Archive for the ‘Our Dreams’ Category
Can The World Hear. . . Us?
Not sure if any readers have noticed but the title of our blog is a slight flaw as it implies only one mastermind behind this idea and this dream. Although I am the primary writer, I want to make sure everyone knows that Josh is also intricate to the blog’s process with the backend work and constant discussions to further ideas and the future startup.
But beyond the naming problem, I realize this could lead to problems in the future over say copyright or ownership of this blog. As we go separate ways (I hope not), two roads diverge in a yellow wood, and we may never know where we may end up.
I hope when that time does come, this blog still stays alive and our memories and experience really advance us in wherever we are. I know thatsounds corny but the inevitable does happen so although the title says “Can The World Hear Me” I really want it to be “Can The World Hear Us” as I believe there are more people than just Josh and me that share this dream.
On forth!
~Kevin Xu
Happy New Year World!
Here’s to 2008, a whole new year with many opportunities and high hopes from two young teens.
To be quite honest, we are amazed that we even made it through the year. We started out all the way back in September and went through a redesign and got out own domain name! Since the move (Nov. 2) until now 2857 visits with 4746 pageviews and 2,324 unique visitors! We hope many of our readers stick with us through our adventure and a great way to do so is to subscribe to our RSS feed!
So what have we been up to lately? Kevin has created a logo!
“This was more of a personal project than anything else. It’s just a way for me to mark my stuff with my emblem and have it all symbolic-y. I also got to play with web 2.0 stuff and GIMP. Hopefully one day it will be a wide-known symbol logo.”
“It’s just a new creation with my initials, K.X. and through a little research, the arrow is supposed to represent power… success… and apparently luck in battle as well.”
Hope you guys like it. If you got any comments or suggestions then please tell us in the comments!
~Can The World Hear Me
How did we lose the kindness?
Courtesy of BigFaith
Is the kindness still there? Is there still such a thing as ‘true love’? Can the whole human race learn to co-operate together when the time ultimately calls for it or will we end up fighting still? Is there seriously any faith left in humanity?
Leo from Zen Habits never ceases to inspire me as he reminds me of the rarity of true kindness in the world with his latest post. I am reminded of all these questions I once had and how I almost forgot them. It’s easy to get lost in the midst of life sometimes when you got so much work going on and the little things tend to slip by. But in reality then shouldn’t.
The thing that hit a soft spot in me was the idea that how much faith is left in humanity? I still have tremendous faith in humanity but I am usually called the optimist for a reason. Despite all the negativity I see and at my young age, I only keep those thoughts in the back of my mind so I do not appear naive but it gets you thinking how the human race is going to end up?
The biggest illusion in the world is that we are all different but in essence we are not. Everyone has loves, personalities, dreams; everyone has a story. The last time I touched on this topic was my highest peak of traffic ever and for good reason too. We really need to understand that everyone deserves equal amount of care and kindness because we are all human on the inside but I provided actual scientific evidence that it is impossible to do so. It might seem contradictory but according to the Monkeysphere or Dunbar’s Number, 150 is the maximum amount of people we can actually truly care about. (I am actually doing an intensive scientific research project on Dunbar’s Number in school but I’ll save that for another time)
But this doesn’t mean we still can’t spread the kindness. I believe little acts everyday are the most effective way of spreading the kindness. From the ‘thank you’s to any nice complement that you notice about someone.
Being a student, I am with my friends a lot at school and Christmas is also coming up. I want to pay it forward by just thanking them for being my friends. I have these nice bells still hanging around and what’s better than a neat little present. Throughout the month of December, I plan to attach little notes to the bells and just throw it in my friends backpacks just thanking them for being my friend. Imagine the surprise when they find it.
Thank you again Leo for re-sparking this feeling inside of me. Leo also provided me a free copy of his eBook and is providing me a link to this post in his efforts to spread kindness. This goes to show that you don’t really need something super special but just anything that you have at hand is worthwhile.
~Kevin X
My previous RAoK post.
Why use web 2.0? (Part 2)
What is so special about web 2.0 anyways that makes entrepreneurs and startups around the world eager to profit from it? Sure it is the newest and fastest form of information on the internet. It is also the fastest growing concept on the internet and constantly changing. It sounds all nice and dandy but why do we want to grow a business around it? Why can’t we just set up a shop and plain out sell our product/service?
The way I see it, the businesses that don’t have an online component fail. That’s not to say every business needs to have a website (depends on what kind of business) but most should. If you set up a shop in the local town, the chance that you are known out of town is slim. The idea decades ago of setting up shop, making lots of money, and then starting a franchise with shops set up all over the country is gone.
Dell made it big because it was the first company to sell computers exclusively online. Before you had to go to a store and some saw that as a hassle. Other companies now also do the same thing, sell their items via an online store. Almost every large store has one: Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc. This is called E-Commerce and it is the best thing to happen to these businesses. Only the small stores that you never hear of don’t have a website thus they will never make it big. There are some stores that only have a website to sell things and they make far more money than any small physical store. Think about it, no rental fees, no workers to pay, it’s just you and whatever you are trying to sell.
But we don’t want to sell an item so how are we going to use web 2.0? It is clear to us that we want to start a service online. Being born in the technology revolution, we understand the power of web 2.0 and how a simple search engine (Google) can have a stock skyrocket to $700 or a video service (Youtube) can be worth up to $1.65 billion. These prices actually don’t surprise me because I expected them to boom. Many analysts think that we are at the end of the ‘dot-com’ bubble but I believe that it is only beginning. How the internet has changed the economy, culture, and politics is fasinating and in only a couple of years. There is much more to come.
Stay tuned for Part 3- What problems can we solve?
Previously:
Why form a startup? (Part 1)
~Kevin X
Why form a startup? (Part 1)
Out of all the things that we can do (become a doctor, teacher, politician, plumber, soldier, or a watchmaker) why have we decided to pick the risky life of a startup? What are the rewards and do they outweigh the risks? Will we be able to be at the top of the top or will we stay as an average startup?
I think my main motivation for creating a startup is to find out the answer to those questions. For all those out there that don’t know what a startup is, it is basically a new company with high risk but also high reward. It is the type of company that nobody knows one day and literally overnight can be huge. Examples are Google, Youtube, Facebook, Ebay, etc. They raise funds from venture capital firms or angel investors until they can sustain themselves and grow.
But life in the startup world is indeed very risky. Statistics show that ‘90% of all business fail in the first 5 years’ so I say why not start now? I said my motivation comes from trying to answer those previous questions but it’s really about finding out my full potential. Am I able to risk a lot and come out with even more? And am I able to make it to the top or am I forever going to be stuck in the average? I just get so excited thinking about one day answering these questions that a startup can lead me to.
To create my own startup is to become my own boss. I had already decided at a young age that I do not want to work for someone else. I do not want to be some pawn working for and profiting a big honcho. I will become my own boss and decide what kind of company to run and how to do it. Isn’t that the real American Dream?
More importantly are web 2.0 startups. In today’s world a lot of young adults are going into the startup world mainly focused around Silicon Valley. Everyone is hoping to find their niche, create an awesome product/service, and grow huge. It’s all a part of this ‘dot com bubble’ that people are hoping to profit from and so do we. Our only current specialty right now is our young age and I’m not afraid to admit that. We don’t have anything else special about us that stands us out from the rest. But we hope to grow and gain experience quickly so that we can stand out of the crowd. We want to get to the point where the answers are obvious to the question “Can The World Hear Me?”
Stay tuned for Part 2- Why use Web 2.0?
~Kevin X
Knowledge without Action is a boring way to live
It’s good to have knowledge and it’s good to take action but most people only have one or the other and it never gets them anywhere.
It’s obvious that you can plan stuff and dream about stuff but if no action is ever taken then nothing big happens. Likewise if you start taking action without any sort of plan. It seems like such common sense but you would be amazed as to how many people don’t realize that they need both knowledge and action to become successful. We were close to going down that same path but luckily we got redirection.
This blog started because I was constantly dreaming but did not take any action. With the birth of Can The World Hear Me, it was a great first step in showing the world what I am all about. But now with a new domain and about a month and a half later I find myself blabbing on about my enthusiasm and my youth and my innovation without any proper backing so who in the world could take me seriously? I’m at the stage where I’m ‘talking the talk’ but not ‘walking the walk’. It is one of the worst situations to be in but that won’t keep me down.
Excuse my ambition but I can’t help but feel so determined even when I’m in a bad situation. This is purely a chance to learn from my mistake and come out from it even better. To obtain a new focus and initiate a more direct action, I am going to start a 6 Part series of articles over the coming weeks detailing our sort of ‘mind mapping’ to see where this blog is going. The goal is to conceive a whole startup product/service that will make it big either in today’s time or the future. This blog was supposed to be a sandbox for ideas but it was lacking the sand. We are now going to construct a castle.
~Kevin X (Sorry for the corniness in this post)
Can You Hear Us Yet?
Welcome old and new readers to the brand new Can The World Hear Me blog! We are pleased to unveil our new website on our very own domain and new server. So update those bookmarks and those RSS feeds!
Its been a painstakingly long week as Josh tried to balance schoolwork during the day and code well into the night but he did it and this is the final product. We were only able to make the big move because of the awesome Jessica Mah who is providing us with free hosting. This is what I mean by a random act of kindness as it was a truly kind act to host our new website as it opens up a whole new world for us to venture forth. Our goals and our dreams have been revitalized by one kind act.
So what do you all think of the new theme? Is the blue color scheme working? Does it look professional? What about the logo? Any and all feedback would be wonderful.
Now think of this as just an inaugural post because there are many more great posts to come. Kevin has been itching to write more and more and the ideas just kept on coming. We are going to keep a whole new focus as to actually generate a possible idea that will turn into something. The world is currently in a technological revolution and we want to be a part of it. We are still two teens that want their names to be known so with that relaunches Can The World Hear Me. Well, can you?
~Can The World Hear Me
Being a kid in the business world― Good or Bad?
Is a kid going to be treated the same as an adult in the business world? Is a kid going to get liked because of his boundless energy and enthusiasm but get mocked at the same time for his naivety? Will thousands of people trust what a kid says hoping that the kid goes through with his dream? Or will the kid get shut down and told to lead a normal life?
Now it sounds like I’m protesting for children’s rights but I just keep noticing how some adults help support everything I do and what this blog is all about while there are others telling me to abandon this dream and lead a normal life. And I can see where both arguments are coming from though. I am creative and full of determination so at my age, I should definitely be chasing my dream while I still have the opportunity. But then I am also easily influenced by propaganda, lack experience, and reluctant to hear negative critiques so I might end up in harsh failure. So which path do I follow?
Aaron Nemoyten describes on Startupism a meetup he went to where he met a “Newbie Idea Guy” who was unwilling to hear the truth that his idea had already been used and kept insisting that his idea was the “better amazing idea” and that was his only backing. Without any experience, one newbie is trying to conquer the whole travel site niche and trying to get partners and money for it. Just from that story, I can imagine that happening to me and upsetting me greatly.
Now we at CanTheWorldHearMe don’t want that happening to us. We want to be respected for who we are especially in the business world where a first impression could mean a million dollars. So our plan is to double the amount of experience we get in half the time. We’re going to go all-out overdrive mode on this plan so there is no regret for what we do. First step of course is creating a plan but we will gather the necessary networking and experience in the meantime. Sure this might sound ambitious but I follow my own philosophy that I created:
Believe in the world,
and the world will believe in you.
~Kevin X
Why make Money when you could make Meaning?
The power to influence is stronger than the power of a dollar.
In a capitalist economy, every human being is for his or herself as they try to make money to better their lives. But also as human beings our first priority should be to make meaning and try to better human society. As a tip to all startup companies, Guy Kawasaki says:
“If you make meaning, you’ll probably make money. But if you set out to make money, you will probably not make meaning, and you won’t make money.”
The sad thing is that most people are driven by greed and it is rare to find someone who does things simply to help others. Even if people say things and do things, they probably still have some secret motive in the back of their minds. That is the cruel rule in the business world and no one wants to be used. My mom keeps telling me that the friends I make now in high school and maybe in college are my only true friends. She says when I grow up and become rich or famous out there in the real world, people will only be my friend if they want something from me.
I hope that is not the case but sometimes it is. That is why I created this blog because the world needs more people who want to make meaning. I want my meaning to get out to everyone in the whole world and it will be a meaning to help improve the lives of everyone or simply just bring out a smile. The meaning of every human being and the potential each one has to impact the world is strong. Money can really only help yourself but meaning can help the world. There was significant meaning to Blog Action Day and although it encompassed over 20,000 blogs, each blogger had meaning in their own way that was a part of this huge movement. Even CanTheWorldHearMe got noticed in a nice quote that deserves special mention.
Now go out there and make your own meaning. All of you mean a lot to your family, to your friends, and even to me for reading this blog. Without meaning and without people, this world is a pretty dull place.
~Kevin X
Is CanTheWorldHearMe too crazy to work?
I hope not. There are some people in this world that think our goals are crazy and that all the risks we take will be for naught. While there are others in the world who think we are the keys for inspiration and for change. My mind was perplexed and in an internal struggle… until I saw this quote:
Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them…about the only thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they change things, they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
That quote was said by none other than Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple. Then I thought, if 50 years ago someone mentioned making computers or the internet, we would call them psycho and probably send them for psychiatric help. 600 years ago if someone mentioned that the Earth was round, they would be laughed at and deemed cursed by the Devil. But the people that did think this, that did think outside of the box and that did come up with new solutions are the ones that left their mark on history. They singlehandedly pushed the human race forward and are noted for their accomplishments.
So is CanTheWorldHearMe too crazy to work? Some argue that people like Christopher Columbus or Bill Gates are one in a million or were just in the right place at the right time thinking the right idea. But still they were the crazy ones until what they did made them famous. It is a weird flaw in society where we shun these people where we should be praising for more of these people because they push the human race forward. I find myself odd because I’m thinking such crazy thoughts and seeking such a wild dream at such a young age. Maybe I am crazy and the world won’t hear me. But maybe the world will need a kid with a dream one day.
Below is a video of the aforementioned quote in its emotional entirety.
~Kevin X