The Original Game of Perfection is a board game in which you have 60 seconds to fit all 25 shapes into their proper place. If the player does not complete the puzzle within the time allotted, the board pops up in the player's face and all the pieces scatter. I played Perfection for the first time last…
(This is the second of a two-part post regarding the tremendous lessons we can apply from closely looking at how the preeminent Startup Nation developed. Part 1 can be found here.) 4. We Need To Have More Filipino Argonauts In Greek mythology, the Argonauts were sailors and adventurers who travelled with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece.…
This past Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, I sat down with Peter to experience Startup Saturdays first-hand. Initially, my initial vision for the interview was to ask as many thought-provoking questions as I could to get the insider's scoop on the person behind Juan Great Leap. I sought to reveal a different side of Peter that showcased him…
So who's the real Startup Nation? Nope, it's not who you think. The country we are talking about received more venture capital per capita than any nation in the world - 2x as much as the United States. They have more companies listed in the NASDAQ than Korea, Japan, Singapore, China, India and all of Europe combined.…
I arrived at Rockwell. Got dropped off at Estrella Street. Was going to walk to the Power Plant, but this elderly gentleman asked me if I wanted a ride on his bicycle car. I was happy to hop into the contraption, as it saved me from the walk. It was an interesting experience to ride in the…
It usually comes down to one thing, doesn't it? It could be finally registering your firm. Or perhaps making that site you've been working on live. It could be doing that big talk with a parent to say your heart isn't in the family business and hasn't been for awhile. It could be deciding to resign from…
I started out my day with 50 pesos in my pocket. By 5pm, I had 1 peso. I had food waiting for me at home. True, I didn’t have any more expenses for the day, but I still needed to hop on the MRT to get home. Good thing, I had a stored value card to get…
How many times have you been called crazy? How many times has someone told you that you couldn’t do something? How many times have you had a good idea and let it disappear into nothing? How many times have you despaired? How many times? I’ve been called crazy for thinking I can change the Philippines, so many…
I have interacted and talked to a multitude of startup entrepreneurs over the course of these last few years. You can bet I have tried to figure them out. What is the common thread? What makes an entrepreneur? There are a number of things which stand out: tenacity, hard work, execution, with good doses of people skills…
In a landmark study done in 1972 by Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel, hundreds of children were offered a marshmallow. However, each child was told that if they could resist eating the marshmallow for 15 minutes, they would receive a second marshmallow. Decades after, it was found that the children who delayed gratification (around a third of the…