How Minerva MDA Changed My Life

On April 13, 2020, I started journaling.

On the first day, I wrote down a question: “If I know my current life isn’t ideal, how do I find the courage to leave my comfort zone?”

I kept this habit for 652 days. Now, I think I’ve found the answer.

The Year Everything Reset

In 2019, the smartphone market shifted.

Nokia and Motorola had faded. Samsung was struggling. HTC—once a global leader—had become a shadow of itself.

Except for Apple, Chinese brands dominated the market.

My company decided to move the entire mobile division to China.

I chose not to go.

I stepped down from management, transferred to the automotive product line, and returned to hands-on product development.

A decade of relationships and achievements in mobile—nearly gone.

During that time, my days followed the same routine.

Home → Office → Home.

Nine to five, like a train on tracks.

I asked myself: Is this the life I want? What will I become in ten years?

Anxiety followed me everywhere.

I knew I needed to change. I just didn’t know where to start.

So I began journaling, meditating, and reading extensively.

My mind gradually calmed.

But the question of “how to find my own path” remained unanswered.

The Turning Point: A School Called Minerva

Then the pandemic hit. Many schools went online.

That’s when Minerva caught my attention.

It wasn’t a traditional university. Students lived and studied in different cities each semester—San Francisco, Seoul, Hyderabad, Berlin, Buenos Aires, London, and Taipei.

Yes, Taipei was one of the seven cities.

By chance, I reconnected with Leon, a high school junior of mine.

He was a Minerva student and the author of《全球人才搶著學！密涅瓦的思考習慣訓練》(a book about Minerva’s thinking methodology).

Listening to his transformation story, something clicked.

His journey reminded me of one thing:

Outside traditional frameworks, there’s still a path to self-actualization.

I decided to apply for Minerva’s MDA program.

Not for another degree—I already had a master’s from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan.

What I wanted was the chance to redefine myself.

21 Months of Hell and Heaven

Minerva’s courses were intense.

From Monday to Thursday, there was a 1.5-hour class every evening. All in English. Heavy group discussions.

Add pre-class readings and coding assignments, and I was at my desk every night after work—weekends included.

But the payoff from this high-intensity learning was enormous.

First, I broke through the language barrier.

I started thinking and learning in English.

The value of this shift is hard to overstate.

Many cutting-edge tools and methods from abroad? Waiting for Chinese translations could take six months to five years. Some never get translated at all.

Learning directly in English opened a door to global resources.

Second, I learned to make decisions with data.

Professor Diamond’s three Computer Science courses laid the foundation.

From logic to hypothesis testing to machine learning models.

When deconstructing decision trees, I saw the clear structure behind complex problems.

When studying causal inference, I learned to distinguish correlation from causation.

Now when making major decisions, I don’t rely on intuition.

Instead, I think about the utility of different options, look for data support, and use visualization tools to aid judgment.

This approach helps me overcome innate cognitive biases—whether loss aversion or excessive greed.

Third, I went from thinker to builder.

The master’s thesis was the culmination of the entire journey.

From ideation to problem framing, data collection, solution iteration, and final results.

I experienced the complete innovation cycle.

The thesis wasn’t just an academic requirement.

It was my proving ground for applying what I learned to real challenges—and the starting point of going from “thinking” to “doing.”

The Answer

About “how to find the courage to leave your comfort zone”—I think I’ve found my answer.

The key isn’t a single giant leap.

It’s iterative “horizon expansion”:

Acquire cutting-edge knowledge → Transform it into solutions → Create real value → Build confidence → Challenge a bigger comfort zone

Each turn of this cycle adds one more degree of freedom.

When I can break through language barriers, continuously absorb knowledge and tools from abroad, and transform them into actual products or solutions—I can create real value.

When I can deliver that value to people who need it through my own platform, and make more informed decisions each time—my conviction grows, and fear fades.

Final Thoughts

Looking back on this journey, I’m filled with gratitude.

Compared to who I was four years ago—stuck at the edge of my comfort zone, full of doubt—I’m no longer trapped by my circumstances.

This isn’t about how many degrees or titles you have.

It’s about reshaping how you think, expanding your perspective, and having the courage to keep pushing your limits.

On May 15, 2025, I passed my thesis defense.

This article is a tribute to those 21 months with Minerva MDA.

If you’re at a crossroads in life, feel free to reach out.

Everyone deserves to find their own path.