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Design a Career You Love Using Stanford’s Framework [W&S 123 ft MemoryLane & Designing Your Life]

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Tired of the "straight path" career myth? In a world where AI reshapes jobs overnight and passion projects turn into thriving ventures, how do you design a career that’s future-proof—and fulfilling? Meet our powerhouse guests:

  • Jason MJ Tan – Ex-Meta & TikTok AI engineer turned Founder of MemoryLane, an AI startup empowering seniors. His journey? Business school ➔ Cambridge research ➔ Big Tech ➔ groundbreaking entrepreneurship.
  • Mark Wee– Executive Director of the Designing Your Life institute (inspired by Stanford’s iconic program). He’s on a mission to help you navigate uncertainty with design-thinking tools—no linear plans required.

Highlights:

  • Why "wayfinding" beats traditional career planning in the age of AI.
  • The #1 skill that’ll make you irreplaceable (hint: it’s not coding!).
  • How to prototype your career like a designer—even if you’re risk-averse.
  • Jason’s bold leap from a "top-dollar" tech job to solving a problem no one else saw.
  • Mark’s "Odyssey Plans" exercise: Design 3 radically different futures in 15 minutes.

Tune in if you’ve ever wondered, "What if my job disappears tomorrow?" or "How do I turn my curiosity into a career?" Listen now for stories that’ll reshape your work journey—and maybe your life.

What We Discuss:

  • 03:35 - What’s your approach to helping people design a balanced life?
  • 07:07 - Was your decision driven by purpose, trend foresight, or both?
  • 13:42 - Have you applied these ideas unconsciously across your careers?
  • 20:25 - Do you think this design and structure make sense in Singapore’s context?
  • 25:03 - What’s the best age to learn design thinking for lasting impact?
  • 27:35 - What tough startup decisions have you faced, and how did you choose?
  • 30:42 - What advice would you give to those anxious about AI taking their jobs?

Episode Resources:


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