Writing this from the bus in Batangas, finally able to “escape” the island of Puerto Galera. Over 2 days delayed from leaving due to typhoon missing my friend Bas’s birthday in Dau, and a few other tropical MBA attendees missing their flights tio thailand and korea….and I really hope I don’t miss my flight today to Boracay (12:20pm departure, typing …
Adapt, Why Success Always Starts With Failure – Book Review
Committed my Sunday afternoon to finishing this book “Adapt, Why Success Always Starts with Failure” by Tim Harford, this excerpt really got my interest we are blinder than we think (page 17)….Humans cannot make the right decision every time, we have to learn by failure, we have to have courage to try, and have to have the right balance of …
Will Future Generations Go To University? Go to Classrooms?
My friend Leon is applying for a work visa in Hong Kong, and one of the biggest criteria is a university degree. Unfortunately, as smart and capable of a programmer in today’s world, one of the best I have come across, but because of formal education, he is having problems. Is that the best way to measure someone’s capabilities? I …
Revisiting Lifestyle Design, Great Reading on a Rainy Sunday
I’ve been a fan of Tim Ferris’s Four Hour Work Week book, reading it back in 2007 and partially reflecting on it in the blog Life on the Road post…but today was a rainy Sunday afternoon in Shenzhen and spent a lot of my afternoon reading through the it, chillin on the couch at Andy + Rica‘s place. Again, part …
I’m a Social Media Consultant! In China!
uh oh! Its official, I’ve changed my email signature from “internet marketing consultant” to “social media consultant”. Changed my “job” by changing my email signature….pretty hilarious when you think about it….but we are who we make ourselves to be…or else others tell us who to be. Its our choice, I have said it not making a decision is making a …
Do Tech CEOs Need To Be %@#$@^& to Succeed?
Again, unfortunately, I’m reading more news supporting the fact that “nice guys finish last”. This article I read, Why Are Tech Founders Such Assholes? (Gawker), points out the negative things famous and successful businessmen have done in their career to get ahead. Sure, you can spin things in different ways, and life is always about perspective. There is that saying …
Return of the Geeks, Have Their Fun Later in Life
I consider myself always as semi geek, semi cool…..I played on both sides when in high school, and learned to be flexible and deal with many personalities. I am not afraid to make fun of myself, maybe its a sign I’m getting old! I also blogged about how us “social media” online people are a bunch of nerds! There have …
Cannot Give Up, Cannot Forget The Long Term Idea
This is what i am constantly saying in my mind each day, over and over pushing myself, “don’t give up, think long term”. i got a question in ecommerce section of allexperts.com today, a guy asking me which products are most profitable to sell online…..today’s question was: There is a question waiting for you in the category of “E-Commerce, Web …
Feel More Equipped, More Professional Then Ever
maybe its my turning 30, the fact that i have made commitments to my career and basic geographical location…and getting used to being in the constant moving….I am constantly having an internal battle about why I am traveling so much….its exhausting, but I think its important to what I’m trying to do….bridge cultures and connect people. Its the life I …
Crazy Dream -What may have kept me at my NY job!
I’ve been thinking a lot, and with my big shift from fixed office to coworking and freelancing, I think back to my time four years ago at Deutsche Bank and when I put in my notice to leave my job. My manager I guess kind of expected it, I had already filed with them (per SEC regulations) that I had …
Managing When Everyone Wants to be a Freelancer!
Seriously today’s world is changing so quickly world is flat, technology is moving at lightening speed with tablets and mobile technology replacing the need for laptops (never mind archaic desktops!), coworking is the new modern office, and everyone is a independent contractor and freelancer! I have always wondered this since my day job at Deutsche Bank…so many people were not …
Update on Business Direction & Life
I always like Sunday to be the day I reflect and if I had my way I would not have any meetings or work scheduled…just to catch up on errands, clean up the “house” (where I am), reflect on the last week, and think about the upcoming week and get prepared to do the best I can do. Just keep …
Building an Awesome Team – Which Xmen Character Are You?
Maybe I’m such a nerd, but this movie “The Wolverine” recently made me think more about TEAMS and working in groups. And the most important thing I think about working with other people is UNDERSTANDING WHO YOU REALLY ARE….. I know, I think this is hard, to accept facts that we are born with some advantages, and over our childhood, …
Ipad 2 Mania! Buy in USA – Sell in China?
I have been chatting on twitter about the ipad 2 mania. Seriously, even apple is amazed as sales are a million sold in the first weekend. I’m sure iphone factories in Shenzhen are busier then ever, putting extra pressure and overtime work on factory workers. Lets just hope we don’t hear news about factory suicides soon, though I am sure …
Stuck on the Idea of Starting That We Never Actually Start?
I hesitate blogging on this topic, because I believe I am one of the extremes in this case….I have fallen in love with starting and making new ideas and new projects. This is a great article – Are You Afraid of Good Ideas? which spawned the idea for this blog. He titles the article towards people who are AFRAID TO …