A good education can change a child’s life. People and education have inspired this young entrepreneur into a start-up.
What’s your story?
I am a Taiwanese student studying in HKUST Business School. I met Tim (my partner) in my junior year, and I was amazed by what he is doing, and his dream towards education, therefore, I joined Appedu. I am currently the Co-founder/Chief Growth Officer of Appedu and have participated in several marketing activities, investors meetings, business developments etc.. Most recently, I am in charge of the overseas expansion of Appedu.
I am also devoted to inspiring young entrepreneurship in Hong Kong. As one of the regional executives of Kairos Society Hong Kong. I discover other young talents that either have a startup, or want to startup their own company, and link them up with experienced entrepreneurs as mentors.
What excites you most about your industry?
Education is a very people oriented industry, and what I like most is to interact with different people. Moreover, a good education can change a child’s life, and I feel very excited about using my own ability to support young kids with their studies.
What’s your connection to Asia?
I was born and raised in Taiwan, and am currently pursuing my university studies in Hong Kong.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Hong Kong is definitely my favorite city to do business in Asia. It is a city that is always full of energy, always moving in a fast pace, and most importantly, you can meet all kinds of people here in Hong Kong.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Recruit someone who is nice to have a chat over a beer. I once talked to an experienced entrepreneur in Taipei, and while we were discussing human resource recruitment, he told me that his top criteria for choosing an employee is to see if the guy is a nice to chat with over a beer. And I found it very useful when I recruit the Snapask team in Taiwan.
Who inspires you?
A senior of mine, who was a medical student, but now works on an education platform in Taiwan. I admire his dedication to education, his strong execution ability, and his determination to give up his doctor career and to devote himself to education. I found this very inspiring as I am also taking a different path while my classmates are pursuing their careers in the banking industry.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
Some issues happened recently which made me understand the importance and the difficulty of people management. I used to simplify team management, however, now I realize the influence and the pain that it brings, not only to me but to the entire team atmosphere.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I would have run everything faster. We’ve wasted too much time on product building. We should have pushed our product to the market earlier, and updated our product according to customer’s’ needs. That way maybe we will gain more advantage.
How do you unwind?
I like to go to local bars and have some nice conversations with friends.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Taipei is my favorite city for relaxation. I enjoy my time with family and friends; I like to ride on a bike and meander along the alleys; I love to taste all the delicious dishes in Taipei.
Everyone in business should read this book:
“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries. It provides a way for entrepreneurs to deal with uncertainty, and this book is how we managed to roll out our product in the early stages.
Shameless plug for your business:
We are the best online tutoring service to high school students. Snapask links up students to top-tier tutors in one snap, and you can enjoy a 1-1 tutoring support.
How can people connect with you?
Drop me an email at [email protected]
Twitter handle?
@bradleychiang, but I use facebook more often, please follow me on facebook instead
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
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