A Tribute to Yi

There's an old story about a rich man asking a monk to write a scroll to encourage the future prosperity of his family.  The scroll would hang in a prominent place in their home, to be cherished for generations.  The monk came back with a scroll that said, "Grandfather dies, father dies, son dies."

The man was angry when he saw the scroll and said "I asked you to write something that could bring happiness and prosperity to my family.  Why would you write something like this?"

"If the father dies before the grandfather," the monk answered, " the way of nature is disrupted, bringing unbearable grief to your family.  If the son should die before the father, the way of nature is again disrupted, and this would also bring sorrow.  If your family, generation after generation, passes on in the order I've described, it will follow the way of nature.  This is true happiness and prosperity."

The way of nature is disrupted: Yi Shi died this week.  She was only about twenty-eight (she graduated from Stanford in 2007).  While we worked together for only a short period, I am compelled to write down my thoughts and to celebrate her life.

In late 2010 I worked with Yi on Ning's design studio -- a new project that would give our customers choice on their site layout (allowing for options beyond a three-column layout) and a variety of inspired designs to get started.  We pushed hard to complete that project with the expectation that the future of the company depended on it.

Although I tried hard to find ways to reduce time and effort to launch the project, I couldn't improve on Yi's work: she worked hard and smart and knew from the outset which things were most important to the project's success.  Yi not only created breathtakingly beautiful designs, but had a solid understanding of how to translate those designs into efficient web sites, and so was able to contribute as a peer on the mechanism for site customization.  Watching Yi at work was like seeing Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in Alien Resurrection, where she could throw a basketball over her shoulder from a half-court away and still hit the basket -- and nothing but net.  

Again, the way of nature is disrupted: excellence should not only survive but be fulfilled.  I'm sorry that in spite of her amazing capabilities Yi died so young, but am thankful to have known her.  Thanks to Yi, the friends and family she leaves behind will live life a little more inspired.  Personally, I'm more aware that my time is limited and that I need to focus on the things that matter.