Spotlight #3: Justin He

Easy, Breezy, Fresh.
Meet Justin He, a rising sophomore at the University of Southern California. Justin has been interning as a software engineering intern at Fae Maps, a real-time social media platform that connects users to the communities around them. Outside of coding, he has a passion for dancing and a secret talent of beatboxing. He hopes to explore the best that LA has to offer, from enjoying the best food in the city to meeting the most amazing and talented group of individuals from TechLA and learning as much as he can during his time here.
What inspired you to explore startups and join a small company?
One main advantage of joining a startup is greater involvement and passion in the product being built, and generally having more autonomy over your projects compared to bigger organizations. Having more choices and more decisions to make really makes you feel important and productive. Furthermore, the small company setting allows you to participate in other aspects of the company; for example, I was admitted as a software engineering intern, but I’ve had opportunities to work on design, product, and a little bit of marketing. Overall, working at a startup is a unique, more involved, experience where you can learn a lot more than the typical internship.
What’s excites you most about working in LA?
L.A. is a growing technological hub, with a bunch of tech events you can attend in your free time. My favorite part, to be honest, is L.A.’s cultural value. Living in a vibrant city with exciting people is awesome. There are so many views to be had, food to be eaten, and friends to be made. It’s cheesy, but it’s true. It’s just a good city. (Sorry I’m bad at elaborating at this particular question HAHAH)
What’s your favorite (non-work related) thing about LA?
Definitely the dance community. L.A. is a growing tech leader but is already a leader in the dance realm, and as a homegrown dancer since middle school, L.A. for me is heaven. The level of expertise and knowledge that dancers offer in their classes is unrivaled. I am so grateful to have this (non-work related) opportunity :).
What do you hope to get from this fellowship?
There a few things I am to get out of this internship.
First, experience (which, to be honest, has already been fulfilled!). Learning under some more experienced developers and working collaboratively, formally within in a company, is quite a learning experience. I get to understand and internalize their workflow. Additionally, I’ve learned a lot about product management by watching my manager cooperate with all of us.
Second, a network. Not just the network of VC’s and other important people that TechLA Fellows brings in, but also a network of passionate, young college students who are looking to do big things in the future. I want this network not just for the foreseeable opportunities, but to have people at hand that I can collaborate with and work with in the long-term.
Lastly, I want an awesome summer. This goal seems to be on track — to meet and work with amazing people, pursuing my passions, and enjoying L.A. as a city — all of it is building up to be quite a memorable time.
What are your goals for the next 5 years?
I’m not entirely sure; I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do. Ultimately, though, I want to consider myself “successful” — for me, I guess it means being well-versed and respected in whatever craft I pursue. It would be an awesome success, though, if I can use all my experience to build an idea into a startup and become profitable/well-known for it. I suppose that is an “ultimate” goal. Sorry for the ambiguous answer!
Describe a perfect day in your life.
WOW This is a hard question.
My perfect day would be waking up back at home, in New York, at a comfortable time. I wash up and, feeling refreshed, hop onto my laptop and phone for updates. While my parents are preparing breakfast for the family, I’m coding or editing away at something I’m passionate about — a small project, or a big one. Anything that excites me. I go downstairs to eat some delicious, home cooked meal and thank my family (by washing the dishes). I have plans to meet up with some high school friends, eating somewhere fancy in the city. As we hang out, I’m taking a lot of photos — I have a vision for capturing my life in these megabyte-sized digital moments. We talk and catch up on life until the late night. I stay in the city for a dance class or two. The energy is bopping, the vibe is great, and everyone is having a good time while they work on the teacher’s challenging routine. I finish the class, sweating, and grab a bottle of water before taking the train back home to Brooklyn. If I’m lucky, I’m riding the train with a few of the dance friends I made during the workshop. After getting off the station, I walk a few blocks back to home, greeted by my family once again. I eat dinner, and continue free-working on my projects. They vary from data analytics, bigger startup-esque projects, editing my own dance videos, or editing my photography. My perfect day is feeling comfortable, and doing what I love.
Anything else you’d like people to know about you?
Easy, Breezy, Fresh. Work hard Play hard. :)
What’s your spirit animal and why?
A turtle, because he’s slow, wise, and just damn right cool looking.
Favorite food?
Vietnamese Pho
Vans or Converse?
Converse
Favorite TV show?
Silicon Valley
What’s one misconception people have about you?
I have poor fashion (I just decide to not care about what I wear, in reality)
What’s your fun fact?
I can solve a rubik’s cube in less than 20 seconds!
What’s your secret talent?
Beatboxing
