Stephen Ou

Howdy! I am a software engineer at WhatsApp, spearheading new feature development for the web client team.

I specialize in Javascript, in particular, ES6, React, Node, Electron, and Flow. I have also dabbled a lot in Python, some in C++, and a little in Erlang. While at Stanford, I have done research projects in machine learning and natural language processing.

Email - Resume - LinkedIn - Github

App Development

I am a big fan of personal projects. Since 2010, I've made 8 web apps. I built them to scratch my own itch. Some got popular because other people found them useful too. Admittedly, some of them are old, don't work well (by today's standard), or don't work at all (due to API changes). Treat it more like an archive.

• iTunes Instant lets you search for songs, movies, TV shows, and apps quickly. It is my most popular and profitable app, with more than 400,000 users to date. Mashable, Fast Company, The Atlantic, TUAW, Gizmodo loved it.
• Artsy Editor is a premium WordPress blog post editor. The product, which has been profitable since day 1, has made 200 bloggers be more productive. The Next Web was a big fan. WordPress added its own distraction-free editor a year later.
• NeedNumbers is a tool that auto-imports contacts from those "New Phone/Need Numbers!!!" groups into your phone. What used to take 30 minutes can now be done in 30 seconds. It saved this TechCrunch writer some valuable time.
• SocialBusinessCard converts your social media profiles (Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn) into business card designs. It's targeted at college students who don't have business cards. See how I created the app in 8 hours in this time-lapse video.
• TwtRoulette helps you find interesting folks to follow on Twitter by looking at other people's authorized home timeline. Ashton Kutcher, Robert Scoble, Forbes, TechCrunch, Huffington Post, PCMag, and Business Insider all enjoyed it.
• Ohboard is basically a whiteboard in your Chrome browser. Amongst the first Chrome extensions ever built, OhBoard has helped over 100 designers, developers, marketers jot down ideas and create wireframes.
• ACPark was the project I made in Alameda County Hackathon 2012, in which I got 2nd place. If you live in the county, this is where you can find dog parks, swimming pools, and hiking paths.
• OneExtraLap was my first crack at creating a web app. I poured 9 months of after-school efforts into this social quizzing website. Despite the lack of users and revenue, it was a great learning experience and I still consider it a success!

Work Experience

I've done four amazing summer internships - in a big corp, a medium-sized company, an early-stage startup, and the government.

• Facebook - I worked on a system that executed build tasks on remote machines and learned a lot about building large systems.
• WhatsApp - I implemented several features related to end-to-end encryption on the web client, used by millions of people.
• CodeHS - I built a video chat feature and a collaborative code editing feature, allowing students to get real-time tutoring.
• Alameda County - I developed an employee shuttle tracking and route planning application, used by 9000 county workers.

I've also had the privilege to freelance for a variety of companies, ranging from a Fortune 500 company to a mom-and-pop shop.

• Warner Music - I automated the data analysis process for the company's marketing department, saving analysts a lot of time.
• eBroadcast Australia - I designed and developed the TV and movie guide for Australia's biggest media discovery platform.
• App of the Day - I made a version of App Store instant search for App of the Day, a popular iOS app recommendation website.
• Pat Flynn - I wrote WordPress plugins for Pat's massively successful online business. Side note: I really admire Pat's honesty.
• Lanvie Apparel - I designed and developed a full-featured warehouse management system for a local apparel business.

Other Stuff

Originally born in Kaiping, China, I had the good fortune to come to the US in 2008. Although I didn't speak any English upon arrival, I became fluent in 2 years thanks to my patient teachers, supportive family, and a lot of hard work.

I love watching inspirational TED talks and ended up giving a TEDx talk about young entrepreneurship myself in 2014.

I've done some interviews in the past: 2 Billion Under 20, Web.AppStorm, Double Your Freelancing Rate, A New Take, Doers, SideProject Book, IdeaMensch, The Startup Project, Raising CEO Kids, Sawyer Speaks.

I love road cycling, hiking, cooking, photography, watching sports, and mathemagics.

Contact

So many people have helped me get to where I am today. I want to do the same to you. If you have questions about programming, entrepreneurship, app design/development, college admission, studying in the US, email me! I am more than happy to help you out.

Made with love & inspiration from sunny Bay Area, in Vim.