Ever since I was young, I have loved to write. These days, my writing is almost entirely for work, but I’ve decided that I should start writing for myself, mostly as a way to reflect on how I feel, express my (many) opinions about things, and to keep a diary of sorts. These thoughts are of course public by nature, but I hope that whoever reads my posts find them interesting, helpful, and even provocative at times.
I am a curious person about many things, something that has been true since I was younger. Here is something I did as a lark back during business school, but it is a snippet of writing that I return to time to time to see how I have changed.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
— Mary Oliver
To be changed by the world around me.
Many people come to HBS to “change the world.” I was one of those people. But I have come to realize that it is HBS that has changed me. I have learned how to optimize a cranberry factory, absorbed life lessons from a Navy SEAL and a Catholic priest, and experienced South Africa with friends over spring break. I am a different person than I was before HBS, and for that, I am grateful.
While my academic career is coming to a close, I intend to be a lifelong student. I will continue to be curious and open to new ideas and experiences. I will continue to ask questions. By constantly focusing the lens through which I see, I hope to achieve the vision I need to make the world a better place.
One of my favorite recent episodes from Ted Lasso has a scene where the former owner of the soccer team challenges Ted to a darts match — where the owner misjudges Ted’s skills as a darts player (and as a coach) because he looks and sounds different from him. In the climax of the scene, Ted reveals himself to be an expert darts player (and a hustler of sorts) and says:
“Guys have underestimated me my entire life and for years I never understood why – it used to really bother me. Then one day I was driving my little boy to school, and I saw a quote by Walt Whitman, it was painted on the wall there and it said, ‘Be curious, not judgmental.’ I like that.”
— Ted Lasso
For me, the scene has a resonance not only because of where I’ve come from and being underestimated at times like Ted, but also as a reminder to be curious, to not judge based on superficial appearances, and to be open-minded to new possibilities. Hence, the name of the blog (“Be Curious, Not Judgmental”) and what I hope to write about.
About the Author
Myoung Cha is a healthcare and technology executive focused on the intersection of healthcare, consumer, and technology. He currently is Chief Product Officer at Verily, Alphabet’s health tech subsidiary, and serves on the board of directors at Tandem Diabetes Care (NASDAQ: TNDM).
Previously, Myoung spent six years at Apple, where he helped build Apple Health and led the development of LumiHealth — a first-of-its-kind national wellness program with the Singapore government using the Apple Watch. After Apple, he held a leadership role at Carbon Health, and earlier in his career was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised healthcare and private equity clients.
He holds a JD/MBA from Harvard and an AB in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard, and writes about AI in healthcare, digital health, and the evolving role of technology in clinical care.
Be Curious, Not Judgmental is his personal blog exploring these topics — informed by two decades of building at the intersection of healthcare, consumer, and technology.