Cedric Chin
@cedricchin.bsky.social
Publishes http://commoncog.com. Tweets about books & the art of business, from the perspective of an operator. Also: https://warpcast.com/cedric
I am so here for this interaction.
November 9, 2025 at 4:25 PM
I am so here for this interaction.
Thank you for watching! <3
October 28, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Thank you for watching! <3
💯 That's where I got the principles from! (Which I'm sure you know; you've watched the interview, heh).
October 28, 2025 at 9:33 AM
💯 That's where I got the principles from! (Which I'm sure you know; you've watched the interview, heh).
Anyway that's my rant. Just do the thing!
The interview covers a fair bit more than this; watch it in full here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro...
The interview covers a fair bit more than this; watch it in full here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro...
How Singapore’s Founding Fathers Think Like Asian Billionaires | Cedric Chin
What do Singapore’s founding fathers and Asia’s billionaires have in common? More than you think. Cedric Chin breaks down the unspoken strategies behind both...
www.youtube.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Anyway that's my rant. Just do the thing!
The interview covers a fair bit more than this; watch it in full here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro...
The interview covers a fair bit more than this; watch it in full here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro...
Entrepreneurship is, at the end of the day, the ability to improvise forwards from who you are, what you know, who you know, and what you have.
If you don't have funding, so what? Neither did our forefathers. Figure out a configuration that works. And learn to make money.
If you don't have funding, so what? Neither did our forefathers. Figure out a configuration that works. And learn to make money.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Entrepreneurship is, at the end of the day, the ability to improvise forwards from who you are, what you know, who you know, and what you have.
If you don't have funding, so what? Neither did our forefathers. Figure out a configuration that works. And learn to make money.
If you don't have funding, so what? Neither did our forefathers. Figure out a configuration that works. And learn to make money.
One path will teach you about business, on 3 months of work in a year. The other path will teach you about ... complaining?
But it's sexier and higher status to just complain online.
But it's sexier and higher status to just complain online.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
One path will teach you about business, on 3 months of work in a year. The other path will teach you about ... complaining?
But it's sexier and higher status to just complain online.
But it's sexier and higher status to just complain online.
How much more would you learn, as opposed to just complaining on Reddit or LinkedIn about "omg Singapore so bad for entrepreneurship blablabla".
You'd learn about cash conversion cycles, get a feel for debt-to-equity ratio, figure out how to manage suppliers and people.
You'd learn about cash conversion cycles, get a feel for debt-to-equity ratio, figure out how to manage suppliers and people.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
How much more would you learn, as opposed to just complaining on Reddit or LinkedIn about "omg Singapore so bad for entrepreneurship blablabla".
You'd learn about cash conversion cycles, get a feel for debt-to-equity ratio, figure out how to manage suppliers and people.
You'd learn about cash conversion cycles, get a feel for debt-to-equity ratio, figure out how to manage suppliers and people.
Now imagine that you were a fresh grad. You could borrow or raise money to buy this business, run it a few years past the payback period, and use it as a vehicle to learn the ropes of running a business.
Then you could sunset it, and move on to bigger or better things.
Then you could sunset it, and move on to bigger or better things.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Now imagine that you were a fresh grad. You could borrow or raise money to buy this business, run it a few years past the payback period, and use it as a vehicle to learn the ropes of running a business.
Then you could sunset it, and move on to bigger or better things.
Then you could sunset it, and move on to bigger or better things.
The owners were a husband and wife team. They'd been doing it for years. Their take home was around S$200k/yr — which is a decent middle class salary. They were selling the business for ... S$200k, and committed to teaching you the ropes.
One last dance, before retirement.
One last dance, before retirement.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
The owners were a husband and wife team. They'd been doing it for years. Their take home was around S$200k/yr — which is a decent middle class salary. They were selling the business for ... S$200k, and committed to teaching you the ropes.
One last dance, before retirement.
One last dance, before retirement.
Most of these businesses are bad businesses. But some are interesting.
There was one business that sold hampers. The owners worked 2 months out of the whole year. They would spam flyers 2-3 months before CNY. Then hire temp workers to pack and ship the hampers.
There was one business that sold hampers. The owners worked 2 months out of the whole year. They would spam flyers 2-3 months before CNY. Then hire temp workers to pack and ship the hampers.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Most of these businesses are bad businesses. But some are interesting.
There was one business that sold hampers. The owners worked 2 months out of the whole year. They would spam flyers 2-3 months before CNY. Then hire temp workers to pack and ship the hampers.
There was one business that sold hampers. The owners worked 2 months out of the whole year. They would spam flyers 2-3 months before CNY. Then hire temp workers to pack and ship the hampers.
My old boss used to tell me to go to businessforsale dot sg and just go through the listings there. A lot of them are scams, but some of them are real things.
Ping the sellers and go down for a visit. Ask questions and be curious.
Ping the sellers and go down for a visit. Ask questions and be curious.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
My old boss used to tell me to go to businessforsale dot sg and just go through the listings there. A lot of them are scams, but some of them are real things.
Ping the sellers and go down for a visit. Ask questions and be curious.
Ping the sellers and go down for a visit. Ask questions and be curious.
The most important thing you can do is to get some actual business experience. As early as possible.
One way is to go run a small business for someone else, the way I did, and have P&L responsibility.
But another way is to go *buy* a business.
One way is to go run a small business for someone else, the way I did, and have P&L responsibility.
But another way is to go *buy* a business.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
The most important thing you can do is to get some actual business experience. As early as possible.
One way is to go run a small business for someone else, the way I did, and have P&L responsibility.
But another way is to go *buy* a business.
One way is to go run a small business for someone else, the way I did, and have P&L responsibility.
But another way is to go *buy* a business.
Both forms of business exist far outside the VC funding world.
And they've delivered life changing outcomes for the principals involved.
So if you want to go down that path, how do you do this?
And they've delivered life changing outcomes for the principals involved.
So if you want to go down that path, how do you do this?
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Both forms of business exist far outside the VC funding world.
And they've delivered life changing outcomes for the principals involved.
So if you want to go down that path, how do you do this?
And they've delivered life changing outcomes for the principals involved.
So if you want to go down that path, how do you do this?
I'll tell you a story to illustrate this. Some of you know that I helped bootstrap a business that eventually got acquired by Ant.
Some of you may also know that it's actually easier to get to generational wealth running an SME than you might think: commoncog.com/the-joy-of-...
Some of you may also know that it's actually easier to get to generational wealth running an SME than you might think: commoncog.com/the-joy-of-...
The Joy of Small Markets
If you want to get rich, the irony is that small markets are often better than large ones.
commoncog.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
I'll tell you a story to illustrate this. Some of you know that I helped bootstrap a business that eventually got acquired by Ant.
Some of you may also know that it's actually easier to get to generational wealth running an SME than you might think: commoncog.com/the-joy-of-...
Some of you may also know that it's actually easier to get to generational wealth running an SME than you might think: commoncog.com/the-joy-of-...
Just do the thing!
Start the business! Service a need! Do the thing!
More importantly: stop fetishising the startup model! There are far more configurations of business that can work, that can produce good outcomes for you and yours. You just have to look.
Start the business! Service a need! Do the thing!
More importantly: stop fetishising the startup model! There are far more configurations of business that can work, that can produce good outcomes for you and yours. You just have to look.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Just do the thing!
Start the business! Service a need! Do the thing!
More importantly: stop fetishising the startup model! There are far more configurations of business that can work, that can produce good outcomes for you and yours. You just have to look.
Start the business! Service a need! Do the thing!
More importantly: stop fetishising the startup model! There are far more configurations of business that can work, that can produce good outcomes for you and yours. You just have to look.
The thing I'm most pleased with is my rant about "don't complain so much, just go do business."
I find the whole "oh Singapore is bad for startups" discourse ... tiring. Like, maybe it's ok to engage in this if you're a VC. But if you're an entrepreneur, just go do the thing.
I find the whole "oh Singapore is bad for startups" discourse ... tiring. Like, maybe it's ok to engage in this if you're a VC. But if you're an entrepreneur, just go do the thing.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
The thing I'm most pleased with is my rant about "don't complain so much, just go do business."
I find the whole "oh Singapore is bad for startups" discourse ... tiring. Like, maybe it's ok to engage in this if you're a VC. But if you're an entrepreneur, just go do the thing.
I find the whole "oh Singapore is bad for startups" discourse ... tiring. Like, maybe it's ok to engage in this if you're a VC. But if you're an entrepreneur, just go do the thing.
You can do this too. Even with AI, even with the uncertainty of a revolutionary technology.
Here's how: commoncog.com/letter-to-a...
Here's how: commoncog.com/letter-to-a...
Letter to a Young Person Worrying About AI
It is a common misperception that you must be able to predict the future to do well. But it’s possible to act without prediction, even in the face of AI. This is how.
commoncog.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:04 AM
You can do this too. Even with AI, even with the uncertainty of a revolutionary technology.
Here's how: commoncog.com/letter-to-a...
Here's how: commoncog.com/letter-to-a...
There is an alternative.
It turns out that it's possible to act without prediction. If you know how to look, you'll realise that good businesspeople do this more than predicting the future.
I call this "fast adaptation under uncertainty."
It turns out that it's possible to act without prediction. If you know how to look, you'll realise that good businesspeople do this more than predicting the future.
I call this "fast adaptation under uncertainty."
October 27, 2025 at 2:04 AM
There is an alternative.
It turns out that it's possible to act without prediction. If you know how to look, you'll realise that good businesspeople do this more than predicting the future.
I call this "fast adaptation under uncertainty."
It turns out that it's possible to act without prediction. If you know how to look, you'll realise that good businesspeople do this more than predicting the future.
I call this "fast adaptation under uncertainty."
And boy are there a LOT of folks who will feed you predictions about the future. Often they are smart people. Often they are folks intimately involved with the development of the technology.
But history tells us that everyone absolutely SUCKS at making predictions.
But history tells us that everyone absolutely SUCKS at making predictions.
October 27, 2025 at 2:04 AM
And boy are there a LOT of folks who will feed you predictions about the future. Often they are smart people. Often they are folks intimately involved with the development of the technology.
But history tells us that everyone absolutely SUCKS at making predictions.
But history tells us that everyone absolutely SUCKS at making predictions.
The failure mode looks like this:
1. You are afraid you cannot get a job(?) because AI.
2. You believe that in order to prevent (1), you must be able to predict the future accurately.
3. So you spend a lot of cycles trying to predict and model changes in the world better.
1. You are afraid you cannot get a job(?) because AI.
2. You believe that in order to prevent (1), you must be able to predict the future accurately.
3. So you spend a lot of cycles trying to predict and model changes in the world better.
October 27, 2025 at 2:04 AM
The failure mode looks like this:
1. You are afraid you cannot get a job(?) because AI.
2. You believe that in order to prevent (1), you must be able to predict the future accurately.
3. So you spend a lot of cycles trying to predict and model changes in the world better.
1. You are afraid you cannot get a job(?) because AI.
2. You believe that in order to prevent (1), you must be able to predict the future accurately.
3. So you spend a lot of cycles trying to predict and model changes in the world better.