關於 what we look for in founders ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

#NFTsummer A few weeks ago, we interviewed Xixi Huang (AW#17) in Mandarin and as the AppWorks Fellow who helps us out on the blockchain side, Xixi has a lot of ideas that are worth sharing to a bigger audience. Here's his interview in English:

西西 (Xixi) 黃士晉 is an AppWorks #17 alumni and co-founder of Rydeit. His mission is to bring the applications of blockchain to everyday life because he believes that blockchain can make the world a more fair and better place. As an AppWorks Fellow, he is responsible for guiding founders to think about blockchain and providing insights on blockchain-related investment deals. Before AppWorks, he led his previous team to build more than 10 dapps, including famous games in Taiwan such as 柚子打魚 and Shrimp.Finance. Within a month of launching these games, they had amassed over NT$ 100M (~US$ 3.5M) in transactions. His favorite pastime is traveling with his grandma, and his ultimate goal is to persuade her to buy Bitcoin!

Check out what Xixi has to say about blockchain and NFTs.

#NFTevolution

I started to learn how to write smart contracts in 2016, and learned the entire logic of ERC-20 for tokens and ERC-721 for NFTs. While I was learning about NFTs, I realized that the combination of NFTs with video games was very fitting. In video games, the treasure and equipment you collect becomes virtual assets as NFTs. And the process of using smart contracts to exchange items was very efficient on the blockchain.

At the end of 2018, I designed and created a zombie video game, integrating the concept of playing and drawing cards and packs. Within a pack were 3 NFTs with zombies on them. As a player, the more cards with zombies you collect, the higher your score, and the more tokens you can ultimately earn. From this game, I got connected to other game manufacturers and publishers who were also interested in creating virtual game assets through NFTs. We all had the same idea -- NFTs can bring more meaning and value to the players.

However at the time, many people in the market still believed that tokens and games were riddled with fraud. Since the lifecycle of video games can be short, many traditional gaming companies in the end didn’t find it worthwhile to learn how to integrate NFTs or blockchain into their games.

While the nature of NFTs hasn’t changed, the market has evolved. People’s curiosities are growing, more applications are being developed, and more creators are cropping up. I think now is the right time to start talking to companies about how to integrate NFTs or blockchain into their businesses or games.

#NFTplayground

I think there are many opportunities to start a business these days, and people who want to start one should think about coming to blockchain. Not only is there a huge opportunity but the possibilities are endless. And within blockchain, NFTs currently offer the biggest opportunity. However, it can also pose a new challenge to the team’s endurance, because while easy to obtain traction and users with NFTs, the challenge lies in retaining them.

Similar to other blockchain applications in the past few years, when a new concept is invented, it’ll be flushed with many early users. However, because the surrounding infrastructure wasn’t in place, it was difficult for founders to make valuable extensions or applications. And many of these users don’t actually care about these blockchain products and they are only trying to leverage the ecosystem to make a quick buck. Once they earn all that they can, they will move on to another project.

Right now working on NFTs, you can collect a lot of data in a short amount of time and also make some income to keep you afloat. Founders should seize this opportunity to understand these users, then modify and optimize both their products and mentality to retain them.

Since there’s no geographical restriction on blockchain, I would encourage founders to look beyond your country and region in expanding your NFT products. Also, since blockchain is closely related to finance, if you don’t have a good pricing strategy (or token economics) for your NFT products, the prices might fluctuate greatly. You need to be prepared and remind your users of the risks, otherwise you’ll ultimately get scolded!!

#NFTera

This year, I finally consider myself an official NFT collector. I pay special attention to NFTs with contemporary significance, such as Hashmasks. It signals to the public that NFTs are not just for collecting but that game mechanics can also be applied to interact with users. If we look back ten years from now I’m confident to say that the project that really brought the NFT wave in 2021 would be Hashmasks.

In addition to veteran projects like Hashmasks, other collections I care a lot about are related to Metaverse, such as The Sandbox. I believe that the world will become more and more decentralized and virtual. It is very likely that the next generation will be immersed in a virtual world like Ready Player One, so I am also very optimistic about NFTs in digital worlds like The Sandbox.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to NFTs. Right now, few NFTs are connected with our daily lives. For example, I bought a Hashmask. If I want to show it in my apartment, I might still need to print it out. In the future, how will we connect NFTs to the physical world? I believe they can be applied in many ways, including frames, wallets, cars, house deeds, leases, etc. These products in daily life can be combined with NFTs. We just haven’t opened our imagination yet. It’s hard to imagine that only 20 years ago we were having a hard time believing in the power of the internet.

The development of science and technology not only relies on infrastructure, but also the user's learning curve. The world needs to talk about blockchain more, so that everyone will gradually become familiar with it and it’ll continue to evolve.

If you're a founder working in blockchain or NFTs, welcome to apply to AppWorks >> https://bit.ly/3w0WyIl

If you’re thinking of applying to AppWorks Accelerator, you might be wondering a few things like:

- How are we running the program during COVID?
- How can we help NFT founders?
- What do we look for in applications?
- Why wouldn’t we admit founders working outside of AI, Blockchain, NFTs, or SEA?
- What’s the difference between the application’s first mover round and final round?

If you’re curious about these answers and many more, check out our updated FAQ to find out how to apply for our next batch AW#23! Once you’ve done your due diligence, feel free to apply here >> https://bit.ly/34PGG05

https://appworks.tw/accelerator-faq/

Interview with A Founder: Conor McLaughlin (Co-founder of 99.co)

By David Wu (AppWorks Associate)

Conor McLaughlin was previously the Co-founder and CTO of 99.co, the real estate marketplace in Singapore and Indonesia. He spent six and a half years at the startup, whose backers include Sequoia Capital, 500 Startups, and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, helping to grow it into a $100 million company. As a member of AppWorks Accelerator #21, he is currently working on his next big project, a yet-to-be-named language learning startup.

【What advice do you have for first-time founders?】

First, you need to decide: do I want to run a sprint or a marathon? For a sprint, you may be open to acquisition from the beginning, delay non-startup aspects of your life, give yourself two years where you drop everything to test an idea, choose to raise more money earlier on and thus be more diluted, or do anything else that implies a shorter time horizon. Typically 1-5 years - this can lead to a major boon in a short period of time if executed well. If you decide you are in the sprinting business, you will most likely be pushed toward binary outcomes because of how many investors and employees you have on your cap table. As a first-time founder, you need to be clear with yourself on what you are willing to put on the line. As Reid Hoffman says, it’s like jumping off a cliff and building a plane on the way down… hopefully you build a plane in time.

If you are running a marathon, you are deciding that your competitive advantage is consistency over intensity. You are in this for 10, 15 years. With this time horizon, you will realize you need ways to metabolize stress and maintain emotional, spiritual, and mental health. You need to maintain relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners. When you are looking at this 10 year period, you realize the people around you can only put up with so much. Unfortunately, while work is something people can generally bounce back from, there are many things in life where you cannot - an example is your relationship with your partner. If you’re going to run a marathon, you need to be clear with yourself about what time you have for other aspects of your life and what time you have for your company. Eventually you need to learn what the right speed is where you can run as long as possible. It’s amazing how often it is that those people that keep going, assuming you have chosen the right problem to solve, eventually find daylight. Part of that is just lasting long enough.

Second, you need to revisit and continually ask yourself: should I still be running a sprint or a marathon? Circumstances change. Maybe you sprinted for the first two years to secure interesting results and funding; now it's time to transition to a marathon and clean up the life debt a bit. Or inversely, maybe you're finally leaving the trough of sorrow and it's time to sprint for a bit. Most founders will be in a long distance race with periodic sprinting. From my observation, founders most often stop because of two reasons: They either A) run out of money or B) run out of energy. There’s plenty of advice out there for scenario A (hint: don’t). But in my experience, scenario B is far more pernicious and dangerous to would-be successful founders. If you are in a marathon but fail to pace yourself and run it like one long sprint, you are unlikely to make it to the end.

Much founder advice speaks to this: Don’t let your startup make you fat. Exercise 5-10% of the time. Pick up a hobby outside of your startup. Go home for holidays. All of it leads back to one thing: You need to take care of yourself. Because injury will be far worse for your progress than being a little slower. “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”, as the US Navy Seals say. This is surprisingly difficult advice for intrinsically motivated founders to follow, because in the event of failure, it makes them vulnerable to the thought, “Well, you didn’t work hard enough.” But for those that already have the hustle, your job is to avoid the moment of epiphany where you look in the mirror and think, “This isn’t worth it.”

All founders will have to sacrifice some things. The point is to not sacrifice everything. It will make you more resilient. Not less. It will give you the space to see situations more objectively and make better decisions. And most importantly, it will let you love what you do because it will remind you that the work isn’t just in service of yourself, it’s in the service of others. I do not think you can judge hard work over a day, or even a year, but I do think you can judge hard work over 5-10 years. Hard work is not just about the next 1-2 months. There will be times when you need to run as fast as possible, but if that is happening all the time you are probably not being smart about the situation. So don’t hurt yourself, be consistent, keep disciplined, and keep going.

Lastly, focus on your metaskills. Public speaking, reading, writing - skills applied in every aspect of your life. Generally what they reflect is learning how to think better. As a founder you need to think about - how can I think more clearly, be more creative, rigorous, analytical? As Warren Buffett and others have said: I have never seen a successful person that did not read as often as they could. Actual books and long form scare a lot of people. That’s your competitive advantage. Read blog posts from smart people, follow smart people on Twitter, listen to podcasts. Always be focused on how you can develop yourself to think better. Fostering the habit of improving your thinking will foster discipline in yourself. And discipline will let you turn that rigorous thinking into action.

【I imagine running the “race” has been especially tough this year. How have you gotten through 2020?】

I have leaned on routine and community. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to foster discipline in myself. I make my bed every morning, meditate every morning, make sure that I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. There’s so much uncertainty in both the world and the entrepreneurial space. Keeping certain things consistent gives me a spine to my life that I can fall back on. If I’m not feeling well, my discipline takes over and I’ll go to the gym. That helps me relieve stress - falling back to routine and having some mainstays of consistency and structure.

And community - it’s been the big mental health zeitgeist of this year. Everyone is recognizing that without the people around us, our mental health diminishes. Joining AppWorks was very intentional so I could surround myself with like-minded people who could question me, hold me accountable, and inspire me. And also just forming personal connections where I felt that I was still taking care of my mental health by connecting with others. Being a founder is an incredibly lonely journey. In the early days, there’s not a lot of people around. Later, when you do hire lots of people, you need to be the boss, the leader - for certain things, you can’t tell the employees everything, and even if you do, there will always be a bit of distance. You need people to relate to - people want to be seen for who they are, and appreciated for what they give. When you are a founder, sometimes it’s hard to feel that you are seen. So I intentionally put myself in situations where I can be inspired, be held accountable, and more importantly connect with others, and feel that I’m not alone. And that me and my co-founders are part of a communal journey with those around us.

【When you talk about how to run the race, I get the sense that you’re drawing from previous experiences and, perhaps, mistakes. What are the mistakes you’ve made in your founder journey and the takeaways?】

I think you could take a calendar, point to a random week, and we could list out all the mistakes from that week (laughs). I do subscribe to Steve Jobs’ philosophy: mistakes will happen, but mistakes happening means we are making decisions. Not making decisions is perhaps the biggest mistake. It’s often the reason for frustration, loss of speed, loss of momentum - so many of the issues you encounter in startups. Not making enough mistakes is probably the #1 mistake that I’ve made.

Second, going back to my advice to first-time founders, is not understanding what game I’m playing. Not understanding that all the money in the world is not going to be worth it if your spouse or partner decides to leave you because you have relegated them to a second-class citizen in your life. I think I forgot that at points. There is more to life than just the company.

Third, be careful about who you choose to work with. At minimum, if you’re doing a standard 8-9 hours at the office five times a week, that’s a lot of time with those people. You want to like the people that you work with - you want to know they’re high integrity, you want to respect their values, and you want to have common values. Choosing the right people that give you energy rather than take it away just makes running the marathon so much easier.

【We welcome all AI, Blockchain, or Southeast Asia founders to join AppWorks Accelerator: https://bit.ly/3r4lLR8 】

Getting our Tarot Cards Read is all the buzz right now, yes?

The Thirsty Sisters are back with another episode this week, this time with Geraldine—a Tarot Card Reader and we forced Sylvia to have her Tarot Cards read. How does life after the divorce look for her, and has she moved on from it? What about her ex-husband? What do the cards say about it all? Tune in to find out ?

Geraldine has also kindly offered a very HUAT rate of $88 (U.P. $99) exclusively for our TTS community ? This offer is valid till 30 June 2021 or till she's fully booked so fastest fingers first!
Check out Geraldine on Instagram @friendlyneighbourhoodwitchsg

Timestamps
00:00 intro
01:14 Topic of the Day
02:54 Why Nina isn't getting a reading
03:52 Get to know a tarot card reader
07:26 How to prepare before a tarot reading
08:12 Theme of today's reading: Sylvia's divorce
09:18 Sylvia picks her cards
11:28 Was Sylvia's divorce hard to decide?
14:18 Is Sylvia on the right path?
16:00 A difficult decision is on the way?
18:15 Wedding bells for Sylvia?!
21:20 Will Sylvia fully step out from her divorce?
22:12 How good is Sylvia's reading?
24:30 Can Nina ask questions on Sylvia's behalf?
25:41 How does Ryan feel about Sylvia?
28:05 Is Ryan happy with Sylvia?
29:46 Is Mandy happy with Sylvia's body size?
31:38 Questions from the TTS community ?
32:01 Will COVID-19 end this year?!
33:34 Will TTS make any impact?
34:56 Is Nina and Sylvia Chio Bu SG?!
37:10 How does tarot card reading empower us
38:46 Thoughts on the whole experience
42:05 Does Nina want a reading too?
43:07 Surprise for our TTS community
44:15 Shoutout to small female-owned businesses ?
45:22 Conclusion

Sylvia and Nina are not your typical influencers; they give it to you raw and real! Join them as they quench their never-ending thirst for wisdom, trends, success and men.

They explore hot and pressing issues you never thought you needed to know in this extremely in-depth podcast. Sisters, brothers and everyone in between or beyond; jump in and be thirsty!

*Disclaimers*
The legal age for sex in Singapore is 18. While being comfortable with your bodies is a must, please protect yourselves by using protection ?
https://singaporelegaladvice.com/law-articles/legal-age-for-sex-in-singapore/

Our views in this podcast include only our own experiences as heterosexual women in Singapore, we respect everyone’s views regardless of genders, gender identities and sexual orientations.

Follow The Thirsty Sisters on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Instagram!
https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-thirsty-sisters/id1509379792
https://www.instagram.com/thethirstysisterstts
https://open.spotify.com/show/5yx8txjfb7dMkosumEv6lQ?si=5Ew1dv6wRlCayZ0TQfo-Ug

Featuring:
Sylvia - https://www.instagram.com/sylsylnoc
Nina - https://www.instagram.com/ninatsf

Brand collaborations/features:
sales@noc.com.sg

The Thirsty Sisters TEAM
Co-Founders: Sylvia Chan | Nina Tan
Executive Producer: Sylvia Chan
Crew/Editors: Jade Liew | Winston Tay
Motion Graphics Designers: Bryan Seah | Kher Chyn
Sound Engineers: Nah Yu En | Mabel Leong
Digital Strategist: Winston Tay

So we heard Nina is back in the dating game? How does Mandy look at Sylvia?
This week, The Thirsty Sisters aka self-proclaimed (but pretty legit) love gurus are here to solve your relationship problems and woolly thing called feelings. Tune in to find out!

P.S. Shoutout to @Gee Lian Ng for inspiring us to make this episode! ?

Get the Shure MV7 at:
SeeHearLive - https://seehear.live/catalogsearch/result/?q=mv7
SHURE LazMall - https://www.lazada.sg/shop/shure/

Quote TTS10OFF to get $10 off STOREWIDE. Promo code is valid until 31 Dec 2020.

01:26 Q&A segment: Would You Confess or Stay Friends Forever!
05:50 Topic of the day
06:50 He reaches out and initiates plans
09:35 He always seem happy around you and is persistent
11:01 His body language and you feel comfortable around him
12:18 He listens to what you say and makes future plans
14:33 He integrates you into his life and tells you how much he likes you
18:11 He opens up to you and cares about your “needs”
21:48 Interpret with your sixth sense
23:31 Georgina (Nina’s friend) list: How to tell if a guy is into a girl

General resources:
13 Signs He’s Into You - https://www.anewmode.com/dating-relationships/signs-hes-into-you/3/
+ 1 by Georgina ??

*Disclaimers*
The legal age for sex in Singapore is 18. While being comfortable with your bodies is a must, please protect yourselves by using protection ?
https://singaporelegaladvice.com/law-articles/legal-age-for-sex-in-singapore/

Our views in this podcast include only our own experiences as heterosexual women in Singapore, we respect everyone’s views regardless of genders, gender identities and sexual orientations.

Follow The Thirsty Sisters on Spotify and Instagram!
https://www.instagram.com/thethirstysisterstts
https://open.spotify.com/show/5yx8txjfb7dMkosumEv6lQ?si=5Ew1dv6wRlCayZ0TQfo-Ug

Featuring:
Sylvia - https://www.instagram.com/sylsylnoc
Nina - https://www.instagram.com/ninatsf

Brand collaborations/features:
thirstysisters@noc.com.sg.

The Thirsty Sisters TEAM
Co-Founders: Sylvia Chan | Nina Tan
Head of Production: Virus Tan
Crew/Editors: Jeraidine Kwong | Isaac Lim | Wan Qi
Motion Graphics Designers: Kher Chyn | Vanessa Riadi
Sound Engineers: Nah Yu En | Mabel Leong
Digital Strategist: Freda Peh

Dan Lok Media Recently Moved Into A New Studio. At The Same Time, We Renovated The Dan Lok Headquarters. Watch The Video For A Peek Into The Studio And Headquarters.

Have you ever wondered about the kind of environment Dan Lok’s team works in? Now you can take a look. Watch this video for some exclusive impressions.

? SUBSCRIBE TO DAN'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW ?
https://www.youtube.com/danlok?sub_confirmation=1

Check out these Top Trending Playlists -
1.) Boss In The Bentley - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEmTTOfet46OWsrbWGPnPW8mvDtjge_6-

2.) Sales Tips That Get People To Buy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Csz_hvXzw&list=PLEmTTOfet46PvAsPpWByNgUWZ5dLJd_I4

3.) Dan Lok’s Best Secrets - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZNmFJUuTRs&list=PLEmTTOfet46N3NIYsBQ9wku8UBNhtT9QQ

Dan Lok has been viewed more than 1.7+ billion times across social media for his expertise on how to achieve financial confidence. And is the author of over a dozen international bestselling books.

Dan has also been featured on FOX Business News, MSNBC, CBC, FORBES, Inc, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider.

In addition to his social media presence, Dan Lok is the founder of the Dan Lok Organization, which includes more than two dozen companies - and is a venture capitalist currently evaluating acquisitions in markets such as education, new media, and software.

Some of his companies include Closers.com, Copywriters.com, High Ticket Closers, High Income Copywriters and a dozen of other brands.

And as chairman of DRAGON 100, the world’s most exclusive advisory board, Dan Lok also seeks to provide capital to minority founders and budding entrepreneurs.

Dan Lok trains as hard in the Dojo as he negotiates in the boardroom. And thus has earned himself the name; The Asian Dragon.

If you want the no b.s. way to master your financial destiny, then learn from Dan. Subscribe to his channel now.

★☆★ CONNECT WITH DAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA ★☆★
YouTube: http://youtube.danlok.link
Dan Lok Blog: http://blog.danlok.link
Dan Lok Shop: https://shop.danlok.link
Facebook: http://facebook.danlok.link
Instagram: http://instagram.danlok.link
Linkedin: http://mylinkedin.danlok.link
Podcast: http://thedanlokshow.danlok.link

#DanLok #DanLokMedia #Headquarters

Please understand that by watching Dan’s videos or enrolling in his programs does not mean you’ll get results close to what he’s been able to do (or do anything for that matter).

He’s been in business for over 20 years and his results are not typical.

Most people who watch his videos or enroll in his programs get the “how to” but never take action with the information. Dan is only sharing what has worked for him and his students.

Your results are dependent on many factors… including but not limited to your ability to work hard, commit yourself, and do whatever it takes.

Entering any business is going to involve a level of risk as well as massive commitment and action. If you're not willing to accept that, please DO NOT WATCH DAN’S VIDEOS OR SIGN UP FOR ONE OF HIS PROGRAMS.

This video is about the New Dan Lok Studio and Dan Lok Headquarters.

https://youtu.be/guz7yT6QBeM
https://youtu.be/guz7yT6QBeM