Previously , I thought that since I haven’t experienced failing in business I wouldn’t also lose in some midget war in life! My archi-stud friend in HKU thought that all of my life experiences will be far more superior compared to any strategist’s plans. In business, I’m continually amazed that my core strategies are really sound (even if it looks crazy) but maybe not too usable in real life. I was brought up as a child in a rough public market environment. I grew up seeing gang wars (use of psywars), extreme gambling (where I got my love for statistics), drugs (not me. my seatmates sa chess club), national scale syndicates (where my opportunity meister skills have been sharpened) and most things where a kid of a military father will be exposed. I grew up to understand the simple actions, reflexes, slight hand movements, facial gestures, phrasing of words, use of words, timing of speech and a lot of other things that I process to relate to an opportunity for attack. I know I see an opportunity faster than most people and it is usually without the knowledge of the prey that it’s that weakness that I’m using as an entry point.
During high school, we were trained by a renowned chess teach, psychological chess! Contrary to public opinion national level speed chess is not on the technical and logical skills (since it is assumed that you already have that). It is more on the control of emotions. I’m used to acting weak when I’m strong and acting strong when I’m weak. I know what intensity of tapping (and wrecking too) of the chess clock that would bring fear, anger, guilt, liking (if chics) and insult to an unsuspecting opponent without using words. I know how to use sounds, eye movements and especially timing to mount attacks. Maybe that is what was meant by Carlo on his testimonial, “sa kibot kibot nya pa lang pirdi ka na”. I play on rhythm and intensity on blitz games. All of these helped me become a good strategist in business since it is very much like chess! You just consider winning and not care how badly your opponent looses (hala..i remember some vivid emotional crys of some competitors), as long as you get what you want. I attacked with a lot of funny things in business where Jun remarked last Sunday, “wala ka man ya business ethics when you do such!” It’s business. It is how things are. Evolve or die out in the cold as I always say.
To do these you must not be understood by anyone. You must purposely act weird by letting people see your capacities of being extremely good and extremely bad beyond their imaginations! But these capacities must be also true. That’s why Iva says, that I really have a very simple life that I’m complicating when most people coat their complicated lives in simplicity! I was sharing to John the strategy of how these grade 3 rice traders ensure winning in business in far away places. And unlike the kids of these people, I can’t mix personal life with business. How I wish I can. How I wish I would use all my “allegorical kung-fus” to manipulate people by hiding in the cloak of weirdocrity (hahaha.creating words again..) to just get what I want (even if it’s wrong). How I wish that the level of my personal ethics is the same as my business ethics! How I wish I wouldn’t really care about how badly they’ll get stumped and used that they will not be able to go back to their lives! How I wish that I may really be coerced to show my true capacities (even if I don’t need to). How I wish I can just show what can be possible (as I do in business) without hurting people. How I wish I wouldn’t care how they’ll feel after. How i wish i’ll challenge my “no lose” statistics. But I’m not really this same person in real life. I am a very simple person with a conscience who listens to friends even if I may look like a hard-headed moron!hahaha
As a retrospect, daw hindi naman ni maintindihan sang iba na tawo except for the people I mention here who understands the nitty bits inside the seeming complications of my twisted mind. I just need to let this out.
Just read your latest blog. Its really hard to be good as a person and at the same time a successful businessman. As they say, business is for profit. You do business to increase increase your wealth. And i can see that you have the making of a successful businessman. I want to share you this story which i will be using on my report this saturday regarding corporate culture. Since you’ve started building up your business empire and you’re not part of our class, istorya ko na lang sa imo subong. hehehe… Medyo corny siya but i hope may makuha ka man maski gamay. Please bear with me since i am not a good narrator.
People are lining up at heaven’s gate. St. Peter would usher and leave each person in a small room with a Bible and a bundle of hundred dollar bills. After awhile, St. Peter would ask a person inside the room which to take, the bible or the money. Of course you already know that those who took the money went to hell and those who preferred the bible were guided by the angels to heaven.
However, there was this man who upon entering the room, took the bible and read it. Whenever he encountered a good passage from the bible, he would get a bill and use it as a bookmark, until there was none left of the money. Then St. Peter came in and was stunned when he saw the man holding the bible and with dollar bills stucked in it. Where do you think this man would go?
You want to be successfull in your choosen career yet you don’t want to compromise your values. Its an uphill struggle. But remember “a kite can only fly against the wind”. Soar high, with a heavy duty string achored properly on the ground.
P.S.
Im kidding myself for the first time.
How does one define ethics? Ethics is standard of norms that govern one’s action generally accepted by the public… or should I say – by a society, group or any affiliations of one person. We sometimes associate it with religion and spirituality because we perceive both to be always inclined with what is ‘good’. But the question is, is ethics really for the common good dictated by divine law? Or dictated by the whims and caprices of humanity? In your case my friend, you’re supposed to be ruled by what is ethical in doing business. Your ‘kung fu’ practice proved to be very effective! To eliminate competition, you really did hit them where it hurts a lot-below the belt, right between their legs! (as what you’ve told me with your computer business!) Thumbs up to you MAN! Their business closed, you were the one left standing to monopolize the industry!- of course not without costs, but you were prepared to loose something in order to gain another, and you perfectly knew all of that! Your rivals might have seen your move to be unethical, but for me you did what you’re supposed to do. There’s no question of ethics in there.
Allow me to elaborate. Saber-toothed tigers are known for their…well, Saber-tooth. And it’s not just a prop I tell you! It’s not just there to smile at their prey hoping they’d drop dead laughing. They kill by sinking it into their preys flesh! Blackwidow Spiders don’t have humongous teeth but once they bite you, the only revenge you can do is to look for the critter and step on it! Cheetahs run fast, they don’t fly. Bees don’t just fly around and annoy bears to death, they sting once you annoy them! Sharks can’t bite you on land! Try to cut yourself and take a dip in a shark infested waters-you’d probably be sushi in a blink of an eye! My point is they play by under the natural rules set by nature. They use the advantages nature provided them. They don’t exploit, but when there’s a need they use their advantage for survival! Bees know that the consequence for delivering a sting would also mean their demise! Cheetahs run fast but only for a short period of time. If a chase fails, they need to rest for a longer period and would mean that they’ll be a vulnerable prey for another predator). They know the risk but they would rather take it than play safe and do nothing at all. All these predators have become masters not because they beg for their prey to be captured, but with the bold ruthlessness of nature! We cannot manipulate nature because we know it’ll be disastrous one way or another.
Capitalism is your nature Dude! That is your chess board! Your killer move is that you can handle losses more than they can. Not to mention your new ideas – weird at times, but that’s what makes it work! It’s something new and bold! And whatever the cost, you’re willing to push it through!
Show them what it takes to be a real predator! Be on top of the food chain! And yup, you showed them alright! They feared you. That’s why they form unions, to protect themselves, the weak. And sometimes the weak allies themselves with the strong for them to survive. They had you when you joined them! Hahaha! That’s the nature for you!! So was it ethics that prompted them to recruit you, or was it for their own benefit? When you choose your side, you your choose enemy. Define ethics there!
GOD Bless!
…A.M.D.G.
hahaha! nhoj, ano ni, management class? its a good material for debate! you should brought up this view in class, hahaha!