A very length conversation with Eric

I am not sure if " To discuss everything before partnership " is a good strategy to take or not, but the lesson I learned in the past was if some hidden agend didn't disclose before shake hand, mis-communication and mis-understanding will mess up all the good intention in building business while keeping friendship. this is why when Eric knocked on my door before Chinese New Year asked about the future corporation, I told him that I have to think it all over and not to repeat my neglect of working ground again. and the long converation with Eric took place yesterday from 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the newly open department store : The Station.

It was raining and cold, I never felt such a cold before, probabely it contribute to the wet weather, so, I checked my iphone on the taxi, it is 12 degree, so chilly. The station is a warm place, during the new year holidays, crowd are gathering at public places such as theaters , scenic spots, amusement park and department stores, The Station to me is like a huge stadium, as it's the champion season for super ball, so many people floating at the groud, seeing , buying and eating ( the most ), I trust pocket picker love the place.

Eric and 2 team mate were at Starbucks, an architechture and John : the interesting guy who run Sun Way Bio. I step in their conversation and learned the project Eric running is " Hello Kitty Amusement Park " a festival similar concept to create a temperory amusment park for entertaining target customers ( kids below 12 and there parent / grand parent ), not a bad idea to start a new company on the exhizibition domain. the estimate investment is around 150 millions NT and the profit forecast is more than 100 millions, this is what I post a doubt on as they shoot for the 1 million attendee. never mind. the risk is mild, the only risk are : safety of the audience in the park, prevention hugh equipment damage during the typhoon season and some nature cause, safety of the beverage and food offer in the park. it should be a good business. I didn't share much of my thoughs when listen to their conversation, but to offer on idea on location selection : Taipei Zoo skirt -- The Zoo Mall area, as it almost run out of business, but the infransturace were there, facility can be reuse and it provide a good identity of kids garden - it's at the ZOO, it might create the effect of shooing 2 birds with one stone.

The rest of our time with Eric along is the conversation I prepared to go over with Eric, when took out my 4 pages memo, Eric is a little bit shock, he might not think of I will conduct such a serious talk, then asked if he may borrow my pen and paper.

I set the ground tone first, all I want to deal is the business side of this future corporation, why I am doing it is for keeping the good friendship with him and the well communication before hand is aiming for building a block of partnership. I am no sure if my prerequisite really pay off as I started my conversation with a very sensitive topic : Who make the final decision? Eric told me this is an open question and there won't be concrete answers, his experience told him if investor contribute money only and can say nothing about the business or join some business decision, problem will occure and he had such a bad experience, what I share with him is : How we define the professional manager and respect his / her business insight and integrity to conduct a successful business, Eric insisted that Western way is differently from Chinese way of managerment, we spend like hour discuss and debate on this topic, I like this, this is what I want him to think befor we shake hands.

Sensitive topics continues with : Authorization, Reporting, Human Resource decision, Method of communication and the working ethic and believes, for working ethics, I address on the " not a one call summon, appearing immediate working prinspal " this is what I hate about , the bossy boss, and how we see the working hours and working places. I know Eric is not favor with my viewpoints such as : If my sobodinate work until 2 am, to show my leadership, I must stay and win respect from this colleage, my point is totally different : I will asked why he must work at midnigh and see if there's a need for me to stay with him, then identify solution to change this behavior or replace this person..... The more I dig the sensitive issue, the more I admired the auther who write " The little black book about entreprenure ", you don't really want a partner if you don't really need it, or if the partner contribute on cash only, it will be fine..so, this is not the debate about east vs west, but human nature and human behavior.

The final part is the financial reward : for the project base, the gap is not huge, only the matter of 1 million project fees OK with the investor or not, although Eric emphesis on this is a learning proces without spending too much effor and time, only concentrate on buidling the future team, but I told him everything have cost, what if in 6 months, the project complete but the company will not establishing, then how should I caculate my risk? this is fine as there's a room for counter my fees. I will accept it when Eric return the call ( if he think the corporation terms is not an obstacle to overcome )

For the corporation part, I lay out the founder share , stock option, bonus and salary scheme for discussion, Eric is shocked, he never thought I am prepare to lay all the ground, he spend decent time explained to me the partnership should build on agreeable terms on " Fat salary or future bonus " since it will be critical for start up to spend too much on over head, of course, I fully understand his point, and I proces it once a few months before, but I need to address it, really to inform my need and want in advance, it everything is OK, then I should go my own way without finding partner or investor.

The end episode ? well, everything is open for negociation, but with a groud, I lay the ground and test the water of partnership, if it can't work out, we better not enter the corporation. for the project, I know my value and funtion is the figure head, to decorate the project and let it look good, a high level PR for the project and media, the cost of my brand need at lease 500.000, this is the bottomline to start. Now, I should took a passive attitude and wait for the call -- if any.

Eric told me that Brokens Bros. is working on U2 tour to Taiwan in Aug. ( Kaoshung Government offer a 50 millions co-investment ), well if the 360 degree concert come to Taiwan, will be the biggest entertainment news. in April, they will book Bob Dylan at Nankang convention center, woo, pretty risky, my wild guess is 50000 audience maximum, but, I shall be there, right? Mum.. too much concert, too little audience, too expensive tickets.

Am I finally falling in the entertainment sector? am I, or how to bring up the scale of entertainment business in Taiwan / China, or why should I do this?

Eric sold his Sun Way share to Danny, Green Battery share to Yeh Ko Yi, the cash he collect should be in his new investment private fund. I guess.

Now, my turn to thik the pros and cons in Eric's initaitve:
1. Is it a step to entreprenurship? if the answer is YES, I should well degist the little black book again.
2. Am I choose the right industry with my passion, capacilty and belive?
3. Should I identify Eric a right partner ? and who's behind? the assigning 2 executives will definetly create a " Workload - Performance - Contribution - Fairness " syndrome, how should I face it?
4. Is this project turn company approach help me achive my goals and dream in reality?

Oh Yes, we finally make our trip to Keelung on Monday , and ate some not so great temple vendor foods. and Sound raise temper when Meiling suggest to buy him new sports shoes, yes, the temper is the Gene in him. we can only bare with it.

The Plastic

On New Year Day, I woke around 10 am and decided to watch one wake up film, turn up the PPS and browse the documentary section, I choose the Plastic, this is quite an educational film, it covered varies area in Plastic and Human, Enviorment and the Solution today. my learning from the film: Use less plastic as much as possible, for the earth, for the health and for the better tomorrow.

Sound slept unitl 3 pm, I asked Meiling not to wake him up and see how good he can stayed on bad, this winter, I told Sound it's a physically not healthy , mental healthy winter for him, No exercise, over-eating and not following the daily life routine, on the other hand, build a even stronger itimacy with father, knowing the family more is the upside, I do worried that on the new semester, Sound will suffer the rigid school rules in the first few days.

Returning my holiday greeting message to friend. this year, Danny, Jamie, Andrew, the 3 forum brothers didn't send the holiday greeting, well, I didn't do it at the first place.

we dicided to go out by 4 pm, taking the North Coast Highway, we stop at Keelung but skip the temple vendor street strolling as there are too many people waiting for the parking, turn to the coast highway, McDonald become our diner room, 7-11 golden sand beach store is the recreation stop. we take the routine and finally drove to Shen Keng old street for walking, the old street operate later than before, not much to eat, not much to see, during the Chinese New Year holidays, people in the south move north and north go down south. we are wondering why there are more than one 5 star hotel in Shen Keng? I don't really get it.

Slept with Sound at the top floor - study room, promise him a sleep out of the house, do, we decided to do it together, the first 2 hours turn to the mosquito fight, we eliminate 4 mosquitos...

This is the New Year Day, Eric return with the message of seeing each other in 2 days. a lot to think, a lot to discuss..

Happy Chinese New Year

As last year, we planned to take a hot spring bath before New Year Eve dinner, Sound and Fruit didn't want to go, so, Meiling and I stepped out of our door by 8:00 am and heading for Wu Lai Paulside Hot Spring Resort.

The weather is cool for the hot spring, cold and raining, Meiling is a good hot spring bath taker, she can stayed for a day, I am not, everytime I go to hot spring, 40 minutes is the maximum time I am endurance in the hot water, then I will feel dizzy and sleepy.

The book I bought day before help me spent decent time at the hot spring resort, The Spirit of Day is a collective infomation digest by 2 author, and it really help me to think how to appreciate my diay life, especially in the beginning of Chinese New Year.

I like the story and mataphore about the Dayfly, and the Living Today as your Life sincerely, and I am very into the death warning mataphore the writer point out from there trip to Italy.

Picked up the new year eve dinner at Howard Plaza Hotel, it became a good business to them. very organized, we arrived home by 3:30 pm and Meiling preparing other hot dishes for our early dinner.

Red envolop is a bad habit in our family as the elder expecting money and the younger wish to spend her luxury life, no feeling to give at all, just a routine , a bad routine.

Meiling went to see my father in law after our early and quick dinner, she said the fortune teller predict that one of her parent will pass away in 3 years. well.

And I took time to watch one great film from PPS : The Blind Side, Sandra is a great actress and the true story is so touching, amazing encourging film, I can't complain the correctly of translation from PPS, if you follow the subtitle they traslated, you will be lost. it's 60 percent wrong, I have to be very concentrate on listing, good practice for me.

The New Year wish from Meiling is to sit at the coach watch TV until falling asleep, so Sound and I help her make her wish come true, we went up to bad after midnight... some new year greeting message flow in, I am not hurry to reply or response.