Interesting

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Run your life like a startup

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Run your life like a startup

Hierarchies, processes and protocols. These are just some of the things I’m allergic to in most companies and corporations. I understand why they exist but I prefer to work in an environment where you can focus on actual work rather than trying to work the system.

After a year at my first job as a programmer, I was offered a pay raise. In terms of percentage it was pretty high but my original pay was very low. So let’s just say I wasn’t overly excited about the whole thing.

I went to my manager to ask him what I need to do to earn more and I was disappointed by his answer. He said it depends whether there’s an opening for me to be promoted or if they land a big client. Both factors that’s completely out of my control.

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If you want to grow your business, be a pirate! AARRR!

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If you want to grow your business, be a pirate! AARRR!

The one question that every entrepreneur and business owner keep asking themselves, every single night before they go to bed is how do I grow my business?

You may want to increase your sales and revenue to improve the bottom-line. Or you may want to unlock the economies of scale by ramping up your production output.

Whatever the reason, you can only grow your business if you have a clear understanding on how it is performing right now. That means you have to track and measure all the different parts of your business. You simply can’t improve something you are not measuring.

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Everyone should build a robot

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Everyone should build a robot

Some of you may have seen the 80s movie Short Circuit. It's about an experimental military robot named Johnny Five, which after being struck by lightning, became sentient.

Like most kids, I was fascinated (and still is) by robots and always wanted one. In the sequel of Short Circuit, the creator of Johnny Five made a small toy version of robot. Boy I wanted one so badly. 

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Why are you in KK?

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Why are you in KK?

Ever since I graduated from my computer engineering degree in  Australia and came back to my hometown, Kota Kinabalu, I've been asked this question many, many times.

Most people assumed I would look for a job elsewhere. After all, there are only a handful of software companies here and opportunities are very limited.

But for the past 13 years, I've chosen to stay back in this beautiful city, despite getting offers and options to further my career elsewhere.

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Apple in the mud

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Apple in the mud

When someone tell you it is safe to eat something you dropped on the floor as long as it's been there for less than five seconds, that's a rule of thumb.

For most of us, we know that the five-second rule isn't always applicable. If you dropped your apple onto a pile of mud, you know it's not safe to eat it.

Even if you have ninja reflexes and managed to retrieve your shiny red globe the second it is in contact with the brown slimy sludge, you wouldn't be consuming it right after.

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What you had for lunch could change your life

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What you had for lunch could change your life

Last night during dinner, I was struggling to recall what I had for lunch. Yet moments later, at the same dinner, I was able to describe the entire experience of having my favourite ramen in Japan months ago.

Have you ever wondered why it is easier for us to recall certain past events in our lives, even though it may have happened years ago, but can’t seem to remember what we had for lunch yesterday?

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Live within limits

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Live within limits

When Google first introduced Gmail with 1GB of storage, many people including myself was wondering why would you need that much space for your mailbox.

Over the years, the storage limit has now increased to 15GB and most of us have been trained to never delete our emails but archive them instead. By lifting the limit of our mailbox, Google has changed our behaviour.

Services like Netflix have also redefined how we consume TV series by releasing all episodes simultaneously, allowing us to binge-watch them whenever and wherever we want.

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Empty cup, open mind

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Empty cup, open mind

After the death of Chairman Mao, Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping led his country towards market economy reforms. He understood that it will take significantly longer if they were to figure out the ropes themselves. So he reached out to the World Bank for help to educate his countrymen on how the Western world have been managing their economies.

This helped kickstart the amazing growth China have been experiencing for the past few decades. He famously described the transformation as crossing a river while feeling the stones. He not only understood that they needed help, he also realised those frameworks and insights from others will need to be tweaked and modified to work for their unique situation.

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What happens when KK goes Lean?

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What happens when KK goes Lean?

Last weekend, instead of watching a movie or lazing at home, about 50 people decided to spend their time stalking strangers, working late and building prototypes. They participated in our very first Lean Startup Machine (LSM) workshop here in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

For the uninitiated, LSM is quite different than your average workshop or hackathon. Besides learning and working on your idea, you are "forced" to Get out of the Building to interview, sell and pitch to your customers. It focuses on customer development and practices the mantra of Learn First, Code Last.

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The User Experience (UX) of an Elevator

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The User Experience (UX) of an Elevator

You may have heard of the term User Experience (UX) and wondered what does it mean? Lots of companies including startups are looking for UX Designers to help improve their products. Why does it seem like everyone is raving about user experience and why should you care?

Even if you are not building a product or directly is involved in the creation of one, as long as you are consuming and using any product or service, then you are part of the equation. User Experience or UX is about how you as the user feel and think about a product or services you are using.