Well, when your age is stepping up near 30, you’ll start thinking about the future, especially if you’re already married.

That is what happen to most of my friends. I just got another phone call about an idea and collaboration. Funny how people tend to just start thinking about getting online for some business, see how far Lelong has taken.

I tried to support if I can, so my friends can be a boss. Most failed though, let’s just see how and why they failed.

Boss = Free time. That is the mentality of people nowadays. People tend to think that a boss, should and will be free. Everything will be settled by their employee, or friend. Well, worst yet, Boss = Money + Mouth + Network. Yes, no experiences needed, but I wonder why don’t they just get into some MLM or insurance with that in mind, isn’t it the requirement of those line? Really, this chart can clearly show what they really think about:

Big money come big money, small money come small money. RM1k business is nothing, afterall no business return more than 100% soon. So they wanted to look at the RM100k (At the minimum) to start off. See how people like funding and government and etc etc that giving money for SME? That’s right, if you start small, you are smart potato, and earn a potato. See how some friend see me like a boss who barely afford food and won’t get into hunger, that is just how low I started off

I see that people like to retire earlier… When you are a kid, you wanted to be grown up; when you grown up, you actually wanted to get old.

This is probably the first time I felt so right to quit a project. Although I must say, I did it a little late. We have discussed over this and felt that this client has some red flag. Well, we like giving chance, and this time, only one.

As a business operator in Malaysia, I too would like to meet some new business person locally, that’s why I choose to move to Klang Valley after a year of consideration. However, the perfect dream doesn’t always comes together, it’s like wearing down parkas for winter to feel warm myself.

Well, we get lots of news about how fresh graduate demand a lot and whatnot. However, we missed the part where the employer looking for more in a fresh graduate. Check what their requirement for a web designer and you’ll be surprise actually web designer, is basically everything IT. The same problems lies in clients and service providers too.

Service provider provided an Internet connection, slow but stable. We client, demand a fast and stable connection. Service provider tried to be fair on bandwidth usage, we client, complaint about downloading.

The same thing with business owner, like myself perhaps…?

One phrase I hate the most, and happen to be the most talked by Malaysian themselves – Because this is Malaysia mah, we Malaysian you know lah…

I… Seriously don’t know. Just a few points here…

Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious country. I believe not everyone think and act like you. You don’t need to bring the whole Malaysia and Malaysian with you.

If others are able to communicate via just email for one project, and you can’t, because you don’t have confident with it, or you scare, or you don’t like or whatever situation you have in mind that bounce away from the idea of having to communicate via email ONLY, then admit it. You don’t need to bring the whole Malaysia and Malaysian with you.

Throwing trash outside a vehicle while in highway, is a big no-no. Spitting beside the walkway is a big no-no too. If you know that, but you felt that is wasting your time, or making your vehicle dirty, or you just don’t care, admit it. You don’t need to bring the whole Malaysia and Malaysian with you.

I believe everyone knows what is morally right and wrong, and why they are right or wrong. But taking the blame for being a Malaysian in Malaysia to justify your action is just wrong in so many ways. Suck it up and be the real Malaysian with a thinking together with an act!

The other day, while I was tinting my car windows at the garage, the boss offer me great deal on some audio system with the whatever graphic equalizer musicians friend stuff and all. I was tempted at first, but on the second thought… Why would I want a great sound system, when I don’t really listen much to music (is radio consider music?), and I don’t like those “beating” music.

Now, my brother has this problem with noise in the car, but expecting noiseless car engine. I am all for a noiseless car, if I could have some money in my bank, I will go for all those high end car, BMW, Benz etc etc instead. However, if I were to place a whole new sound system and beating all the music, I’ll choose the above car – Proton Saga BLM – instead.

Last week, I went down to a small town called Mantin, to meet an old friend of mine. It has been years we did not come out just 2 of us. So we spend sometimes there together, and my wife as well.

He doesn’t really understand what I’m working as. Web designer is not a very prominent title for small town like Sibu, not to mention Mantin. So I told him that I, design website that he click; work on project basis with client around the World. So that is just some small talk together, surely he started to understand, but not fully. Well, not a big deal, because after all, he wanted to know how I earn a living (how I charge). Here comes the interesting part.

So I told him that I work on a project for around 3 months usually (where 6 months is top, some are even longer), for a four-figure price range. He was shocked, not because my charges is high (seriously!), but because the time that I spend on with the project in comparison with the price range. He is somehow a contractor, so he told me that his work is pretty straightforward and less back-and-forth thing; go to the site to check and measure -> work on it -> deliver the work (physical product) – sometimes involves two round of delivery -> get paid, all done within a month or less than that at four-figure price range as well.

Now, it wakes me up. I remember people asking me questions like “Freelance can (survive) a?”, or “I know your financial bro” and etc. Hmmm… Guess it’s the difference between selling service for physical products and digital goods.