Many years ago, one of the startups which I co-founded ran out of money, and with the remaining resources we have, I was forced to lay off the remaining employees of the company which they do not deserved to be made redundant. That experience has traumatized me and from time to time, I reflected about the incident. It helped me to frame my thinking around hiring and how to advise people in similar situations. Here’s a framework which hope that it might be of help to those who may have no choice dealing with such difficult situations.
The only career advice that I give to others
Here’s the career advice in twelve words which I will offer to anyone: Learn from Everyone, Follow No One, Observe the Patterns, Work like Hell. It’s simple and easy to remember but it is based on two important principles which I have engraved into how I think, work and apply in my daily life: continuous learning & seeking what’s next. Continue reading The only career advice that I give to others
Different Facets of My Life captured by Podcasts so far
Recently, I have appeared in different podcasts out there from Asia to Silicon Valley, discussing different topics from my thoughts on Asia technology giants such as the BAT and SoftBank, my corporate work, my perspectives as an angel investor and corporate business executive and my side hustle project, Analyse Asia. At the same time, these different podcasts capture different aspects of my life and hence it might be better if I aggregate them for those who want to see different facets of my life so far. If you want to listen to them, just click on the link of the title and you can listen to them. Continue reading Different Facets of My Life captured by Podcasts so far
Live to Fight Another Day
If your startup is near death or showing signs of potential failure and you have probably less than 2–3 months of run rate, what should be your strategy in such a difficult situation? Continue reading Live to Fight Another Day
The Compassion Principle in Management
Sometime earlier this year, I was invited by the British High Commission in Singapore to talk about the new modern workplace coupled with the new cultural and social practices. It was an interesting conversation which examined management in a physical environment. An interesting question prompted me to state a general principle which I state in how I manage people regardless of workplace and cultural differences. Continue reading The Compassion Principle in Management