In this generation, apart from the major trend of "Decentralization", it is more important to learn to abandon linear thinking. Among them, the most dangerous is the "linear thinking in terms of time".

The passage of time is constant (of course, we are not discussing general or special relativity here). Some people spend years honing a project; others chase after the next new coin that just launched every second. Some claim to be top traders before the age of twenty; while others, just past thirty, say they are "too old" to keep up with the changes in the crypto world.

Every time I go back to university to share, I feel like I don't have much to share because I haven't taken a linear career path. If students practice according to the textbook, the result is mostly in vain. But looking back now, it's precisely this non-linear path that has brought me to Gate today.

At the age of thirty, I decided to go to Australia for a year, but I only learned to swim at the age of twenty-nine. There, I learned diving and surfing. Now, every time I go to the beach, I am always the first person to jump into the water.

At the age of seventeen, I was already performing noisily with a guitar at the Elizabeth Sports Hall and the Gaoshan Theater; I only started learning piano after turning forty, and I just learned one piece, Hans Zimmer's "Day One". ("What’s scary is not someone who practices ten thousand moves, but someone who practices one move ten thousand times.")

In my forties, I stepped on a skateboard again and filmed a video for Gate; the last time I played on a skateboard was twenty-five years ago.

Published my first book at the age of twenty-two, and at that time I thought writing a book was an easy task; now, writing a book feels a bit overwhelming.

At the age of twenty-five, I completed a half marathon, even though I actually hated running at that time; last year, I just finished my first marathon in life, and I started to enjoy the fun of long-distance running a bit.

I grew up in a colonial land from kindergarten, elementary school to middle school, and never formally learned Mandarin. It wasn't until I was twenty-eight that I truly began to speak Chinese.

After turning thirty, I have been learning German on Duolingo intermittently for ten years. Recently, I went to Munich and found that apart from Guten Morgen and Danke, I could hardly say a complete sentence, but I could understand quite a few words. I think that even if I spend another ten years, I would only learn a little more; at least I still have thirty years to use.

I accidentally started learning swing dance in 2008, and it's been more than ten years now. I now try to avoid mentioning it in public, fearing that the marketing department will ask me to perform live at Gate's events!

The passage of time is constant, but the momentum, development, and opportunities on the timeline are non-linear. Everyone must find their own rhythm and not follow in others' footsteps. Take learning guitar as an example: when you were young, you had plenty of time, but now there are countless free instructional videos available; another example is artificial intelligence, where some claim to have twenty years of development experience, relying on first-mover advantage. However, AI from twenty years ago is completely different from AI today, and someone with only five years of experience might go further than they have.

The same goes for the cryptocurrency world: some people got on the right track when they were young and achieved financial freedom early, but they lack practical experience and have insufficient momentum; there are also those who only transitioned from investment banks and tech companies in recent years, but have created a new realm in the industry thanks to their life experience and connections.

Neither arrogant to those who come later, nor servile to those who came first.

The only thing I envy is that young people can definitely see a future that is further away than I can. Other than that, everyone moves along the timeline, regardless of superiority or inferiority.