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3部Youtube影片,追蹤數超過15萬的網紅pennyccw,也在其Youtube影片中提到,Nuggets forward Reggie Evans said it was going to take time for everything to come together under the leadership of Allen Iverson. Try two games. Iv...
eduardo injury 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
Nuggets forward Reggie Evans said it was going to take time for everything to come together under the leadership of Allen Iverson.
Try two games.
Iverson had 28 points and 13 assists in Denver's 116-105 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
"I'd say we're real comfortable with him now," said Evans, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds coming off the bench.
Iverson picked up his second double-double -- and first win -- since being acquired by Denver for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first-round picks in 2007 on Dec. 19.
He and backcourt mate Earl Boykins, who may be the smallest tandem in the league, ran the Celtics around the court all evening. Boykins finished with 28 points as well.
"Earl and I are just playing good together," Iverson said. "I just wanted to make it easy for him and make it easier for everybody."
Iverson definitely made it easier for everybody. Iverson had permission from Nuggets coach George Karl to shoot more and pass less.
But he preferred to get his teammates involved.
"That's why he's a great teammate," said Eduardo Najera, who had 16 points and 11 boards. "His leadership is helping us a lot."
Had things gone differently, Iverson could've been a member of the Celtics, who were also in the running for his skills. The Celtics certainly saw what they missed out on Tuesday night.
"I honestly just have a lot of respect for the Boston organization and for them being interested in me in the way they were," Iverson said. "You always have to feel good about somebody wanting your talent. If that had happened, I would have given them the same thing that I'm going to give the Denver Nuggets organization -- just playing hard."
The Nuggets needed Iverson's energy with Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith missing for the third game after receiving their suspensions for their roles in a brawl with the New York Knicks on Dec. 16. Denver is now 2-1 since Anthony was suspended 15 games and Smith for 10.
"Until Melo and J.R. are back on the court, Earl and A.I. are going to have a lot of responsibility," said Karl, who earned the 799th win of his career. He has a chance for No. 800 against a team he used to coach, the Seattle SuperSonics, on Thursday. "It was sure fun to watch."
Boston coach Doc Rivers was missing Paul Pierce for the second straight game with a left foot injury and Wally Szczerbiak with a right ankle sprain. Delonte West, who started in place of Sebastian Telfair, had to be helped off the court just before halftime when he rolled off Boykins and fell on his back.
West started the second half but came out soon after. He finished with 11 points.
Tony Allen scored 18 points for Boston. He had a career-high 30 points against Denver 11 days ago. Al Jefferson had 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while Gerald Green added 18 points.
"I thought the effort was great, the execution was poor," Rivers said. "Our defense was disappointing."
After Iverson's debut against Sacramento on Friday night, Karl encouraged the point guard to be less unselfish. In his first game, Iverson preferred to get his new teammates involved, having just arrived in town with only a rudimentary knowledge of the offense.
But he won't be bashful any longer. He has three practices under his belt.
"I got it," Iverson said of the offense. "This is the system that I always wanted to play in -- just run, run, run all the time."
Run and run some more was exactly what Denver did against Boston.
"You can't let them relax," Iverson said. "We just want to run (teams) down all the time."
eduardo injury 在 pennyccw Youtube 的精選貼文
Carmelo Anthony blew by a defender in the first half, threw down a reverse jam and landed on his left foot.
The usually ordinary play told Anthony everything he needed to know -- his sprained left ankle was just fine.
"I figured if I could do that, I'm good," Anthony said.
A healthy Anthony scored 25 points, Allen Iverson had 24 points and 13 assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Charlotte Bobcats 117-101 on Saturday night.
"It didn't hurt at all," said Anthony, who missed five games after landing on the foot of Kobe Bryant on Jan. 21. "It felt good to be back."
The Nuggets, who won their eighth straight game at home, were all too happy to have him back, especially Iverson.
"When he is not in the lineup, it makes it tougher for me," Iverson said. "He is the main part of our team and he enables us to do so much with the attention that he gets."
Linas Kleiza may be drawing more attention after the fourth-quarter performance he turned in against the Bobcats. Kleiza scored 16 of his 23 points in the period.
"I started being more aggressive and it paid off," Kleiza said. "I don't think I lack confidence right now."
The Bobcats may be lacking in that category after watching a potential win evaporate. They were seemingly in control of the game, leading 87-77 late in the third quarter, when the Nuggets surged ahead. Denver went on a 23-3 run -- including 15 straight points at one point -- to wrap up its second straight win.
Charlotte has lost four of five, including three straight road games.
"We knew they were going to make a run here at home, but we thought we were going to answer back," said Jason Richardson, who tied a season high with 38 points.
The Bobcats were coming off a 127-96 loss the night before, and fatigue may have played a role.
"Tough game in Golden State last night, late-night travel, high altitude, but we don't want to make excuses," said Sam Vincent, who reached his boiling point late in the game and was ejected after two technical fouls.
"We came in, we played hard, we played well for probably 38 minutes and then we had some defensive lapses. We don't get some calls and things swing out of control for us."
Richardson was unstoppable early, but then went cold in the final quarter. He scored just two points -- on two free throws -- over the last 12 minutes.
That's due to the stifling defense that Yakhouba Diawara played on him.
"They limited my touches," Richardson said. "Diawara made it tough for me to get to the hole. They just turned up the defense on me."
Emeka Okafor added 20 points and 18 rebounds, and Raymond Felton, playing on a sprained left ankle, scored 14 points.
The Nuggets were without Marcus Camby (left knee bruise) and Eduardo Najera (rib injury), leading to easy dunks and layups by the Bobcats all night long.
Camby has been bothered by the knee the past few games and decided to give it a rest. Najera was injured taking a charge in the fourth quarter against Memphis on Wednesday.
Anthony figured with the two sidelined, he needed to pick up the rebounding slack. He finished with 10 rebounds, giving him his 12th double-double of the season.
"I've got to help out," he said.
Steven Hunter made his first start of the season in place of Camby, and scored eight points in more than 27 minutes.
"I don't think we win this game without Steven," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "He was a big presence in the middle."
Karl was impressed with the Nuggets' ability to kick their defense up a notch in the second half, but he wishes they'd bear down earlier.
After allowing the Bobcats to shoot 61 percent from the field in the first half, the Nuggets held them to 24 percent in the final half.
"There are too many times where I walk into that locker room and we are letting a team shoot over 55 percent on us," Karl said. "Then, we change our face and personality and we look like the San Antonio Spurs on defense. I dont think that is the personality of a champion on defense. There has got to be a better foundation early in games and I think our guys know that."
Game notes
Bobcats guards Earl Boykins played 12:28 against his former team. Boykins was signed by Charlotte on Thursday to provide backcourt depth. ... Nuggets F Kenyon Martin and G Anthony Carter both finished with 10 points. ... Bobcats F Gerald Wallace didn't play after spraining his right ankle against Golden State. Vincent said he might be out a week.
eduardo injury 在 pennyccw Youtube 的最佳貼文
Nuggets forward Reggie Evans said it was going to take time for everything to come together under the leadership of Allen Iverson.
Try two games.
Iverson had 28 points and 13 assists in Denver's 116-105 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
"I'd say we're real comfortable with him now," said Evans, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds coming off the bench.
Iverson picked up his second double-double -- and first win -- since being acquired by Denver for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first-round picks in 2007 on Dec. 19.
He and backcourt mate Earl Boykins, who may be the smallest tandem in the league, ran the Celtics around the court all evening. Boykins finished with 28 points as well.
"Earl and I are just playing good together," Iverson said. "I just wanted to make it easy for him and make it easier for everybody."
Iverson definitely made it easier for everybody. Iverson had permission from Nuggets coach George Karl to shoot more and pass less.
But he preferred to get his teammates involved.
"That's why he's a great teammate," said Eduardo Najera, who had 16 points and 11 boards. "His leadership is helping us a lot."
Had things gone differently, Iverson could've been a member of the Celtics, who were also in the running for his skills. The Celtics certainly saw what they missed out on Tuesday night.
"I honestly just have a lot of respect for the Boston organization and for them being interested in me in the way they were," Iverson said. "You always have to feel good about somebody wanting your talent. If that had happened, I would have given them the same thing that I'm going to give the Denver Nuggets organization -- just playing hard."
The Nuggets needed Iverson's energy with Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith missing for the third game after receiving their suspensions for their roles in a brawl with the New York Knicks on Dec. 16. Denver is now 2-1 since Anthony was suspended 15 games and Smith for 10.
"Until Melo and J.R. are back on the court, Earl and A.I. are going to have a lot of responsibility," said Karl, who earned the 799th win of his career. He has a chance for No. 800 against a team he used to coach, the Seattle SuperSonics, on Thursday. "It was sure fun to watch."
Boston coach Doc Rivers was missing Paul Pierce for the second straight game with a left foot injury and Wally Szczerbiak with a right ankle sprain. Delonte West, who started in place of Sebastian Telfair, had to be helped off the court just before halftime when he rolled off Boykins and fell on his back.
West started the second half but came out soon after. He finished with 11 points.
Tony Allen scored 18 points for Boston. He had a career-high 30 points against Denver 11 days ago. Al Jefferson had 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while Gerald Green added 18 points.
"I thought the effort was great, the execution was poor," Rivers said. "Our defense was disappointing."
After Iverson's debut against Sacramento on Friday night, Karl encouraged the point guard to be less unselfish. In his first game, Iverson preferred to get his new teammates involved, having just arrived in town with only a rudimentary knowledge of the offense.
But he won't be bashful any longer. He has three practices under his belt.
"I got it," Iverson said of the offense. "This is the system that I always wanted to play in -- just run, run, run all the time."
Run and run some more was exactly what Denver did against Boston.
"You can't let them relax," Iverson said. "We just want to run (teams) down all the time."