Winning Stroke: Interview With Mun Choong, Founder and CEO, SelfDrvn Enterprise
If not in the current profession, you would be?
I’d be a researcher in organizational psychology. Human behavior and what motivates us fascinates me.
One tune you always hum.
Chasing Pavements by Adele.
One book to read when you want to motivate yourselves.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. As one of the greatest innovators of our time, Elon Musk’s mission and entrepreneurship journey resonate with me. The book reminds me that the path I’ve chosen to build a new business based on innovation is never going to be easy and I should take nothing I have achieved for granted. Every entrepreneur who tries to innovate and disrupt the status quo is going to need a lot of mental resilience and resourcefulness to overcome many “near death experiences” of their start-ups.
One dialogue of a movie that motivates you or you like the most.
Jedi Master Yoda said in Star Wars: “Don't just give it a try, Luke. Do it. Or don't do it.” Basically, to Yoda, "trying" doesn't accomplish much. There is so much talent, opportunities, and knowledge in life. One of the things that stop many people from reaching their potential is the commitment to put ideas into action, and the perseverance to reach the end goal.
The place you never been to and always want to go.
Tibet. I wish I can spend some time there to meditate and ponder about life.
An animal that signifies you & why?
A wolf. My job requires me to meet a lot of people but I am really an introvert at heart. I value the time I spend alone every day to reflect and recharge my mind. While I enjoy the company of my friends, I also enjoy watching movies and going on overseas holidays by myself.
A movie character you most resemble or resonate with.
A character from X-Men- Professor-X maybe?
Choose one from each below:
Marvel or DC- Marvel
Batman or Superman- Superman
Tom or Jerry Jerry- I like supporting the smarter underdogs.
Chacha Chaudhary or Super Commando Dhruv- Dhruv. He’s the only one I have heard of.
If your life was to be turned into a movie who would you like to play your part?
I have never thought about this. Maybe I’ll risk box office failure and play myself instead.
Luck or Hard Work, what do you think weighs more in defining a successful person?
Hard work, definitely. From personal experience, success is 99% preparation, execution and teamwork with 1% luck. I got lucky because I tried harder than anyone else.
One best decision you ever made.
Deciding to co-found a startup in my late 20’s. The experience of having to start a business from scratch, build a team and scale it successfully has been the best learning experience of my life and the foundation of my career. It was a journey of self-discovery where your character and ability to execute will be tested in every way possible. The learning never stops.
A strategy that you always use to take your decisions in personal or professional life.
Never try, never know (as long as you manage your risk).
Whose advise you seek when in dilemma?
A group of close friends who know me since young.
What has been your biggest achievement?
Seeing the team who has worked with me reach their potential and become successful people in their own right.
One thing that you want to change in yourself.
To be more patient with people in general.
A line said by your closed one that you never forget.
“We are our own worst enemy”. I found that to be true in many life situations. We are accountable for 99% of our own success and failures, That is why I try to improve my self-awareness as much as I can.
