theculturalconnect.com

Ventures

TONE;
"Binary City" (film);
Talkmatic.com (online podcast)

Website

www.tonelisten.com
www.binary-city.com
www.talkmatic.com
www.geekwhat.com (blog)

Name, Title

Tony Chung, music and web entrepreneur

Age

Hometown

Austin, TX

Current residence

San Jose, CA

Education

San Jose State University, BS Electrical Engineering

Work Experience

Professional musical artist, 2006-present;
Cisco Systems, 2004-2005;
Maxim Integrated Products, 2003.

Ethnicity

Taiwanese-American

About your ventures

I've always been inclined towards keeping myself busy. Life is too short to stay put. My ventures usually involve my two passions: music and entrepreneurship.

In July 2006, I released my Mandarin pop debut album in Taiwan under artist name "TONE." It was a culmination of hard work, persistence, and musical growth through several years of high school and college. I'm particularly proud of the album because my company and I created the music for the album from scratch in the States. The album has since spread to China and Singapore and is now available on Apple iTunes.

"Binary City" is a student film that I starred in while in college (2005). My buddy, Mark, wrote the script and directed the film. It was my first acting experience and a very fond memory. "Binary City" was featured in the 2007 Cinequest Film Festival.

Talkmatic.com is a podcast site featuring everyday conversations with interesting people. We chat with people with interesting backgrounds and achievements about everyday topics. You will find useful things in our chats that you might not learn in class or read on blogs. Some of our chats include people like Meebo.com founder Seth Sternberg and Microsoft evangelist and super blogger Robert Scoble.

Oh and I also spend a lot of time at Geekwhat.com = my blog. It's fun. Go check it out.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

I spend my days and hours pursuing my interests. Here's a general equation that I live by:

my interests = my passions = what keeps me busy

If this equation is not true, there's something wrong in my life. Sometimes it's tough managing a lot of projects, but fortunately, I'm surrounded by awesome friends with similar passions.

I usually spend my days communicating with these friends and maintaining and strengthening my ventures. This may translate to web design, blogging (at Geekwhat.com), or producing new material.

At the time of this interview, I am still an undergrad student getting a degree in Electrical Engineering, so I devote most of my time to my studies.

Most notable milestones

Releasing my debut album in 2006 was a major milestone. Before then, I'd been playing in several garage bands, selling CDs of original music, and pursuing singing competitions. All the hard work really paid off.

Being granted a full-ride college scholarship allowed me to continue pursuing my passions while studying at school.

What's the niche?

I don't know many super-passionate business / tech bloggers who have an album available on Apple iTunes.

What's the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is to get the most out of every venture that I pursue. I'm equally passionate about all the projects that I work on, but one person can only do so much. As cliche as it sounds, prioritizing and time management are critical components to succeeding in ventures.

My long-term goal (a big challenge for me) is to narrow my goals and commitments down to only one or two.

What's in store for the future?

More cool-tastic achievements in the areas of entrepreneurship and music! Vague I know but hard to be specific.

Come join my journey at my blog!

Who would you like to be contacted by?

I'm always open to collaboration in any area. Contact me!

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Best way to keep a competitive edge

Stay on top of your game. Research. Know your competitors. Study why they are successful. Then find your edge. Be a Purple Cow (as Seth Godin would say).

And always. Always. Know your objective(s). What's (are) yours?

Guiding principle in life

Always be generous. It'll come back to you.

Yardstick of success

Google yourself. :) Just kidding. Well not really, but also ask your closest friends how you are doing on your ventures. Listen to them, and take action.

Goal yet to be achieved

Magazine cover.

Best practical advice

Follow up. Don't give up. And stay hungry!

Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture

My dad always tells me to know my objectives and to contemplate whether they are SMART:

S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Achievable
R: Realistic
T: Timeline

What motivated you to get started?

"Jerry Maguire." Watch the movie if you haven't. If you have, watch it again to boost your inspiration. I love that movie.

Show me the money!

Like best about what you do?

Seeing results. Hearing people's feedback. It's so awesome to know that there are people in this world who are excited about what you are pursuing.

Like least about what you do?

The pressure to do well and to succeed can be pretty immense at times.

Why major in EE and not music? (Or double major)

I majored in Electrical Engineering because I love technology. I am fascinated with the constant advancement of technology and what it can do for people in this world. Getting a degree in EE helps me better understand how to innovate in the tech arena.

I love music. But it's hard for me to continue loving something that I am required to do. Reading Rolling Stone magazine is something I love to do. But if that were a weekly course assignment, I would avoid reading the magazine at all costs. Catch my point?

How do you differentiate yourself from other musicians (in Taiwan)?

This is something that I've learned after eight months in Taiwan as a rookie musical artist the first time around. No matter what market you're in, you need to be able to answer this question at a moment's notice.

To be honest, it is something I am still contemplating to this day. These days, you can't simply write music because it evokes emotion and sounds great. In order to stand out, there need to be even more reasons to listen to one's music.

Follow my journey. Watch for my second album. You will see how I differentiate myself from other musicians. ;)

At age ten, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an actor.

What was your first job?

My first job was working at a library page in high school. It was wicked awesome. First dibs at all books, magazines, CDs (drool), DVDs, and whatever else the library offered. What more could one ask for? :)

Biggest pastime outside of work

Web stuff. Blogging.

Person most interested in meeting and why?

John Lennon. I am fascinated by his principles and his music. I would love to have sat in on one of his songwriting sessions in the studio. I think it would have been magical.

Leader in business most interested in meeting and why?

Steve Jobs. Who doesn't want to meet the mastermind behind all that is Apple?

Three interesting facts about yourself

1. In high school, I wanted to be an architect or interior designer.
2. I love Indian food.
3. I spend over two hours a day on the computer. On the Internet.

Three characteristics that describe you

1. Bold
2. Geeky
3. Musical

Three greatest passions

1. Songwriting
2. Web design
3. Entrepreneurship

Favorite book and why

"The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki is an essential read for all entrepreneurs. His writing style is straightforward and bull-free. The title tells it all.

Favorite blog and why

There's always something interesting to read at www.johnchow.com. If you're passionate about blogging, go there.

Is there anything else you!d like to add?

In the words of Steve Jobs, "Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

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Successful Technophile Tony Chung

Credits

Also this week

Don't forget!