I was recently catching up with my friend, who’s an expat in Taiwan and has been trying to start her own startup in the country. She said Taiwanese companies are often too risk averse and the country needs to become more entrepreneurial. (Note: I’m not sure how much of that is true – it’s one … Continue reading Potential Upside Vs Potential Downside
A few similarities between startup pitching and college applications: Continue reading Similarities Between Startup Pitching And College Applications
One mistake I often made as a founder was trying to explain everything about the product too precisely. We built a publishing platform for serialized mobile stories – mainly in the form of digital comics and novels. It was a new concept at the time, so most people didn’t really understand it (Later, Webtoon, our … Continue reading Clarity Over Accuracy
A common startup adage: “Founders need to solve their own problem.” But this is really just a shorthand for the full statement: “Founders need to solve their own problem — as long as many others share the same problem.” If you’re only solving your own problem, where you’re 1 of 1 who has that problem, … Continue reading Solve Your Own Problem, As Long As..
For founders who feel anxious about not doing anything right now and can’t wait to jump back into the game ASAP. Keep these in mind: Continue reading Success Is Often Decided By What Not To Do
Launching a new product or project is like releasing a new song or movie. You might have produced 20 hit songs before, but the moment you announce a new song, you’re primarily judged on your new song’s success, at least in the short term. You’re back in the game, competing with all 100M+ songs on … Continue reading It’s Like Producing A New Song
I know a dirty little secret about some founders 🙂 They’re secretly dreaming about their next project, even while building their current business. Why? The reasons can vary. Maybe the founder is too fatigued, or has realized their current venture isn’t as aligned with their true passions as they thought it was. But more often, … Continue reading Get Back To Work
I was chatting with a friend recently, and we both marveled at how fast 2024 flew by. We were like, “Where did the time go?” But we agreed – being busy is actually great. Building a business, spending time with family and loved ones, reading and writing – as long as we’re making progress and … Continue reading 4,000 Weeks
For startup founders, the true source of energy and peace is advancing the company’s business. I’ve tried other things in the past. I’ve bought some pricey things or stayed at fancy, Instagram-worthy places, hoping those would give me some confidence booster shots. Part of me wanted to show that, even as an early-stage founder, I … Continue reading True Source of Energy
One thing I like about the LA startup ecosystem is the diversity of founders you get to meet, including many “street smart” entrepreneurs. These founders may not have gone to Stanford or Berkeley. They might not have read many YC articles on product/market fit, or talk in terms of CAC/LTV or ARR/NRR. But they have … Continue reading Street Smart vs Book Smart