Chatbot
If you prefer getting to know me in a more interactive way, try the chatbot at chat.vincentchu.com. Otherwise, enjoy the story below.
About Vincent Chu
I have experience across many product domains and technical areas, and I love using new tools to make people's lives easier. I started working professionally in software development in 2003, but my first "Hello World" was back in 1990 with QBasic.
I’m passionate about software development. I've built software on PC, Wii, NDS, Xbox, PS3, Mac, and iOS devices. I did a lot of frontend work at Apple, and I also developed business analytics software using Scala at Visier.
I've been credited on a number of game titles at Electronic Arts, including the top-selling AAA title FIFA (2010, 2011, 2012). My main focus area was locomotion—developing animation algorithms for realistic player movement. I also worked at Apple on the iWork productivity suite (iOS and iCloud.com) for four years.
After leaving Apple, I joined Visier, a rapidly growing company transforming the HR domain. As Vice President of Engineering, I was responsible for product direction, technical direction, and people management.
After seven years in the HR tech space, I joined Later.com as head of engineering and was part of the executive leadership team. I'm proud of helping them scale their product and engineering processes, and the company managed to have a successful exit in 2022.
In 2023, I started with AgencyAnalytics as Chief Product Development Officer. I reframed the conversation around development velocity to focus on product metrics that impact business outcomes. I also defined a product strategy framework and collaborated on a strategic plan for Product, Engineering, and GTM. Through setting clear expectations, hiring, and training, I established new critical Product & Engineering functions (Product Management, Design, UX, DevOps, and QA).
After being away for a couple of years, I'm back at Visier—boomeranging, as they call it. The mission is to take the platform to a new level.
My Articles...
I started writing about the books I read and my thoughts on leadership in 2020. I published them on LinkedIn, and they received thoughtful feedback from fellow technical leaders. Here are links to some of the articles:
Books on a bookshelf of a software manager (Part 1: Coaching)
Books on a bookshelf of a software manager (Part 2: Organization)
Defining culture: leading by example
What motivates software engineers?
High standards vs toxic environment
Ego - Books on a bookshelf of a software manager
Product Management for Software Developers
3 Pitfalls to watch out for when creating your own metrics
Why you should consider joining a small or medium sized company as a senior software developer
Please also check out my other articles on Medium and on LinkedIn.
Before ChatGPT, I spent time with TensorFlow in Google Colaboratory and created an English to Cantonese language translation prototype, documenting what I learned. It feels modest now that generative AI is everywhere, but it was a fun exploration.
After 10+ years away from iOS development, I'm back to publishing iOS/macOS apps. Please check out my project pages for more details.
My University...
I love learning and spent a lot of time on my studies at Simon Fraser University. In 2007, I received the Governor General Silver Medal for being the top undergraduate in the university. SFU did a short interview with me in 2015.
I love programming and often turned class projects into larger scale projects for public download. I'm pleased that many of them have been useful to others.
I was also actively involved in Golden Key International Honor Society as an executive member and was the vice president for the SFU Chapter. We organized volunteering events to support the community, and serving as an exec was a lot of fun.
I was also affiliated with the SFU Medical Image Analysis Lab after my USRA work with Dr. Hamarneh. I co-authored paper publications with SPIE for the research and attended their international conferences.
Professional Interests...
I have a strong interest in cryptography and machine learning, and I enjoy creating tools and apps that make advanced algorithms accessible to the general public. Helping others save time with their tasks is deeply rewarding. I have created several open source projects and worked on many hobby software projects.
My Hobbies...
I feel fortunate that I get to do what I love—software and game development. I also enjoy teaching and building things with Lego. In the past, I spent quite a bit of time on video games - Starcraft and Warcraft remain my favorite games of all time.
I enjoy sports for recreation and time with family and friends. I love board games, especially competitive ones like Carcassonne and Ricochet Robots.
When I'm not writing code, I like going outdoors and enjoying the beautiful hiking trails in Greater Vancouver.
My Pictures...
The picture area is password protected. Please access it using either account below (biology or flying2003) or contact me.
Password
I have created two accounts, and you can use either one to gain access:
username:
biology
password: (The last name of our I.B.
Biology Teacher <My year of course, without capitalization and salutation>)
username: flying2003
password: (It's the usual subject of my drawings.)
My work...
If you are interested in knowing more about my work or in possible collaborations, you can contact me using any of the methods listed here.
