Foreword by Matt Van Leeuwen

by Matt Van Leeuwen

“Silicon Valley is a mindset, not a location” is a quote by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, that drives home the importance of how mindsets can help entrepreneurs succeed. This is often talked about in the startup community, especially the different behavioral traits that have given California the reputation for being the most innovative place on earth.

During one of my trips to Silicon Valley, I asked myself about what makes this place so special and why so many entrepreneurs want to start their base here. You can sense the vibe of entrepreneurship just by being in Stanford University alone. Students, as well as professors, are talking about starting businesses during their lunch breaks, and it is not uncommon to see Venture Capitalists roaming around the campus looking to pick up the next big thing. It is a special force of energy that inherently feels motivating and deeply inspirational. I strongly believe that mindsets play a pivotal role in driving this energy.

One of the main mindsets I noticed being prevalent in this epicenter of innovation, which I think makes this place special, is the tolerance of failure. I know a number of entrepreneurs in

San Francisco that had failed in two or three startups before they built a company that was ultimately successful. It is easy to say that you need to embrace failure to be successful, but if you have experienced failure yourself, you know how difficult it is to pick yourself up and start all over again. You need to have a mindset that thrives on challenges and sees failure as a stepping stone to achieve greater things. Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, coined this the “growth mindset”. It is also understood that you will have less fear of failing if you are surrounded by like-minded people who have experience in failing and are openly sharing it.

The trait of mindfulness is equally important for entrepreneurs. It is the conscious process of observing the things that are happening around us. Being mindful in our day to day activities, such as during our drive to work, our lunch in a restaurant or when we buy groceries, can help us identify problems or discover new ways of doing things. And these discoveries could potentially lead to solutions that address particular problems.

In this short book, Richard Ong describes some of his personal experiences and thoughts made during his entrepreneurial journey, which you can easily apply to your own situation. He is an active member of the startup community in Malaysia and a fervent teacher and mentor of entrepreneurship topics. He has

demonstrated his strong communication skills during some of the programmes for students and entrepreneurs in Sunway iLabs. I am sure this book will be helpful for the people who are starting their entrepreneurship journey and those that already have the experience in growing their own businesses.

Matt Van Leeuwen Entrepreneur and Director of Sunway iLabs

by Richard Ong

Thank you so much for taking the time to pick up this handbook. It contains my thoughts and artworks developed throughout my journey as an entrepreneur. Before you dive into it, there is one thing you should know first - this handbook is not a ‘how-to’ manual, nor is it a guide to becoming an entrepreneur. I would like to think of it as a platform for you to come up with your own conclusions and ideas. Try to link them back to your own experiences and challenges because I believe that your life is far more interesting than any book ever written. So here you have it, my thoughts at your disposal. I hope you find joy and inspiration in them. Wishing you good health and all the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely, Richard Ong richard.ong@roptcreate.com www.roptcreate.com