https://mfrai.me Maya Yael Frai Sat, 30 Dec 2023 20:35:03 +0000 https://mfrai.me en https://mfrai.me/Writing Sat, 30 Dec 2023 20:35:03 +0000 Maya Yael Frai https://mfrai.me/Writing Writing | Creative&nbsp; On Urgency and Clarity The most iconic creative and technical achievements share a counterintuitive truth: the preparation timeline almost always eclipses the execution timeline. Read more FEB 2026Made in: San Francisco, CA Creativity as an Engine of Enduring Power Creativity is the origin story of every iconic, enduring company. They begin with a spark so compelling, so emotionally resonant, that it earns loyalty before it earns margin. Read more SEP 2025Made in: San Francisco, CA Superagency: How AI Is Reinventing the Career Playbook AI is collapsing the boundaries between generalists and specialists, between thinkers and operators. In a world of superintelligent tools, the bottleneck is no longer execution, it’s imagination. Read more JUL 2025Made in: San Francisco, CA Where AI Ends and Product Begins The real edge isn’t access to the model. It’s how well you hide it. The best products of this era won’t showcase the tech; they’ll make users feel like the product always knew what they needed. Abstraction is the new moat. Read more MAY 2025Made in: San Francisco, CA The Purveyor of Taste The more I work with AI, the more its power becomes apparent. But so does something even more fundamental: AI is not the arbiter of quality—we are. We are the purveyors of taste. Read more MAR 2025Made in: San Francisco, CA Action Breeds Expertise Often, the worst decisions come from rationalizing our intuition away. Conversely, the best decisions often stem from trusting our intuition, even when it seems irrational. Read more AUG 2024Made in: San Francisco, CA Beyond the Camera and Keyboard While the camera has certainly changed how we interact with technology and share information, AI is poised to transform the creative process itself. Read more JULY 2024Made in: San Francisco, CA Human Creativity and AI AI can reason. AI can notice patterns. But the most interesting nuances, insights, and ideas come from humans noticing small things that lead to next-generation ideas. Read more MAY 2024Made in: San Francisco, CA Drive it like you stole it Reflecting on how to take advantage of limitless, fleeting opportunities, inspired by Greta Gerwig. Read more FEB 2024Made in: San Francisco, CA Own the room Techniques and lessons learned from a recent workshop with Bill Hoogterp, coaching expert on communication and public speaking. Read more JAN 2024Made in: Los Angeles, CA Finding the right environment to build Building something new: the critical role of the right environment in nurturing new ideas. Read more NOV 2023Made in: San Francisco, CA The Design-First Approach The best products are those that emulate human nature rather than try to change it. Developing a functional product that resonates with users requires a design-first approach to innovation, and that it must be rooted in the understanding of how people work, think, &amp; take action. Read more AUG 2022 Made in: San Francisco, CA Autonomous Careers The pursuit of an autonomous career path can fulfill the human need to feel fully utilized. Web3 is one manifestation of that desire for autonomy and meaningful contribution. Read more MAY 2022 Made in: San Francisco, CA First 90 days, 30 lessons in venture One of my favorite visualizations from Jack Butcher is the one above, expressing “Noise is what you say. Signal is what they remember.” If there’s anything I’ve heard the most over the last 90 days, it’s the importance of optimizing for high signal over noise. Read more MAY 2022 Made in: San Francisco, CA 2 years @ re—inc Reflecting on the last two years supporting re—inc. Read more NOV 2021Made in: Miami, FL A Year at YouTube Sharing a bit about my experience and what I've learned working on the Strategic Bets product team at YouTube, focusing on live TV and streaming monetization. Read more APR 2021Made in: San Francisco, CA Launching on Google Search I joined Google in the Summer 2019 to work on Explore Search, a team that focuses on helping users understand every topic they query to the point of infinite exploration and serendipitous discovery. Read more AUG 2019 Made in: New York, NY Working at Rent the Runway I led subscription strategy and analysis for first-time and recurring users to boost growth, retention, and activation rates. Launched new style community feature during RTR Hack Week. Read more Jan 2018 Made in: New York, NY https://mfrai.me/Creative Sat, 30 Dec 2023 20:21:13 +0000 Maya Yael Frai https://mfrai.me/Creative Writing | Creative<img width="1024" height="1536" width_o="1024" height_o="1536" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/503f2c05bb26eddf8e9adc6a41475af6757f67cee0c4137964df28ddf2111dec/cover.png" data-mid="235683503" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/503f2c05bb26eddf8e9adc6a41475af6757f67cee0c4137964df28ddf2111dec/cover.png" /> Now published: my debut poetry bookMy labor of love over two years, featuring over 150 authored poems. Buy on Amazon | About the book MAR 2025 Made In: San Francisco, CA <img width="1536" height="2040" width_o="1536" height_o="2040" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/378d0842b3b0b6a7c3c8709d632fdd896b12de5b4885c522f9c78181a6c9b173/Group-573.png" data-mid="228781616" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/378d0842b3b0b6a7c3c8709d632fdd896b12de5b4885c522f9c78181a6c9b173/Group-573.png" /> Revet: Fine jewelryLeading the transformation of our family-owned fine jewelry business, founded in 1973. Join our client list JAN 2025Made In: San Francisco, CA <img width="1348" height="1798" width_o="1348" height_o="1798" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/65e0e6e643089753aa42d2fedec6c0cdebb1e7d1057def255ce59a1f2b649171/Tezza-1092.jpg" data-mid="210385264" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/65e0e6e643089753aa42d2fedec6c0cdebb1e7d1057def255ce59a1f2b649171/Tezza-1092.jpg" /> CenturyFinishing my first 100-mile century in San Francisco. Read More MAY 2024Made In: San Francisco, CA <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6ef8f0a923cdc7ac318369ff9a3883de7b5a21ed6a4d31d788032efd7cdb1e37/Tezza-1164.JPG" data-mid="202510682" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6ef8f0a923cdc7ac318369ff9a3883de7b5a21ed6a4d31d788032efd7cdb1e37/Tezza-1164.JPG" /> Start with a scene Reflecting on my favorite films from the 40th anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival. Read More JAN 2024Made In: Park City, Utah <img width="1334" height="1190" width_o="1334" height_o="1190" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9451aeba6adf7189c43d3127c7597830e636bfa352601c4b0367320fe68c6f89/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-8.05.10-PM.png" data-mid="200443849" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9451aeba6adf7189c43d3127c7597830e636bfa352601c4b0367320fe68c6f89/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-8.05.10-PM.png" /> CP23LA Mobile Pop-Up Celebrating equity and impact in community is what we’re all about. Our first ever mobile pop-up experience in Los Angeles was a moment to celebrate a new future for women's sports with the Angel City FC homeopener. Read More MAY 2022Made In: Los Angeles, CA <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4456d83f03ae5e92a49829b581a22b30c05227da796a6a9cf02fa0f08700909b/87C267C7-EFAD-4E7E-B312-842BA8FC19E2.JPG" data-mid="200443869" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4456d83f03ae5e92a49829b581a22b30c05227da796a6a9cf02fa0f08700909b/87C267C7-EFAD-4E7E-B312-842BA8FC19E2.JPG" /> People of Point Spent some time at home with the creative team at Point Card discussing all things design. Read More APR 2022Made In: San Francisco, CA <img width="1358" height="1282" width_o="1358" height_o="1282" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/013aaf9ab213fa46ccde5703433ebaebf1b6b9b5b3418ace7e8793258d53477b/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-7.56.24-PM.png" data-mid="200443846" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/013aaf9ab213fa46ccde5703433ebaebf1b6b9b5b3418ace7e8793258d53477b/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-7.56.24-PM.png" /> Product launch @ Art Basel Miami We partnered with UNKNWN, founded by LeBron James, Jaron Kanfer, and Frankie Walker Jr. to feature our products in their flagship store. Leading up to the event, we created a 14-ft mural in the heart of Wynwood, produced by Brooklyn-based artist Elise Avdakov.Read More NOV 2021Made In: Miami, FL &nbsp; <img width="1338" height="1234" width_o="1338" height_o="1234" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3e4b9f9505f9fa985462e05e877a4889a868aeffcee84644b4c95538c40bcddb/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-7.57.55-PM.png" data-mid="200443847" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3e4b9f9505f9fa985462e05e877a4889a868aeffcee84644b4c95538c40bcddb/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-7.57.55-PM.png" /> Pop-up for Reunite Tokyo 2021 For the first time we felt the joy and warmth of togetherness as we gathered with reimaginers at Bodega in Los Angeles. We celebrated the launch of the Reunite Capsule. Read More&nbsp; JUN 2021Made In: Los Angeles, CA <img width="1024" height="677" width_o="1024" height_o="677" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f35e357ff9fcaa129efac1ed7d6ddf38fc04068bfe49e1ea285aa3a4a6dfa112/Re-Inc-Finals_10_1024x-1.png" data-mid="200443844" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f35e357ff9fcaa129efac1ed7d6ddf38fc04068bfe49e1ea285aa3a4a6dfa112/Re-Inc-Finals_10_1024x-1.png" /> Launching Spring 2021: GAMER Intentionally and ethically made, our Spring 2021 Collection is inspired by the stories of women, BIPOC, and activists in gaming. In addition to our collection, we debuted our first set of gamer NFTs. Read more APR 2021Made in: New York, NY <img width="800" height="1206" width_o="800" height_o="1206" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f06c529e030ff3b0bc5202521bcd7ea6680bdbe1cdbeb14816c122c7c2ab860f/2a34d8_61a7d761d4844853bba334fd6820665bmv2-1.png" data-mid="200443845" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/800/i/f06c529e030ff3b0bc5202521bcd7ea6680bdbe1cdbeb14816c122c7c2ab860f/2a34d8_61a7d761d4844853bba334fd6820665bmv2-1.png" /> RTTC Launch: Reimagining Our World Over the past couple of months, I've had my moments in struggling to face our new normal in a positive light. When the world changes abruptly and a downturn seems more likely than an upside, you forget that you're supposed to embrace change, not be frustrated or impeded by it. Even in the darkest of times, humans have prevailed in finding silver linings. Read more MAY 2020Made in: New York, NY <img width="1264" height="836" width_o="1264" height_o="836" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bc5961b310ecebd86992fb4b9cc199ea979800e0602c8009aecaab027d38e030/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-8.01.04-PM.png" data-mid="200443848" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bc5961b310ecebd86992fb4b9cc199ea979800e0602c8009aecaab027d38e030/Screen-Shot-2022-05-29-at-8.01.04-PM.png" /> RWB Collection: “Liberté, Égalité, Défendez” Our Fall/Winter ‘19 Collection began with artwork by re—inc Creative Director Tobin Heath. Read More NOV 2019Made In: New York, NY <img width="400" height="400" width_o="400" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5948ddafe4847f962186d67c02de0fcf3687fd705f750ea6ad1aaa7772f33ea9/7aCYgDQw_400x400.jpg" data-mid="219028238" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/400/i/5948ddafe4847f962186d67c02de0fcf3687fd705f750ea6ad1aaa7772f33ea9/7aCYgDQw_400x400.jpg" /> LHI: Interview with Bethany Bongiorno I am happy to share a conversation I recently had with Bethany Bongiorno. Bethany is an incredibly refreshing and creative woman to talk to and has a lot to learn from including her ability to trust her instincts, find mentors and mentor others, and take a value-first approach to her life and career. Read More APR 2020Made In: New York, NY <img width="432" height="432" width_o="432" height_o="432" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f329d407fb71cdf1d1162cd44a2f4dc4e7c02b4ba6cdd4add62b373906efc4ef/624db1bf3e6a52711a64f6cf_theboardlist-leadership-shannon.jpg" data-mid="219028248" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/432/i/f329d407fb71cdf1d1162cd44a2f4dc4e7c02b4ba6cdd4add62b373906efc4ef/624db1bf3e6a52711a64f6cf_theboardlist-leadership-shannon.jpg" /> LHI: Interview with Shannon Gordon I was happy to get the chance to chat with Shannon Gordon. Shannon is the CEO of theBoardlist, a curated talent marketplace that connects highly qualified women leaders to opportunities to join the boards of public and private companies. Read more APR 2020 Made in: New York, NY <img width="1400" height="933" width_o="1400" height_o="933" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f7709e8a93b4e230f7abe2ba589d4cce71f584e772b7b2b28252e89ecc9c089f/1_IeuxCvqyKq8_T4u5vTYooQ.jpg" data-mid="219028242" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f7709e8a93b4e230f7abe2ba589d4cce71f584e772b7b2b28252e89ecc9c089f/1_IeuxCvqyKq8_T4u5vTYooQ.jpg" /> LHI: Interview with Jesse Genet Interview with Jesse Genet on building Lumi, a start-up focused on helping e-commerce brands with packaging and supply chain. Read more AUG 2019 Made in: New York, NY <img width="1970" height="2830" width_o="1970" height_o="2830" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/70a528886a71180f1b21956f355ff37cccdb2e8311949fece047950dadde5b34/dagne-cover-img.png" data-mid="219028240" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/70a528886a71180f1b21956f355ff37cccdb2e8311949fece047950dadde5b34/dagne-cover-img.png" /> LHI: Interview with Dagne Dover Founders Female founders are leading the fashion industry towards a new movement in quality production and customer acquisition. The industry is no longer for those who can produce the most, but for those who can capitalize on what consumers really need. Quality over quantity is a major proponent of Dagne Dover's value proposition and their dedication to this mission is commendable. Read more JUNE 2019 Made in: New York, NY <img width="1872" height="2498" width_o="1872" height_o="2498" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7cf133a9d235d18438219a409326ac67d141696a05522a102687a972acc0d2e7/sian-beilock-bio.png" data-mid="219028237" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7cf133a9d235d18438219a409326ac67d141696a05522a102687a972acc0d2e7/sian-beilock-bio.png" /> LHI: Interview with Sian Beilock Sian Beilock is the 8th President of Barnard College, renown cognitive scientist, and author of "Choke." In this interview, Sian talks pursuing a career in academia and equipping young female students with tools and resources to overcome self-doubt. She details her experiences as well as techniques in tackling anxiety and performing up to one's utmost potential. Read More APR 2019Made In: New York, NY <img width="3426" height="3300" width_o="3426" height_o="3300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/424e0720fda6343da3d8a7a8336155b49d206aa87a940e2278fdb3c1443b3c45/carly-bio.jpg" data-mid="219028247" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/424e0720fda6343da3d8a7a8336155b49d206aa87a940e2278fdb3c1443b3c45/carly-bio.jpg" /> LHI: Interview with Carly Leahy Carly is the co-founder and CCO of Modern Fertility and a brand builder through and through. She has held brand and marketing roles at Google– leading creative for a grassroots initiative to help small businesses succeed online–and Uber, running content and creative strategy for new Uber products like UberEATS and UberHEALTH. Read More APR 2019 Made In: New York, NY <img width="2202" height="3300" width_o="2202" height_o="3300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2d2b37caa9358bd34eeea7b1b74d74877477dc87552ea4242826fad00965f672/kara-bio.jpg" data-mid="219028244" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2d2b37caa9358bd34eeea7b1b74d74877477dc87552ea4242826fad00965f672/kara-bio.jpg" /> LHI: Interview with Kara Goldin Kara Goldin talks about disrupting the beverage industry with no prior knowledge and experience. She started Hint Water to bring a product to the market with no sugar and all natural ingredients. Kara tells LHI about her experiences as a female entrepreneur and next steps for growing Hint as a direct-to-consumer business. Read More FEB 2019 Made in: New York, NY <img width="2048" height="1280" width_o="2048" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57495be387fad7473403b74840228feafb92fb36b9d6c26f8d69e04cf032fd3e/nancy-img.png" data-mid="219028241" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/57495be387fad7473403b74840228feafb92fb36b9d6c26f8d69e04cf032fd3e/nancy-img.png" /> LHI: Interview with Nancy Wang Nancy is currently a technical product management leader at Amazon Web Services, where she leads teams within EC2 for SQL Server, public sector, and gaming. Previously, Nancy was an early product manager at Rubrik, where she led the filesystem, Windows, and stealth SaaS product lines. Read More JAN 2019 Made in: New York, NY <img width="734" height="1100" width_o="734" height_o="1100" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bf5681e326cf27c2168e91d2e010f9a1054739a2261d7b2b2301f36d25176e87/cheryl-bio.jpg" data-mid="219028235" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/734/i/bf5681e326cf27c2168e91d2e010f9a1054739a2261d7b2b2301f36d25176e87/cheryl-bio.jpg" /> Interview with Cheryl Yeoh Sew Hoy Cheryl Yeoh talks about the early days of building out her two start-ups, Reclip.It (now Walmart Labs) and City Pockets, building out Malaysia's startup ecosystem with MaGIC, and getting &gt;120 venture capital firms on board with #MovingForward. Read More DEC 2018 Made in: New York, NY <img width="1000" height="1312" width_o="1000" height_o="1312" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/98abd67ca003bc4fafdf9e3486775b9cb67b7d370a5ffbe060288dcef7fc542d/1_H-M-xgm6D13uM0ZuHIn3xw.jpg" data-mid="219028236" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/98abd67ca003bc4fafdf9e3486775b9cb67b7d370a5ffbe060288dcef7fc542d/1_H-M-xgm6D13uM0ZuHIn3xw.jpg" /> Interview with Carissa Justice Carissa Justice is the co-founder of Nimble Creative, a Bay Area branding and marketing company. The copywriter has done work for clients including Facebook, Google Home, and Visa. After she had a baby, something in her changed. She quit her agency job because she did not feel passionate about it. Leaving her son everyday meant she had to be doing something fulfilling. So, she began to build something she loved. Read More SEP 2018 Made in: New York, NY <img width="960" height="1154" width_o="960" height_o="1154" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f8cac63359b75336fafd50ab235943e038278757ec40dff72c965b828637b1b/1_cM7nh__6Kp1kzSCm_67lmw.jpg" data-mid="219028246" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/960/i/1f8cac63359b75336fafd50ab235943e038278757ec40dff72c965b828637b1b/1_cM7nh__6Kp1kzSCm_67lmw.jpg" /> Interview with Aanchal Gupta Aanchal Gupta, Director of Security at Facebook, explains how she didn’t realize she was selling herself short until she had to be convinced by the hiring manager at Skype that she was a great fit for a security lead position. She soon realized she needs to trust herself more and be able to raise her hand to grab opportunities. Learn how she uses courage and confidence in the workplace to empower herself and those around her. Read More AUG 2018 Made in: San Francisco, CA <img width="2160" height="1587" width_o="2160" height_o="1587" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d398075a8aa42a5afc3c61cb591eebdf964090a30974d60d3d701341baa1027d/geneva.png" data-mid="219028243" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d398075a8aa42a5afc3c61cb591eebdf964090a30974d60d3d701341baa1027d/geneva.png" /> Interview with Geneva Peschka After releasing her award-winning documentary film “Unspoken” last year, Geneva Peschka has started working on a 12-part docu-series entitled “Women.” The strong female community at The Wing, where she serves as Community Manager, has helped her along her journey as a filmmaker. Through this female-focused network, Geneva has learned how to communicate, lead and find her passion. What keeps her motivated is knowing that at the end of the day, the important thing is not monetary success, but connecting with others. Read more about her films and her work at The Wing. Read More JULY 2018 Made in: New York, NY <img width="2526" height="1576" width_o="2526" height_o="1576" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6a4cc406ef4567dd1bed30aef0df75c328eeade58f2adaa4f3d3694c70a3751f/collage-IWD-full.png" data-mid="200443866" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6a4cc406ef4567dd1bed30aef0df75c328eeade58f2adaa4f3d3694c70a3751f/collage-IWD-full.png" /> Happy IWD 2019 We're here to celebrate the accomplishments of women and the work they are doing in improving the climate for women globally. There are thousands of women to be celebrated due to their monumental efforts in advancing gender equality––this campaign is only one part of honoring these many women. They are taking steps to reduce the gender gap in various industries and are pushing the needle towards change. Read more MAR 2019 Made in: New York, NY