Hey all đ
Thanks for dropping by.
I aim to:
Discuss the latest innovations in Web3 technology
Examine the fascinating cultures of Asia (mostly focused on Japan and Korea)
Share tips for networking and using social media to your advantage
Guide startup advice and entrepreneurship, and
Explore ways to cultivate positive personal habits and lifehacks.
Please tag along for the ride if youâre interested!
Contents
What Iâm pondering
Successful romantic relationships
Web3
Ethereum completes Shanghai upgrade
Eth Tokyo
Startups / Business
Lyft in Trouble
Asia
Doing business in Japan, Beau Becker
Japan Fintech Observer
Networking
Community Building, 9/10 will fail
Life Hacks & Tools
Is burnout even real?
Coffee of the Week
Sound of Silence, Hoi An
Office BGM
What Iâm pondering
Being unapologetically yourself can help filter out those who do not align with your values in a relationship or team.
Successful romantic relationships
I really enjoyed the deep discussion between Mark Manson and Tom Bilyeuâs podcast Impact Theory recently.
Mark has been well-known for a number of years after releasing his book âThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckâ in 2016. It was a quiet seller in the first few years after release, then the pandemic happened and sales skyrocketed as many people struggled to get through one of the hardest times to be a human. The book focuses less on a perfect solution to lifeâs issues but more so how to reframe your thoughts differently.
The first half of the talk was quite standard but the themes in the second half were quite interesting.
They focused on relationships; especially the rich connections that we can attain from a romantic relationship over several years with oneâs significant other, as well as the feelings that humans can gain from a deep relationship with our partners that we canât get from any other relationship.
I wasnât expecting to be so hooked on what they said, but there were some really strong points that resonated with me enough to think more deeply about what they said, my own experiences and to share with you.
Core values in a relationship are the guiding beliefs that direct your words and actions.
It is no surprise that Mark and Tom discussed values as being integral to a successful partnership. Acknowledging strengths and weaknesses and having clear roles is important for the functional unit, Tom said, whilst giving reference to childrenâs soccer or professional football.
"You need roles like you need it's like absolutely mod soccer if you've ever seen little kids play soccer they just swarm around the ball and everybody runs in a big Clump whereas once you get to the professionals it's everybody has a role they know exactly what they do and they do it to a t yeah and I think the same is true in a marriage I don't care what your roles are but make sure you know who's doing what."
Some of the other main topics that they discussed in regard to relationships included issues and how to get beyond them, keys to successful relationships as well as attractiveness and self-worth.
Whether youâre in a relationship or not, I think there is a lot of good advice and some good takeaways from the conversation.
Web3
Ethereum completes Shanghai upgrade
The Ethereum Shanghai upgrade was completed successfully at 10:27 p.m. UTC on April 12.
Whatâs so important about it?
Ethereumâs Shanghai hard fork enabled withdrawals for users who âstakedâ their ether (ETH) to secure and validate transactions on the blockchain. This was an important part of the Ethereum 2.0 roadmap in order to make it a proof of stake chain.
The Shanghai fork is the biggest advancement in Ethereum in recent months, and it has drawn considerable attention. While its wallet project MetaMask has offered a user manual and scam alerts, ConsenSys has unveiled a number of commemorative NFTs.
Meanwhile, four days after the upgrade, over 1 million Ether worth $2.1 billion, has now been withdrawn from Ethereumâs Beacon Chain. Itâs also the first time Ether has pushed over $2,100 in 11 months.
Eth Tokyo
Eth Tokyo has been popping off over the last few days as many have been converging onto Tokyo for the main event and side events.
It was nice to be invited to Web3 Tokyo Connect co-hosted by Animoca Brands / Drecom / Yay! / Kyuzan / FiNANCiE.
There were lots of opportunities to meet new people, discussions about where the industry is headed, talks of new projects getting funded and more. For those interested, Eth Global uploaded a video of the closing event on its YouTube account.
With the news this week that the government will aim to discuss crypto with the G7 in Hiroshima next month and future events in Tokyo and beyond in May and June, there will surely be more news from the far east soon.
Startups / Business
Lyft in Trouble
Lyft, a competitor to Uber, appears to be in trouble, as pointed out by Gergely Orosz in The Scoop.
Lyft is facing significant financial challenges, with its market cap having collapsed by nearly 90% to $3.37B, less than the amount it raised in funding. The company's revenue in 2022 was $4.1B, while it made an adjusted net loss of $531M, and its market share has stagnated at 28% compared to Uber's 72%. These challenges have resulted in drastic action, with the founders stepping away from management duties and a new CEO with a background in e-commerce being appointed to lead the company.
The story of Lyft serves as a cautionary tale for startups that believe that simply getting to the IPO stage guarantees long-term success.
It is essential for companies to continually adapt to changing market conditions, learn from the successes and failures of other companies, and be willing to make difficult decisions in order to survive and thrive in a competitive environment.
I will be watching closely to see how Lyftâs fortunes evolve in the coming months and years, and what lessons can be learned from its experiences.
Asia
How To Conduct Sales In Japan With Beau Becker
I was really impressed with the interview with Beau Becker, CEO of Rainbow Pharmaceuticals in Japan for Tyson Batinoâs Scaling Japan podcast in February. Beau shared his insights from his experience working in sales for traditional mid-sized Japanese corporations.
A seasoned salesman who worked in China before moving to Japan, he has more than 10 years of professional experience working in Asia and had worked on multiple sales teams for traditional mid-sized Japanese corporations. Beau possessed a wealth of solid experience in sales and customer relationship management in Japan as a Westerner.
In the podcast, he shared many tips and advice on how to conduct sales in Japan with traditional Japanese companies, as well as provided insight into the thought processes and inner workings of traditional Japanese companies to assist others in their sales efforts.
"I found that the sales team is much more of full account managers. I would even say that they are the voice of their customers within their corporation."
The episode was laden with tons of tips from the perspective of a foreigner doing business in Japan, so I will give a few that jumped out at me here.
For foreigners working in a Japanese company, try to embrace a balance of 50% Japanese culture and 50% of your own culture. Bring your own unique perspectives and experiences to the table while still respecting Japanese customs.
To successfully fit in and get mentored in a Japanese company, choose one manager and put yourself in an apprentice position. Make yourself available and attend their meetings.
As a Japanese speaker, I learnt the language after coming to the country and doing my best to make it work best for me. I found that you donât often give your best or receive the best results if you attempt to fully naturalize yourself in the country. I was pleased to see that Beau also recommends finding the right balance between your foreignness and fully adhering to Japanese customs.
Some common misunderstandings for foreigners in Japan regarding sales include:
Using polite speech (keigo) all the time, as it is used to increase the distance between people. The closer the relationship, the less polite speech is used. Strive for more casual interactions as the relationship strengthens.
Sales in Japan often require reaching the decision maker directly. Attend exhibitions or events where the company is present and try to find and engage with the most senior people at the company to establish a connection.
For more, check out the Scaling Japan website: https://scalingyourcompany.com/how-to-conduct-sales-in-japan-with-beau-becker/
Japan Fintech Observer
Tokyo FinTechâs Norbert Gehrke has kicked off the Japan FinTech Observer this month.
The publication is aiming to summarise some of the key points in fintech and crypto in Japan. Norbert is keeping abreast of some of the news in the industry in Japan and presenting some interesting news of the week.
Feel free to check it out.
Networking
Prediction: 9/10 communities will fail.
Great communities are at the heart of an excellent network.
But why do so many fail?
As an attempt to make sure fewer communities fail, Milly Tamati created this fantastic infographic about some of the issues that communities have and how to mitigate them. Check it out for some pointers on where many go wrong.
Life Hacks & Tools
My Unremarkable Brain: The Quest to Fix My Burnout, Or Whatever It Was
Millennials are the most burned-out generation, with 59% experiencing some symptoms of burnout.
Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. But what is burnout, many of us ask? Misha Yurchenko published an interesting article recently about the topic.
Some takeaways:
Burnout can be categorized into three types: frenetic, under-challenged, and worn-out.
There are many different symptoms associated with burnout, including exhaustion, anxiety, boredom, and hints of more serious depressive moods.
Scientists and researchers have been studying burnout for fifty years, but there is still no agreed-upon definition.
Misha is a really interesting and inquisitive writer. If youâre interested to learn more, check out his article here.
Coffee of the Week
Sound Of Silence Coffee Shop - Hoi An, Vietnam
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/TF3QmZwhWMWcv2BY6
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sound_of_silence_coffee
I recently visited Sound of Silence Coffee Shop in Hoi An and I must say, it was a delightful experience.
The pancakes and coffee were absolutely delicious and I can't wait to go back for more. The cafe is situated by the beach and offers a serene and peaceful atmosphere. I spent hours pottering away on my laptop, sometimes reading a book, and occasionally taking a dip in the ocean.
The cafe is popular with digital nomads and offers fast WiFi and charging points. They have a beautiful garden with a range of seating options from chairs to hammocks and sun loungers. The view is probably the best I've ever had at a cafe, overlooking the beach.
And just look at that coffee! Probably the best espresso I had in Vietnam.
Office BGM
Itâs been somewhat of a selection this week.
Iâve still been delving into Sakamoto Ryuichiâs works. He did a number of works with Alva Noto, including the 2011 album Summvs. Itâs a tranquil and meditative minimal electronic masterpiece.
The track NEO-PLANT which he co-penned with Koharu Kisaragi also got some repeat plays this week. The track is almost 40 years old now, having come out in 1986 and really shows incredible of his creativity during this period. It could easily be dropped into a DJ set in 2023 and be the standout track.
Thanks for reading! Until next time,
Kayne
Love this week's newsletter.