轉載Chenchen Chen fb
🛠《大家來找碴welcome strict proofreader 》
看到Christopher Chen附在獨立觀察的連結,披露日本記者黑木亮著手調查東京知事小池百合子的埃及開羅大學學歴史,所以整理了文章一半的中英對照如下,另外一半預期周末整理好再另外貼新版。
大家可以比較東京知事和她的大貴人(埃及前副首相Dr Hatem)如何促使她主張她1976年確從埃及開羅大學畢業的做法。台灣媒體不敢報導此日本疑似假學歷的新聞,倒是刷了很多東京知事抗疫好棒棒的中文報導-想必是要洗嬰粉的腦「會做事就好了,學歷有什麼重要」哈哈😄⋯⋯
✳️原文連結: https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/60643
🔥偽造大學學位的指控困擾東京都知事小池百合子(Vol.4)
Allegations of fake university degree haunt Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (vol.4)
💥自從現任東京都知事小池百合子(Yuriko Koike)於1992年成為國會議員以來,一直有謠言流傳稱,小池百合子(Koike)文飾美化她的學歷。
Ever since the incumbent Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike became a Member of Parliament in 1992, rumors have been circulating that Koike embellished her academic credentials.
小池聲稱自己曾自開羅大學畢業,但是如果以阿拉伯語為母語的人去聽她的阿拉伯語,那麼她公開身為開羅大學畢業生的學歷,似乎就顯得更加可疑了。
Koike claims to have graduated from Cairo University but if an Arabic speaker listens to her Arabic, her published academic credentials as a Cairo University graduate seems more than dubious.
[我有]強有力的證據可以證明她偽造學歷,例如由室友提供的證詞-有紀錄片可查的證詞;小池的自相矛盾的說法表明,儘管第一年不及格,她仍然在四年之內畢業,她的初階程度阿拉伯語,以及關於畢業論文的謊言,和她拒絕向東京都議會提交畢業文件的頑強行為。
There are strong evidence about her fake academic credentials such as testimony by the flatmate supported by documentary evidence, Koike's self-contradictory statement in her book to have graduated in four years despite failing her first year, her rudimentary Arabic, her lie about the graduation thesis and her stubbornness in refusing to submit her graduation documents to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.
身為一個通曉阿拉伯語並從埃及大學(開羅美國大學的中東研究專業)畢業的人,我自有一種任務感,因此我決定對這些指控進行調查。 經過兩年的調查,我找不到任何證據,甚至沒有一絲一毫的最低線索,可以證明小池是從開羅大學畢業的。
Feeling a sense of duty as someone who learnt Arabic and graduated from an Egyptian university (MA, Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo), I decided to investigate the allegations. After two years of investigation, I could not find any evidence, nor even the slightest hint that Koike graduated from Cairo University.
在這個共由六大部組成的文章中,我詳細介紹了我的調查結果。這裡是第四部的內容:
In this six-part article, I present the results of my investigation in detail.Here is the fourth part of it;
💥小池有符合[埃及大學]轉學資格嗎?
Was Koike eligible to transfer?
"小池在她的書中和其他地方聲稱,她於1972年10月開學以一年級(新鮮人)生身分進入開羅大學。
Koike claims in her books and other places that she entered Cairo University as a first year student (freshman) in October 1972.
但是,她室友在"假簡歷”紀錄片中說:“小池是於1973年10月以二年級學生身分進入開羅大學。
However, in the ""Fake CV"" the flatmate says, ""Koike entered Cairo University in October 1973 as a second year student.
「小池高興地對我說:“我父親先請當時的哈特姆博士,當時也是埃及副首相,還兼任文化和信息部長,依據我在關西學院大學-是一間日本兵庫縣的私立大學-所上課的幾個月[學程],加上另外在開羅美國大學的上語言課程的幾個月,一起調整合併當成是我在開羅大學就讀的第一學年[學程時間]。」
Koike happily told me ‘My father asked Dr. Hatem, then Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information, to swap my few months at Kwansei Gakuin University, a private university in Hyogo prefecture, and a few months at the language course at the American University in Cairo for the first year at Cairo University. ‘
「哈特姆博士接受了這一要求。此外,我的學雜費和申請費全免除了。 」
‘Dr. Hatem accepted the request. In addition, my tuition and admission fees have been waived’ .
這顯然是寫在室友1972年11月19日給她在日本母親的信中的。根據“假簡歷”該部分陳述的內容,她(室友)大部分信都附有信件日期和郵戳。 如果是這樣,他們這些人都將會被埃及法院起訴。
This is apparently written in the flatmate’s letter to her mother in Japan dated 19 November 1972. According to the ""Fake CV"" most of her letters were dated and postmarked. If so, they will be admissible to court."
呈現在“假簡歷”的內容中,含當時也正在埃及另一所大學就讀的另一名日本女性,她說,她對小池當時可以轉入開羅大學二年級就讀感到驚訝。 我(作者:黑木亮)所採訪過的另一位開羅大學的日本畢業生也記得:小池當年是[直接]轉入開羅大學二年級。
In the ""Fake CV"" another Japanese woman who was attending another university in Egypt at the time says she was surprised that Koike had transferred in the second year at Cairo University. Another Japanese graduate of Cairo University whom I interviewed also remembered that Koike had transferred to the second year."
然而,轉學到包括開羅大學在內的埃及國立大學訂有嚴格的規定。為了進行轉學,學生必須在另一所大學獲得與埃及國立大學課程相同或相似的內容和學習時數的學分,並且必須獲得一定程度的成績。 開羅大學轉學中心辦公室向我證實了這一點。
However, strict rules are in place to transfer to Egypt's state universities, including Cairo University. In order to transfer, a student must have earned credits at another university with the same or similar content and number of hours as the Egyptian state university’s curriculum and must have earned a certain number of grades. This was confirmed to me by the Central Transfers Office of Cairo University.
例如,在2016-17學年,如果學生希望:
-轉學到工程或醫學學院,則必須從其他大學獲得至少imtiyaaz(優秀)成績。
-轉學實務研究學院,則必須從其他大學獲得至少jaiid jiddab(非常好)的成績。
-轉學理論學習研究學院,則必須從其他大學獲得至少jaiid (好)的成績。
In the case of the 2016-17 academic year, for example, students are required to have at least imtiyaaz (excellent) grade from other university if the student wishes to transfer to the Faculty of Engineering or Medicine and at least jaiid jiddan (very good) grade in the case of faculties of practical study and at least jaiid (good) grade for those of theoretical study.
前面如曾經提到的記者,達莉亞·施貝爾(Dalia Shibel)這樣告訴我:“在埃及,國立大學和私立大學是兩個完全不同的系統。即使您在開羅的美國大學學習了10年並獲得了必要的學分,您還是必須從開羅(國立)大學的一年級學生重新開始。這是我國的法律”。 因此,像小池這樣沒有在另一所大學讀完一年(也沒有獲得任何學分)的人是完全不可能被核准轉學的。
The aforementioned journalist Dalia Shibel told me that ""In Egypt state universities and private universities are two completely different systems. Even if you study at the American University in Cairo for 10 years obtaining necessary credits, you have to start as a first year student in Cairo University. This is the law of our country"". Therefore it is totally impossible that a person like Koike who has not finished a year at another university (and has not earned any credits) would be allowed to transfer."
小池最多只在關西學院大學學習了幾個月。 她在開羅的美國大學CASA那裡學習阿拉伯語只是一所語言學校,不提供任何學分或學位。 如果像一些日本人指出的那樣,小池真果真是在1973年轉入開羅大學第二年級的話,那不過是欺詐性的轉學而已。 這意味著她從一開始就沒有資格畢業。
Koike only attended Kwansei Gakuin University for several months at most. CASA at the American University in Cairo where she learnt Arabic is just a language school and does not offer any credits or degrees. If, as some Japanese people point out, Koike actually transferred to the second year at Cairo University in 1973, that is nothing but a fraudulent transfer. That means she was not eligible for graduation from the beginning.
💥關於小池入學許可的問題並沒有得到答案
No answer to the question about Koike’s admittance
2019年,有51人因以慈善機構樂捐名義為幌子,賄賂美國一個組織而受到起訴,該組織通過提升名人和其他人的孩子的SAT(大學才能測驗)分數,以欺詐手段允許他們的子女因此能夠進入著名的大學。
In 2019, 51 people were prosecuted in the United States for paying bribes under the guise of charity to an organization that allows celebrities and others to increase their children's SAT (college aptitude test) scores and fraudulently admit them to prestigious universities.
其中一位女演員費利西蒂·霍夫曼(Felicity Huffman)曾出演電視劇《欲望師奶(台灣翻譯)》,被判處14天監禁,並於去年10月在加利福尼亞州的女性監獄中被監禁。 霍夫曼的女兒索菲亞(Sophia)尚未上大學,據報導他將重考SAT。
One of them, actress Felicity Huffman, who starred in the TV drama Desperate Housewives, was sentenced to 14 days in prison and was incarcerated last October in a women's prison in California. Huffman's daughter Sophia has not enrolled in college and is reported to be retaking the SAT.
斯坦福大學以’非合法入學申請’為由,開除一名中國學生,原因在於他的父母為了可以濫用體育贊助(入學)名額,使他得以註冊該校學習課程,向該(同一)組織支付了650萬美元。
Stanford University expelled a Chinese student, whose parents paid $6.5 million to the organization for misusing a sports endorsement slot to enroll in the program, citing irregularities in submissions.
由於小池似乎未達到轉學入埃及國立大學的要求,因此我致信小池,詢問小池是在1972年還是1973年被錄取,但未得到任何答复(有關我詢問的信件內容,以及小池回應的所有完整文件,將在此報告的稍後部分中顯示)。
As Koike does not appear to have fulfilled the requirements for transferring to a state university in Egypt, I sent a letter to Koike, to ask whether she was admitted in 1972 or 1973 but received no response (the full text of my questions to and response from Koike will appear later in this report).
開羅大學是阿拉伯世界著名的大學之一,醫學,工程學,經濟和政治學係有許多優秀的埃及學生。 但是,該校在全球地位並不是很高。
Cairo University is one of the prominent universities in the Arab world and there are many excellent Egyptian students in the Faculties of Medicine, Engineering, and Economics and Political Science. However, its global standing is not very high.
在英國Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd.發布的2020年QS世界大學排名中,開羅大學在全球排名521-530,在埃及排名第二,與日本的熊本大學和長崎大學相當。 埃及最好的大學是開羅的美國大學(私立和美國認可大學),在世界上排名第395(與日本神戶大學並列)。 埃及排名第三的是艾因沙姆斯大學,亞歷山大大學和阿修特大學(所有國立大學),在世界範圍內排名第801-1000。
In the 2020 edition of the QS World University Rankings published by Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. in the United Kingdom, Cairo University ranks 521-530 in the world and second in Egypt, on par with Kumamoto University and Nagasaki University in Japan. The best university in Egypt is the American University in Cairo (private and American-accredit university) which ranks 395th in the world (tied with Kobe University in Japan). Third place in Egypt are Ain Shams University, Alexandria University, and Assiut University (all state universities) which rank 801-1000th in the world.
💥小池與Abdel-Kader Hatem博士的關係
Koike’s Connections with Dr. Abdel-Kader Hatem
協助小池進行了“可能是欺詐性轉學"的埃及政客的名字出現在“假經歷”這部分的內容中。 這個室友證明,小池在1973年通過著名的埃及政治家阿卜杜勒·卡德爾·哈特姆博士的關係轉入開羅大學二年級。
The name of an Egyptian politician who assisted Koike's possible ""fraudulent transfer"" appears in the ""Fake CV"". The flatmate testifies that Koike transferred to the second grade at Cairo University in 1973 through the connections of Dr. Abdel- Kader Hatem, a prominent Egyptian politician."
Hatem於1917年生於亞歷山大。他畢業於軍事學院和開羅大學。 他參與了1952年的埃及革命(是一個推翻君主制的政變,次年埃及共和國成立),當時他是在由Gamal Abdel Nasser中校領導的自由軍運動中的一名年輕成員。
Hatem was born in Alexandria in 1917. A graduate of the Military Academy and Cairo University. He participated in the Egyptian revolution in 1952 (a coup to overthrow the monarchy which was followed by the foundation of the republic the following year) as a young member of the Free Officers Movement led by then Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser.
他於1957年成為國民議會議員,總統府副部長,1959年廣播電視國務部長,1962年文化部長,國家指導和旅遊部長,1971年副首相兼文化信息部長 ,曾任全國專業委員會常務理事兼埃及-日本友好協會主席。 他於2015年去世,享年97歲。
He became a member of the National Assembly in 1957, Deputy Minister in the Presidential Office, Minister of State for Radio and Television in 1959, Minister of Culture and Minister of National Guidance and Tourism in 1962, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information in 1971, then longtime General Supervisor of the Specialized National Councils and President of the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Association. He died in 2015 at the age of 97.
1974年2月,當時掌控文化和信息的副首相,哈特姆,以正式外賓的身份訪問了日本,並會見了日本首相田中角榮,副首相三木武夫,並參觀了皇宮與天皇會面。 1982年,他被日本政府授予"旭日東昇頭等大勳章”。
In February 1974, Hatem, who was then the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Culture and Information visited Japan as an official guest and met Japan’s Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, Deputy Prime Minister Takeo Miki and visited the Imperial Palace to meet the Emperor. In 1982 he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, First Class by the Japanese government.
"在1974年Hatem訪日之際,日本駐埃及大使Tsutomu Wada在1974年2月12日給日本外交大臣的正式電報中寫道:“埃及政治的最新發展,哈特姆副首相的職位(曾擔任首相的代理者)得到了進一步鞏固,正如我經常報導的那樣,埃及副首相在6名媒體記者的陪同下訪問日本,這是非同尋常的,這清楚地表明了哈特姆博士的權力,並表明了他認為這次訪問的重要性。”
On the occasion of Hatem's visit to Japan in 1974 the Japanese Ambassador to Egypt Tsutomu Wada wrote in an official telegram dated 12 February 1974 to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan ""As a result of recent developments in Egyptian politics the position of Deputy Prime Minister Hatem (who had been acting as a substitute for the Prime Minister) has been further strengthened as I have often reported. It is remarkable for an Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister to visit Japan accompanied by 6 media reporters and that clearly shows Dr. Hatem’s power. It also shows how important he thinks this visit is."""
"哈特姆的阿拉伯文傳記《阿卜杜勒·卡德·哈特姆日記-十月戰爭政府首腦》於2016年在開羅出版(由埃及記者易卜拉欣·阿卜杜勒·阿齊茲撰寫)指出,哈特姆與中曾根康弘保持著良好的關係, 自1954年起擔任日本前首相,中曾根將當時的在校學生,小池百合子-他朋友的女兒,介紹給哈特姆,哈特姆照顧小池,小池稱哈特姆為教父,並給了小池零用錢, 每月14埃及鎊。(小池在《長袖和服的金字塔攀登》第250頁上寫道,她每月從埃及政府獲得12英鎊的獎學金)。
🌐Chenchen註:Furisode是日本年輕未婚女性穿著的最正式的和服風格-以長袖為其特色,小池應是以Furisode做為自己的意象代名詞,唯美的描繪她以一介日本年輕嬌嬌女,如何在陌生的中東環境-埃及地,逐步攀登權力金字塔。中東地區非常保守,不但男尊女卑,金字塔也不容許遊客任意攀登,更何況是穿著舉步維艱的長袖正式和服,所以小池以一個浮誇的畫面來增飾自己在埃及留學生活的映象。
The Arabic-language biography of Hatem “The Diary of Abdel-Kader Hatem - Head of the October War Government"" published in Cairo in 2016 (written by an Egyptian journalist Ibrahim Abdel Aziz) states that Hatem had been on good terms with Yasuhiro Nakasone, former Prime Minister of Japan, since 1954 and that Nakasone introduced Yuriko Koike to him, a student at that time, as the daughter of his friend. Hatem took care of Koike. Koike called Hatem a god-father, and he gave Koike an allowance of 14 Egyptian pounds a month (Koike wrote on page 250 of “Furisode Climbing the Pyramid"" that she received a scholarship of 12 pounds a month from the Egyptian government)."
Abdel-Kader Hatem與中曾根康弘
Abdel-Kader Hatem with Yasuhiro Nakasone
"另一方面,小池於1985年出版的書《音譯:Onna女性 no 的Jinmyaku-Zukuri人脈建立 ((我如何以女人的身分經營人脈關係)》指出,她的父親(小池裕郎)很早就認識中曾根。她本人是在小學時代即已見到中曾根,在每個冬天,中曾根都向家人送去了一堆在中曾根選舉區群馬縣產的韭菜,並與他的兄弟一起吃了。
On the other hand Koike's book, ""Onna no Jinmyaku-Zukuri (How I made personal connections as a woman)"" published in 1985 states that her father (Yujiro Koike) had known Nakasone for a long time. She herself first met Nakasone when she was an elementary school student, every winter Nakasone sent her family a bunch of leeks produced in Gunma prefecture, Nakasone’s electoral district, and she ate them with his* brother." 🌐*Chenchen註:應該是She ate them with HER brother.,,
1973年10月6日,埃及爆發了十月戰爭(Yom Kippur War)。 埃及和敘利亞軍隊對部署在蘇伊士運河和戈蘭高地的以色列部隊發動了進攻,試圖奪回1967年六日戰爭(六月戰爭)中以色列佔領的領土。
🌐Chenchen註:這是知名的第四次以阿戰爭,後來引發第一次石油危機,各界認為這是阿拉伯國家在二戰之後,第一次聯手反對西方帝國主義。維基百科:贖罪日戰爭,又稱第四次以阿戰爭、齋月戰爭、十月戰爭...起源於埃及與敘利亞分別攻擊六年前被以色列佔領的西奈半島和戈蘭高地。戰爭的頭一至兩日埃敘聯盟佔了上風,但此後戰況逆轉。至第二周,敘軍退出戈蘭高地。在西奈,以軍在兩軍之間攻擊,越過原來的停火線蘇伊士運河。直到聯合國停火令生效為止,以軍甚至包圍了埃及的主力部隊。 https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E8%B4%96%E7%BD%AA%E6%97%A5%E6%88%B0%E7%88%AD
On 6 October 1973, the October War (Yom Kippur War) broke out in Egypt. Egyptian and Syrian forces launched an attack on Israeli forces deployed in the Suez Canal and Golan Heights in an attempt to recapture territory occupied by Israel in the Six Day War (June War) in 1967.
"為了支持埃及和敘利亞,阿拉伯石油輸出國組織(OAPEC)將石油價格提高了1.4倍,並引發了第一次石油危機。 日本被OAPEC視為“不友好”國家之一,由於採取了削減石油供應的措施,日本遭受了經濟危機。 日本政府派副首相三木武夫和前外交大臣小坂健太郎等人前往沙烏地阿拉伯,埃及和阿爾及利亞,要求這些國家將日本改變為“友好國家”類別(所謂的“石油乞討外交”)。 。
In support of Egypt and Syria, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), raised oil prices by 1.4 times and caused the First Oil Crisis. Japan was considered one of the ""unfriendly"" countries by OAPEC and suffered an economic crisis as a result of measures to cut oil supplies. The Japanese government sent Deputy Prime Minister Takeo Miki and former Foreign Minister Zentaro Kosaka and others to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Algeria to ask those countries to change Japan to a ""friendly country"" category (the so-called ""oil begging diplomacy"")."
(待續...或是直接點原文連結)
https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/60643
american family office association 在 AppWorks Facebook 的最讚貼文
昨天台灣大哥大發布訊息,自 2019 年 4 月 1 日起將聘任 AppWorks 創辦合夥人 Jamie 林之晨為總經理,長期關心 AppWorks 的朋友,或許會有些疑惑。其實不是 Jamie 換工作,而是 AppWorks 將與台灣大一起,挑戰一個放大 10 倍的計畫。在此跟大家分享 Jamie 的聲明,有更完整的敘述。
#以下是_Jamie_聲明全文
稍早台灣大哥大發布訊息,自 2019 年 4 月 1 日起將聘任為我為總經理,我的朋友們,以及長期關心我與 AppWorks 的媒體,一定會有許多疑惑,請容我在此統一向大家說明。
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#EnglishBelow 稍早台灣大哥大發布訊息,自 2019 年 4 月 1 日起將聘任為我為總經理,我的朋友們,以及長期關心我與 AppWorks 的媒體,一定會有許多疑惑,請容我在此統一向大家說明。
首先,我不是接下了台灣大總經理的職位,而是接下了整合市值美金 120 億、營收美金 38 億的台灣大與市值美金 36 億、營收美金 25 億的 AppWorks Ecosystem,放大出 10 倍成果的任務。
這得從我的故事說起,如果您還沒聽過的話,我原本已經移民美國,和老婆小孩開心的住在紐約,2008 年,我在美看到 iPhone、Android 相繼問世,Facebook、Twitter 等社群媒體成為主流,意識到軟體的力量將越來越大,而硬體將越來越沒有價值,換言之,台灣的國際經濟地位將受到極大挑戰,因此決定舉家搬遷回台,推動台灣的轉型升級,以免我熱愛的福爾摩沙從世界經濟奇蹟變成失落的遺跡。
這是一個很大的決定,不僅我要放棄自己的美國夢,老婆、小孩都得跟著改變職涯、學涯,因此既然要做,就得發揮最大的 Impact。所以回台之後,我每天思考、決定、努力的,都是最大化我對台灣的貢獻。
因此這些年來我戴了很多帽子,表面看起來沒什麼相關性,但背後都有一個共同的目的,那就是推動台灣的改變。首先,我長期寫網誌、經營 Facebook 等網路社群、在《天下》等期刊寫專欄、出書、演講、接受採訪,心想的是分享新知、新觀念,散播進步需要的養分。
我與夥伴們成立 AppWorks,有系統的幫助年輕人創業,為的是培養千千萬萬帶領台灣前進的下一代生力軍。這也是為什麼 AppWorks 從 2010 年啟動半年一期的創業加速器,至今一直堅持免費提供。目前 AppWorks Accelerator 共畢業的 17 屆、925 位創業者,由他們成立的活躍企業高達 328 家,2018 年產值 760 億,提供 9,500 個工作機會,非常確切的為台灣貢獻一股向上動能。更重要的是,這些創業者們因 AppWorks 而相識相惜,形成一個緊密互助的網路,更是社會的長期資產。
當 AppWorks 在台灣站穩腳步,2014 年我們開始積極走訪東南亞,邀請優秀的東協創業者前來加入,希望透過串連跨國創業者網路,促進台灣的區域化,同時貢獻東協的數位發展。經過 5 年的推動,這個工作也有大幅進展,即將在 3 月進駐 AppWorks 的 33 組 AW#18 團隊,將有高達 19 組來自東南亞,包含他們在內,AppWorks 有 160 家企業在台灣以外的大東南亞市場有據點,形成一個真正區域化的網路。現在,來自台灣、香港、新加坡的 AppWorks 創業者要前往印尼、越南發展,可以很容易的找到 AppWorks 校友帶路,大大降低了區域化的門檻。
除了創業加速器,透過 AppWorks,我們同時努力創造更多台灣改變需要的新典範。以創業投資為例,我們 2012 年成功募集 3.2 億 Fund I,2014 年募得 15 億 Fund II,在 AppWorks 團隊的努力經營下,目前兩支基金的投資績效都是水準以上,其中 Fund II 至今的年化內部報酬率 (IRR) 達 29%,遠高於歐美同期創投基金的 Top Quartile (前四分之一) 指標。透過追求與國際一流基金同等的表現,我們希望促進台灣 LP (創投投資人的簡稱) 更有信心支持本土新興 GP (創投管理公司的簡稱),進而推動台灣創投業的復甦。
2016 年,我們出資成立 AppWorks School,每 4 個月一期,免費幫助年輕人透過實作學習程式、轉職工程師、加入成長中的數位行業,提升他們的職涯的同時,也為台灣貢獻人才。目前 School 已畢業 106 位學生,其中 85% 成功轉職,第一年起薪中位數達 67 萬。雖然杯水車薪,但我們希望拋磚引玉,刺激台灣教育的現代化,幫助年輕人準備好面對 AI 時代。
此外,AppWorks 雖然仍是中小企業,但受到的關注較多,因此也經常以身作則,為台灣業界示範新時代企業可以有的新思維。除了看齊國際優質創投的薪資獎金水準、年假無上限、自由選擇工作時間地點、新年假期長達三、四週外,我們更在日前啟動交棒計畫,讓年僅 30 歲的 Jessica 劉侊縈、40 歲的 Andy 蔡欣翰升任合夥人,希望激發台灣企業勇敢讓年輕人當家。
私部門之外,有機會推動台灣轉型的公領域活動,我也積極參與。2016 年,我從詹宏志先生手上接下 TiEA (台灣網際網路暨電子商務產業發展協會) 理事長,上任後便努力推動網路電商正名運動,成功說服了櫃買中心創立電子商務分類;2017 年起我開始擔任亞洲·矽谷民諮委共同召集人、數位國家諮詢委員、代表台灣參加每年四次的 ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council) 會議,2018 年又奉總統之命擔任 APEC Vision Group 代表,與其他 20 會員國派出的先進,一起定義 APEC 未來的 20 年願景。這些雖然都是義務工作,但我都當作正職全力以赴,因為都有機會大大影響台灣的命運,以及在經濟領域的國際能見度。
最後,我去年決定再次舉家,準備遷往雅加達,同樣還是以為台灣貢獻出發。我觀察到 2.6 億人口的印尼正在快速崛起,短短 5 年內從有限的新創活動,到 4 隻本土獨角獸加 3 隻外來獨角獸的蓬勃景況,必須要幫助台灣抓住這個成長機會,但印尼商業生態與台灣大不相同,所以我決定進駐雅加達、深耕當地,希望能因此扮演帶領 AppWorks 新創進入印尼的嚮導,縮短我們與世界第四大國、東南亞第一大國的距離。這麼做得犧牲一些我在台灣的工作,但這些工作多半我的夥伴們可以承接,因此我便毅然開始行動。
講了這麼多,我其實只是希望您能了解,我大老遠從紐約搬回來的目的就是改變台灣,所以這些年來我做決定沒什麼懸念,因為不需要考慮自己的利益,只需要考慮在這個時間點,我做這件事情,是不是最能貢獻台灣。
如此我們便可以回到正題,這次的「台灣大 + AppWorks」專案。
不久前,蔡明忠董事長約我談話,詢問我有沒有興趣接下台灣大總經理的職位,一開始我其實是無法答應的,首先我已經決定搬去印尼,再來我也不確定接這個位子,跟貢獻台灣的關係。回去想了兩整天後,我有了答案,我跟蔡董事長說,必須有四個先決條件:
第一,結合台灣大和 AppWorks,用 AppWorks 生態系去幫助台灣大轉型為科技企業,同時以台灣大為平台去加速 AppWorks 新創的成長,因此創造更多成功的企業,為台灣示範成熟企業如何與新創實際合作;
第二,由 AppWorks 帶路,推動台灣大 + AppWorks 走出台灣,成為一個大東南亞科技集團,為台灣企業的區域化寫下典範,同時也成為能加速 AppWorks 新創區域化的大平台;
第三,以建立一個市值 1,000 億美金 (US$ 100B) 的科技集團為目標,創造第一個由台灣出發、真正達到國際級的非代工企業;
第四,所有因為台灣大 + AppWorks 集團未來的價值成長,公司依規定希望給予我個人的獎勵,要能全數由集團捐為公益使用,且專注在推動台灣的教育改革與電影工業上。
我跟蔡董事長說,如果以這四個目標為前提,那就值得我花 10 到 15 年的生命去推動。這基本上是我的夢幻清單,如果這麼做的話,能為台灣創造的貢獻,比 AppWorks 繼續獨立營運還會巨大許多,想不到蔡董事長毫不猶豫的答應。也因此,我回頭與 AppWorks 的夥伴們溝通,得到大家的支持後,我們決定一起接受這個挑戰。所以開頭我說,我不是接下了台灣大總經理的職位,而是接下了整合台灣大與 AppWorks,放大出 10 倍成果的任務。
當然,這不是一件容易的工作,發展新的商業模式,我或許有 20 年的創業、工作經驗作為後盾,但對於管理電信事業,對於領導一個 7,000 人的大集團,我有太多需要學習的地方,所以,我請蔡董事長務必持續扮演我的 Partner,在這個過程中一起確保電信本業的營運,好讓我們有最大的空間與時間,去爭取新事業的發展,為所有「台灣大 + AppWorks」的 Stakeholders,爭取最佳的長期利益。
未來幾年,將是電信業轉型的關鍵時期,去年 499 之亂加速電信用戶 ARPU (平均每戶營收) 的下滑,消費者換機時間拉長導致手機營收停滯,接下來資本支出是 4G 近 4 倍的 5G 即將到來,更讓電信長達 20 年紅利時代難以延續,AI、IoT、Blockchain、Cloud 等巨型典範轉移接連的到來,進一步逼迫電信業者不能繼續防守。
另一方面,電信業已經建立的品牌、長期客戶關係、大量用戶數據,卻是極有價值,可以更全面應用的資產。透過台灣大 + AppWorks 的結合,目前已經產生 760 億年營收的 AppWorks 的 328 家新創,以及未來將持續培養的更多新興企業,都有機會透過與台灣大的合作加速成長,而台灣大也能因此取得新的營收引擎,創造雙贏的局面。
所以,在可預見的未來,AppWorks 的方向不會改變,我們將持續邀請優秀的創業者加入,透過 AppWorks 原有的能量,以及新增的台灣大平台幫助他們。AppWorks 基金的營運也不會改變,事實上,加入了台灣大的能量,我們有信心能為 LP 們創造更好的財務、策略報酬。我的角色,除了新增台灣大總經理以外,也沒有改變,將持續擔任 AppWorks 的董事長、合夥人,戮力確保台灣大 + AppWorks 的整合能順利成功、長長久久,創造多贏。唯一改變的,大概是我的工作時間將會增加,因此要犧牲與家人的相處,在此先跟偉大的老婆、兩個可愛的兒子道歉,感謝他們對這個決定的支持與諒解。
至於搬遷至雅加達、引導更多 AppWorks 新創進軍印尼的計畫,很遺憾必須暫緩,所幸 AppWorks 的新任合夥人 Jessica (劉侊縈),已經承諾會扛起這個責任,相信在她的帶領下,AppWorks 的印尼計畫還是能夠大鳴大放、開花結果。
以上,就是針對此次台灣大 + AppWorks 的重大發展,向各位好友、媒體朋友的報告,懇求你們的支持。無論如何,我會持續為貢獻台灣而努力,希望我們這一輩的小孩們長大後,可以和我們一樣,以做台灣人為榮。
最後,預祝 您
新年快樂 諸凡順遂
助君張目 豬滿福保
Earlier today, Taiwan Mobile published an announcement communicating their intention to appoint me as the company’s general manager as of 4/1/2019. I’m sure this announcement may come as a surprise to many of my friends in the startup community, likely leaving you all with ample questions, concerns, and potentially even doubt. Let me take the opportunity to clarify the situation and explain the reasonings behind my decision for everyone.
Firstly, I must clarify that I am not merely taking over as GM of Taiwan Mobile, but taking on the bigger job of integrating Taiwan Mobile, a $12B market cap & $3.8B revenue company, and AppWorks, a $3.6B valuation & $2.5B revenue ecosystem, to amplify our impact by 10x.
But to adequately understand where we’re going, I think it’s important for everyone to know where we’ve come from. This begins with my story—for those of you that haven’t heard it before—which dates back to my time living in New York. It was around 2008 when I saw the launch of iPhone and Android, as well as the advent of Facebook, Twitter, etc, collectively catapulting social media into mainstream use. It was clear that software was increasingly taking over the world while the value of hardware was becoming more and more commoditized. This posed a dire existential threat to Taiwan, whose global economic contributions had been primarily driven by hardware and semiconductor manufacturing. This eventually prompted my resolve to move back to Taiwan and prevent our country from becoming a relic of the past.
This was by no means an easy decision. Not only did I have to give up my American dream, but my wife and child would have to completely uproot their lives, changing jobs and schools. It was a huge sacrifice on their end, so after moving back I dedicated myself to working hard every day to maximize my contribution to Taiwan and exert the greatest impact possible.
I have worn a lot of hats since, and it may seem that there is no correlation on the surface. But, there is indeed a common purpose behind them, which is to promote change in Taiwan. First of all, I have long written posts and columns in online communities such as my own blog, Facebook, and journals like “The Commonwealth Magazine,” while also giving speeches and interviews for a variety of outlets whenever possible. I see these activities as a way to share new knowledge, new ideas, and disseminate the nutrients needed for progress.
I set up AppWorks with my partners to systematically help young people start their own businesses and cultivate the next generation of business leaders that will steer Taiwan forward. That's why AppWorks started its semi-annual startup accelerator in 2010, and has been offering it for free ever since. With the addition of the latest batch AW#17, the AppWorks Ecosystem encompasses 328 active startups and 925 founders, having collectively generated US$ 2.5 billion in revenues and created 9,586 jobs—not an immaterial contribution to Taiwan’s economy needless to say. More importantly, we’ve created a tight-knit community where founders can form lifelong relationships, while seeking advice from both peers and mentors in good times and bad. I see that as a long-term value to society.
Once AppWorks took a firm foothold in Taiwan, we began targeting Southeast Asia in 2014 to invite outstanding ASEAN entrepreneurs to join us. We hope to promote Taiwan's regionalization through a network of international founders, and in turn, facilitate the development of SEA’s digital economy. We've made significant strides these past five years. AW#18 will kick off in March 2019, and consists of 33 teams, 19 of which hailing from countries across SEA and beyond. Spanning our entire ecosystem, AppWorks encompasses 160 companies currently operating in Southeast Asia, forming a truly regional network. Now, AppWorks founders from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore are expanding to Indonesia and Vietnam, and it is easy to find local AppWorks alumni to lead the way, greatly reducing the barriers for international expansion.
In addition to AppWorks Accelerator, we have been working hard to create more examples for a modern Taiwan. Taking venture capital as an example, we successfully raised US$ 11 million for Fund I in 2012 and US$ 50 million for Fund II in 2014. Under the efforts of the AppWorks team, the investment performance of the two funds is currently above the industry average, of which Fund II has achieved an annualized internal rate of return (IRR) of 29%. This is much higher than the top quartile of VCs in both Europe and the United States. By pursuing the same performance as international first-class funds, we hope to encourage Taiwanese LPs (short for venture capital investors) to be more confident in supporting local emerging GPs (short for venture capital management companies) and to promote the recovery and ultimate longevity of Taiwan's VC industry.
In 2016, we created AppWorks School with the aim of helping the younger generation pick up new skill sets, enhance their careers, and join the growing tech industry. The school offers four-month free programs and has now graduated 106 students, 85% of whom have secured jobs as software engineers, with a median starting salary of US$ 21,833. Although our scale is still tiny compared to larger institutes, we hope our efforts have inspired others to promote the modernization of Taiwan’s education system and equip young people with the necessary skills to thrive in the AI era.
In addition, although AppWorks is still a small to medium-sized enterprise, it has received a lot of attention. Therefore, it often leads by example and demonstrates how to apply new thinkings to modern corporate management. In addition to internationally-competitive salaries, our colleagues enjoy flexible working hours and locations, unlimited vacation days, and several weeks off around Chinese New Year. AppWorks also recently launched an internal promotion track, promoting two of our very own staff to partners, Jessica Liu (30) and Andy Tsai (40). We hope that this move will also create a ripple effect across traditional Taiwanese industries, inspiring more local enterprises to put their faith in younger leaders.
Alongside the private sector, I am also actively involved in promoting Taiwan’s transformation through public sector activities. In 2016, I took over as chairman of TiEA (Taiwan Internet and E-Commerce Association) from Mr. Hung-Tze Jan (詹宏志). After taking office, I have worked hard to promote our industry and successfully convinced government cabinet members to create a separate category for e-commerce companies, which didn’t previously exist in Taiwan’s stock market. Since 2017, I have been the co-convenor of the Asia-Silicon Valley Development Agency Advisory Committee, advisor of DIGI+ Taiwan, and the country’s member in ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council). Most recently in 2018, I was appointed by the President to represent Taiwan in the APEC Vision Group, where 21 member states come together to define APEC's vision for the next 20 years. Although these are all voluntary work, I have treated them as full-time jobs because they produce opportunities that can greatly influence Taiwan’s future.
Finally, last year I was prepared to uproot my family again and move to Jakarta. With a population of 260 million people, I observed that Indonesia was a rapidly emerging economy, producing many areas where Taiwan and Taiwanese companies can contribute. In the span of just five years, Indonesia went from a barren startup landscape to producing four local unicorns and attracting the presence of three international unicorns. Although the opportunities are abundant, Indonesia’s ecosystem was much different from Taiwan’s, creating immense cultural, regulatory, and competitive barriers for Taiwanese companies. I had thus planned on relocating to Jakarta in hopes of better leading AppWorks startups into Indonesia and shortening our distance from the world’s fourth most populous country and GSEA’s biggest economy. I would have had to sacrifice some of my roles and responsibilities in my Taiwan, but I put faith in my partners and co-workers to fill the void.
With all that said, I want you to understand that the underlying mission to change Taiwan has never faltered. With this mission in mind, I’ve never hesitated in making decisions over the years because I’ve never needed to consider my own interests—but only the things I can do at the moment to best contribute to Taiwan and generate the most impact. It’s what prompted my resolution to move back from New York, my intent to move to Jakarta, and now my decision to take on this new opportunity with “Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks.”
Not long ago, the Chairman of Taiwan Mobile Daniel Tsai reached out and asked if I was interested in taking over as General Manager of Taiwan Mobile. At first, I was unable to take his offer because I was getting ready to move to Indonesia and I didn’t know how this would contribute to making Taiwan better. After allowing myself a few days to contemplate, I found an answer. I told Chairman Tsai that I would take on the position, but only if I can pursue these 4 ambitions:
First, leverage the AppWorks ecosystem to help transform Taiwan Mobile into a true technology company. At the same time, leverage Taiwan Mobile as a platform to accelerate the growth of AppWorks startups, thereby creating a successful collaboration template for other Taiwan & SEA large corporations to work with startups.
Second, with AppWorks leading the way, establish Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks into a regional technology group across Greater Southeast Asia, in turn, inspiring other Taiwanese companies to explore Southeast Asia as well as becoming a platform for startups to go regional.
Third, build Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks group to a market cap of US$ 100 billion and create the first non-OEM company that originates from Taiwan and truly reaches a global scale.
Fourth, throughout the process, all the bonuses I am entitled to shall be donated by the group to public welfare, focusing specifically on promoting education reform and the film industry in Taiwan.
I told Chairman Tsai if these are the goals, it’s worth dedicating the next 10 - 15 years of my life to achieve. This is basically my dream list. If I do this, the contribution to Taiwan and the GSEA region as a whole from the combined entity will be much greater than the continued independent operation of AppWorks. Chairman Tsai agreed on these four goals and gave me his promise, but it was still not a decision that I could make on my own--after all building AppWorks into what is it today was not something I did alone. Therefore, I went back to communicate with the AppWorks partners and team, and with everyone's support, we decided to accept this challenge together.
Thus, at the beginning of the post, I said, that I am not only taking over the position of Taiwan Mobile’s GM, but undertaking the task of integrating Taiwan Mobile and AppWorks to amplify our impact by 10x. Of course, developing a completely new business model is not an easy job. I may have 20 years of entrepreneurship and work experience under my belt, but I still have much to learn when it comes to managing a massive telecoms operation with over 7,000 people, most of whom are much more familiar with the industry than me. Therefore, I asked Chairman Tsai to act as my partner through the process to ensure the continued operations of the telecoms unit. This will enable more time and space to develop new businesses, benefiting all “Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks” stakeholders in the long run.
The telecoms industry will likely undergo a crucial transformation in the next few years. Last year’s “NT$499 war” accelerated the decline of telecom subscribers’ ARPU (average revenue per household). Longer replacement periods for smartphones have led to the stagnation of mobile phone revenues and the rollout of 5G will cost four times the capex as 4G. These factors all threaten the industry’s ability to maintain the fluid growth it’s experienced for the past 20 years. Furthermore, the arrival of paradigm shifting technologies such as AI, IoT, Blockchain, and Cloud have put all telecom operators on the defensive.
On the other hand, the telecoms industry has established brands, long-term customer relationships, and a massive amount of user data—all valuable assets that can be better maximized. Through the combination of Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks and the 328 startups that AppWorks has cultivated, all emerging startups will be able to look to the combined platform as a strategic engine for cooperation and growth. This is will also enable Taiwan to develop new sources of value creation--a win-win for both sides.
Therefore, in the foreseeable future, AppWorks will not change direction. We will continue to invite outstanding entrepreneurs to join our accelerator, staying true to the original ethos of AppWorks, while leveraging the new Taiwan Mobile platform to help them. The operation of AppWorks Funds will not change. In fact, with the backing of Taiwan Mobile’s resources, we are confident that we can create better financial and strategic rewards for LPs. My role at AppWorks will not change. I will continue to serve as a partner of AppWorks. I will ensure that the integration of Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks will be a successful, long-lasting win-win situation for all stakeholders involved. The only change is probably that my working hours will increase, effectively cutting into my family time. So first, I must apologize to my great wife and two lovely sons, and thank them for their continued support and understanding of this decision.
As for the plan to move to Jakarta and guide more AppWorks startups to enter Indonesia, regrettably it must be suspended. Fortunately, Jessica Liu, AppWorks’ newest partner, has promised to take up this responsibility. I believe that under her leadership, AppWorks' Indonesia initiative will still be able to make a big splash and develop fruitfully.
Hopefully, this post has provided you with all the relevant details regarding the Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks announcement. To friends and media, I sincerely appreciate your continued support. At any rate, I will continue to work hard to contribute to Taiwan. I hope that the children of our generation will grow up and be proud of being Taiwanese.
Finally, I wish everyone all the best. Have a wonderful and prosperous pig year!
american family office association 在 Rabbie 創業兔 Facebook 的精選貼文
「持續為貢獻台灣而努力,希望我們這一輩的小孩們長大後,可以和我們一樣,以做台灣人為榮」
#EnglishBelow 稍早台灣大哥大發布訊息,自 2019 年 4 月 1 日起將聘任為我為總經理,我的朋友們,以及長期關心我與 AppWorks 的媒體,一定會有許多疑惑,請容我在此統一向大家說明。
首先,我不是接下了台灣大總經理的職位,而是接下了整合市值美金 120 億、營收美金 38 億的台灣大與市值美金 36 億、營收美金 25 億的 AppWorks Ecosystem,放大出 10 倍成果的任務。
這得從我的故事說起,如果您還沒聽過的話,我原本已經移民美國,和老婆小孩開心的住在紐約,2008 年,我在美看到 iPhone、Android 相繼問世,Facebook、Twitter 等社群媒體成為主流,意識到軟體的力量將越來越大,而硬體將越來越沒有價值,換言之,台灣的國際經濟地位將受到極大挑戰,因此決定舉家搬遷回台,推動台灣的轉型升級,以免我熱愛的福爾摩沙從世界經濟奇蹟變成失落的遺跡。
這是一個很大的決定,不僅我要放棄自己的美國夢,老婆、小孩都得跟著改變職涯、學涯,因此既然要做,就得發揮最大的 Impact。所以回台之後,我每天思考、決定、努力的,都是最大化我對台灣的貢獻。
因此這些年來我戴了很多帽子,表面看起來沒什麼相關性,但背後都有一個共同的目的,那就是推動台灣的改變。首先,我長期寫網誌、經營 Facebook 等網路社群、在《天下》等期刊寫專欄、出書、演講、接受採訪,心想的是分享新知、新觀念,散播進步需要的養分。
我與夥伴們成立 AppWorks,有系統的幫助年輕人創業,為的是培養千千萬萬帶領台灣前進的下一代生力軍。這也是為什麼 AppWorks 從 2010 年啟動半年一期的創業加速器,至今一直堅持免費提供。目前 AppWorks Accelerator 共畢業的 17 屆、925 位創業者,由他們成立的活躍企業高達 328 家,2018 年產值 760 億,提供 9,500 個工作機會,非常確切的為台灣貢獻一股向上動能。更重要的是,這些創業者們因 AppWorks 而相識相惜,形成一個緊密互助的網路,更是社會的長期資產。
當 AppWorks 在台灣站穩腳步,2014 年我們開始積極走訪東南亞,邀請優秀的東協創業者前來加入,希望透過串連跨國創業者網路,促進台灣的區域化,同時貢獻東協的數位發展。經過 5 年的推動,這個工作也有大幅進展,即將在 3 月進駐 AppWorks 的 33 組 AW#18 團隊,將有高達 19 組來自東南亞,包含他們在內,AppWorks 有 160 家企業在台灣以外的大東南亞市場有據點,形成一個真正區域化的網路。現在,來自台灣、香港、新加坡的 AppWorks 創業者要前往印尼、越南發展,可以很容易的找到 AppWorks 校友帶路,大大降低了區域化的門檻。
除了創業加速器,透過 AppWorks,我們同時努力創造更多台灣改變需要的新典範。以創業投資為例,我們 2012 年成功募集 3.2 億 Fund I,2014 年募得 15 億 Fund II,在 AppWorks 團隊的努力經營下,目前兩支基金的投資績效都是水準以上,其中 Fund II 至今的年化內部報酬率 (IRR) 達 29%,遠高於歐美同期創投基金的 Top Quartile (前四分之一) 指標。透過追求與國際一流基金同等的表現,我們希望促進台灣 LP (創投投資人的簡稱) 更有信心支持本土新興 GP (創投管理公司的簡稱),進而推動台灣創投業的復甦。
2016 年,我們出資成立 AppWorks School,每 4 個月一期,免費幫助年輕人透過實作學習程式、轉職工程師、加入成長中的數位行業,提升他們的職涯的同時,也為台灣貢獻人才。目前 School 已畢業 106 位學生,其中 85% 成功轉職,第一年起薪中位數達 67 萬。雖然杯水車薪,但我們希望拋磚引玉,刺激台灣教育的現代化,幫助年輕人準備好面對 AI 時代。
此外,AppWorks 雖然仍是中小企業,但受到的關注較多,因此也經常以身作則,為台灣業界示範新時代企業可以有的新思維。除了看齊國際優質創投的薪資獎金水準、年假無上限、自由選擇工作時間地點、新年假期長達三、四週外,我們更在日前啟動交棒計畫,讓年僅 30 歲的 Jessica 劉侊縈、40 歲的 Andy 蔡欣翰升任合夥人,希望激發台灣企業勇敢讓年輕人當家。
私部門之外,有機會推動台灣轉型的公領域活動,我也積極參與。2016 年,我從詹宏志先生手上接下 TiEA (台灣網際網路暨電子商務產業發展協會) 理事長,上任後便努力推動網路電商正名運動,成功說服了櫃買中心創立電子商務分類;2017 年起我開始擔任亞洲·矽谷民諮委共同召集人、數位國家諮詢委員、代表台灣參加每年四次的 ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council) 會議,2018 年又奉總統之命擔任 APEC Vision Group 代表,與其他 20 會員國派出的先進,一起定義 APEC 未來的 20 年願景。這些雖然都是義務工作,但我都當作正職全力以赴,因為都有機會大大影響台灣的命運,以及在經濟領域的國際能見度。
最後,我去年決定再次舉家,準備遷往雅加達,同樣還是以為台灣貢獻出發。我觀察到 2.6 億人口的印尼正在快速崛起,短短 5 年內從有限的新創活動,到 4 隻本土獨角獸加 3 隻外來獨角獸的蓬勃景況,必須要幫助台灣抓住這個成長機會,但印尼商業生態與台灣大不相同,所以我決定進駐雅加達、深耕當地,希望能因此扮演帶領 AppWorks 新創進入印尼的嚮導,縮短我們與世界第四大國、東南亞第一大國的距離。這麼做得犧牲一些我在台灣的工作,但這些工作多半我的夥伴們可以承接,因此我便毅然開始行動。
講了這麼多,我其實只是希望您能了解,我大老遠從紐約搬回來的目的就是改變台灣,所以這些年來我做決定沒什麼懸念,因為不需要考慮自己的利益,只需要考慮在這個時間點,我做這件事情,是不是最能貢獻台灣。
如此我們便可以回到正題,這次的「台灣大 + AppWorks」專案。
不久前,蔡明忠董事長約我談話,詢問我有沒有興趣接下台灣大總經理的職位,一開始我其實是無法答應的,首先我已經決定搬去印尼,再來我也不確定接這個位子,跟貢獻台灣的關係。回去想了兩整天後,我有了答案,我跟蔡董事長說,必須有四個先決條件:
第一,結合台灣大和 AppWorks,用 AppWorks 生態系去幫助台灣大轉型為科技企業,同時以台灣大為平台去加速 AppWorks 新創的成長,因此創造更多成功的企業,為台灣示範成熟企業如何與新創實際合作;
第二,由 AppWorks 帶路,推動台灣大 + AppWorks 走出台灣,成為一個大東南亞科技集團,為台灣企業的區域化寫下典範,同時也成為能加速 AppWorks 新創區域化的大平台;
第三,以建立一個市值 1,000 億美金 (US$ 100B) 的科技集團為目標,創造第一個由台灣出發、真正達到國際級的非代工企業;
第四,所有因為台灣大 + AppWorks 集團未來的價值成長,公司依規定希望給予我個人的獎勵,要能全數由集團捐為公益使用,且專注在推動台灣的教育改革與電影工業上。
我跟蔡董事長說,如果以這四個目標為前提,那就值得我花 10 到 15 年的生命去推動。這基本上是我的夢幻清單,如果這麼做的話,能為台灣創造的貢獻,比 AppWorks 繼續獨立營運還會巨大許多,想不到蔡董事長毫不猶豫的答應。也因此,我回頭與 AppWorks 的夥伴們溝通,得到大家的支持後,我們決定一起接受這個挑戰。所以開頭我說,我不是接下了台灣大總經理的職位,而是接下了整合台灣大與 AppWorks,放大出 10 倍成果的任務。
當然,這不是一件容易的工作,發展新的商業模式,我或許有 20 年的創業、工作經驗作為後盾,但對於管理電信事業,對於領導一個 7,000 人的大集團,我有太多需要學習的地方,所以,我請蔡董事長務必持續扮演我的 Partner,在這個過程中一起確保電信本業的營運,好讓我們有最大的空間與時間,去爭取新事業的發展,為所有「台灣大 + AppWorks」的 Stakeholders,爭取最佳的長期利益。
未來幾年,將是電信業轉型的關鍵時期,去年 499 之亂加速電信用戶 ARPU (平均每戶營收) 的下滑,消費者換機時間拉長導致手機營收停滯,接下來資本支出是 4G 近 4 倍的 5G 即將到來,更讓電信長達 20 年紅利時代難以延續,AI、IoT、Blockchain、Cloud 等巨型典範轉移接連的到來,進一步逼迫電信業者不能繼續防守。
另一方面,電信業已經建立的品牌、長期客戶關係、大量用戶數據,卻是極有價值,可以更全面應用的資產。透過台灣大 + AppWorks 的結合,目前已經產生 760 億年營收的 AppWorks 的 328 家新創,以及未來將持續培養的更多新興企業,都有機會透過與台灣大的合作加速成長,而台灣大也能因此取得新的營收引擎,創造雙贏的局面。
所以,在可預見的未來,AppWorks 的方向不會改變,我們將持續邀請優秀的創業者加入,透過 AppWorks 原有的能量,以及新增的台灣大平台幫助他們。AppWorks 基金的營運也不會改變,事實上,加入了台灣大的能量,我們有信心能為 LP 們創造更好的財務、策略報酬。我的角色,除了新增台灣大總經理以外,也沒有改變,將持續擔任 AppWorks 的董事長、合夥人,戮力確保台灣大 + AppWorks 的整合能順利成功、長長久久,創造多贏。唯一改變的,大概是我的工作時間將會增加,因此要犧牲與家人的相處,在此先跟偉大的老婆、兩個可愛的兒子道歉,感謝他們對這個決定的支持與諒解。
至於搬遷至雅加達、引導更多 AppWorks 新創進軍印尼的計畫,很遺憾必須暫緩,所幸 AppWorks 的新任合夥人 Jessica (劉侊縈),已經承諾會扛起這個責任,相信在她的帶領下,AppWorks 的印尼計畫還是能夠大鳴大放、開花結果。
以上,就是針對此次台灣大 + AppWorks 的重大發展,向各位好友、媒體朋友的報告,懇求你們的支持。無論如何,我會持續為貢獻台灣而努力,希望我們這一輩的小孩們長大後,可以和我們一樣,以做台灣人為榮。
最後,預祝 您
新年快樂 諸凡順遂
助君張目 豬滿福保
Earlier today, Taiwan Mobile published an announcement communicating their intention to appoint me as the company’s general manager as of 4/1/2019. I’m sure this announcement may come as a surprise to many of my friends in the startup community, likely leaving you all with ample questions, concerns, and potentially even doubt. Let me take the opportunity to clarify the situation and explain the reasonings behind my decision for everyone.
Firstly, I must clarify that I am not merely taking over as GM of Taiwan Mobile, but taking on the bigger job of integrating Taiwan Mobile, a $12B market cap & $3.8B revenue company, and AppWorks, a $3.6B valuation & $2.5B revenue ecosystem, to amplify our impact by 10x.
But to adequately understand where we’re going, I think it’s important for everyone to know where we’ve come from. This begins with my story—for those of you that haven’t heard it before—which dates back to my time living in New York. It was around 2008 when I saw the launch of iPhone and Android, as well as the advent of Facebook, Twitter, etc, collectively catapulting social media into mainstream use. It was clear that software was increasingly taking over the world while the value of hardware was becoming more and more commoditized. This posed a dire existential threat to Taiwan, whose global economic contributions had been primarily driven by hardware and semiconductor manufacturing. This eventually prompted my resolve to move back to Taiwan and prevent our country from becoming a relic of the past.
This was by no means an easy decision. Not only did I have to give up my American dream, but my wife and child would have to completely uproot their lives, changing jobs and schools. It was a huge sacrifice on their end, so after moving back I dedicated myself to working hard every day to maximize my contribution to Taiwan and exert the greatest impact possible.
I have worn a lot of hats since, and it may seem that there is no correlation on the surface. But, there is indeed a common purpose behind them, which is to promote change in Taiwan. First of all, I have long written posts and columns in online communities such as my own blog, Facebook, and journals like “The Commonwealth Magazine,” while also giving speeches and interviews for a variety of outlets whenever possible. I see these activities as a way to share new knowledge, new ideas, and disseminate the nutrients needed for progress.
I set up AppWorks with my partners to systematically help young people start their own businesses and cultivate the next generation of business leaders that will steer Taiwan forward. That's why AppWorks started its semi-annual startup accelerator in 2010, and has been offering it for free ever since. With the addition of the latest batch AW#17, the AppWorks Ecosystem encompasses 328 active startups and 925 founders, having collectively generated US$ 2.5 billion in revenues and created 9,586 jobs—not an immaterial contribution to Taiwan’s economy needless to say. More importantly, we’ve created a tight-knit community where founders can form lifelong relationships, while seeking advice from both peers and mentors in good times and bad. I see that as a long-term value to society.
Once AppWorks took a firm foothold in Taiwan, we began targeting Southeast Asia in 2014 to invite outstanding ASEAN entrepreneurs to join us. We hope to promote Taiwan's regionalization through a network of international founders, and in turn, facilitate the development of SEA’s digital economy. We've made significant strides these past five years. AW#18 will kick off in March 2019, and consists of 33 teams, 19 of which hailing from countries across SEA and beyond. Spanning our entire ecosystem, AppWorks encompasses 160 companies currently operating in Southeast Asia, forming a truly regional network. Now, AppWorks founders from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore are expanding to Indonesia and Vietnam, and it is easy to find local AppWorks alumni to lead the way, greatly reducing the barriers for international expansion.
In addition to AppWorks Accelerator, we have been working hard to create more examples for a modern Taiwan. Taking venture capital as an example, we successfully raised US$ 11 million for Fund I in 2012 and US$ 50 million for Fund II in 2014. Under the efforts of the AppWorks team, the investment performance of the two funds is currently above the industry average, of which Fund II has achieved an annualized internal rate of return (IRR) of 29%. This is much higher than the top quartile of VCs in both Europe and the United States. By pursuing the same performance as international first-class funds, we hope to encourage Taiwanese LPs (short for venture capital investors) to be more confident in supporting local emerging GPs (short for venture capital management companies) and to promote the recovery and ultimate longevity of Taiwan's VC industry.
In 2016, we created AppWorks School with the aim of helping the younger generation pick up new skill sets, enhance their careers, and join the growing tech industry. The school offers four-month free programs and has now graduated 106 students, 85% of whom have secured jobs as software engineers, with a median starting salary of US$ 21,833. Although our scale is still tiny compared to larger institutes, we hope our efforts have inspired others to promote the modernization of Taiwan’s education system and equip young people with the necessary skills to thrive in the AI era.
In addition, although AppWorks is still a small to medium-sized enterprise, it has received a lot of attention. Therefore, it often leads by example and demonstrates how to apply new thinkings to modern corporate management. In addition to internationally-competitive salaries, our colleagues enjoy flexible working hours and locations, unlimited vacation days, and several weeks off around Chinese New Year. AppWorks also recently launched an internal promotion track, promoting two of our very own staff to partners, Jessica Liu (30) and Andy Tsai (40). We hope that this move will also create a ripple effect across traditional Taiwanese industries, inspiring more local enterprises to put their faith in younger leaders.
Alongside the private sector, I am also actively involved in promoting Taiwan’s transformation through public sector activities. In 2016, I took over as chairman of TiEA (Taiwan Internet and E-Commerce Association) from Mr. Hung-Tze Jan (詹宏志). After taking office, I have worked hard to promote our industry and successfully convinced government cabinet members to create a separate category for e-commerce companies, which didn’t previously exist in Taiwan’s stock market. Since 2017, I have been the co-convenor of the Asia-Silicon Valley Development Agency Advisory Committee, advisor of DIGI+ Taiwan, and the country’s member in ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council). Most recently in 2018, I was appointed by the President to represent Taiwan in the APEC Vision Group, where 21 member states come together to define APEC's vision for the next 20 years. Although these are all voluntary work, I have treated them as full-time jobs because they produce opportunities that can greatly influence Taiwan’s future.
Finally, last year I was prepared to uproot my family again and move to Jakarta. With a population of 260 million people, I observed that Indonesia was a rapidly emerging economy, producing many areas where Taiwan and Taiwanese companies can contribute. In the span of just five years, Indonesia went from a barren startup landscape to producing four local unicorns and attracting the presence of three international unicorns. Although the opportunities are abundant, Indonesia’s ecosystem was much different from Taiwan’s, creating immense cultural, regulatory, and competitive barriers for Taiwanese companies. I had thus planned on relocating to Jakarta in hopes of better leading AppWorks startups into Indonesia and shortening our distance from the world’s fourth most populous country and GSEA’s biggest economy. I would have had to sacrifice some of my roles and responsibilities in my Taiwan, but I put faith in my partners and co-workers to fill the void.
With all that said, I want you to understand that the underlying mission to change Taiwan has never faltered. With this mission in mind, I’ve never hesitated in making decisions over the years because I’ve never needed to consider my own interests—but only the things I can do at the moment to best contribute to Taiwan and generate the most impact. It’s what prompted my resolution to move back from New York, my intent to move to Jakarta, and now my decision to take on this new opportunity with “Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks.”
Not long ago, the Chairman of Taiwan Mobile Daniel Tsai reached out and asked if I was interested in taking over as General Manager of Taiwan Mobile. At first, I was unable to take his offer because I was getting ready to move to Indonesia and I didn’t know how this would contribute to making Taiwan better. After allowing myself a few days to contemplate, I found an answer. I told Chairman Tsai that I would take on the position, but only if I can pursue these 4 ambitions:
First, leverage the AppWorks ecosystem to help transform Taiwan Mobile into a true technology company. At the same time, leverage Taiwan Mobile as a platform to accelerate the growth of AppWorks startups, thereby creating a successful collaboration template for other Taiwan & SEA large corporations to work with startups.
Second, with AppWorks leading the way, establish Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks into a regional technology group across Greater Southeast Asia, in turn, inspiring other Taiwanese companies to explore Southeast Asia as well as becoming a platform for startups to go regional.
Third, build Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks group to a market cap of US$ 100 billion and create the first non-OEM company that originates from Taiwan and truly reaches a global scale.
Fourth, throughout the process, all the bonuses I am entitled to shall be donated by the group to public welfare, focusing specifically on promoting education reform and the film industry in Taiwan.
I told Chairman Tsai if these are the goals, it’s worth dedicating the next 10 - 15 years of my life to achieve. This is basically my dream list. If I do this, the contribution to Taiwan and the GSEA region as a whole from the combined entity will be much greater than the continued independent operation of AppWorks. Chairman Tsai agreed on these four goals and gave me his promise, but it was still not a decision that I could make on my own--after all building AppWorks into what is it today was not something I did alone. Therefore, I went back to communicate with the AppWorks partners and team, and with everyone's support, we decided to accept this challenge together.
Thus, at the beginning of the post, I said, that I am not only taking over the position of Taiwan Mobile’s GM, but undertaking the task of integrating Taiwan Mobile and AppWorks to amplify our impact by 10x. Of course, developing a completely new business model is not an easy job. I may have 20 years of entrepreneurship and work experience under my belt, but I still have much to learn when it comes to managing a massive telecoms operation with over 7,000 people, most of whom are much more familiar with the industry than me. Therefore, I asked Chairman Tsai to act as my partner through the process to ensure the continued operations of the telecoms unit. This will enable more time and space to develop new businesses, benefiting all “Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks” stakeholders in the long run.
The telecoms industry will likely undergo a crucial transformation in the next few years. Last year’s “NT$499 war” accelerated the decline of telecom subscribers’ ARPU (average revenue per household). Longer replacement periods for smartphones have led to the stagnation of mobile phone revenues and the rollout of 5G will cost four times the capex as 4G. These factors all threaten the industry’s ability to maintain the fluid growth it’s experienced for the past 20 years. Furthermore, the arrival of paradigm shifting technologies such as AI, IoT, Blockchain, and Cloud have put all telecom operators on the defensive.
On the other hand, the telecoms industry has established brands, long-term customer relationships, and a massive amount of user data—all valuable assets that can be better maximized. Through the combination of Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks and the 328 startups that AppWorks has cultivated, all emerging startups will be able to look to the combined platform as a strategic engine for cooperation and growth. This is will also enable Taiwan to develop new sources of value creation--a win-win for both sides.
Therefore, in the foreseeable future, AppWorks will not change direction. We will continue to invite outstanding entrepreneurs to join our accelerator, staying true to the original ethos of AppWorks, while leveraging the new Taiwan Mobile platform to help them. The operation of AppWorks Funds will not change. In fact, with the backing of Taiwan Mobile’s resources, we are confident that we can create better financial and strategic rewards for LPs. My role at AppWorks will not change. I will continue to serve as a partner of AppWorks. I will ensure that the integration of Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks will be a successful, long-lasting win-win situation for all stakeholders involved. The only change is probably that my working hours will increase, effectively cutting into my family time. So first, I must apologize to my great wife and two lovely sons, and thank them for their continued support and understanding of this decision.
As for the plan to move to Jakarta and guide more AppWorks startups to enter Indonesia, regrettably it must be suspended. Fortunately, Jessica Liu, AppWorks’ newest partner, has promised to take up this responsibility. I believe that under her leadership, AppWorks' Indonesia initiative will still be able to make a big splash and develop fruitfully.
Hopefully, this post has provided you with all the relevant details regarding the Taiwan Mobile + AppWorks announcement. To friends and media, I sincerely appreciate your continued support. At any rate, I will continue to work hard to contribute to Taiwan. I hope that the children of our generation will grow up and be proud of being Taiwanese.
Finally, I wish everyone all the best. Have a wonderful and prosperous pig year!