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Jacky Lu
iOS Engineer at Airtable (We're hiring!)
Jacky Lu is a distinguished Senior Software Engineer currently making significant strides at Airtable, where he combines his profound knowledge of computer engineering with innovative software development techniques. His journey in the tech industry is both impressive and inspirational, having held various vital roles at leading technology companies that include Facebook, Lyft, Airbnb, LinkedIn, and Google, to name a few.
Professional Background
Jacky commenced his professional career at SAP as a Developer, where he honed his skills and laid a solid foundation for his future endeavors in software engineering. His robust technical proficiency, paired with hands-on experience, led him to Osellus Mobile where he excelled as a Mobile Software Developer. This role allowed him to dive deeper into mobile technologies and the software development life cycle, further establishing his expertise in the field.
His career trajectory continued its impressive upward trajectory when he joined Google, where he contributed as a Software Engineer. During his tenure at Google, Jacky not only enhanced his software development skills but also collaborated with some of the brightest minds in the tech sector, developing solutions that improved the user experience for millions around the globe. His time at Google was marked by a dedication to excellence and a passion for innovation, which eventually led him to similar roles at top-tier companies like LinkedIn and Airbnb.
At LinkedIn, Jacky played a crucial role in enhancing the platform's functionalities, which played a pivotal role in connecting professionals worldwide. His experience at Airbnb allowed him to further demonstrate his agile development skills, helping to create and refine features that made travel planning smoother and more accessible.
Jacky’s rich portfolio earned him recognition at Facebook, where he worked as a Software Engineer, contributing significantly to various projects that helped bolster the safety, connectivity, and engagement of users. His role at Facebook was pivotal and underscored his ability to work in fast-paced, high-stakes environments that require precision and creativity.
Currently, as a Senior Software Engineer at Airtable, one of the most innovative companies in the software industry, Jacky is at the forefront of developing tools that enable teams to collaborate and manage projects effectively. His role involves not just coding but also leading projects, mentoring junior developers, and innovating solutions that drive efficiency and productivity.
Education and Achievements
Jacky Lu holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering from the esteemed University of Waterloo, a program known for its rigorous curriculum and emphasis on practical experience. The knowledge and skills acquired during his academic journey have profoundly shaped his career and have been instrumental in his approach to software engineering. His education laid a strong foundation in both theoretical and practical aspects, equipping him with the ability to navigate complex technical challenges.
In addition to his academic prowess, Jacky has also had a noteworthy stint serving as a Residence Life Don (Residence Ambassador) at the University of Waterloo. This role not only highlights his leadership capabilities but also underscores his dedication to community building and fostering a supportive environment for fellow students. Throughout his career, Jacky has consistently displayed a commitment to excellence and a passion for technology.
With his diverse experience across multiple prestigious organizations, he has developed a rich skill set that includes software development, mobile application development, team collaboration, and project management. Jacky's ability to adapt to new environments and challenges is a testament to his strong problem-solving skills and innovative mindset.
Achievements
Jacky Lu’s career is marked by numerous accomplishments that reflect his capabilities as a software engineer. His contributions to various projects at high-profile companies demonstrate his ability to impact products used by millions of users globally. For instance, during his time at Facebook and Google, he was involved in transformative projects that enhanced the user experience and expanded functionality across platforms.
At Airtable, where he currently resides as a Senior Software Engineer, Jacky has played an instrumental role in the development of game-changing features that streamline project management and improve team collaboration. His leadership in engineering projects has contributed to the successful rollout of innovative solutions that are highly appreciated by users.
Moreover, Jacky’s experience as an Art Instructor at Jian Wang Art Studio reflects his multifaceted talents and interest beyond software development. This unique blend of technical and artistic skills enables him to approach problems from multiple perspectives, fostering creativity in technical solutions.
In summary, Jacky Lu’s extensive experience as a Senior Software Engineer, paired with his solid foundation in computer engineering from the University of Waterloo, propels him to the forefront of the tech industry. His unique combination of skills, leadership, and innovative thinking continues to leave an indelible mark on the organizations he is part of. Jacky's journey is not merely a career path; it is a testament to the impact that dedication, excellence, and a continuous quest for innovation can have on the technology landscape.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
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- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Clay is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Clay as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Clay offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Clay's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Clay isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Clay instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Clay is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Clay can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Clay is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.