1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: Global business news twenty four hours a day at Bloomberg 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,799 Speaker 1: dot com, the radio, plus mobile lact and on your radio. 3 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: This is a Bloomberg Business flag from Bloomberg World Handquarters. 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: I'm Charlie Pellet. Costcos numbers are out a beat on 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: the earnings per share number dollars seventy seven. Their estimates 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: dollar seventy three fourth quarter sales though thirty six point 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: five six billion estimates were for thirty six point nine billion. 8 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: The Dow, the SMP, NZTAK all declined today. SMP five 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: hundred index down twenty points, a drop of nine tenths 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: of one percent. The SMP ending today's session at twenty 11 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: one fifty one down, Industrials down a hundred and ninety 12 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: five points, a drop there of one point one percent, 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: and has stack down forty nine, a drop of nine 14 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: tenths of one percent. Ten year of four thirty seconds 15 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: yield one point five six percent, Gold up a dollar 16 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: ten the ounce twenty higher by one tenth of one percent, 17 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: and crude oil West Exus Intermediate up seventy cents of 18 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: art seventy five on w t I, a gain of 19 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: one and a half percent. I'm Charlie Pellot. That's a 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: bloom Bread business flash. You're listening to Taking Stock with 21 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: Kathleen Hayes and Pim Box on Bloomberg Radio. We all 22 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: know that cheating is bad, particularly someone has cheated us. 23 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: It's something we think everyone should avoid. But the author 24 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: of a new book has a different spin on it, 25 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: and his book, The Cheat Code, explains why it's one 26 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: of the reasons certain people seem to get ahead just 27 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: a bit faster than everyone else. And of course he's 28 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: a good example. Uh. He graduated from college by age eighteen, 29 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: he raised four million adventure capital, started company before he 30 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: turned five, and then grew that company into a global 31 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: mobile advertising in just four years with the cheat Code. 32 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,559 Speaker 1: Brian Wong, Welcome to the show. Thanks for having me on. Okay, 33 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: what's the cheat Code? Yes, I mean the title is, yeah, 34 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: a bit controversial on purpose, but the whole point of 35 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: it was, you remember back in the day with playing 36 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: video games, you have these cheat codes you could use 37 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: to get ahead, right, And the whole premise of this was, 38 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: what if there are cheat codes for real life? And 39 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: so there's so many one of these cheat codes embedded 40 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,119 Speaker 1: in the book, and as an entrepreneur for the past 41 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: six years as I built my company, I figured, you know, 42 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: there might be something that we could do that our 43 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: actionable tips and tricks that you can actually do in 44 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: the next ten minutes, that or even tomorrow, that could 45 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: help you get in the habit of getting ahead. I 46 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: feel like a lot of self help things that are 47 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: trying to get you to be motivated, or a lot 48 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: of really kind of generic advice like follow your passion 49 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: and all these things we've all heard that it's more 50 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: what can I do tomorrow? And that is what I 51 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: wanted to get folks that were entrepreneurial in their mindset 52 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: to be able to do right away. All right, So 53 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: why don't you offer some of the tidbits of advice 54 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: and some of the experience that leads you to it. Yeah. 55 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: So one of my favorites is the cheat, uh know, 56 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: your superpower, which is basically on the point that as 57 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: you get older, you kind of had a point where 58 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: you stopped focusing on fixing your weaknesses and really focusing 59 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: on just your strengths. And you know, when we're in school, 60 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: get bs and cs and you get tutors to fix 61 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: all that, and it's you know, why not just go 62 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: to the things you already know you're gonna be good 63 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: at and highlight that as your superpower. For example, my superpowers. 64 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: I'm very good at getting people really excited about stuff, 65 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: and that's what I do every day with investors, customers, 66 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: you name it, and I folks that are complementary and 67 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: their superpowers that have superpowers that I don't have, like 68 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: in math and anything quantitative, they'll have that covered. So 69 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: that's one. The second is actually tapping into the power 70 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: of email. One of my personal favorites cold email. Adding 71 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: a cold emailing cold LinkedIn adding are two ways to 72 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: basically get whatever you want in business. Now, of course 73 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: I'm being half serious, half kidding, but the whole point 74 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: is if you're able to ask, get to people, get 75 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: network to use the power of technology, you have the 76 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: ability to get ahold of anyone you want to potentially 77 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: work with in business. So I know who's the boss? 78 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: What does that? What part of the cheak code is 79 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: that it's really understanding that everyone has someone they're essentially 80 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: responsible to, even the top of the top, right the 81 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: president being the American people you know for us, uh, 82 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: I think what happens is when you're pitching, when you're 83 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: going into a meeting, it's really important understand what the 84 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: power structures are. And for me, I had a political 85 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: science background, so it's really important to understand power structures 86 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: and I figured that that would be something that would 87 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: be worth analyzing when you go into these scenarios. I 88 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: was gonna say, get a haircut, but that is in 89 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: the book, isn't it Get a trademark haircut. It's one 90 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: of my favorites. It's really about it's representing personal branding, 91 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: and you know, it's, I guess kind of appropriate trump that, 92 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: you know, people who seem to have the best personal brands, 93 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,359 Speaker 1: the best being the most memorable, happen to seem to 94 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: have trademark haircuts, um facial hair. I mean, it's crazy, 95 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: isn't it. But the point is, when you're out there 96 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: in the world of business, it's important to develop your 97 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 1: own brand, whether it be the personality you convey, the 98 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: way you communicate, visuals a part of it. It's all 99 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: part of the package. Now I want to hear more 100 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: about you. You grew up in British Columbia. You graduated 101 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: from college very early, so tell us what is it 102 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: about your background? Is it your parents you mentioned tutors. 103 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: Did they just pound you into getting good grades? Where 104 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: you sort of did you just you know, jump into 105 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: the world born like this crazy little toddler that that 106 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: ran around and never stopped and met people on the street. 107 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 1: I get told I have a lot of energy, but 108 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: I feel like I don't think my for example, i 109 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: Q levels or intelligence were necessarily higher than anyone else's. 110 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: I think that it was just my perseverance, as cliche 111 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: as it sounds, just there's a lot of things that 112 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: don't actually take a lot of skill, like not giving up, 113 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: not taking no for an answer, these types of things, 114 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: and I think I just I had this itch. I 115 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: felt like I needed to do things a bit faster, 116 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: mainly because I realized now even looking back with technology, 117 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: a lot of timelines that we used to always think 118 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: would take a certain amount of time have compressed. And 119 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: this is to get promoted and work to getting head 120 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: in school. A lot of things were built in an 121 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: era or just processes and structures and things that they're 122 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: sort of normal or the status quo came from an 123 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: era where not necessarily the access to technology and knowledge 124 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: that we have today existed. So what also, I advocated 125 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: in the book is you can learn almost anything online today. Anything. 126 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: In fact, there's like this Olympic pole vaulter or something 127 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: I think learned how to do it on YouTube, right, 128 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: so that you have no excuse now to not learn 129 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: these things. Pick it up. They say, the next Bill 130 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: Gates is probably gonna be a little girl in rule 131 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: India if she's got an Internet connection in a tablet. 132 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: That's why you have no excuse now to not learn 133 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: these things and try to get ahead faster, Bryan. The 134 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: book is filled with things that you should do. Tell 135 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: us some of the things you should not do. So 136 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: actually one of them in there, and I think on 137 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: on sort of a business angle is uh, don't treat 138 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: your investors like God or anyone that has money or 139 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 1: seems to represent money. One of the reasons why I 140 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: describe that is because a lot of entrepreneurs they'll pitch 141 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: a vc uh and then they'll get feedback, and then 142 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: they'll like change everything and try to appease that person. 143 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: And I try to remind them you were the one 144 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: that came up with this idea. You're the one who 145 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: knows it the best. Someone who's designed to be mild, wide, 146 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: inch deep isn't necessarily going to have the best advice 147 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: for you, and you're supposed to be as confident and 148 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: secure that as possible, so essentially represents don't you know, 149 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: take all this advice at face value and make sure 150 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: you understand where their motivations come from. Well, don thank 151 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: you very much for your motivation. Appreciated. Brian wat He 152 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:27,559 Speaker 1: is the chief executive and the co founder of Keep, 153 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: a mobile advertising network, and his book is called The 154 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: Cheap Code, Getting Off Script to get more, go faster, 155 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: and shortcut your way to success. Thanks for listening to 156 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: taking stockhim pim Fox my co host Kathleen Hayes. This 157 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: is Bloomberg Bloomberg. Taking Stock is brought to you by 158 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: your Mercedes Benz Trckie State Dealer. 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