As More People Want to Become Super-Individuals | A Chat with Jiang Dora on Career Journey, AI Experience, and Life in Liangzhu, Hangzhou

Recently, while chatting with some friends, we noticed something interesting: even though they may not be actively building or investing in AI on the front lines, their lives have undergone some fascinating changes in what we'd call the AI era — AI, career choices, life decisions, all of it creating chemical reactions in how some people live.

So we wanted to try something new: beyond our usual AI-focused topics, we're adding interviews about "how our lives are changing in the AI era, and how people are making choices."

This week, we're joined by Jiang Dora, creator of the self-media brand "Jiang Dora Is Here," in a cross-over episode with her podcast of the same name. Dora shared her career journey in thoughtful detail — her reflections on professional development and personal growth, how she uses AI as a creator to explore herself and boost her work efficiency, and her actual experience of moving from Beijing to Liangzhu, Hangzhou in 2024 — a community said to attract many founders and "super individuals."

In this period when AI can seemingly extend a person's capacity without limit, when opportunities appear abundant yet so do unknowns and uncertainties, let's explore some choices at life's crossroads through her story.

Reference: Temperature Chronicle interview

🟢

Part 1. Dora's Career: Every Step Was a Close Call 04:06 What she wanted from work in school: to become a translator

05:39 Her first job seemed like a dream come true, but she "ran away" after three months

08:30 After quitting, she seriously considered: what exactly is a career? Two realizations.

10:06 A pivotal career turning point: joining a major tech company

11:22 Looking back: experience with text, audio, video, plus a platform-level perspective

12:22 Entering the internet industry at the tail end of its cycle

15:07 In an industry where everything changes rapidly, the hardest part is finding some certainty amid discontinuity

16:40 Industry uncertainty v.s. creative overflow

20:09 She wasn't alone in this state — understanding what "fault tolerance" at a major company really means

22:46 "Why am I treating myself this way?"

24:31 The real challenge of leaving Big Tech: beyond losing stable income, losing social identity

25:26 How she evaluated whether she could leave for self-media: the purchase logic

🟢

Part 2. Using AI for Self-Exploration and Work Efficiency 28:58 Self-exploration: if talking to a very smart person can elevate your thinking, AI plays that role well

31:11 Moving from Beijing to Liangzhu, Hangzhou — understanding why she wanted this after hours of AI conversation

34:39 With AI, emotions she used to process alone can now be shared

38:10 As a creator, sending interview transcripts to AI to discover its strengths and limitations

40:41 "Constantly distinguishing whether I'm a creator or an entrepreneur" — much exploration

44:14 Self-reflection: as a creator, why has hiring never worked out?

47:38 Through self-exploration and self-management, clarifying that what she truly wants is still expression — and everything fell into place

🟢

Part 3. Life in Liangzhu: The Environment Seems More Secluded, but the Heart Opens Wider 49:51 From Beijing to Hangzhou: Hangzhou feels like a lower-budget Beijing, with more greenery

51:16 Choosing Liangzhu: the cultural village's design philosophy and community atmosphere

54:06 Portrait of life in Liangzhu

1:02:05 Are more people wanting to become super individuals?

1:04:36 A super individual is someone who can leave the corporate world and trade directly with the market

1:06:23 Being a super individual is exhausting

1:08:18 AI may push or align with the super individual trend, but it only provides knowledge — internalization and action still depend on the person

1:10:16 Many come to Liangzhu actually seeking inner peace and a unique way of living

1:14:14 Early in her career, the surrounding narrative encouraged outward striving

1:16:17 When the career narrative shifts, a person's better path is inward seeking and building deep relationships with those around them

1:17:06 How to view effort? Humans have an innate drive to create and work

1:20:01 Inspiration from her mother: turning a garbage dump into a vegetable garden

1:23:25 Making small, manageable improvements

---

Subscribe to the "Crossroads" podcast 🚦 We track the industry shifts and entrepreneurial opportunities brought by the new wave of AI technology. "Crossroads" was Steve Jobs' metaphor for Apple — standing at the intersection of technology and liberal arts, where great products are born. AI is transforming industries across the board. We seek out, interview, and bring together "active doers" of the AI era, exploring and embracing new changes and possibilities alongside them.

👦🏻 Host Koji: Co-founder of The Fair and Tangdao. I believe technology, especially AI, will fundamentally transform society and empower humanity. Feel free to reach out to chat, exchange ideas, and connect on what's next. Koji on Jike, Koji's website

👧🏻 Host Ronghui: Works at a tech VC, former Silicon Valley correspondent for Yicai. Ronghui on Jike

---

Join the "Crossroads" membership community

☀️ First-hand AI news and insights

👫🏻 We encourage dating / making friends / finding future collaborators

🦀 Add our assistant on WeChat: Rwkfbcianvd, or scan the QR code below

🎄 This podcast is supported by The Fair's Sound Forest Podcast Initiative

🌳 Product recommendations this week:

🥷 Interview Ninja — AI Interview Copilot and Assistant

📚 DeepSummary — The #1 Book Summary Platform