I recently learned my friend’s former company got acquired at a nine figure amount, after 17 years in existence, doing one thing. The world is moving at a breakneck speed, making it difficult for anyone to maintain more than two seconds of attention span. But for those who are on a singular mission, taking small … Continue reading The world always gives them a chance
It took less than 48 hours for LUNA and FTX to go from their prime to total wipeout in value. SVB, a much larger and traditional institution, saw their massive bank run and the eventual shutdown within roughly 48 hours. In this hyper networked world, anything of any scale can happen in 48 hours; seems … Continue reading Downhill is much faster
F*ck “Quiet Quitting”. How about Loud Hustling? Put 120% into your day job. Don’t be floating around 3 side hustles. Why? For very selfish reasons. Sure, companies don’t take care of your life forever (as could be seen in recent layoffs). You’re on your own. That’s all true. That’s why one day, you want to … Continue reading “Loud Hustling” at your day job
This story by Guy Kawasaki (shared in a podcast long time ago) always stuck with me. When he was 20, he really wanted to succeed one day and become a guy who drives a Porsche. 20 years later, he did become a successful professional who drives a Porsche. One day he had a chance to … Continue reading The grass is always greener on the other side
Entrepreneurs – don’t hate the VCs or be jaded about them. I used to do a little bit of that too, but having a negative feeling doesn’t achieve anything productive. When you keep hearing the “no”‘s, it’s so easy to get jaded about the whole thing. I’ve been there. But the harsh truth is, it’s … Continue reading Don’t hate the VCs
When I meet with college students who want to be entrepreneurs, they often ask me – what’s the one thing they can learn while they’re in school? I say, it’s sales. You need to learn how to sell. That’s ONE skill you can learn while still being in school. Just about everything about founding a … Continue reading The ONE Skill to Learn at School for Future Founders
Microsoft, Google, Adobe, IBM, Micron – these are some of the biggest and the most traditional household names in the American tech industry. They also share one common fact – their CEOs are of Indian descent. See the following link for top tech companies by market cap and one can see roughly 1 out of … Continue reading Immigration and Indian CEOs
I was recently catching up with a cross-border VC friend of mine. He said he prefers Southeast Asian startups over Korean or Japanese startups these days. I asked why – is it because of the population size? What he said next caught my attention. He said “I prefer SEA startups because there are more SEA … Continue reading Asian Founders Speaking English
Next time you talk to your team members, just think about the chance you’re part of the same team right now. The chances are so small that the only way you can explain is “the universe put you together”. Think of an NFL team (congrats, Chiefs!). Each team has a roster of 53 players. The … Continue reading Never Take Your Team for Granted
Sometimes I get questions like this: “I wonder if I should start my own startup now or get experience in a company first.” To me, it sounds like a “putting the cart before the horse” question. “Should I start my company?”, to me, is a “how” question. You need to figure out the “what” question … Continue reading “Should I Start My Own Company?”