Xin Xiao is a Chinese born Canadian citizen who moved to Canada in his early teens. He attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering (2017), focusing on sustainable engineering. After graduating, Xin joined a Canadian water treatment start-up company in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he pursued his passion in sustainable engineering through projects located throughout North America – tackling difficult water challenges from arctic mines to southern US landfills.
In 2021, Xin joined Tesla’s battery material group in Fremont, California. In this position, Xin was able to make a greater impact to accelerating the transition to sustainability, working on exciting projects that pioneered America’s battery metals refining industry. Currently, Xin resides in Corpus Christ, Texas, where he works as the Staff Process Engineer on the Gulf Coast Lithium Refinery project – the first large scale lithium refinery in North America.
Outside of his profession, Xin enjoys weightlifting, learning new languages (currently, Japanese), investing, and exploring other cultures.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I start the day with a healthy breakfast and checking the news for any battery materials developments. Then, I head into the office to catch-up on emails and work on technical problems. I usually eat lunch while having meetings. I make sure to take my time out of my afternoons to walk the construction site and talk to plant operators; this helps build rapport and presents issues that I wouldn’t normally discover sitting in the office. I make sure to find the time to get some exercise in, before heading to bed.
How do you bring ideas to life?
In the chemical engineering profession, bringing ideas to life is a methodical process that balances technical and economic aspects so when I have an idea for a new chemical process, I collaborate with the lab team to design and execute experiments. If the experiment is successful, I will move on to evaluate the economic return and cash flow. If the idea is cash flow justifiable, I will move on to pilot scale testing to collect data and present it to business stakeholders for buy-in and approval after which the idea can be constructed on a full scale.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I’m excited by real, tangible movement towards sustainable development, and the novel technology that comes along with it like new refining processes that innovate on traditional practices, and brand new futuristic AI process automation. It’s exciting to see society heading into this direction and the innovations that will result from this shift.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I am often juggling multiple career and personal responsibilities; the list can be long and daunting. So, a habit that helps increase my productivity is that I isolate and focus on one task at a time. I also identify my most critical tasks and dedicate time to focus on that task without distraction. This habit helps reduce procrastination.
What advice would you give your younger self?
More than often, we must make decisions (small or big) with limited information. It is more important to make a decision you won’t regret, then it is to find the “right” or “optimal” decision.
When I was younger, I was often afraid of confrontation, and would often “go with the flow”. This resulted in wasted opportunities that I’ve come to regret. I would tell my younger self not to be afraid to make decisions of your own volition.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Hot chocolate is made better with water instead of milk. This is just my opinion, but it is the correct opinion.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Exercise! Whether it’s hitting weights at the gym or going out for a run, exercising is one of the few activities where you are the sole benefactor of the results. It keeps you in-shape and boosts your mood. You owe it to yourself to exercise. It’s an investment in your physical wellbeing.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Often a long list of problems can be overwhelming, but if I put my head down and resolve them one at a time, I am often surprised with the results. So, I identify the most urgent problem to resolve and tackle it while blocking out other distractions.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I take initiative to tackle difficult problems and projects. People, including professionals, are often too complacent or afraid to take on challenging projects. It is by solving open-ended problems where you can rise above the rest. These types of problems are a-plenty in the chemical engineering field and are great opportunities to grow.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Despite all my efforts to prepare and interview, I did not get what I thought was my dream job. I was very discouraged and beaten down. I took away learnings to better sharpen my inter-personal skills and focused on improving my career achievements. When the Tesla opportunity came along, I was ready and was able to capture the opportunity. The lesson is to not be bogged down by past failures, you never know what might come next.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate – cellulose acetate is not water soluble. As a result, a lot of discarded cigarette butts are washed into the ocean, eaten by marine animals and damage the ecosystem. If the chemical structure can be altered by adding more hydroxyl group substitution, it is possible to make a cellulose acetate substitute that is water soluble.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I use Prezi. It is a presentation software that uses motion, zoom, and spatial relationships to create an interactive, visually engaging presentation. I use it when making presentations to capture the audiences’ attention.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Monthly Fool Money is a podcast I regularly listen to. The podcast discusses industry trends, investment strategies, and how to manage the emotional side that could come with investing. It is a fun, lighthearted podcast that still manages to be information and valuable.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently enjoyed the South Korean film “Parasite”. It is a thriller that borders on horror, with relatable characters, yet still manages to provide commentary on the societal wealth gaps with subtlety. It is a movie I still find myself reflecting on.
Key learnings
- Do not be afraid to take on challenging projects. Solving open-ended problems comes with great rewards that can accelerate your career.
- When making decisions with limited information, sometimes it is more important to make the decision that leaves the least regret than to make the most optimal decision.
- Look after your own body and exercise often. If you invest in your own health, you reap the benefits.