Ng Fang Kiang

Why I Started This Blog

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:25:26 +0800

Starting this blog isn’t just about putting words on a screen—it’s a deliberate choice to build a space that serves my long-term personal and professional growth.

Here is why I’m taking the time to build and maintain this blog:

1. Documenting My Life & Journey

Life moves fast, and insights fade quickly if they aren’t written down. This blog acts as a personal digital archive where I can document my experiences, track my evolution over time, and reflect on key milestones.

Credits

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:18:32 +0800

This blog is built with Hugo and powered by a custom fork of the PaperMod theme.

I forked PaperMod to accelerate initial development while allowing complete flexibility for custom tweaks and future feature additions.

Special thanks to the open-source creators and contributors behind Hugo and PaperMod!

Hobbies & Passions

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:11:35 +0800

Biking & Cultural Exploration

Building, riding, and discovering—my passion lies at the intersection of hands-on craftsmanship and immersive cultural exploration.

🚴‍♂️ Hardcore Craftsmanship

Custom Bike Build: Assembled a unique, custom gravel bike entirely from scratch—sourcing individual components, fine-tuning mechanics, and solving hands-on technical challenges.

🛣️ 10,000+ Kilometer Journey

Measuring Malaysia by Pedal: Logged over 10,000 kilometers across Malaysia on my self-built bike, pushing limits of endurance and navigating diverse terrains.

🏛️ Cultural Discovery on Wheels

Immersive History: Frequently tour ancient temples, historical museums, art exhibitions, and regional cultural events.
Local Connection: Use my bicycle as a gateway to connect deeply with local history, heritage, and communities along every route.

Core Strengths: Hands-on Problem Solving • Physical & Mental Endurance • Deep Cultural Curiosity

Projects

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:11:35 +0800

Coming soon…

Work

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:11:35 +0800

Lead Product Manager & Founder

Jorcus · Jun 2018 – Aug 2024 (6 yrs 3 mos)

Bootstrapped a 0-to-1 global online platform connecting digital nomads and remote workers worldwide. Served as sole owner across product strategy, engineering, and growth.

One-Person, Four-Platform Execution: Architected and shipped 4 production clients as sole engineer across Web, Android, iOS, and Windows—each leveraging tailored tech stacks with verified commit histories on GitHub and BitBucket.
Product Strategy & Data-Driven Growth: Built and executed the entire feedback-to-data-to-prioritization loop. Drove organic acquisition and user retention through community-led growth strategies and rapid agile prototyping.

Mentor | Project Reviewer | Forum Mentor | Live Help Expert

Udacity · Aug 2017 – Jun 2018 (11 mos)

Looking Back at My 2021 Tech Predictions: How the Future Arrived Right on Schedule

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 07:22:49 +0800

Back in December 2021, I wrote a post outlining what I believed the world and the tech landscape would look like over the next five years. Looking around today in 2026, it’s fascinating—and deeply satisfying—to see how many of those predictions have shifted from bold foresight into everyday reality.

Here is a look back at what I wrote in 2021, alongside how those trends have actually played out:

1. The Work Revolution: Remote, Automation, and “Workations”

What I predicted in 2021: Remote and hybrid work would become standard, manual labor would transition into configuring AI/robots, and terms like “Workation” and “digital nomad” would mainstream as live, work, and travel integrate.
The Reality in 2026: Work is no longer tied to a physical office for millions. The line between living and working has blurred into a modern digital nomad lifestyle. On the industrial side, automation and applied AI have taken over repetitive physical labor, transforming modern manual roles into high-tech operator and supervisory positions.

2. AI & Software Development: Software 2.0 & AI Assistance

What I predicted in 2021: Software development would pivot heavily toward concepts like Software 2.0, GitHub Copilot, and early LLMs (like GPT-3).
The Reality in 2026: AI-assisted development is no longer an experiment; it is the fundamental way code is written today. Developers have evolved into architects driving AI systems, dramatically accelerating how products are built and deployed.

3. Hardware & Infrastructure: ARM Chips, 5G, and PWA Adoption

What I predicted in 2021: ARM architecture and 5G would dominate computation, while Web-based PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) would gain ground as native app fatigue set in.
The Reality in 2026: ARM has solidified its place as the efficiency benchmark across both mobile devices and cloud servers. Connectivity is seamless, and lightweight, web-centric software models continue to challenge bloated native applications.

4. Digital Humans, Virtual Reality, & Spatial Computing

What I predicted in 2021: Virtual/digital humans (like @lilmiquela) would become mainstream influencers alongside traditional YouTubers and KOLs, while AR/VR technologies would gain widespread adoption.
The Reality in 2026: Virtual avatars and AI-driven personalities are everywhere in digital marketing, gaming, and content creation. Spatial computing and immersive 3D experiences are integrated deeply into everyday entertainment and media.

5. Sustainability & Electric Vehicles

What I predicted in 2021: Electric vehicles (EVs) would be enforced and prioritized to save the planet.
The Reality in 2026: The global shift away from traditional ICE engines has accelerated rapidly, making EVs the default choice for new drivers around the world.

Final Thoughts

As I noted back in 2021: “The future is not something to be feared, but something to be embraced.” Seeing these shifts materialize over the last five years reinforces that technology moves fast, but clear trajectory markers are almost always visible if we look closely enough.

My Journey with MIT DeepTraffic: Ranking #1 and Winning the Udacity Self-Driving Car Scholarship

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 07:22:49 +0800

Back in early 2017, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in MIT’s 6.S094: Deep Learning for Self-Driving Cars competition—DeepTraffic. It was an exhilarating experience that marked a significant milestone in my journey with AI and autonomous driving technology.

Leaderboard Achievements

DeepTraffic 1.0	DeepTraffic 1.1

Achieving #1 on DeepTraffic 1.0 & 1.1

In January 2017, after countless hours of hyperparameter tuning, model iteration, and deep reinforcement learning experiments, I managed to reach the #1 spot on the DeepTraffic 1.0 leaderboard under the username Instagram: Jorcus96 with a speed score of 75.38 MPH.

That Time NVIDIA AI Followed 135 Accounts on Instagram - And I Was One of Them

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 07:22:44 +0800

Back in July 2017, when NVIDIA AI (@nvidiaai) launched its official Instagram account, something completely unexpected happened: they followed my personal account.

At the time, @nvidiaai was right at its inception with only a few dozen followers. I was going by my handle @jorcus96, and seeing an official account from a tech giant pop up in my notifications felt completely surreal.

By June 2019, as captured in the screenshots above, the account had grown to 4,278 followers across 65 posts, while keeping its following list exceptionally exclusive at just 135 accounts.

My 1st post

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 11:30:03 +0000

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