The Numbers Game

Upfront
Street Talk
Meet 24-year-old Felix Wong. The entrepreneur
has founded online platforms selling everything
from overseas SIM cards and balloons to wedding
supplies and handkerchiefs: He claims to make
$100,000 per month from each of his 20 ongoing
businesses. He tells Kate Lok why he doesn’t work
for other people—and why he isn’t getting girls.
Blowing Water
吹 水 (chui sui), v. Cantonese slang. To chat, bullshit.
Photo: Pakix 5UNIT Production
HK Magazine: Why did you decide to
become an entrepreneur?
Felix Wong: As a child, starting my own
business was my second dream. My first
was captaining the Hong Kong football
team, which I gave up at 16 because it was
unrealistic. Coming from a working class
family, I knew I had to work extra hard to
earn the things I wanted, and that starting
from scratch at some company wouldn’t
do it for me.
HK: Are you your own boss because you
have a problem with working for people?
FW: I’m results-driven, so I take the most
straightforward route because the process
is less important. Maybe that’s why I’m
reluctant to work for other people. As a boss,
I hire people according to their abilities,
regardless of age. There are people on
my team who are twice my age, and that’s
perfectly fine with me.
HK: How did you start out?
FW: I started learning to write web pages
when I was around 17, without much success
at first. I’d always hated school, but I
managed to do OK and got into law school.
I didn’t enjoy it, but I stuck with it anyway
because that was what my parents wanted.
I used most of my time at university starting
up businesses. After multiple failures, my
family wanted me to focus on becoming a
lawyer, but I convinced them to give me two
years, during which I enrolled in a Master’s
program at the University of Hong Kong.
Those two years were crucial: I put two
calendars up on the wall, to remind myself
to use every day to its fullest.
HK: Your goal is to earn at least $100,000
per month for every business you start.
Does it actually work?
FW: At this stage, yes. But before I was
able to do that, I had my fair share of trial
and error. Before I found my way, a lot of
my projects did not go as planned: I’ve lost
count of the ones that have failed. I went
through a time when none of my family
HongKabulary
members believed in what I did anymore.
Even my best friend encouraged me to
quit. But now that I have figured out the
“formula,” all of my business projects are
able to reach that goal.
HK: You set yourself a challenge to
wake up at 4:30am every day. Why?
FW: I’ve always been an early riser, but
I decided to challenge myself to get up
at 4:30am every day for 30 days because
I felt like I didn’t have enough time. Being
successful is not only about external
factors—it is also about your personal habits,
willpower and motivation. Now, I get up
at 5am and start the day with a jog on a
near-empty street, which feels liberating.
I listen to an audiobook while I run. After
that, I meditate and use affirmations and
visualization to get me ready for the day
and help me to actively pursue my goals
instead of simply being reactive. I get to
the office by 7am.
HK: You’re young and well off. Does it
get you girls?
FW: I thought it would, but surprisingly,
it doesn’t. My only conclusion is I’m still
not rich enough!
HK: What is the one thing we can all do
to be more successful?
FW: Aim high and dare to dream. Jordan
Belfort from “The Wolf of Wall Street” said
that people fail not because they set their
goals too high and miss them—it’s because
they set them too low and hit them. Society
makes us think that it’s no use trying to
make a difference, or to create something
extraordinary. That’s why most people in
Hong Kong don’t dare to dream. A lot of
them complain about the lack of opportunity.
I hope that through my actions and
accomplishments, I can show young people
that this mindset is wrong. No matter how
young or how broke you are, or what
society tells you, success is possible.
Felix writes about tips for success on his
blog, felixwky.com
saap6
烚 熟 狗 頭
suk6
gau2
tau4
“WELL BOILED DOG’S HEAD”
“Toothy grin.” Often refers to an insincere smile.
Cooking a dog’s head would draw back
the lips, exposing the teeth.
Shiny Siege (ʃaɪniː siːdʒ), n.
Being mobbed by hordes of desperate estate agents in
gleaming suits as you walk past a new property development.
“Hello sir, are you interested in a viewing at The Grand Piscine? Prices start at
just $10 million!”
“Argh! It’s a shiny siege! Ready the boiling oil!”
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016 7