Jerry Li

# Team

Co-founder & CEO @ Gradual

Where were you born and where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

I was born in a tiny little town near Changbai Mountain (长白山) in northern China. It's national reserve known for skiing and its crater lake (largest in China, 9th in the world).

(Me and Sienna by the crater lake during our last trip to China in 2019)

Where do you live today, and how did you end up there?

Sienna and I have been living in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2013. Previously, we were in Seattle for 4.5 years.

What was the best vacation you ever took and why?

Sienna and I just spend a week in Hawaii and it was the first vacation we took since COVID and it was the best. We went to Honolulu and Maui. We had lots of fun snorkeling, staying on the beach and explore the local culture and food.

What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them?

Flying drones to explore nature is one of my favorite things to do. It all started with a birthday gift (DJI FPV) Sienna gave me about two years ago. We live on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and there are plenty of opportunities to observe wild lives nearby.

(spotted a grey whale hunting for food near the coast in June 2022)

What was the last thing you read? Do you recommend it?

The Challenger Customer, an incredible book about the complex nature of B2B sales and how to facilitate the internal group buying decision. It's a must read for anyone working directly with customers.

Would you say you’re more of an extrovert or an introvert?

I always enjoy connecting with people, especially 1:1 or in small groups. A great conversation can energizes me more than anything else. So by definition, I am an extrovert, although I may appear to be an introvert in some occasions.

What's your favorite thing about working at Gradual?

Be able to work side by side with people I enjoy working with, and be able to influence the decide who to bring on to the team!

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