Dear Kumaran,
I want to personally thank you because you were one of LinkedIn's first million members (member number 391148 in fact!*). In any technology adoption lifecycle, there are the early adopters, those who help lead the way. That was you.
We hit a big milestone at LinkedIn this week when our 100 millionth member joined the site.
When we founded LinkedIn, our vision was to help the world's professionals be more successful and productive. Today, with your help, LinkedIn is changing the lives of millions of members by helping them connect with others, find jobs, get insights, start a business, and much more.
We are grateful for your support and look forward to helping you accomplish much more in the years to come. I hope that you are having a great year.
Sincerely,
Reid Hoffman
Co-founder and Chairman
LinkedIn
If I do not have any wisdom to offer, be rest assured that I'll offer you my ignorance.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Interview by Tampines Junior College Link
In conversation with TPJC Link:
TPJC Link: Mr Pillai, you highlighted in your speech that success is mainly a matter of attitude. Could you please elaborate?
Mr Pillai: Yes, surely good attitude goes a long way in paving your success but the other important attribute of success, along with attitude is aptitude. I'm more inclined to use the word competencies instead of aptitude. Aptitude seems to suggest that one has the innate ability to achieve a skill, whereas competencies seems to suggest that skills can be acquired through education and training.
If my experience is anything to go by, I'd say that success is rather illusive; like beauty, it's in the eyes of the beholder. So you need to have your own definition of success and make sure that you set your sights on something that is achievable in a reasonable period of time. Sometimes, I find that having incremental successes (or minor milestones) helps in achieving your overall goals and objectives.
Success is a commitment you make - You need to declare your love for success before success loves you back in return!
TPJC Link: What advice would you offer to TPJCians who wish to succeed not just academically but also in life in general?
Mr Pillai: I need to live another 40 years to talk about life in general. Nevertheless, what is important to me is the means rather than the end. There were instances in my life to make an awesome lot of money. But, I knew that there are no shortcuts in life and the law would certainly catch up when one goes down the wrong path. So I deliberately avoided such trappings and focused on developing my skills further, nurturing the relationships that matter most to me and to conduct my business ethically. As it turns out, these good traits paid off and I have earned the trust and confidence of my clients, investors and the community. There is nothing more to life than this, actually.
TPJC Link: What values do you feel attributed to your success?
Mr Pillai: Freedom of mind and the power to influence / change the mindsets of my constituents. Life as it turns out, is not a one man show. My success depends on the people around me – so I focus on the successes of the individuals around me who in turn make me very successful at what I do.
Questions
1. What kind of challenges did you face in College or in your career while working towards your goals and trying to realize your dream? How did your values and attitude enable you to overcome these challenges?
My first business collapsed during the 2001 recession. I found myself broke, depressed and unemployed. If I ever had a dream, it was shattered the day I put the shutters down on that business. Conversely, I also found myself enriched with more knowledge about business operations, profitability and had a deeper understanding of what contributed to my initial failures. I used these as lessons in life and moved on to achieve even more successes in my career and business. I realised that when one fails in a task, it is a message from the world around you that the job done is sub-optimal.
A lot of the values that I hold today are a culmination of my successes and failures. I graduated with flying colours from the school of hard knocks and I often wished that there was an easier way to learn all this or if I had paid more attention in school, I could have avoided these hardships.
2. Given the fierce competition that students today face in terms of gaining admission to the local universities, what is your advice for students, especially the JC2s, who intend to vie for a place in courses where there is high demand?
The last time I checked, your competitors have the same amount of grey matter as any one of you. So you don't have to sweat about the fierce competition. There is something sexy about the underdogs beating the top dogs in their own game. So, go for it!
The question that you need to ask yourself is whether these courses are the best option for you for the careers that you intend to pursue in the future. You may want to consider careers in areas where there is a severe talent shortage in Singapore, for instance. Above all, choose a course that interests you and one that'll give you the best skills to succeed in your intended careers.
Life is pretty strange, so you will really need to learn how to ride it as it comes to you with all its awe and wonder. I wish all TPJCians all the success in their studies and future endeavours.
TPJC Link: Mr Pillai, you highlighted in your speech that success is mainly a matter of attitude. Could you please elaborate?
Mr Pillai: Yes, surely good attitude goes a long way in paving your success but the other important attribute of success, along with attitude is aptitude. I'm more inclined to use the word competencies instead of aptitude. Aptitude seems to suggest that one has the innate ability to achieve a skill, whereas competencies seems to suggest that skills can be acquired through education and training.
If my experience is anything to go by, I'd say that success is rather illusive; like beauty, it's in the eyes of the beholder. So you need to have your own definition of success and make sure that you set your sights on something that is achievable in a reasonable period of time. Sometimes, I find that having incremental successes (or minor milestones) helps in achieving your overall goals and objectives.
Success is a commitment you make - You need to declare your love for success before success loves you back in return!
TPJC Link: What advice would you offer to TPJCians who wish to succeed not just academically but also in life in general?
Mr Pillai: I need to live another 40 years to talk about life in general. Nevertheless, what is important to me is the means rather than the end. There were instances in my life to make an awesome lot of money. But, I knew that there are no shortcuts in life and the law would certainly catch up when one goes down the wrong path. So I deliberately avoided such trappings and focused on developing my skills further, nurturing the relationships that matter most to me and to conduct my business ethically. As it turns out, these good traits paid off and I have earned the trust and confidence of my clients, investors and the community. There is nothing more to life than this, actually.
TPJC Link: What values do you feel attributed to your success?
Mr Pillai: Freedom of mind and the power to influence / change the mindsets of my constituents. Life as it turns out, is not a one man show. My success depends on the people around me – so I focus on the successes of the individuals around me who in turn make me very successful at what I do.
Questions
1. What kind of challenges did you face in College or in your career while working towards your goals and trying to realize your dream? How did your values and attitude enable you to overcome these challenges?
My first business collapsed during the 2001 recession. I found myself broke, depressed and unemployed. If I ever had a dream, it was shattered the day I put the shutters down on that business. Conversely, I also found myself enriched with more knowledge about business operations, profitability and had a deeper understanding of what contributed to my initial failures. I used these as lessons in life and moved on to achieve even more successes in my career and business. I realised that when one fails in a task, it is a message from the world around you that the job done is sub-optimal.
A lot of the values that I hold today are a culmination of my successes and failures. I graduated with flying colours from the school of hard knocks and I often wished that there was an easier way to learn all this or if I had paid more attention in school, I could have avoided these hardships.
2. Given the fierce competition that students today face in terms of gaining admission to the local universities, what is your advice for students, especially the JC2s, who intend to vie for a place in courses where there is high demand?
The last time I checked, your competitors have the same amount of grey matter as any one of you. So you don't have to sweat about the fierce competition. There is something sexy about the underdogs beating the top dogs in their own game. So, go for it!
The question that you need to ask yourself is whether these courses are the best option for you for the careers that you intend to pursue in the future. You may want to consider careers in areas where there is a severe talent shortage in Singapore, for instance. Above all, choose a course that interests you and one that'll give you the best skills to succeed in your intended careers.
Life is pretty strange, so you will really need to learn how to ride it as it comes to you with all its awe and wonder. I wish all TPJCians all the success in their studies and future endeavours.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Speak confidently and deliver your message clearly
Recently, I gave a speech at the TPJC Annual College day as the Guest of Honour and someone came up to me and asked me, 'How do you give a speech like that?'
The trick I have learned is to focus your thoughts and energies into what you are currently doing, and in this case to speak confidently to the audience and to deliver the message in a clear concise manner.
The hardest part of giving a speech is in the beginning, when you are up there on the stage and all the eyes are glued on you to say something smart. I always focus on getting my opening remarks right. This sets the tone of the entire speech. I have also found it to be effective to make a positive remark or comment about what was said by the previous speaker. Adding humour to the opening remarks helps break the ice.
Public speaking is about both form and substance. You need to connect to your audience and establish rapport with them almost instantaneous. Lets face it, you are not going to win them all. There will definitely be a group of people who will be against whatever you say. Therefore coming across as someone who is friendly, humble and approachable helps you connect to the audience better.
The funny thing about public speaking is that people focus on what you're saying while you are saying it, but days or weeks later, when they have forgotten about what was said, how you said it becomes the primary focus.
So make an impression in your speeches and you'll be alright. All the best!
The trick I have learned is to focus your thoughts and energies into what you are currently doing, and in this case to speak confidently to the audience and to deliver the message in a clear concise manner.
The hardest part of giving a speech is in the beginning, when you are up there on the stage and all the eyes are glued on you to say something smart. I always focus on getting my opening remarks right. This sets the tone of the entire speech. I have also found it to be effective to make a positive remark or comment about what was said by the previous speaker. Adding humour to the opening remarks helps break the ice.
Public speaking is about both form and substance. You need to connect to your audience and establish rapport with them almost instantaneous. Lets face it, you are not going to win them all. There will definitely be a group of people who will be against whatever you say. Therefore coming across as someone who is friendly, humble and approachable helps you connect to the audience better.
The funny thing about public speaking is that people focus on what you're saying while you are saying it, but days or weeks later, when they have forgotten about what was said, how you said it becomes the primary focus.
So make an impression in your speeches and you'll be alright. All the best!
Friday, May 21, 2010
If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
It takes more than just business skills (salesmanship) to run a successful business. While business practices have been standardized across many countries, there are cultural differences between country to country, and it is sometimes the idiosyncrasies in a particular country or an industry that can drive the businessman nuts.
As apparent as it seems, there are people who do not understand what constitutes a commercial transaction. Money is exchanged in return for a good or service. There are laws to protect the buyer from the unscrupulous seller and the buyer is entitled to check the goods for quality before payment is made.
However, there are situations where a service is rendered over a prolonged period and the buyer has little or no control over the process. In some cases, the entire project may be off-shored and the exposure to risk may be further heightened. (Cos once you transfer the money, your money is gone forever!)
It becomes the seller's responsibility to define proper milestones and deliverables and above all manage the expectations of the buyer throughout the project life-cycle. Service providers in this space are not employees of the party that is procuring the services - they are merely contractors and they undertake the delivery risk.
While there are laws and legal framework to protect us and while I have complete trust in our judicial process, I feel that we are not completely immune to fraud and mismanagement. So this is really a case of 'buyers beware' and sellers, 'show me the goods or your track record!'
This is definitely not for the faint hearted. Every year I see new entrants into this business and they simply can't take the heat!!!
As apparent as it seems, there are people who do not understand what constitutes a commercial transaction. Money is exchanged in return for a good or service. There are laws to protect the buyer from the unscrupulous seller and the buyer is entitled to check the goods for quality before payment is made.
However, there are situations where a service is rendered over a prolonged period and the buyer has little or no control over the process. In some cases, the entire project may be off-shored and the exposure to risk may be further heightened. (Cos once you transfer the money, your money is gone forever!)
It becomes the seller's responsibility to define proper milestones and deliverables and above all manage the expectations of the buyer throughout the project life-cycle. Service providers in this space are not employees of the party that is procuring the services - they are merely contractors and they undertake the delivery risk.
While there are laws and legal framework to protect us and while I have complete trust in our judicial process, I feel that we are not completely immune to fraud and mismanagement. So this is really a case of 'buyers beware' and sellers, 'show me the goods or your track record!'
This is definitely not for the faint hearted. Every year I see new entrants into this business and they simply can't take the heat!!!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Are we losing our edge as we grow older?
Dear Mr Kumaran,
I'm Haikal from the Tampines Junior College Hat Programme.Thank You very much for the inspiring speech during our Annual College Day.Its good to hear that you are doing well in business.I would like to ask you some questions sir.You mentioned that you were mentored by bankers when you were starting up your business.I really wondered how are you able to do that as not many people have the privilege to be mentored by a banker when they are starting out.Secondly,to be a successful businessman,how long do you think we should work in order to gain expertise and knowledge before we venture into business.Thank You very much for your time.I look forward to your reply soon.
Warmest Regards,
Haikal Mohd Noh
***************************************************************************
Hi Haikal,
As it turns out, I am also a good sales man and very successful people have an uncanny ability to convince people to do things for them.
The thing is, starting a company is a risky business and it is hard to predict which one comes to you first - fame or fortune. If you get fortune, you are lucky and if you get fame followed by fortune, you are lucky twice. But, rarely do entrepreneurs start a business solely for the reason of making money, they usually start cos they want to make a difference to the world. Fame and fortune comes as a by-product.
A mentor doesn't suffer from the consequence of bad advice - the mentee does! Even though I had a privilege of being mentored by a top-banker, I suffered a great deal from his bad advice and I paid the price for it. Anyway, he is still a good friend of mine and he also parted some words of wisdom along the way... This brings me to my first opening remarks, which is, you are your own architect. While the mentors can show you the way, you will still need to choose the path that you want to take.
There is no fixed formula for number of years you need to work before starting a business. Some of the successful businesses were founded by very inexperienced people. After 1 or 2 years in the industry would give you enough exposure to start getting your feet wet. Start young cos if you do fail, you'll have plenty of time to recover from your failures. Ironically, older people bring their own set of baggages from their experiences and tend to be over cautious and risk averse - they are the tamed ducks!!! To tell you the truth, I take lesser risks today than 10years ago.
Good luck in your endeavours, Haikal. I'm glad you found the speech inspiring.
Have a good weekend.
Regards,
Kumaran
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Punctuality is a Virtue
Dear Chosunghye,
Its good to hear from you and it was my pleasure to meet young and brilliant minds like yourself. I confess that it makes me reminisce my college days - some of the best days in my life.
As I look back, since my college days I have had the privilege of having very spectacular successes and equally spectacular failures in my life. Over the years, I have realized that it is both the successes and failures that are portrayed in my public persona. It defines me.
There is one thing that I like to share with you - a lesson that I had learnt later in life but I thought that I could get away with it as a teenager:
I used to be regularly late for assembly in the mornings and this was due to the limited bus services that were plying between Bedok South and Tampines JC in 1987/88. I had to take two buses to get to college. I'll be arriving right on the dot at 7.30am even if I took the first bus in the morning.
My Civics Tutor called me up one day and she was very angry that I was always late. I tried to explain to her that it was not my fault and that it was the fault of the transportation system here. Obviously, she did not accept my reasoning and said that I will have to be punctual even in the adult world. I didn't think much back then, but I told her not to worry and that I will own my own business someday and I can go to work anytime.
True to what I said as a teenager, I run my own enterprise today but I have realized that punctuality is even more important to me now cos I pay people to work for me and if I make them wait, I'll have to pay a price for it (cos I pay them salaries). So I am kinda forced to be punctual and early and so Miss. Yap was right after all.
As a teenager, I was very rebellious and thought that I could change the world. But, as I grew up I understood there is a reason why people do the things they way they do. The world changes and progresses no doubt. But, our fundamental human value stick around for a long long time. All the best in your endeavours.
P/s- I am mentoring some college students from Tampines Junior College. This is my response to one of the students. Do email me at cumeran@gmail.com if you need any advise.
Friday, July 24, 2009
The World’s Greatest General
Mark Twain told a wonderful story about one man’s search for the world’s greatest general. The man spent an entire lifetime looking for the general and finally the day for his last journey. When he arrived in heaven he walked over to St. Peter and said, “I’m looking for the world’s greatest general.”
St. Peter said, “I know, we’ve been expecting you and I have good news. If you’ll look over right over there, you will see the world’s greatest general.”
The old man excitedly looked over and said, “That is not the world’s greatest general. That man was a cobbler on Main Street in my hometown!”
St. Peter responded, “But had he been a general, he would have been the greatest general ever.”
The moral of the story is that sometimes you need someone else to tell you who you are and what you are capable of. There is a hidden talent in all of us – the unpolished gem. Go discover it!!!
St. Peter said, “I know, we’ve been expecting you and I have good news. If you’ll look over right over there, you will see the world’s greatest general.”
The old man excitedly looked over and said, “That is not the world’s greatest general. That man was a cobbler on Main Street in my hometown!”
St. Peter responded, “But had he been a general, he would have been the greatest general ever.”
The moral of the story is that sometimes you need someone else to tell you who you are and what you are capable of. There is a hidden talent in all of us – the unpolished gem. Go discover it!!!
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