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268: The Singapore Entrepreneur Edition with Aaron Cheng, Sabrina Wang, and Kyriakos Zannikos (Asia Matters)
Podcast highlights:
18:48 Entrepreneurship is difficult. Dealing with the criticisms from people around you and sometimes those harshest voices are the ones in your own head. All entrepreneurs deal with uncertainty. How do you deal with it?
Aaron: There's no real answer. Everyone takes a different path. You have to find something you're really passionate about. If it was easy, everyone would be an entrepreneur, but it's not easy. The most difficult thing is to get over the fear to start something new.
37:58 Your companies are not huge. You're not an Apple or an Amazon. How do you get people to want to come and work with you?
Aaron: I do things the Singapore way, which is to say if you want to learn and work here then by all means come. If you don't want to work here, then don't come.
Kyriakos: It's not that difficult to get good people. We don't necessarily want the people who just want to work for a big name. It has been easier than we first expected. In the end it requires a bit of luck and a bit of hustle.
Sabrina: We treat everything like a pitch as if we're the next big thing. We are big believers in culture. We try to give our employees a vote and say in the direction we're going. But it's difficult to find people. We don't have the resources to pay a big bonus to attract talent, for example. The struggle is to get the right people.
49:20 What advice would you want to leave listeners with?
Graham: For me it's surround yourself with the right people. You can't underestimate how important this is.
Kyriakos: You have goal and you shared it with people. This is important. Share your idea, and not just to the people you feel comfortable with--tell the world! Not everyone will like it or think you're right, but share your idea.
Sabrina: Rejections are normal. Maybe 99 people will say you're wrong, but all it takes is that one person to believe in you and what you're doing. Also, don't feel bad towards the people who reject you. Maybe the next time you meet they will come around.
Aaron: Think for yourself. Believe in yourself. Do it!
Podcast notes:
NOTE: This episode contains explicit language.
00:05 ATP670 - Asia Matters with Graham D. Brown and special guests Aaron Cheng, Sabrina Wang, and Kyriakos Zannikos
Guest Introductions:
01:09 Aaron Cheng
03:29 Sabrina Wang
07:28 Kyriakos Zannikos
10:44 All three of you are entrepreneurs. Where does that seed in your head come from? Where does that inspiration to be an entrepreneur come from?
Aaron: People may think we're weird, but we know what we want in life. Decided when young to make stuff. Realized early on wanted to make things in Singapore.
14:15 People look at Singapore as a great place to start a business. Is it actually easy to start a business in Singapore?
Sabrina: It's a very good question. One thing faced by young people who want to be entrepreneurs is the license requirements in Singapore. If you're too young you can't, for example, have a bank account. There are lots of stories about how difficult it can be in Singapore to start a business, but that hasn't been my experience. This isn't to say it's been easy. Starting a business is hard, but you just have to work through it.
18:48 Entrepreneurship is difficult. Dealing with the criticisms from people around you and sometimes those harshest voices are the ones in your own head. All entrepreneurs deal with uncertainty. How do you deal with it?
Aaron: There's no real answer. Everyone takes a different path. You have to find something you're really passionate about. If it was easy, everyone would be an entrepreneur, but it's not easy.
View all episodes
By Graham BrownPodcast highlights:
18:48 Entrepreneurship is difficult. Dealing with the criticisms from people around you and sometimes those harshest voices are the ones in your own head. All entrepreneurs deal with uncertainty. How do you deal with it?
Aaron: There's no real answer. Everyone takes a different path. You have to find something you're really passionate about. If it was easy, everyone would be an entrepreneur, but it's not easy. The most difficult thing is to get over the fear to start something new.
37:58 Your companies are not huge. You're not an Apple or an Amazon. How do you get people to want to come and work with you?
Aaron: I do things the Singapore way, which is to say if you want to learn and work here then by all means come. If you don't want to work here, then don't come.
Kyriakos: It's not that difficult to get good people. We don't necessarily want the people who just want to work for a big name. It has been easier than we first expected. In the end it requires a bit of luck and a bit of hustle.
Sabrina: We treat everything like a pitch as if we're the next big thing. We are big believers in culture. We try to give our employees a vote and say in the direction we're going. But it's difficult to find people. We don't have the resources to pay a big bonus to attract talent, for example. The struggle is to get the right people.
49:20 What advice would you want to leave listeners with?
Graham: For me it's surround yourself with the right people. You can't underestimate how important this is.
Kyriakos: You have goal and you shared it with people. This is important. Share your idea, and not just to the people you feel comfortable with--tell the world! Not everyone will like it or think you're right, but share your idea.
Sabrina: Rejections are normal. Maybe 99 people will say you're wrong, but all it takes is that one person to believe in you and what you're doing. Also, don't feel bad towards the people who reject you. Maybe the next time you meet they will come around.
Aaron: Think for yourself. Believe in yourself. Do it!
Podcast notes:
NOTE: This episode contains explicit language.
00:05 ATP670 - Asia Matters with Graham D. Brown and special guests Aaron Cheng, Sabrina Wang, and Kyriakos Zannikos
Guest Introductions:
01:09 Aaron Cheng
03:29 Sabrina Wang
07:28 Kyriakos Zannikos
10:44 All three of you are entrepreneurs. Where does that seed in your head come from? Where does that inspiration to be an entrepreneur come from?
Aaron: People may think we're weird, but we know what we want in life. Decided when young to make stuff. Realized early on wanted to make things in Singapore.
14:15 People look at Singapore as a great place to start a business. Is it actually easy to start a business in Singapore?
Sabrina: It's a very good question. One thing faced by young people who want to be entrepreneurs is the license requirements in Singapore. If you're too young you can't, for example, have a bank account. There are lots of stories about how difficult it can be in Singapore to start a business, but that hasn't been my experience. This isn't to say it's been easy. Starting a business is hard, but you just have to work through it.
18:48 Entrepreneurship is difficult. Dealing with the criticisms from people around you and sometimes those harshest voices are the ones in your own head. All entrepreneurs deal with uncertainty. How do you deal with it?
Aaron: There's no real answer. Everyone takes a different path. You have to find something you're really passionate about. If it was easy, everyone would be an entrepreneur, but it's not easy.