Hi, I'm Shulin!
I just moved back to the Bay.
I spent my 20s in big tech (LiveRamp NYSE: Ramp, LaunchDarkly), made senior director by 26 (TransUnion NYSE: TRU), then left it all behind to pursue my lifelong dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Along the way I modeled in NYC and started my own businesses.
Other facts:
> First investment property at 22, now a $2.5M+ protfolio
> Licensed business broker, DRE #02114907
> Coached dozens of women on pivoting their careers, investment strategy, and business acquisition.
> Currently writing a book on reinvention as a 1st generation immigrant.
I write about tech layoffs, small business math, and going from W2 to entrepreneur.
If you're quietly thinking about what's next, reach out!
I'm always down for a coffee chat :)
Come to my first event I’m hosting in SF tomorrow!
We’ll be talking about ai layoffs, SF’s economy, SBA lending changes, and how to buy a business.
https://t.co/LNoNdJCsKt
Use code SHULIN for free admittance
AI Made Me Homeless, then helped me pay the first month's rent on a new apartment.
Join @ShulinChen_ Thursday for a deeper discussion.
The 2027 Business Owner's Outlook Thursday, Nov 12 · 5:30 PM
https://t.co/6fPpy5kcRv
Last week I had the privilege of interviewing @ericelliott_ who went viral for sharing his story on how he went from making $500k/yr in tech as a software engineer to becoming homeless in 2026 living out of his car.
While his story made headlines, a closer listen will show how many in the Bay Area have been struggling quietly since the layoffs began a few years ago.
Please tune in to Eric's story, and join us this Thursday for a deeper discussion with Dr. Ted Egan, Chief Economist of the City and County of San Francisco.
The 2027 Business Owner's Outlook
Thursday, Nov 12 · 5:30 PM · @finix Union Square, SF
Special thanks to our sponsors @ManusAI and @LiveOakBank.
@sfchronicle@sfstandard@sfexaminer@business@NewYorker@nytimesworld@SFGate@BusinessInsider@guardian@TechCrunch@SFBusinessTimes@NPR@axios
Let me de-influence you on buying and owning your own business.
From the mainstream influencers misinforming the masses, here are the common things I see that make my blood boil.
1. "You can get SBA lending with 0% down."
2. "A seller will finance 100% of the deal."
3. "You can take over a business with no industry experience without any revenue dip."
4. "Buying a business has zero risk."
5. "You need to pay someone 15k to learn how to acquire a business."
I am tired of seeing influencers misinform people, take their money, and not care whether the buyer or seller actually wins.
I'm trying to get back into the 'swing of things'.
I moved back to the Bay Area after a six year hiatus. Still restocking my apartment with essentials... And trying to take my golf game more seriously now that I've given up my nomadic lifestyle.
So... I turned to my trusted AI assistant, saying that I wanted a gently used women's beginner set near me.
It searched Facebook Marketplace, ranked the listings (literally even reviewed the quality via photographs), and told me which one was the best deal for my location. It did price comparisons on what a new set would cost ($420), so when the seller listed at $315, it knew exactly where to open: $240. The seller countered at $260. Deal done. 38% off new for a set that was used only once.
Then it watched the message thread so I wouldn't miss the reply, checked my calendar for pickup windows, and pinged me the second the seller confirmed.
My total time: maybe 10 minutes of decisions. The boring, high-friction parts (research, price checks, negotiations, watching the thread) were all handled.
This was a cheeky use case, but it paints a bigger picture.
The people who win the next decade won't be the ones who know the most about AI. They're going to be the ones who learn how to apply it effectively in their daily lives.
P.S. Any golf regulars here? I'll be teeing up at the Presidio this Saturday @ 11:30AM