About Lewin Gan
I was born and raised in Southern California. I went to school in Berkeley and then worked in SF afterward.

What is the most interesting challenge you competed on at Topcoder and why?
It’s hard to choose one specific challenge. I really like competing in the SRMs. There has been a lot of interesting problems over the past few years.

What is your most memorable Topcoder challenge and why?
The most memorable one is probably the first time I set an SRM for Topcoder. It was SRM 626 about 4 years ago. I still remember feeling really nervous about putting my problems out there for the first time. But, the round went really well and made me want to stay with Topcoder for longer.

What do you do when not working?
I hang out with friends, play video games (mostly tft now), and go on runs.

Where do you work? Tell us about your space(s).
I’ve been working at a startup called Forethought for about a year. One of the founders is also a competitive programmer and Topcoder member. The whole company is about 20 people now. We work in a small office in Soma.

If you could give your past self one piece of advice, what would it be?
You’re doing great! Make sure to have some time to take care of yourself.

What kind of music do you listen to while working on your solutions?
I like all types of EDM.

What’s the best tip or piece of advice you can share with other members at Topcoder?
For competitive programmers, remember that this is mostly for fun and self improvement.

What are you most excited about for this year’s TCO Finals?
I’m excited to see familiar faces again and share a common love for competitive programming.

Do you strive to be at TCO every year and if so, why does it matter to you?
I do try my best to stay somewhat involved. I really like the energy that TCO provides that’s unique from any other contest that I’ve attended.

What was your secret to getting a ticket for the TCO finals more than once?
I write a lot of problems.