In 2021, Yuhao Xu, a former employee at Meta, transitioned to a Japanese startup after his tenure in the tech giant. Xu's journey began in 2016 when he moved to the United States to study software engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, following a common aspiration among his peers to secure a position in Silicon Valley's leading tech firms.
Initially, Xu found working at major companies like Google and Meta to be rewarding, citing significant projects that impacted millions of users. His early work involved optimizing user interface elements, which he noted could potentially generate substantial revenue for the company. Despite these opportunities, he felt constrained by the slower pace of innovation typical in large corporations, especially in the rapidly evolving field of AI.
Xu's upbringing in a family that valued stability influenced his career choices, leading him to seek roles that promised security. However, he ultimately opted for the dynamic environment of startups, believing they foster greater innovation compared to their larger counterparts.