Linus Liang
Co-Founder and COO, Embrace
What were you up to before you came to the d.school?
I was a Program Manager at Microsoft. I was also enrolled at Stanford taking classes in HCI.
How did you hear about the d.school? Why did you come?
I heard about the d.school from a mailing list asking for applications to the Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability class. It was a class that immediately captivated me. I felt it encapsulated everything I wanted to do – further my design skills, work on a challenging project, and work with people outside my major. I applied to the class that night and when I got accepted I quit my job the next day.
What did you experience when you got here? Why was it meaningful to you?
I remember the first day of class was nothing I had every experienced before in my 20+ years of schooling. First the classroom was completely different from a traditional setting. Next we did a quick design project (the wallet project) which was something I found very innovative. It felt good to be thinking in a different way and validated all the tough decisions I had to make prior to joining the class.
What are you doing now? How do you use what you learned at the d.school?
I am currently living in India working at Embrace, a company that I co-founded with other members from the d.school. I use what I learned at the d.school everyday from designing our product to just prototyping different business models. It has taught me to approach problems in a completely different way.
Anything else you’d like to share?
The class really changed the course of my life. When I first joined I never imagined that I would be doing what I am doing now. It’s been an incredible experience and I am thankful everyday for the support, resources, and education that the d.school provided me!
