want to hang out. We spent almost all our free time during school on it and lived out of Berkeley last summer to work nonstop. I had a cozy sleeping bag of a bed for the duration of our time there. We finished our web platform, marketed it to users, and pitched it to venture capitalists and angel investors. Since it’s not the next Facebook, we’ve moved on from the experience, but it is from this experience that I want to work in startups.

I think you’ll like this job I had during the Summer of 2009. I worked as a food director for a travelling Jewish teen tour throughout the East Coast and Canada. It was awesome since I got to see Boston, Maine, Montreal, Toronto, Niagara Falls, D.C., and Virginia on a bus and hang out with 40 teenagers and a crazy staff. It was tough and stressful buying groceries for 50 people and organizing the preparation and cleanup when we were camping at different locations. This was one of, if not the most difficult job I’ve ever done, which I’m grateful for since it taught me how to be efficient and time manage to a tee.

During summer 08 and half of 07, I worked at a place that has become very near and dear me, and it is thanks to you guys for inviting me to go with Ben when I was a kid. I spent this time working as a camp counselor for YMCA Camp Orkila. My time working in the San Juans has definitely helped shape who I am, so I must thank you for introducing me to this beautiful place. I got to experience the most beautiful sunsets in the world, throw dodgeballs as hard as I could at annoying campers, and live in a really magical world away from reality during my time at Orkila.

And to cap things off, it is ironic how I began my life as a legal adult. After graduating high school, three friends of mine and I decided to treat ourselves to a one month graduation trip. We started our backpacking escapades in where I was first inspired by the world, Paris, France. From there we eurailed to Amsterdam, stayed with my friend’s family friends in Munich, visited my friend’s Aunt in Lucerne, Switzerland, and made short stops in Venice, Cinque Terre, and Rome. From there we flew to Greece and spent a week in Ios and Santorini. It was a journey I’ll never forget, and thanks to my travel experience with your family, I was able to make it out alive with the knowledge I learned from you guys.

I still clearly remember getting into Paris when Ben and I were 13 (I think…). After arriving the airport and getting on the shuttle bus to the city, I thought, “what’s the big deal with this place? This is going to be borrring”. Once we got off the subway at Montmarte though, I remember stepping up each stair and under the tainted green metal awning into that busy neighborhood street. It was instant awe. My mind was rocked by this new world of Parisan people, architecture, cafes, and life. The walk to the apartment was one of the most amazing and intense moments of my life. This is probably why Paris is still my favorite city I’ve visited in Europe.

I’m bummed how Ben and I have lost touch the last few years, but now with all this technology we can keep in contact by writing on walls, skyping, and sharing stupid comedic youtube videos. I still remember Sunday afternoons shooting aliens on your Mac and playing legos at my house. I remember the first time I had an Italian sausage for dinner at your house. It was pure tastebud bliss, and it’s a meat that has become a staple in my college diet.

If any of the Hjerrilds want to travel to San Francisco, know that all of your family or friends are welcome to stay at my place. As of now, it isn’t huge, but I know how adaptive the Hjerrilds are when exploring the world so we can make something work. It’s expensive here, so a free place to stay is always good. Katherine and Steve, I’d love to catch up on your travels and you two are welcome anytime. Natasha, if you or any friends want to travel the Bay Area, just shoot me a message and I’ll make sure you guys have a place to crash. Ben, we should definitely figure out some sort of get together within the spring or summer. You should try applying to some startups in the Bay Area if you’re looking to use your CS degree. If I run into any opportunities for you, I’ll let you know. On the other hand, maybe I shouldn’t because exploring SE Asia sounds way better!

I’ve been lucky to do a lot so far as a 22 year old, but I’ve realized most of these jobs and experiences wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the trip to Paris and all through England your family invited me on. It is probably the most generous thing anyone has done for me, and I cannot thank each Hjerrild enough. I’m not going to lie, I am getting a little mushy as I write this because of how lucky I am to know your family.

I cannot imagine what my life would be life without traveling. Maybe I’d be one of those crazy workaholic Asian students who sees little in life besides A’s and a lofty salary. Maybe I’d be that ignorant person who doesn’t know Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population. All I’m sure of is that I’m lucky to have grown up with such a generous friend and family.

Thank you Ben and the Hjerrilds. We will definitely be in touch now!

All the best,

Andrew

An update on the Sings:

Everything with the Sings is going well. My dad is still inventing crazy products (he is spreading the word on his new composite material), my Mom is still holding down the fort in the family as the rock, and my sister is in her last year of high school.

Annie is looking to go to UW or Whitman for college. She’s been playing club volleyball competitively, and will play on the team at Whitman if she decides to go there. She’s developed into an outgoing, energetic girl who I think takes after my dad a bit with her fun and crazy personality.

Like many of my friends and other college students, it is now time for me to examine how I’m going to find a job and make a living. Our passive economy constantly needs stimulus injections from the government just to keep our country from collapse. Maybe it is time to step back and view the current situation in America from an unbiased viewpoint, and the option of working and living abroad as future college graduates.

From August until now, I’ve been abroad interning and studying the economies of the Pacific Rim in Sydney, Australia. I’ve interned at a young financial advice startup and have stumbled upon marketing work at a 5 star lodge in New Zealand.

In a sentence, I believe working abroad after graduating may be where the opportunity is at.

I’ve had the chance recently to live in Australia and New Zealand. These cities and countries are growing at rates that would make the U.S. cringe. So to help me organize where I may be interested in living and working, I organized a summary on each country when it comes to career opportunities.

Australia-

Australia is rich in minerals, which China is in continuous demand for. Mining is Australia’s biggest industry, which means as long as China’s growing, Australia’s economy will do the same. Most people don’t know about Australia’s insanely high minimum wage, which in Sydney is around $18.00/hour. Now that the Aussie dollar is on par with the U.S. dollar, this makes for a healthy wage if you’re flipping burgers. Goods and the standard of living in Australia is a bit more expensive, but if you were able to jumpstart your career here, you could see wages around in the $25 to $40 an hour range.

When it comes to quality of life, Australia is a hidden gem. Sydney and Melbourne are two modern, international cities that have distinctly different personalities. Sydney is flashier with all the fancy tourist sites. Its sunny weather and beaches make for laid back weekends that make life seem too easy. Melbourne offers a more metropolitan and cultural feel with a well developed downtown. Its beautiful graffiti scene, streetside cafes, and a narrow alleyways give it an artsy feel that I find similar to a blend between San Francisco and New York. Both cities are a blend of East and West, which can make the culture feel like Chicago or Chiang Mai depending on your neighborhood. This I love.

New Zealand-

Tourism and farming are New Zealand’s biggest industries. It was hit a bit harder by the financial crisis due to its reliance on tourism, but has bounced back well and is seeing increased immigration similar to Australia.

If you’re a city person, then Auckland, Wellington, or even Christchurch may be for you. The minimum wage in New Zealand is 12.75/hour. What New Zealand has over any other country is vast amounts of natural beauty within a half hour’s drive of any of its cities. Whether its mountain biking, snowboarding, kayaking, or hiking, New Zealand’s cities are close to what many believe is an outdoor paradise.

Have not posted in awhile. The reason? I’ve been “studying” abroad in Sydney since mid-August. My co-founder Eric and I made an agreement going into Summer 2010. If the pieces didn’t fall our way, we were to move on once the summer ended. As two 21 year olds, we’ve dedicated the last year to Hangchillparty, learning heaps about startups and entrepreneurship. What we haven’t done though is do what normal 21 year olds experience. Going out, mingling, and taking the day as it comes. Working nonstop is a great experience I will not take back, but at the same time, there is more to life than working toward a monetary or idealistic goal.

I really hoped Hangchillparty worked out, but I believe it will be a project we will return to. I believe the niche is still there for a real-time online socializing tool. Facebook may be taking a step in that direction with check-ins, but there is still a market for such a tool.

When it comes to life moving on away from the startup grind, it’s has an interesting effect on the mind. For one year it was all that really occupied my thoughts, so like a long relationship, there was a void that had to be filled. When you focus so intensely on something for so long, your brain adapts to those thoughts and changes. It caters to your area of focus, and physically changed the neuronic structure of your brain (check out the Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge for more details).

I was constantly looking to work toward to something, which is my brain being used to constantly working. In mid-August, I decided to go back and work as a camp counselor for two weeks at one of my favorite places, Camp Orkila on Orcas Island, Washington. It’s an enriching job that keeps you continuously occupied, so I didn’t have time to dwell on Hcp much. I transferred that energy to throwing dodgeballs at kids and acting absolutely ridiculous.

With only one day at home between camp and my departure for Sydney, there was not much downtime at all. Before I knew it, I went from the nature of the San Juan Islands to being engulfed in the urban landscape of Sydney.

Again, there was little time to think about what we could of done better with Hcp. It was all about socializing with the 70 kids in our program, exploring Sydney, and meeting locals. This has been my number one priority, which has been a refreshing change. You appreciate the pleasures of real-life socializing more after sitting in front of a laptop for 12 hours a day.

So what has triggered me to write this post now? Well in the program I’m in, we are given an internship for the 2^nd half of the semester. I’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity to contribute to another very early web startup. It’s an awesome chance to contribute what I’ve learned from Hcp into a fresh, new idea. But because I’m back in the startup environment, it has brought back a lot of memories from grinding away on Hcp.

Also, watching The Social Network brought back startup emotions as well. The theme of building nothing into something is a strong belief and feeling every entrepreneur holds near them, and it is a dream of all of us to have even a fraction of Facebook’s success. After seeing the film, I had to rest and even write in my journal because of our dream to be that “next big thing”

I’ve realized that when someone dedicates their life to something for an extended period of time, it takes time to adjust to real-life again. It’s not a positive or negative, it’s just the way things are. So if you’re adjusting your life after a long dedication to a project or craft, I’d say keep yourself busy with new experiences and hobbies. If you’re planning to move on, then move on by adapting your life to the way you wish to live.

That’s all I got, hope you enjoyed this post.

I’ve decided to detail the different steps of relationships on facebook. Each stage is articulated with detail from inception to the point of no return. I have seen multiple cases go through these steps, which is why this article is a true breakthrough in science.

Step 1- The relationship is official in real life.

This needs no explanation. The couple has committed their temporary love for one another.

Step 2- The relationship becomes facebook official (est. duration= 2 weeks after step 1)

Couples don’t commit steps 1 and 2 at the same time just in case the relationship flops. That would destroy their facebook reputations, especially for the one who gets dumped in two days (see facebook suicide). Step 2 occurs two to three weeks after step one, but it may go on longer if the couple is shy or they aren’t the PDA type. Good indications of genuine facebook official relationship statuses include receiving a good amount of likes (at least 3) and girls posting pointless comments that you could imagine them saying in their fake, high pitched happy voices, like “yaaaaaay!”.

Note: Couples who have been stuck on step 1 for over 3 months are either, 1) Very private people,  2) Don’t care about Facebook, or 3) Eyeing other mates and jumping on someone who’s better.

Step 3- Facebook Hibernation (est. duration= 1 to 2 months after step 2)

Facebook official couples will go through a facebook hibernation period. This is when their walls turn stale and they become less active on facebook. Facebook hibernation occurs because the couple is in the infatuation stage with their mate, so they aren’t hanging out with anyone else, which means friends have nothing to comment or post about. The severity of facebook hibernation is directly correlated with the amount of their social lives they choose to give up. Spending every weekend night with each other equals the highest degrees of facebook hibernation.

Step 4- Worriedness from former friends

Caring friends will realize their former friend has gone into facebook hibernation and post worried comments, such as “I miss kicking your ass at quarters…”, or “Tiffanyy!, we haven’t hung out in soooooooo long. Catchup lunch this weekend?!! ”

Step 5- The couple exclusive picture album

Step 5 is the climax of relationships on facebook. Couples that make it to this point have lost touch with almost all their friends and call each other babe on the phone every time they talk. Few couples make it to this point, but when they do, it becomes obvious to the facebook community with the couple exclusive picture album.

Randomly out of nowhere, the couple will post a large picture album (must contain 10 or more pictures) of ONLY them. In most cases it will be from an extended activity, such as a daytrip to the beach, roadtrip through vineyards, or camping in the mountains. This album will contain pics such as 1) the male holding the camera for a self-taken couples pic 2) sentimental timed pics of their silhouettes in an outdoor sunset and 3) random pics of each other no one really finds that interesting.

There’s only one way to completely pass step 5.  The album must NOT receive ANY comments on any of the pictures by any of their former friends. This is key, and the only way to judge if the relationship has reached the point of no return.

The point of no return is when the couple has abandoned all forms of a social life. The chick will often wear the male’s sweatshirt around, they send at least 10 texts a day to each other, and they each have the same phone background of them spooning each other dessert at a dimly lit Italian restaurant.

Facebook and relationships is a relatively new science, but I’m absolutley positive all escalating relationships go through these facebook phases. If you disagree, let me know here.

It’s been a long time since I’ve written. The reason? It isn’t fun to write about months of product development that end in a less-than successful soft launch.

After months of developing Weutt 1.0, we released the beta version in April and realized within about a week in that this site needed to be revamped. We pushed it hard for three weeks and learned people did not want to use it. The color scheme was gross. The interface offered way to many options and buttons to click on. One of our testers said it looked like something that “carried a virus”.

Once Eric and I saw this, we had a huge decision to make. One thing we kept noticing though from feedback is that people thought Weutt was a “great idea”. We kept hearing the word “idea” because it wasn’t a great product. It was just a demonstration how we wanted to solve the online problem of  “Who wants to hang out in real life. Right now.”

So we decided to give the great idea one more shot. This time, instead of naively building what we believed to be the dream product, we used user feedback from college students to help us craft the simplest way to solve a problem. Before developing, we met with experienced product designers in the industry to help mentor us in product development and experience. We started redeveloping Weutt from scratch, leaving no evidence of the old site.

The new thing looks like a new animal. We’ve been calling it Weutt 2.0 and have now been working on it full time since the summer has started.

In the development of 2.0, we’ve focused on each problem with the first site and worked to solve it. In addition, we wanted to make this site DEAD SIMPLE. That is the theme and we believe it shines through in the new interface.

Screwing up the first time was tough, but we’re actually more excited now about Weutt than before since we’ve realized a lot of mistakes we’ve made. Weutt 1.0 was built by two excited college students as a passionate hobby. Weutt 2.0 is being built by two startup founders who failed their first iteration, but have commited to Weutt as a passionate career because we’re solving a problem college students want solved.

So get ready, because we hope everyone gives Weutt another shot. Coming soon the 2^nd version of Weutt…

Dumb Girl- Run-D.M.C.

oh, that’s where you go to school?…

Recently, I’ve been getting out in the startup community and meeting great people with amazing advice and connections. A lot of people I meet come from or go to prestigious universities. Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, and a lot of amazing schools with amazing students.  Most everyone has been great, but there’s a very select minority who have given me a weird vibe after I told them where I go to college. It’s the “oh, that’s where you go to school…(pause)” vibe.

I go to the University of San Francisco, which is a nice little school, but has hardly the reputation of the ones listed above. Eric, the co-founder of WEUTT, goes to a school everyone mistakes for UT Austin when it’s really the University of Texas at Dallas. When first meeting people, our college resumes don’t sound very wowing for two guys starting a company.

For instance, I was talking to some alums of a prestigious university recently working for a well known tech company. One of the guys asked “so where are you going to school?”. I responded with the University of San Francisco in the city.

“oh….that’s.. nice..”. He said it like there was a dark cloud now hovering over my head.  I could feel the smarties reserving their conversational energy for when they met someone worthy of talking to. I’m not a brainy person, but I can definitely tell when someone starts interacting with me differently just because I’m not from their likes.

This kind of stuff happens rarely, but it still happens. It makes me think, “wow, you are an incredibly intelligent person, but your people skills would get crushed by a four year old”.  Would they like me to instead try and excuse Eric and I’s universities by saying we should of gone to schools with better reputations? I’d rather not. Because when those few “I’m the shit” brainiacs see that even dumbasses like Eric and I can build and start a little something something, it’s going to make them really confused and think really hard to how that happened.

Fashawn- Life as a Shorty

Real music. Down to earth music. That’s how I’d describe Fashawn. Get his debut album,” Boy Meets World”.

Fashawn’s a storyteller. His debut album Boy Meets World feels more like a novel than an album.

It’s cool how Fashawn brings you into his world to show you what he’s all about. Fashawn is expressing something real that most people can relate to. He communicates struggle in his music as well as anyone. He communicates optimism and hope in his music as well as anyone. After a few listens, you’ll feel like you know Fashawn as a person, not as an artist.

Boy Meets World is one of those albums you can play all the way through and enjoy each track. Every song is quality. There is no garbage on this album.

If you’re looking for hip hop with a relaxed feel to chill out to, this is it. There aren’t any tracks that feel like the next big hit, because that doesn’t seem to be what the album is about. It’s more of an expression of Fashawn’s journey from Fresno on up. I love the vibe to Samsonite Man. I can feel his young, naïve energy on this track, and I can definitely relate to that. This is genuine shit, so if you think hip hop sucks because it’s too superficial and everything, give this a play.

When I’m working and doing the daily routines, Fashawn is the perfect accompaniment. His music doesn’t have to consume you, it’s great to have playing all the time in the background. His album just makes you feel good.

“And I’m a samsonite man, yeahhh, I’m a samsonite mann”

Little Brother- Dreams

What up everyone,

So people have been wondering what I’ve been doing with my time since last semester. This post is spilling the beans to WIBUTWML (what I’ve been up to with my life).

Lately, my friends have been asking me “why haven’t I seen you out lately” or “who do you hang out with now”. I’ve been answering these questions vaguely with “I’ve been working and stuff and shit…”. Sometimes I’ll say I got homework to do. I just get funny looks, “it’s Friday Drew, get a life…”. These excuses have all been code for I’m working on the sickest idea ever.

Here’s a summary on how a little idea has turned into a site we’ve been building:

Eric and I go back to 5th grade. We grew up in Olympia, Washington, which is one hour south of Seattle. As kids, we gamed Nintendo 64 like mad, and played a bunch of tennis together. We’re basically BFFs (omg!!!). So after high school, Eric attended the University of Texas at Dallas and I went to the University of San Francisco. Eric got a full ride to UTD for his grades and tennis, and since it’s a good engineering school, he couldn’t pass that deal up (this is a different school than the big famous UT school). I wanted to get out of Washington and go to a real urban college, and USF gave me some scholarship money so I made my way to the Bay.

During the summer of 2009, we were both back home in Olympia. Eric came up with the basic idea, and wanted me to help him work on it. We casually messed around with building the site. During the summer, Eric got his coding skills amped up and I picked up graphic design through playing with the Adobe platform.

In fall 2009, we decided to both put everything we had into the site. The trickiest part was staying in on weekends and telling our friends we were “busy”, which meant we were geekin out on our computers the whole weekend. Eric would code his ass off. I’d mess with design, research venture capital, and cheer Eric on over chat. We made a pact to stay in because we knew there was a ton of potential in this idea. It became our duty to build a tool to help everyone socialize, in real. With a lot of time over winter break, we are now close to getting a version of the site out.

So here were are at the beginning of March. I’m not going to say how close we are, but we are  slowly making progress, which is good. I’ll definitely keep everyone updated on when the site comes out. Hope this post answers to everyone WIBUTL ( what I’ve been up to lately)

Normal college student turned semi- geek out of necessity,

Drew