Interview with A Founder: Conor McLaughlin (Co-founder of 99.co)
By David Wu (AppWorks Associate)
Conor McLaughlin was previously the Co-founder and CTO of 99.co, the real estate marketplace in Singapore and Indonesia. He spent six and a half years at the startup, whose backers include Sequoia Capital, 500 Startups, and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, helping to grow it into a $100 million company. As a member of AppWorks Accelerator #21, he is currently working on his next big project, a yet-to-be-named language learning startup.
【What advice do you have for first-time founders?】
First, you need to decide: do I want to run a sprint or a marathon? For a sprint, you may be open to acquisition from the beginning, delay non-startup aspects of your life, give yourself two years where you drop everything to test an idea, choose to raise more money earlier on and thus be more diluted, or do anything else that implies a shorter time horizon. Typically 1-5 years - this can lead to a major boon in a short period of time if executed well. If you decide you are in the sprinting business, you will most likely be pushed toward binary outcomes because of how many investors and employees you have on your cap table. As a first-time founder, you need to be clear with yourself on what you are willing to put on the line. As Reid Hoffman says, it’s like jumping off a cliff and building a plane on the way down… hopefully you build a plane in time.
If you are running a marathon, you are deciding that your competitive advantage is consistency over intensity. You are in this for 10, 15 years. With this time horizon, you will realize you need ways to metabolize stress and maintain emotional, spiritual, and mental health. You need to maintain relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners. When you are looking at this 10 year period, you realize the people around you can only put up with so much. Unfortunately, while work is something people can generally bounce back from, there are many things in life where you cannot - an example is your relationship with your partner. If you’re going to run a marathon, you need to be clear with yourself about what time you have for other aspects of your life and what time you have for your company. Eventually you need to learn what the right speed is where you can run as long as possible. It’s amazing how often it is that those people that keep going, assuming you have chosen the right problem to solve, eventually find daylight. Part of that is just lasting long enough.
Second, you need to revisit and continually ask yourself: should I still be running a sprint or a marathon? Circumstances change. Maybe you sprinted for the first two years to secure interesting results and funding; now it's time to transition to a marathon and clean up the life debt a bit. Or inversely, maybe you're finally leaving the trough of sorrow and it's time to sprint for a bit. Most founders will be in a long distance race with periodic sprinting. From my observation, founders most often stop because of two reasons: They either A) run out of money or B) run out of energy. There’s plenty of advice out there for scenario A (hint: don’t). But in my experience, scenario B is far more pernicious and dangerous to would-be successful founders. If you are in a marathon but fail to pace yourself and run it like one long sprint, you are unlikely to make it to the end.
Much founder advice speaks to this: Don’t let your startup make you fat. Exercise 5-10% of the time. Pick up a hobby outside of your startup. Go home for holidays. All of it leads back to one thing: You need to take care of yourself. Because injury will be far worse for your progress than being a little slower. “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”, as the US Navy Seals say. This is surprisingly difficult advice for intrinsically motivated founders to follow, because in the event of failure, it makes them vulnerable to the thought, “Well, you didn’t work hard enough.” But for those that already have the hustle, your job is to avoid the moment of epiphany where you look in the mirror and think, “This isn’t worth it.”
All founders will have to sacrifice some things. The point is to not sacrifice everything. It will make you more resilient. Not less. It will give you the space to see situations more objectively and make better decisions. And most importantly, it will let you love what you do because it will remind you that the work isn’t just in service of yourself, it’s in the service of others. I do not think you can judge hard work over a day, or even a year, but I do think you can judge hard work over 5-10 years. Hard work is not just about the next 1-2 months. There will be times when you need to run as fast as possible, but if that is happening all the time you are probably not being smart about the situation. So don’t hurt yourself, be consistent, keep disciplined, and keep going.
Lastly, focus on your metaskills. Public speaking, reading, writing - skills applied in every aspect of your life. Generally what they reflect is learning how to think better. As a founder you need to think about - how can I think more clearly, be more creative, rigorous, analytical? As Warren Buffett and others have said: I have never seen a successful person that did not read as often as they could. Actual books and long form scare a lot of people. That’s your competitive advantage. Read blog posts from smart people, follow smart people on Twitter, listen to podcasts. Always be focused on how you can develop yourself to think better. Fostering the habit of improving your thinking will foster discipline in yourself. And discipline will let you turn that rigorous thinking into action.
【I imagine running the “race” has been especially tough this year. How have you gotten through 2020?】
I have leaned on routine and community. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to foster discipline in myself. I make my bed every morning, meditate every morning, make sure that I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. There’s so much uncertainty in both the world and the entrepreneurial space. Keeping certain things consistent gives me a spine to my life that I can fall back on. If I’m not feeling well, my discipline takes over and I’ll go to the gym. That helps me relieve stress - falling back to routine and having some mainstays of consistency and structure.
And community - it’s been the big mental health zeitgeist of this year. Everyone is recognizing that without the people around us, our mental health diminishes. Joining AppWorks was very intentional so I could surround myself with like-minded people who could question me, hold me accountable, and inspire me. And also just forming personal connections where I felt that I was still taking care of my mental health by connecting with others. Being a founder is an incredibly lonely journey. In the early days, there’s not a lot of people around. Later, when you do hire lots of people, you need to be the boss, the leader - for certain things, you can’t tell the employees everything, and even if you do, there will always be a bit of distance. You need people to relate to - people want to be seen for who they are, and appreciated for what they give. When you are a founder, sometimes it’s hard to feel that you are seen. So I intentionally put myself in situations where I can be inspired, be held accountable, and more importantly connect with others, and feel that I’m not alone. And that me and my co-founders are part of a communal journey with those around us.
【When you talk about how to run the race, I get the sense that you’re drawing from previous experiences and, perhaps, mistakes. What are the mistakes you’ve made in your founder journey and the takeaways?】
I think you could take a calendar, point to a random week, and we could list out all the mistakes from that week (laughs). I do subscribe to Steve Jobs’ philosophy: mistakes will happen, but mistakes happening means we are making decisions. Not making decisions is perhaps the biggest mistake. It’s often the reason for frustration, loss of speed, loss of momentum - so many of the issues you encounter in startups. Not making enough mistakes is probably the #1 mistake that I’ve made.
Second, going back to my advice to first-time founders, is not understanding what game I’m playing. Not understanding that all the money in the world is not going to be worth it if your spouse or partner decides to leave you because you have relegated them to a second-class citizen in your life. I think I forgot that at points. There is more to life than just the company.
Third, be careful about who you choose to work with. At minimum, if you’re doing a standard 8-9 hours at the office five times a week, that’s a lot of time with those people. You want to like the people that you work with - you want to know they’re high integrity, you want to respect their values, and you want to have common values. Choosing the right people that give you energy rather than take it away just makes running the marathon so much easier.
【We welcome all AI, Blockchain, or Southeast Asia founders to join AppWorks Accelerator: https://bit.ly/3r4lLR8 】
同時也有1部Youtube影片,追蹤數超過6萬的網紅SkyHashi,也在其Youtube影片中提到,結論:아마より아마도が確信の程度が少し高い感じだが、韓国人もあまり区別しなくて使ってる感じ。 僕の意見:知らなかったときは全くこの違いを感じられなかった。けどいろいろ調べてみた後、また他の韓国の人はどう使っているか確認してみた結果、少し確信の程度が高い文書では아마도を使っているのを見た。同じ文書で...
probably maybe perhaps 在 Hapa Eikaiwa Facebook 的最佳解答
=================================
「たぶん」=「Maybe」が口癖になっていませんか?
=================================
日本語では「たぶん」も「おそらく」もどちらも同じように使うため、どんな場面でも「Maybe」で表現している日本人が多いような気がします。しかし、実はネイティブは可能性の高さに合わせて「Maybe」「Probably」「Possibly」を使い分けています。そこまで厳密に使い分ける必要はありませんが、使用する「たぶん」によって相手に与える印象が違ってくるので、使い分けをしっかり覚えておきましょう。
--------------------------------------------------
1) Maybe
→「多分 / かもしれない / もしかすると(可能性:30%~50%)」
--------------------------------------------------
日本人が最もよく使うMaybeは五分五分を意味するため、どちらの可能性もあるという場合や、YES/NOがはっきり言えない・言いたくない場合などに使われ、自分がコントロールできないことを推測するニュアンスが含まれます。また、個人差もありますが、これまでの経験上、「Do you want to go running tomorrow?(明日ランニング行かない?)」のように友達をランニングに誘った際、「Maybe」と返答されたら、来るより来ない可能性の方が高いです。(笑)誘いに対してのMaybeは間接的に「No」と言っているように私は個人的に捉えており、実際に参加することはあまり期待していません。
✔ビジネスシーンでも使うことができるが、若干カジュアルな響きがあるため重要な場での使用は避けた方が無難。
✔PerhapsもMaybeと同じ意味合いを持つが、MaybeよりPerhapsの方がフォーマルな響きがある。
<例文>
It’s getting cloudy. Maybe we should bring an umbrella.
(曇ってきたね。傘を持って行った方がいいかもしれない。)
You’re going to the concert too? Maybe I’ll see you there.
(あなたもコンサートに行くの?じゃぁ、会えるかもしれないね。)
〜会話例〜
A: Are you going to the party tomorrow?
(明日のパーティーに行くの?)
B: Maybe, it depends on what time I finish my work tomorrow.
(まだ分かんない。仕事次第だね。)
--------------------------------------------------
2) Probably
→「十中八九高い確率で / きっと(可能性:50%以上)」
--------------------------------------------------
Probablyは、Probable(起りそうな)という言葉から来ている通り、確実性や可能性が高い場合に使います。特に過去の経験や情報など何かしらの根拠があるうえで推測する場合に用いられます。例えば、いつも遅れて来る友達だったら、「He's probably going to be late for dinner.(食事に遅れて来るでしょう)」、ワールドカップで毎回優勝候補のチームはアルゼンチンかブラジルなので、「Argentina or Brazil will probably win the World Cup next year.(来年はアルゼンチンかブラジルがワールドカップを優勝するでしょう)」という具合に使います。
<例文>
The sky is getting dark, so it will probably rain today.
(空が暗くなってきたので、恐らく雨が降るでしょう。)
I am probably going to the party tonight, though I have to double check with my husband.
(主人にもう一度確認しないといけないけど、今夜のパーティーは行くと思うわ。)
〜会話例〜
A: Do you think Anne will like our gift?
(アンはプレゼントを気に入ってくれるかな?)
B: Probably, since she loves ponies.
(馬が大好きなんだし、きっと気に入ってくれるさ!)
--------------------------------------------------
3) Possibly
→「もしかすると / ひょっとしたら(可能性:50%以下)」
--------------------------------------------------
PossiblyはMaybeと同様、可能性が五分五分のニュアンスがありますが、どちらかと言うと躊躇いや確信度が低いことを示す場合に用いられます。またMaybeと比べると、Possiblyの方が若干フォーマルな響きがあるため、上司やクライアントと話しをする場合はPossiblyを使う方がスマートに聞こえます。
✔Possiblyは、Possible(可能性)の副詞であるため、何かが起こり得る・起こり得ない“可能性”を指す。しかし、日常会話では“可能性が低い(50%以下)”として解釈される。
<例文>
〜会話例1〜
A: Are you going to the conference tomorrow?
(明日のカンファレンスは行きますか?)
B: Possibly, it depends on what time I finish my work tomorrow.
(行くかもしれませんが、仕事次第なので、まだはっきり分かりません。)
〜会話例2〜
A: Do you think Katie and Rob will have another child?
(ケイティとロブはもう一人子供を作ると思う?)
B: Possibly, though they seem very busy with 2 already.
(かもしれないね。でも、すでに二人子供がいて、忙しそうだよ。)
〜会話例3〜
A: Do you think the team will win tomorrow?
(明日の試合は勝つかな?)
B: Possibly, though their opposition is quite strong too.
(ひょっとするとね。でも、対戦相手もかなり強そうだよ。)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
無料メルマガ『1日1フレーズ!生英語』配信中!
通勤・通学などのちょとした合間を利用して英語が学べるメルマガ『1日1フレーズ!生英語』を平日の毎朝6時に配信中!ただ単にフレーズを紹介しているだけではなく、音声を使った学習プロセスが組み込まれているので、メルマガを読むこと自体が学習方法!
https://hapaeikaiwa.com/mailmagazine/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
probably maybe perhaps 在 Hapa Eikaiwa Facebook 的最佳解答
=================================
「たぶん」=「Maybe」が口癖になっていませんか?
=================================
日本語では「たぶん」も「おそらく」もどちらも同じように使うため、どんな場面でも「Maybe」で表現している日本人が多いような気がします。しかし、実はネイティブは可能性の高さに合わせて「Maybe」「Probably」「Possibly」を使い分けています。そこまで厳密に使い分ける必要はありませんが、使用する「たぶん」によって相手に与える印象が違ってくるので、使い分けをしっかり覚えておきましょう。
--------------------------------------------------
1) Maybe
→「多分 / かもしれない / もしかすると(可能性:30%~50%)」
--------------------------------------------------
日本人が最もよく使うMaybeは五分五分を意味するため、どちらの可能性もあるという場合や、YES/NOがはっきり言えない・言いたくない場合などに使われ、自分がコントロールできないことを推測するニュアンスが含まれます。また、個人差もありますが、これまでの経験上、「Do you want to go running tomorrow?(明日ランニング行かない?)」のように友達をランニングに誘った際、「Maybe」と返答されたら、来るより来ない可能性の方が高いです。(笑)誘いに対してのMaybeは間接的に「No」と言っているように私は個人的に捉えており、実際に参加することはあまり期待していません。
✔ビジネスシーンでも使うことができるが、若干カジュアルな響きがあるため重要な場での使用は避けた方が無難。
✔PerhapsもMaybeと同じ意味合いを持つが、MaybeよりPerhapsの方がフォーマルな響きがある。
<例文>
It’s getting cloudy. Maybe we should bring an umbrella.
(曇ってきたね。傘を持って行った方がいいかもしれない。)
You’re going to the concert too? Maybe I’ll see you there.
(あなたもコンサートに行くの?じゃぁ、会えるかもしれないね。)
〜会話例〜
A: Are you going to the party tomorrow?
(明日のパーティーに行くの?)
B: Maybe, it depends on what time I finish my work tomorrow.
(まだ分かんない。仕事次第だね。)
--------------------------------------------------
2) Probably
→「十中八九高い確率で / きっと(可能性:50%以上)」
--------------------------------------------------
Probablyは、Probable(起りそうな)という言葉から来ている通り、確実性や可能性が高い場合に使います。特に過去の経験や情報など何かしらの根拠があるうえで推測する場合に用いられます。例えば、いつも遅れて来る友達だったら、「He's probably going to be late for dinner.(食事に遅れて来るでしょう)」、ワールドカップで毎回優勝候補のチームはアルゼンチンかブラジルなので、「Argentina or Brazil will probably win the World Cup next year.(来年はアルゼンチンかブラジルがワールドカップを優勝するでしょう)」という具合に使います。
<例文>
The sky is getting dark, so it will probably rain today.
(空が暗くなってきたので、恐らく雨が降るでしょう。)
I am probably going to the party tonight, though I have to double check with my husband.
(主人にもう一度確認しないといけないけど、今夜のパーティーは行くと思うわ。)
〜会話例〜
A: Do you think Anne will like our gift?
(アンはプレゼントを気に入ってくれるかな?)
B: Probably, since she loves ponies.
(馬が大好きなんだし、きっと気に入ってくれるさ!)
--------------------------------------------------
3) Possibly
→「もしかすると / ひょっとしたら(可能性:50%以下)」
--------------------------------------------------
PossiblyはMaybeと同様、可能性が五分五分のニュアンスがありますが、どちらかと言うと躊躇いや確信度が低いことを示す場合に用いられます。またMaybeと比べると、Possiblyの方が若干フォーマルな響きがあるため、上司やクライアントと話しをする場合はPossiblyを使う方がスマートに聞こえます。
✔Possiblyは、Possible(可能性)の副詞であるため、何かが起こり得る・起こり得ない“可能性”を指す。しかし、日常会話では“可能性が低い(50%以下)”として解釈される。
<例文>
〜会話例1〜
A: Are you going to the conference tomorrow?
(明日のカンファレンスは行きますか?)
B: Possibly, it depends on what time I finish my work tomorrow.
(行くかもしれませんが、仕事次第なので、まだはっきり分かりません。)
〜会話例2〜
A: Do you think Katie and Rob will have another child?
(ケイティとロブはもう一人子供を作ると思う?)
B: Possibly, though they seem very busy with 2 already.
(かもしれないね。でも、すでに二人子供がいて、忙しそうだよ。)
〜会話例3〜
A: Do you think the team will win tomorrow?
(明日の試合は勝つかな?)
B: Possibly, though their opposition is quite strong too.
(ひょっとするとね。でも、対戦相手もかなり強そうだよ。)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
無料メルマガ『1日1フレーズ!生英語』配信中!
通勤・通学などのちょとした合間を利用して英語が学べるメルマガ『1日1フレーズ!生英語』を平日の毎朝6時に配信中!ただ単にフレーズを紹介しているだけではなく、音声を使った学習プロセスが組み込まれているので、メルマガを読むこと自体が学習方法!
https://hapaeikaiwa.com/mailmagazine/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
probably maybe perhaps 在 SkyHashi Youtube 的精選貼文
結論:아마より아마도が確信の程度が少し高い感じだが、韓国人もあまり区別しなくて使ってる感じ。
僕の意見:知らなかったときは全くこの違いを感じられなかった。けどいろいろ調べてみた後、また他の韓国の人はどう使っているか確認してみた結果、少し確信の程度が高い文書では아마도を使っているのを見た。同じ文書で아마,아마도を選択して入れる感じじゃなく아마도を入れると文書はその内容、形からちょっと違う感じ。
韓国語の辞書の説明はただ아마を強調した言葉が아마도だと出ている。この強調という意味が確信の程度の高さを意味するかは明らかな事ではないが英語のmaybe,perhapsとprobablyの違いを説明しながら아마,아마도を区別する場合もあるので、その強調っていう意味は確信の程度と考えてもいいと思う。
けど、実際これを最初から区別しながら使ってるとは言えないくらい、誰かは아마と言う場合に誰かは아마도と言う場合もある。僕も会話で何をよく言うのか自分一人でしゃべてみたが아마と아마도、ただその時言いたい言葉を入れてしゃべる感じだ。これには間違いとかがあまりないと思うから
多分の意味ではどっちでもそんなに問題はないと思う。
ここまで読んだ人いるか。
あなたは、4月、運がよくなるのだ。おやすみだ。
Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/skyhashi
#韓国語勉強