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Michael "Shoe" Xu

I'm a corporate worker interested in the creator space. I talk about Business school, Productivity, Technology, and Learning about anything. Also...let's go Ravens!

📍 Shanghai https://mx-inc.notion.site/Michael-Shoe-Xu-73ec039c151e49649ba1fe35c47ca0d3?pvs=4

From Effort to Ownership

I grew up in a family that didn’t own a lot of things. We lived a decent life and I have wonderful memories of my childhood—but it was never about getting toys whenever I wanted or buying things just because. My parents, hardworking middle-class employees, always emphasized the

Demystify What You Want to Master

If you want to get good at something, the first step is to demystify it. What I mean is: don’t look at a subject or skill as something completely different from what you’ve already mastered. And definitely don’t look up to the people already succeeding in the

Viability of a Media and Research Firm Focused on Manufactured Homes (a ChatGPT Deep Research Paper)

Executive Summary The U.S. manufactured housing industry is a significant and growing segment of housing. In 2024, U.S. shipments of new manufactured homes reached roughly 103,000 units, up about 15% over 2023[1]. With an average sales price around $120K[2], this implies roughly a $12–13

A Prompt Template to Generate the Best Result from ChatGPT Deep Research (by ChatGPT)

For someone too cheap to pay for ChatGPT's $20/month subscription, I only have fewer than 5 times of deep research each month. And I want to take great advantage of that. So, I asked ChatGPT how to best do it. And here are the results (feel free

Breaking Free From the Mastery Mentality

I’ve always approached learning in a very linear way: 1. Figure out what I need to know. 2. Read books or watch videos. 3. Practice. 4. Master the skill. That formula has worked for me for years. There’s a clear start, a clear end, and a sense of

Why Being Neutral Backfires When You’re Building Something of Your Own

For most of my career, I’ve been proud of being unemotional and analytical. It’s served me well as an operator in a 9-to-5 job. I don’t get rattled easily. I don’t get caught up in drama. And more often than not, I don’t have to

Be Careful What You Wish For

As a 9-to-5er, I used to dream about being my own boss. No one telling me what to do, full freedom, working on my own ideas. It sounded perfect. Then I actually started building a side project. And here’s what I didn’t expect: without a boss, I often

The Paradox of Parenting: How Kids Steal Your Time and Give You Perspective

Having kids is a funny thing. On one hand, they eat up every ounce of time you think you have. It’s the easiest excuse in the world—“I didn’t get this done because the kids kept me busy.” And to be honest, it’s not even a bad

Always Remember: Life (and almost everything in it) isn't supposed to be linear

The most immature type of thinking is that life is linear. You put in X amount of work and you get Y amount of results. Just like in school. But you are not. You are in this imperfect society where no one thing determines the result, but a thousand of

How to Choose, Install, and Manage WordPress Plugins: A Complete Beginner’s Guide (2025)

Still learning WordPress? Here’s a friendly guide on how to choose, install, and manage plugins to boost your website without breaking it. No tech background needed!