Business Thoughts Noted

I met some extraordinary people this weekend and exchanged thoughts, the world is surely spinning fast. Here are some random thoughts and takeaways from the talks about business and everything going on with it.

If you are not willing to work on your work on your Saturday morning, they you are probably doing the wrong thing or look at it the wrong way

A few companies are coming out on top because they are trying to solve market's unique problems, other companies are struggling to escape competition or bleeding out of it

Hiring to put out a fire is necessary and that what we often do, we hire to fix thing when it is already happened. Instead, a better hire is to focus on hiring for our next growth to conquer new frontiers, launch new initiatives because guess what, if we don't, someone else are doing it and it will be too late to catch up

The limit of any startup is its founders' ambition, have enough ambition and have enough gut to push the limit is a good combination for success

Great employees make our lives easier, when we have great people what we need to bring to the table is only our judgment, not that we have to sit there to do the work (for them)

A-player is cheap or even free because they pay for themselves, their value contribution far outweigh the cost and they cure headache too - so much of it :). So if you think you can't afford one - clear your mind - what you should really thinking about is how to find and secure one.

Having right people is still the most important factor to ensure business sustainability and expansion. Capable talent is still a rare resource in SEA.

Greatest singers hire most expensive coach, PR people, consultant. Greatest companies do the same.

The very first step to implement any new policy is to get everyone to feel the pain

Most executives are tactical, some are strategic. It is rare to find someone who can think both tactically and strategically. Good sign to look for is someone who looks at every challenge as an opportunity to out-think the competitive approach and can actually produce actions coped with discipline and determination to execute at tactical level.

Reducing price is not marketing, it is efficiency and it is not a good thing to educate customers.

Education based marketing is important. Just every buyer can be taught to be a better buyer. Good point is you positioning yourself as an expert this way while others are only trying to sell and thus making themselves sellers which often termed with commodity - and commodity shall be easily replaced with others, is it not?