Money
Money is indeed interesting. It has become an object of want in our culture today, yet when we have large amounts of it, we have no idea what to do with it. A commoner sees another winning millions in lotteries then losing them the next day and wonders, is it because of our society? Have we been blinded by the stock phrase “Money is the solution to everything”? Are we slaves to the process of achieving wealth?
Usually, money seems to be the solution. It solves all sorts of problems, from your meals to housing to family, and so on. Furthermore, complemented by what we see, the rich seem to be leading better lives. Some of them have it all planned out: they buy a huge apartment, own a humongous car, marry the richer and provide their kids with an affluent lifestyle.
Yet through all this, we often miss the main purpose of money. What we need to recognize (and has been repeated enough if you read/learn/know enough) is that money is not the final prize that is offered in this game called Life. Chasing money in life is like playing an arcade machine that eats up your coins but never gives you the toy inside it that you want.
What is money really for, then? After two decades of existence on this planet, money to me, is an instrument. You set goals using money as a mechanism to achieve them. These goals, for instance (and also in my case), could be going to college. Investment in education takes up quite a chunk of money, so you earn money, and you use it for college. You don’t amass money and then figure out what to do with it. You use money to support and eventually achieve your goal. Often people trip over this important step and do the reverse.
Now let’s say, if you were one of the luckier ones, and money happens to be a byproduct - you produce it as a side effect, or you have a surplus. What do you do? It’s also important to plan before you reach this stage: how would you use your money to make an impact in someone’s life? In what ways would you help the world? For me, I would (1) support the needy. Those workers that built my house - why aren’t they as human beings entitled to the same luxuries that I have? (2) contribute to the development of new products - I enjoy seeing people being helped by new technology, as such I want to play a part in that movement.
Hopefully this piece clears up some misconceptions and disillusions about money that some might have. Mark Zuckerberg, who is valued in the billions after his recent Facebook IPO, has already pledged to give half of his wealth to charity. By thinking of money as an instrument, life becomes more meaningful.
If you’ve followed me from the start, you should follow me on Twitter here.
The Rich Dad
One dad believed in a company or the government taking care of you and your needs. He was always concerned about pay raises, retirement plans, medical benefits, sick leave, vacation days and other perks. He was impressed with two of his uncles who joined the military and earned a retirement and entitlement package for life after twenty years of active service. He loved the idea of medical benefits and PX privileges the military provided its retirees. He also loved the tenure system available through the university. The idea of job protection for life and job benefits seemed more important, at times, than the job. He would often say, “I’ve worked hard for the government, and I’m entitled to these benefits.”
The other believed in total financial self-reliance. He spoke out against the “entitlement” mentality and how it was creating weak and financially needy people.He was emphatic about being financially competent.
One dad struggled to save a few dollars. The other simply created investments.
What I Learned From Launching on HN
So I launched Dive Into iOS on Hacker News over the weekend.
Here are some lessons I learned that I’d like to share:
1) Comments that are targeted at you can be hurtful at first, but don’t take them personally
I was initially bothered by comments like ‘accent not native’, ‘trainer sounds too young’, ‘why teach when he can make money from building apps’.
However, it is important to not take them personally. View it from a larger perspective. Why are they criticizing you? There must be a reason why. Try to understand them and see what you are able to do.
For the record, English is my first language and I’ve been speaking it since I was born. I’m from Singapore, so the accent is slightly different (how many of you even know where Singapore is? ;). We don’t practice the American accent much here, but I try to make my voice as clear as possible. I’m also 19, and I’m trying to save up for college.
2) Filter out the unhelpful replies
The community on Hacker News does a good job of helping you with this by downvoting, but if you’re constantly glued to your thread, and the community does not have enough time to react fast enough, you will probably see the vicious comments most of the time. It is important to overlook these comments, such as the ‘Titanic creaking’ or ‘What a surprise. Only a commercial company would advertise…’. That’s really not helpful.
3) Post on a weekend
I initially posted my ‘Show HN’ topic on a weekday, I think Friday afternoon, and nobody picked it up. I made some modifications to the prices and added samples, and re-posted again on a Saturday afternoon. Traffic exploded after it was initially picked up. I think I hit about 10,000 unique visitors in a day.
4) Try to reply instantly
If you’re showing a demo, or selling a product, people will have questions and will want an immediate, if not quick response. The nature of Hacker News is such that they expect a reply rather immediately, especially when it pertains to your product. Providing support and ‘being there for your customers’ certainly counts here.
Remember not to launch your product and go to bed the next minute. I almost did this.
5) Use the suggestions to improve your product
The top request was to break down and subdivide my videos such that users would be able to buy individual items. Thanks for your feedback, and we’re glad to announce it’s now possible to do so!
Other requests were: reducing overall price ($149 to $129) and simplifying the product (it’s now separated by courses instead of packages).
Interested in kickstarting your iOS development? Dive Into iOS can help you with that!
(Remember to use hackernews for a 10% discount!)
I don’t know why
I don’t know why I used to complain so much.
I should be thankful, thankful for what God has blessed me in this life.
I shall never look back.
Dive Into iOS
Want to learn how to make iPhone and iPad apps in an hour?
Launching Dive Into iOS http://diveintoios.com/, short and succinct video tutorials to kickstart your iOS development.
Support Definition
We’ve been nominated as one of Asia’s Top 50 apps!
If you like our app and have a second to spare, why not head down here:
http://asiatop50apps.com/definition/
Have you gotten your free Definition card yet?
We lack innovation
There is not a trace of innovation in many workplaces in Singapore, from the civil service to the private sector.
I’ve talked to many people about why they are working in their current job.
Some people work because of the high salary the job offers.
Some people work because they want to be on par with their peers who are earning money.
Some people work because their parents told them to find a job.
Many of the above people have no idea that their concept of work is totally wrong. Which leads to articles like these: 80% of People Quietly Despise Their Lives.
Work is meant to be enjoyed. You should be waking up and heading to work with a grin on your face, knowing what you do for the rest of the day actually excites you.
You should not be heading to work unhappy, knowing that it is just going to be another boring day. If you cannot find satisfaction in your job, why on earth are you still stuck in the same job?
At this point, I strongly recommend you to read one of these books if you find yourself in one of the above scenarios: The 4-Hour Work Week, Rework, or Hacking Work. Each of these books have helped me to truly understand the meaning of work, and I have been successful in achieving what I truly want.
If you’re in Singapore and up for a cuppa, email me and we’ll catch up.
Solve the world
A lot of times, people bum around till they realize they haven’t done anything productive.
Then they ask me what they should be doing.
Well, it’s really darn simple.
Let me put it in three steps:
1) Look around you.
Wherever you are, on a train, in school, at your desk, just take a minute to observe things around you. Observe the environment, observe the people, observe the interactions. Take a minute to do just that.
2) Find the problems.
In every scenario, there are problems waiting to be solved. These may not be as inherent as they are, so you might want to repeat Step 1 if you didn’t find any problem. E.g. People are always squeezing onto trains during peak hours, how can we solve this?
3) Solve them.
It is as simple as it sounds. Use your skills, your talent, or your determination. Find a loophole, a solution, a key to the answer. If the problem is too big, you might want to take baby steps to solve them. Do not be afraid of large problems. Instead redefine them and slowly work your way through them.
Example: A year ago, I had some free time on hand. I picked up my iPhone and realized there was a major lack of usable dictionary applications. So I made my own dictionary, Definition, a really beautiful and fast dictionary, and it was extremely well-received by customers!
There are many problems out there waiting to be solved.
I’m not saying we should live in an idealistic world, but if our realistic world offers us so many problems to solve, why are still complaining of lack of things to do?
What I talked about during Y6 Mentoring
Thought I should post this here as well, in case someone finds this useful. Just a recap of what I talked about, if you’ve forgotten/weren’t listening:
Gap Year
- The ‘year’ which you take time off to pursue what you want to do, after high school till NS/university
Rethinking the Gap Year
- Does it really have to be the day you graduate? Or the day your exams end? Can you push it forward?
- The truth is, your gap year starts NOW
- Let’s call this the Gap Period instead, from the time after your APs till university
- Good thing about NUS High -> We do APs = Finish much earlier than JCs a.k.a. more time to pursue own stuff
What can you do during your Gap Period?
- Stoning/slacking/relaxing/taking time off
- Checking out that cool coffee place across the street (or mall, anything, whatever)
- Learning a new skill (driving, rollerblading, fishing)
- Applying to colleges (important!)
- Getting a job/gaining some experience
Truth is, you can do ALL of the above during your gap period! You just need to prioritize your time (overused, but true).
How can I land the right job/internship?
- Never underestimate/undervalue yourself
- If they ask for your age, be proud of it! Show why you want the job, how you can contribute with the unique skill that you have
- If you don’t have a related skill, what are you waiting for? Put in some effort and begin developing them (sidenote: maintaining an online portfolio or a CV is always good)
- Or you could learn on the job. That’s what internships are for anyway.
2. Find your passion
- I’ve talked about this many times, because it’s really important. Find what you like to do, something you enjoy.
- It takes time to find your passion, but it will eventually come. Experimenting with different interests certainly helps.
- Never set any boundaries for yourself (again, refer to point 1).
- Why is it important? Because when you land a job in the future, you want to be waking up everyday and knowing that you enjoy what you do. You enjoy work, and thus life becomes more meaningful.
3. Find what you’re good at
- Different from finding your passion (that’s interest)
- This is more minor, but it helps if you can combine it with your passion
- E.g. you’re good at fixing stuff. that’s great! You should be checking out hardware repair shops and helping them out, or build a computer repair business around it.
- This helps when you go to college, when you choose your specialization
4. Be Yourself
- Do not blindly follow what your parents want you to do (e.g. become a doctor/lawyer because they earn good money)
- If you need to disprove your parents, do it! (Remember my example?)
- There is no need to imitate others
- Deathbed regret: Pursued something that someone convinced you what you should want, instead of what works for you
5. Set some goals
- Short-term goals and long-term goals (I like to call them life goals) help you navigate through life
- Short-term: Earn some money for college / gain experience in a new job
- Long-term: Ask yourself, what do you want in life? Is it money, prestige, fame, leaving a legacy, freedom, or something else? Choose one and start working towards it. Everyone has different goals, so be sure you know what’s yours.
In short: make sure you know what you want in life, not what others want for you. Find your passion, develop it into a career, and enjoy life in general.
If you wanna meet more / learn more, I’m always free for a chat. Drop me an email at sidwyn @ gmail.com.
Hope this sharing helped!
P.S. I am currently running iPhone/iPad development courses at The Pragmatic Lab. There’s a huge discount for NUS High students. Check it out here!
