SCALE UP - Conversation with Philip Zheng, ex-Senior Vice President @MEGVII, ex-Baidu and Microsoft

So, what are the key scaling lessons we've uncovered?

1. Everlasting Curiosity: All our guests in May's episodes emphasized how their continuous curiosity is their secret ingredient for success. Take Shu, for instance; her curiosity led her to leave a secure MNC job to join Alibaba, challenging herself with new perspectives and responsibilities. Michael and Xiaoguang made multiple career pivots because of their immense curiosity, which eventually led them to the CEO's seat. Richard and Trevor, despite unexpected life events, sought to make every transition with a learning agenda in mind.

2. Strategic Adaptation: Almost all the guests in June this year, described the importance of strategic adaptation. It's not just about pivoting blindly but leveraging transferable skills and using your innate strengths as a foundation for adaptation. For example, Chia's introversion and law degree set him apart in the investment world. Michael used his unique background as a top engineer from an underrepresented talent group to drive mentorship programs effectively.

3. Living with No Regrets: Our guests in the July episodes, have all taken bold moves and lived their lives with no regrets. Eric declined an MBA offer and pursued a recruiter opportunity, resulting in a stellar 13-year career, now Talent Acquisition Director @ Docusign. Lionel used layoffs as a chance to self-reflect and pursue his interests in mentorship and coaching. Will drew inspiration from his tragic life experiences, turning them into fuel for his entrepreneurial journey.

4. Always Be Ready to Fail: August is a season of failure, but it's not about the failure itself; it's about how you prepare for it and what you do afterward. Andy learned from his initial startup failures and refined his strategy for success, eventually founding Cloud Comrade. Vanessa advises us to embrace failure from the start and get back on our feet quickly. Cass turned her layoff into an opportunity by launching her marketing consultancy.

5. People Respond to Your Authentic Self: Reed Hastings said, “you’ve got no hope if you are not being authentic!” In this back-to-school, pumpkin spice latte September. Christine broke barriers as a first-generation Asian female leader by leading through authenticity and vulnerability. Adam's openness about his childhood traumas and ADHD fueled his entrepreneurial drive and moved many with his story. Daniel openly reflected on his past, sharing his regrets and life lessons from switching perspectives from HR to business.

6. Your Circumstances Don't Define You: Whitney Wolfe, the founder of Bumble, once said, "Having a broken relationship with yourself is more toxic than a pseudo, phoney relationship with 100 other people.” Our October edition is all about that intimate relationship with ourselves. Purnomo graduated into a tough year for engineering majors, but he didn't let circumstances hold him back. Instead, he delved into self-discovery, made 100 cold calls a day to refine his sales skills, and eventually evolved to become the country general manager of a multi-million dollar martech company, The Trade Desk. Sagar, despite a challenging family background, sought opportunities to break free and eventually founded a groundbreaking EOR company, earning a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.

So let’s give a quick recap of the lessons. The secret ingredients to scaling embracing curiosity, adapting strategically, living boldly, learning from failures, being authentic, and rising above circumstances. Thanks for watching or listening, I hope you have gained some inspiration out of this season.

As I am gearing up for the SCALE UP season two, we are also opening up for sponsorship, collaboration or partnerships. Feel free to check out the bi-weekly newsletter to read more about our Season one’s performance and DM me if you are interested in collaborating.