Francis Ian Lao works at LA-based EyeQXL, a startup in its early stages, as a software engineer. He’s also a Lyft driver. The gig allows him to work on code when called upon, but when things in startup world slow, he doesn’t have to twiddle his thumbs at home.
“Lyft gives me the flexibility to switch tasks when needed,” said Lao. “If I have to fix a reported bug for a release or if I have a work meeting, I can turn on the Lyft driver app and use the destination mode filter to take rides on my way home or to the meeting.”
Lao says that his skills as a software developer come in handy behind the wheel. Find out how.
TECH WORK: I work at the startup EyeQXL as a software engineer in back-end development. We provide educational content for students through virtual reality.
LYFT WORK: I gave my first Lyft ride in December 2013. Since then, I’ve completed more than 10,000 rides as a Lyft driver. The photo here was my 10,000th ride; my passenger, Melody Klingenfuss, works as a California Dream Network statewide organizer for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
NETWORKING: I love interacting with passengers, welcoming them when they get in the car. Some rides become professional networking opportunities. My passengers and I will then connect on LinkedIn. In other cases, I’ll have fun conversations where we decide to keep in touch. People will then follow me @mockingjaylyft on Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter.
DRIVER ADVISER: I once gave a short ride to a passenger on New Year’s Day. She started talking about her life. When we arrived at her place, I sensed that she needed someone to listen to her. She told me she wanted to go to medical school but felt like she was too old.
I’m an engineer, and we solve big problems by breaking things down into smaller pieces. Over the course of an hour, I asked her questions: Have you taken the prerequisites? When are you planning to take your MCATs? Did your undergrad advisor give you any helpful guidance? I tried to make her troubles seem manageable by motivating her to attack the problem piece by piece.
Lyft strives to provide the best transportation and to be "your friend with a car." I felt I lived up to that motto that night.
