254 - Aaron Ng

Aaron Ng is the founder of Hyper. Hyper is a mobile avatar social network & content creation suite that gives people the power to tell stories and present themselves on their own terms online while also protecting their IRL identities.

He has previously worked at Facebook, Cash App, and Apple.

Twitter → twitter.com/localghost

Items:

• 2 Zinus Bellamy Jennifer desks side-by-side
• LG GN950 Monitor
• VIVO Monitor Mount
• Vanatoo T0 Speakers
• BenQ Monitor Light
• GMMK Pro keyboard with Glorious Panda Keyboard Switches, Mistel Keycaps, and a Coiled Aviator Cable
• Opal C1 Webcam
• Magnetic wire organizers
• Swiveling lamp
• Mini ITX PC
• Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset

For a full breakdown of every item in his space + his reasoning for them, check out his blog post!

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

My favorite item in my workspace is my gaming pc. Some people have project cars, I have project computers that I build my desks around. I don’t play games much anymore but building computers has been a long-time hobby of mine. It's a custom mini-ITX build with a custom liquid cooling loop and it took ages to secure the right parts during the pandemic.

How do you spark creativity?

The best way to spark creativity is to go and experience something different that gives you a context shift. For me, I have a park I like to take walks through. I also find movies, games, and books inspiring. If creativity is connecting dots, the more things you see from different angles the more dots you can connect.

How do you keep work-life balance?

I don’t optimize for this. I view my work as an extension of my life, I’m very happy with the things I do which is why I’ve dedicated such a significant portion of my living space to it. This doesn’t mean every day is all work, it just means it’s a part of my life; not some part that I compartmentalize. My gaming computer and work computer are both plugged into the same monitor after all. :)