Francis Ruan

About Me
Hey! I'm Francis! I am originally from China, but grew up on the Coast of the Bay Area near Santa Cruz for most of life! I love building things, whether concrete or abstract! Over the last two years, I've grown to fall in love with entrepreneurship, leadership, and product management. Outside of tech and strategy, I play Lacrosse for the USC Men's Team, I surf at El Porto on most weekends, and play tons of Beach Volleyball and Tennis in Santa Monica.

What are some of your key professional/career interests?
I love being the person who brings momentum to a room and turns loose ideas, a quiet culture into coordinated and enthusiastic action. I’m most excited to manage products alongside teams, especially when the work is messy, high-stakes, and meant for real users rather than technical audiences. What drives me is translating complexity into clarity, keeping people aligned, and pushing past low motivation, or seasons of failure, to deliver things that actually get used. Long term, I want to lead teams or build companies where AI strengthens company culture and enjoyability.

What are some of your skills?
Technical C++ (object-oriented programming, data structures, debugging) Python (data analysis, scripting, prototyping) Figma (product design, wireframing, user flows, rapid iteration) Git and GitHub (version control, collaboration workflows) Data analysis and visualization (pandas, basic statistical reasoning) AI/ML prototyping (model evaluation, prompt design, system-level thinking) Product prototyping tools (Figma Make, no-code/low-code tools) Adobe Photoshop (visual assets, branding, basic design work) Microsoft Office and Google Workspace (Excel, PowerPoint, Docs, Slides) Non-Technical Team leadership and motivation Project and product management Cross-functional collaboration Public speaking and presentations Event planning and execution Strategic problem solving Product thinking and user-centered design Translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences Initiative-driven execution in ambiguous environment

What are some relevant classes/coursework?
The Art Of Decision Making, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, Applied Programming in Python, Advanced Statistics & Data Science , Data Structures & Algorithms.

What are some of your projects or achievements?

• 1st Place @ Stanford ProCo: a selective, competitive computer programming contest for high school students, modeled after the college-level ACM-ICPC and focused on algorithmic problem solving under time pressure. I won first place by solving problems efficiently and accurately as part of a top-performing team, demonstrating strong algorithmic thinking and execution. 
• Ted X Speaker: "Why You Should Make a Done List" - Learn about the power of manipulating your own mind for Success.
• Co-founder @ Suntag Co - I founded and led a electronic hardware start up, building Solar Powered Mag Safe Portable Chargers, from idea to execution, driving product vision, branding, and go-to-market strategy. I built and launched the product end to end, coordinating design, engineering, and growth while keeping the team aligned and moving fast. I focused on turning early concepts into a real, user-facing product through rapid iteration and hands-on execution.