Wow. This year has been quite a journey for me. Though I’d prefer to see in retrospect.

Gotta write that on the Chalkboard…

It has been a truly awesome experience working with the Chalkboard team: Bernard, Saumil, Chaiwat, Serge, Jonathan & Kai Min. I am truly grateful for all that we have done together. It’s been awesome and I truly, really appreciate the times we experienced together.

It felt like years to me. All those experiences cramped into one short period of time kinda make me feel old & grumpy.

I wish all the best to the Chalkboard team in their aim to be the best location based ad network in the world. Hopefully, our paths will cross again in the future.

Till then, till the next episode…

Hello San Francisco!

Like what mom said: finally I made it there. I’ve been dreaming for years to visit San Francisco, to attend Google I/O. I’m thankful and was very lucky to be one of the few from Malaysia to attend Google I/O 2011 in May. Though the trip was last minute, from the visa application to the flight ticket, all that anxiousness finally became an awe the moment I stepped on SFO soil. Thanks Google, thank you God!

Reviving the digital arm

Now I’m working for NSTP e-Media, the digital arm for New Straits Times Press. As the Tech & Product Manager, with an awesome development team, we’ve grown the company (in terms of revenue & achievements) within the past 6 months I’ve been there. Bureaucracy aside, I took this role fully understanding the risks that I needed to go through (old school thinking, guarded mindset, etc).

But I understood the mission: to change the media landscape. Now that’s an opportunity that I cannot resist.

So to end the year, this will be my theme song for the years ahead.

Rock on!

Be cool in heaven, Mr. Jobs

“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Stay hungry, stay foolish.
Working my way out to work on what I truly believe in.
That’s the plan.

Gotcha!

Last 2 years, I had a prank. This year, a bunch (quite a big bunch) had a new prank. The prank is called “Birthday Bomb”. Continue reading →

To organize & cultivate new, upcoming talented developers to become the most important people in the Internet economy.

Particularly, Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Asia BOLEH!

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Man, it’s been 90 days. And with the new year rolling in, I personally just don’t feel like going back. With a lot of personal matters happening at home, I feel suck to have not work hard enough to be able to make it in my own country. Pardon me, there’s nothing wrong with the company I work for. But there’s something wrong with the Singapore environment in general. That’s my gut feeling.

Just being there for 90 days feels like 9 months for me. I’m almost burned out. I’m everywhere and no where as well. That’s how it feels right now. Even if there’s no salad in the meat, nothing is perfect. Hence, I just feel like wanting to be here in Malaysia more than anything. I am homesick, that’s for sure. But I’m also a big believer in Malaysia. We have like another 8 more years before 2020 can come true. But we have very little time left to show off. Do we need to show off?

I’m prepared for the worst to come due to my actions. I’m unprepared as well.

The only reason why I wanted to write this down is to let it out. I don’t want to go back. I know many would scream at me “are you crazy?”, “the nexus of asian tech world is there!” and more. But trust me when I say, no where is better than home. No matter how hard you struggle. The grass is greener. Suspiciously green.

In conclusion, all that I need to do is shut up & move on. Go through it as what it needs to be. Life is ain’t all that great. It’s just as good as the way you make of it.

I am thankful for the opportunities.

I am thankful for the trust.

I am thankful for the friendships.

I am thankful for the relationships.

I am thankful for you.

I am thankful for being alive.

Here’s to the new year. Hopefully.