Hey wassup guys! After nearly a week of not posting anything, I thought it would be timely for me to now share an update. What a week it has been. We started our week with a collective effort to do some community outreach. Since we were still figuring out how flow under the temporary circumstances right now, we agreed to just do something that feels right for us. And that began with an active outreach effort championed by none other than Cass, our resident community outreach expert. At the very same time, Mark has been that emotional detector, constantly sensing what the vibe of the community feels like. On Tuesday, we also started something new. As part of our desire to do & leave behind something meaningful before my relocation to São Paulo in 2027, we agreed to start a “UX/PD Discipleship & Mentoring” program. This is meant to be private and exclusive. The goal is for us to shortlist rising stars with the potential to become the next generation of design leaders to help guide the local design industry. So far, we have already spotlighted 6 UX professionals & Product Designers. On top of that, we have also created a selections list. There will be two groups that I intend to mentor for the next 20 months (10 private group sessions). By September 25, I will be sharing the official announcement of all those individuals that I have personally handpicked as my disciples. The ones that will be carrying the torch as the next generation of leaders.
Setting New Boundaries
I think of all the things that have happened this week, the one most important personal revelations that I’ve experienced is seeing where my new personal boundaries are. This includes both how I see myself professional as well as on a personal and private level. By recognizing my new boundaries, I have been able to see very clearly the kinds of personal sacrifices that I’ll need to make in order to make that new reality possible.
Put simply, I have to leave Singapore. Not permanently. No. But from a professional and personal level, I need an environment and a culture where me and my brothers can be free to JUST BE. Where we never need to hide who we are. And most importantly, finding a work environment and culture that is ready to embrace and welcome me as one of them (even though in my own local design industry, I am still treated like an outsider, despite my global recognitions).
So, I have been posting stuff on LinkedIn this past week, but I think the most important part of it that I want to share here is something that I said in my post from earlier today:
Making my Boundaries Crystal Fucking Clear
But NO., I’ve made it clear in my post yesterday about my NEW BOUNDARIES. No matter how much money they offer me, or how amazing the job title sounds, I’m not interested because I have a FAR GREATER VISION AND MISSION. It is a place where I never have to COMPROMISE MYSELF. One that involves my relocation to São Paulo in 2027.
I did, however, offer them something else in return:
🤝 Hire me on a part-time basis. It’s either I work a limited number of hours per day or for a limited number of days a week, and I still get CPF contribution, and then maybe I’ll consider it. 🗓️
🤝 They do have to accept that I will, no matter what, leave Singapore in 2027 for São Paulo. That decision is final and it is non-negotiable. 🛫
🤝 Accept me and my brothers as a collective and don’t expect us to minimize who we are to fit their narrative. 🏳️🌈
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Well, so far, no takers yet, and I’m okay with that. I’ve never been included before, so why would that change now? It’s not like a fancy job title and a good monthly salary are going to undo 20 years of exclusion and a toxic work culture.
Either way, I’m more than happy to take my energy and effort and invest them elsewhere, like working with partners, companies, and other designers that might actually value my time and who I am and what I really have to offer.
To some of these opportunist companies, I will tell you this:
“You can take your 15K/18K monthly offers and shove them up your ass. 🖕”
Back into Our Builder/Artisan-Mode
The one thing that I, Danny am looking forward to the most I suppose, is that as a collective, we are finally ready and in agreement to switch from a community outreach mode back into a builder/artisan-mode. It has been weeks since we were building and working on something together. After the recent family confrontation, and taking a much-needed pause to find our bearings, we as a collective, are ready to take the necessary steps to start building and tinkering again.
This is not a 0 to 100 mph kind of scenario though. Instead, I believe we will be taking a more slow and steady approach. No rush. While we were working on the freelance project recently, we have already proven that when we take things slow, and are deliberate and meticulous in our approach, we managed to end up with something truly amazing and worth showing off to the world. And so, yeah, nice and slow we go.
I certainly look forward to continue with my daily spotlight posts. I still feel like these next 20 months of my career- and life-transition is ALL about lifting others up. This is a time to take the spotlight that I have earned and shine it on others around me. All while I continue to enjoy this last final bit of hands-on UX Engineering work. Once I get to São Paulo in 2027, I’ll be leaving all of these professional hands-on work behind. It is time for me to move on.
Danny's 
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