#205 Met with the Head of Product Development, Hong Kong, of a top company in another industry (10/05/2026)

This week, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with the Hong Kong head of product development from a top company in another industry. I had met colleagues from this company last year and had a good impression of them because they were very kind to me, and I could tell they were serious about making good products. You shouldn't take this for granted because it's not always the case. Even many companies, surprisingly to me, might have a high market share and be very famous, but that doesn't mean they are serious about their products. Perhaps because I've never worked in a traditional job, I believe that making good products, surpassing oneself, and continuously improving are essential and part of one's duty. When products are only at a "normal" level, I find that unacceptable, yet it seems to be a common practice. Of course, I also understand that a large company has many things to deal with. However, I believe that if more companies in the world were product-centric, and spent less time on meetings and internal politics, the world might be a better place.

Speaking of the meeting, like many others who come to my company, these people from a top company in another industry were quite surprised by what they saw. They were even more surprised to see my workspace consisted of a folding table and folding chairs. I offered to tidy up a spot and set up some chairs for us to sit in a circle. One of their colleagues even found the environment a bit too "industrial" and said, "Uh, should we go downstairs and find a Starbucks to talk?" But because there are no Starbucks or proper coffee shops in our company's area where we could sit comfortably, that wasn't an option. However, sitting in a circle like that, on folding chairs, actually gave me a feeling of genuinely getting things done. And after several hours of discussion, it truly became more fruitful. I remember Lululemon's founder, Chip Wilson, mentioned in his book that doing real work and making products means getting hands-on and doing research on the front lines, not just sitting in a beautiful glass office and thinking. This is what I appreciate; that's REAL WORK.

Some friends' startups have beautiful visuals and offices, but sometimes that's not always the best thing for the business. If you think about the companies you've encountered, especially startups or SMEs, sometimes you need to be a little uncomfortable, dissatisfied with the current situation, to ignite that fire. Honestly, that's my situation. Sometimes I feel like a failure because my work environment isn't beautiful, and I haven't made much money. Compared to many people, I might be considered a bit of a failure at my age, but I believe in what I'm doing, I believe in this process. Of course, I'm afraid I might be misjudging, but I try to use what I've read and interviews with other predecessors. I trust the process, like building muscles. If you keep doing it, even if you don't see results at first, as long as what you're doing is right, you will eventually gain muscle. It's just that the process is painful and long, and not seeing results can make you doubt, but it's just a matter of time. There will definitely be results, and I hope what I'm doing is right. (I must also say here that it's possible, or one day I might truly fail, and everything above is just my wishful thinking and foolish ideas, a super idiot. Totally Possible) I personally believe there's no secret key/shortcut/secret to success in this world, although everyone thinks there must be. I think you need to do things with your heart, start with a kind heart, and then strive for a goal that is not for yourself but for others (this needs to be genuine, you can't pretend to "want to help people" but only care about yourself from beginning to end; some people even deceive themselves, but they should know deep down). After that, you don't need to be super smart, just not too stupid, and you should be able to execute things. Unless you aim to be super rich, that should be enough.

Anyone with a discerning eye reading all this might know that I'm trying to convince myself --- more or less. If I said I wasn't, I'd be lying to you. Who wants people to come and see you and think, "Why don't we go to Starbucks instead?" ...... However, I want to say that I know the person who said that meant no harm, and they were the one who gave me this opportunity, and I'm very grateful for it. Also, recently, some other companies came to see me, and they told me I absolutely must record my working days here because then I can tell people that this is how we started, with nothing, no beautiful visuals, very humble. I hope that day will come.