Since 2001, Eugene Wei has been publishing a blog and newsletter called Remains of the Day, where he writes about technology and media. The blog distills complicated consumer tech trends not just from a product design standpoint, but also from a user psychology perspective. His essays on Status as a Service (StaaS) and Seeing Like an Algorithm serve as guiding mental models for the tech community.  

Eugene’s past experience gives him a unique historical perspective on the development of consumer technology platforms. Most recently, Eugene was Head of Video at Oculus and before that, he led product teams at Flipboard, Erly, Hulu and Amazon. 

In this interview, talked to Eugene about:

• How he first got interested in TikTok

• What other domains could become TikTok-ified

• How his experience in film school impacts his work as a product leader

• How our chances in media have impacted how we relate to famous people (such as with The Queen in popular TV series The Crown), and how that extends to our relationships on social media

• The impact of technology on modern film & television, such as with real-time VFX

• Why he started writing and what he learned from the responses

• If he thinks the SF exodus is overrated or underrated

• And more!

Brought to you by the Means of Creation newsletter: meansofcreation.substack.com