Never Give Up

That phrase, Never Give Up, is so simple and commonly used that it is beginning to lose its meaning after several times hearing it. A few weeks ago, I saw a glimpse of Randy Pausch’s last lecture on PBS. The title of slide was “Never Give Up”. I have heard about his last lecture at CMU before, but never actually watched it. For strange reason, it piqued my interest this time and I decided to search it on YouTube and watch it fully. It was a bit long, but didn't feel like it. I strongly recommend it.

What a great speech! On the face of death, he stared at it squarely and decided not to let it control his life. He was making the best out of the hand he was dealt with, and having fun at the same time. He actually lived longer than doctors predicted. I think it was because of his positive attitude even in the face of death. There are many memorable moments in the lecture, but I just wanted to mention a few things.

Brick Wall

He said he’d faced many brick walls in his life. Interestingly he said that a brick wall is not there to stop us, but to test us how badly we want it. It’s a natural elimination process. Those who don’t want it badly will give up easily and go away. Those who want it badly will find a way to get over the obstacle. That is so true. It goes with what he said about never giving up. He mentioned a few times when he faced a brick wall, but did not give up. Eventually things worked out, and it taught him tremendous lessons.

Luck

He also said that luck is where preparation meets opportunity. An opportunity can come from anywhere at any time, and those who prepared will reap the benefits. He attributed a lot of his success to luck, but he also worked very hard, often till wee hours of the day. It is the very same thing many founders of successful startups mentioned in Founders at Work. They all worked hard, but there were many external forces they couldn’t control and thus things could have gone any direction. The reason why they were successful and many others who were equally smart and worked hard didn’t was because of some lucky chances and opportunities.

My personal story

I definitely feel lucky to have found a job in this economy. I thought I was one of a few unlucky ones to be unemployed at the worst possible time, but it looks like there are many that have been affected. While I did my best everyday searching for a job, my new employment definitely has a lot to do with luck, having a good friend and being at the right place at the right time. However, until I signed an employment agreement, it was complete emotional roller coaster ride.

The previous company I was working for closed its doors in August 2008. I took a few weeks off, playing with kids and decompressing from the hectic start-up life, and started to look again since early September. Things went down south really fast in October when stock market started to tank in the wake of bank failures. Recruiting activities suddenly came to a halt, and response rate dropped significantly. All existing conversations stopped because many companies froze hiring. I had a director position I was interviewing for, and while the VP of marketing at the company kept dragging me along and telling me I was the “leading” candidate, they finally dropped the position in November. The first interview was in early September, and quickly I went through the second and third round of interviews successfully. In the beginning, the VP promised he’d make a decision by the end of September. When September passed, he said he had a problem scheduling interviews for a few folks. Mid-October, we even negotiated salary level, and he said he should have been able to make an offer soon. Then he wanted to check with the board of directors since economic condition had deteriorated. He came back saying the board was negative about hiring more, but when I asked about possibility of contractor position instead, the VP said it would be possible since he had marketing budgets to use. Then finally, VP never got back to me, and that was the end of it. Throughout the whole process, I was quite anxious to land something and I tried really hard to control my urgency to call or email every five minutes. It was tough, and when it didn’t finally come through after all that time, it was quite devastating. While I was going back and forth with this company, I had gone through final interviews at a couple of different places, but they didn’t work out either. I also had a few opportunities to lead very early stage start-up companies (a few people, in need of funding) where I’d have to work without salary for sometime while raising funds in this tough time. But, just as in my last start-up I founded, supporting family took precedence, and I had to turn them down. After watching Randy's video though, I wonder if I had given up on the first start-up too early. I hit a brick wall (actually several of them), but I gave up at the end. 

Anyhow, everyday was quite hard. Whenever a recruiter called, a bit of hope sprung up, but it quickly died away when I didn’t hear back from them further. I sometimes got several calls from different recruiters for the same job. Since companies stopped hiring or slowed down dramatically, recruiters were hurting, too. I frequented local libraries, looking at different job boards and applying to various positions. I tried to utilize this time to get back to programming, but I couldn't focus with this dark cloud hanging over me. I reached out to everyone I could think of. Many tried to encourage me by saying kind words such as: “Hang in there, it will work out”, “You will find something soon”, “Unemployment does not represent who I am”, “It’s good time to spend time with family and kids”, etc. But, deep down, it still hurt and I could not help but feel I was losing my mojo. It was just bad timing, but blaming everything on external force would only make me complacent. I couldn't allow that. I had to be on my feet, always proactive.

However, more than anything, it was a learning opportunity. It was an opportunity to appreciate many things I took for granted, learn how to live frugally, and be thankful everyday.  You realize how many things you don't really need. We had to cut down our expenses drastically and live in a very lean way,  but it was definitely manageable. I also found out who my real friend was and who was not.

I can’t sugar coat current condition and say things will get better soon. I don’t believe, as many experts agree, things will get better soon. Definitely not for a while. I can’t offer advice on what would work and what would not, since I was a complete nerve wreck myself and couldn't keep positive attitude during the whole time. But, if I could offer a bit of advice to those in the job market, it would be the followings.

1. Never Give Up, because things will always work out at the end if you keep trying.


2. Keep positive attitude, which goes a long way when talking to a recruiter or during interviews. If Randy Pausch was able to keep positive attitude and had fun in the face of death, I think we all can.


3. Look in not so well-known job boards in addition to Dice, Monster or LinkedIn: Craigslist, KITList, KITList-Tech, and Jim's Jobs.
   


4. Cut down all unnecessary expenses


5. Utilize local library, where you can get free Wi-Fi, free electricity, free DVD rental, and quiet environment


6. Find bargains at Garage Sales


7. Find free or low-cost entertainment: Free museum admissions sponsored by Bank of America or Target

Never Give Up! I can’t say it enough. 

Now is the best time to start a company

It may sound strange, but many people have expressed the same opinion.

NOW is the best time to start a company.

I was reading an article from the latest Wired magazine, "Back to the Garage: How Economic Turmoil Breeds Innovation" which gives an example of Tom Siebel who started Siebel Systems in 1993 when economy was faltering then. He was able to hire good software engineers relatively easily and cheaply. He also got an office space quite cheaply as well. It also reminded me of a conversation I had with my friend who is a VC partner (I consider him a friend, but I am not sure if he does). He said this is best time for VC to invest in a company as well. VCs do have money from funds they had raised before the meltdown. Because of downturn, valuation of a company would be lower.

I had the same opinion during the first Internet bubble burst. Historically those companies that survive the economic downturn usually come out as the winner. During the bubble, it was very difficult to find good engineers and sometime companies hired people who could barely type. But when the bubble bursted and companies either closed or laid off many people, the pool of available engineers grew. VCs certainly still had money then. I was quite certain even then that economic downturn would be the best time to start a company.

Due to my unemployment, I frequently visit FuckedStartups.com a lot. There are certainly many layoffs going on. This was all prompted by Sequia Capital's warning to their portfolio companies a few months ago. Where would all the laid off engineers go? I've been searching for a while, but no one is really hiring. Even those who are hiring are taking their sweet time interviewing many folks. However, Americans are quite ingenious. In these tough times, someone with a good idea will hook up with others in similar situation and start a company together.

It also reminds me of the notion of "Creative Destruction". History of Silicon Valley is filled with successful companies born during the bust time following boom time.

Me? I have more pressing need to support my family, so I am going for a full-time employment. I can't start a company when my family relies on me for financial needs. But, when my wife starts working, that would be a different story. Look out, world!

Learn from others' mistakes

I am in mid-30's and along the way I've made my own share of mistakes. Of course, in retrospect if I knew differently or better, I wouldn't have made those mistakes. A wise man once told me that a smart person would learn from others' mistakes, and it is so right. Come to think of it, I used to discount most proverbs and old sayings as whatever, but now I think they are true in general cases (perhaps more than 70% of time). They had become what they are from hundreds of years of observation, and I think that's pretty powerful.

So, I just wanted to warn people, especially those who may want to work for a local company in mother land (non-American descendants and/or 1.5 to 2nd, 3rd generations), about possible consequence of their action. If you plan to move there permanently, none of it would matter.

First and foremost, don't do it unless there is a good reason for it. Chances are you will be faced with vast corporate/local culture shock. Unless their culture could be considered positive or you are sure that you can spin it positively or you can be completely submerged in the culture and later plan to work for a company that targets the market, don't do it. In addition, if you want to come back and get another job, it would be hard to conduct phone and/or face-to-face interview from overseas.

Second, make sure it is a world-renown company where you are absolutely sure that skill sets and experiences can be viewed positively when moving back to US. Remember, how the company is perceived can be very different from views/experiences inside. It is crucial,

Third, if you really want an international exposure, go to an American company who is looking to send someone there so that you would at least be guaranteed a job in US. Like I said, it would be though to arrange and do phone and/or face-to-face interview from overseas, and you are likely to have to come back and start looking. It wouldn't apply if you have rich parents or uncle from whom you can live off for a while.

Remember. Always learn from others' mistakes.

In transition, stuck in the middle

So, I have been interviewing at a bunch of places so far, but no offer yet. As I am faced with a rejection after rejection, it's hard to not to be discouraged. So far in my career, I've never had this much problem finding a job, and it's both shocking and depressing.

I can attribute this situation to one thing: Stuck in the middle. I am still in the career transition from engineering field to product marketing, and companies assess that two-years of experience in marketing is TOO LITTLE and two-years away from hands-on technical work is TOO LONG. Those companies I have applied for product marketing position selected a candidate with a lot more marketing experiences. Those companies I have applied for technical positions thought I wasn't technical enough. It would seem difficult to find a marketing position unless I have someone who can sponsor/champion me in a company.

Obviously, this is the lowest point of my life. And in times like this, you come to know who is really your friend and who is not. Well, mostly. I think some actually pretend or give you a lip service, but don't really care. I've spent two years in Korea to transition my career, and if I don't continue down this marketing path, those two years would seem like a total waste. I have been given a lot of advice from good people. They tell me I will definitely find something I want soon and something good is waiting for me just around the corner. I should stay positive and confident. It's just matter of timing. All those interviews that didn't work weren't meant for me. They are all good and I am grateful for them, but....

But, I can't help but feeling that walls are closing in. I see kids grow up and they need certain things like new clothes, camps, school, etc. Savings depleting too quickly.... Also, I hate being not settled down. Without a job, it feels like everything is up in the air. Tension is there, and so are silent worries. Everyone is on the edge, and it doesn't help current situation much.

I don't really want to stay in the East Coast, but I may need to stay here. But, if I didn't want to stay in the East Coast but get an offer here, it can't be why all other interviews didn't work out.... I used to believe that I am in control of my own destiny and I didn't believe in fate...., but I don't know. I am so sure now. Maybe I have a little control over my destiny, and for some reason it's been all mapped out for me.....

Google Interview

In my quest for a full-time job, I submitted numerous resumes to Google. I also had a friend of mine working at Google to forward my resume for me. Since Google is in completely different industry than my background/experience, it was a long shot. I did web search on Google interview, and most were for technical questions. I didn't find any for non-technical interview.

Why Google? Not only it is the hottest company, but Google is in best position to challenge many old business models. Is Google an ad company? Perhaps... 99% of its revenue is from ads placed in Google sites. Google is also trying to expand ad channels into radio, TV and games. However, I think its technology can be used to really revolutionize computing. I am not a big fan of Microsoft or its monstrous operating system or its bully tactics on competitors. Linux and general Unix flavors are all stable because their kernels are small, efficient and do whatever they are supposed to do well. Microsoft's operating systems are kernel plus too much junk. Anyhow, it won't be long until we have pervasive connection to the network and an efficient computing device with solid-state storage, small OS and a web browser. Most applications would be available online, as many so-called "software-as-a-service" promises. Key is to have applications available offline as well, and it would be just a matter of time until it is possible.

Anyhow, back to my story... I did get a phone interview scheduled. It was supposed to be about 45-minutes long. Since it was for a product marketing position, I did a lot of research behind Google products and their business model. But, the interviewer completely threw me off with unexpected questions such as how Internet would change in five years or how search would change in five years. I never recovered from them and I totally bombed the interview. As expected, I got a "Thank you, but no thank you" letter soon.

I was disappointed, but not so terribly, since I was rejected in the first interview. Then strangely enough, I've received another "first phone interview" email from the same Google recruiter who had sent me the very first phone interview request. I was pretty sure it was a mistake and sooner or later they will find out. I pretended as if I never had a Google phone interview and replied the email. Surprisingly, I had another "first" phone interview scheduled. This time, it was with different interviewer and I did alright....perhaps because this interviewer asked different and perhaps more relevant questions.

Since I would be in the SF bay area for a personal reason the following week, I asked whether they could arrange an on-site interview. From what I have heard, Google interview takes long and I honestly didn't expect them to arrange it so quickly. They did, and I came in for an interview. Interview schedule was long, from 11 AM to 4:30 PM, talking to 6 or 8 different folks. I saw on the schedule that one of the interviewers was going to be the person who interviewed in the very first phone interview.......and gave a thumbs down. Most of interviewers asked a little about my experience and a lot of hypothetical questions....like if I were a product marketing manager of this product, what your marketing plan would look like, how would you make it better, etc. They also dig deeper based on your response....like computerized GMAT questions. I don't know if you could really prepare for such interviews.... You have to think so quickly on the feet. It could come from mostly your relevant experiences.....and background.....and knowing what works and what doesn't, etc... Of course, the first phone interviewer....who I wasn't sure would recognize me or not. But s/he asked the same questions.... It could be that s/he didn't recognize me or that s/he wanted to see if I prepared for him/her. I don't know if it was the pressure to win this person over, I did the worst with this interviewer.

Overall, I enjoyed the challenging conversations... They were fair and seemed like questions they all have to answer day in and day out. It would have been fun and rewarding to work for Google. In retrospect, though, I think I should have been more forthcoming with what I have been doing since my last job. I just told them I enjoyed spending time with my family. I didn't mention anything about my own business venture......, but I was afraid that I could be seen as a quitter, a failure, or someone who would quit anytime to pursue other ventures.... Oh, well.... Hindsight is always 20/20....., but who knows what really caused the rejection? Perhaps it was to do with all my answers.

The next week, I got a form "Thank you, but no thank you" email.....once again. This 2nd chance came out of nowhere and I was so lucky to get an on-site interview scheduled so quickly, but I couldn't capitalize it. I am so depressed about it. But, no time to waste. I need to find a job quickly.

Off I go!