Edwin Ng from the lows of failure to NFT rise
Adapting to constant change is the only way to live and grow. This is what Edwin Ng passes on to all of us. The entire COVID crisis had its way of testing our troubleshooting capabilities. Do we go out or go through the cracks? Here is Edwin Ng, paving the way to NFT and Ethereum success with his company, Dommies. After a business failure and reintegration into a completely new industry, he proves that there is power in reshaping hardships for bigger and better opportunities.
Let’s discover Edwin Ng and his breakthrough in the blockchain world.
Q: What is “empowerment” to you?
A: Decision making that’s ground up, and originates from the community. Centralised decision making assumes that the majority are not equipped to think through issues for themselves. Far from it, a ground-up initiative is what makes enterprises and movements all that much bigger, and better.
Q: Tell us something true but nobody agrees with you.
A: Decentralisation will effect a change so drastic that the old structures of power will be thoroughly dismantled. COVID is only the catalyst.
Q: When did you get your first paid employment, and how old were you? What was it,
exactly?
A: I was seventeen and a telemarketer at Raffles Town Club before it was built.
Q: Tell us a little bit more about your journey.
A: I started MUNCH in 2004 straight out of University. Grew it through franchising to 20 over branches and covid was the nail in the coffin when it was in the last throes of death. During the lockdown, I discovered crypto and decentralised finance. From there, it was a natural progression into the NFT space.
Q: Let’s talk about your current occupation or business. What do you do?
A: We are the first all Singaporean team to develop algorithmic and programmatically generated 3D rendered avatars on the ethereum blockchain.
Q: How did you come up with this concept and carry it out?
A: The two artists on the team wanted to do something naughty and tongue in cheek. Hence the idea of condom marauders on the blockchain came about.
Q: What about your line of work excites you the most?
A: It’s great to see fans of our work use the avatars as their Twitter profile pic. Some go so far as to swap out their WhatsApp and telegram profile pics for this.
Q: What has been your most challenging obstacle, and how did you overcome it?
A: Marketing has been quite the challenge. No influencer wants to take our ethereum to shill our project so we have to do it the hard way. Hijacking posts and running giveaways.
Q: What motivates you to go further in your business or career?
A: The future is decentralised, being part of this movement is motivation enough.
Q: What do you consider to be the most valuable talents you’ve acquired and implemented during your journey?
A: The ability to identify trends in the NFT space and capitalise on them.
Q: What is the most significant mentality shift, belief shift, or “ah-ha” moment you’ve had in your business?
A: Without the community, most avatars projects will fail. Engagement is key.
Q: What attributes do you believe are the most necessary for a successful entrepreneur?
A: Resilience, integrity and ability to adapt to an ever-shifting landscape.
Q: What are some of the most crucial aspects of establishing a successful company?
A: Engagement, honesty and drive.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever gotten?
A: Go with the flow.
Q: What have you recently discovered that has astounded you?
A: That a jpeg bought for a few hundred bucks can cost thousands in mere hours.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring and first-time entrepreneurs?
A: Just do it.
Q: How can a lack of cash be overcome while beginning a business?
A: Equity and engagement are key. Learn to find the right partners who operate on the same wavelength.
Q: What is one question you wish we had asked you? What would your response be to such a question?
A: Why don’t you just get a job? I’m a masochist.
Q: Life has its ups and downs; can you tell us a compelling story?
A: Losing all the salad bars was the most painful thing I ever had to encounter. I spent decades opening them up and having to close them was heart-wrenching.
Q: Who motivates or motivates you?
A: Naysayers, because I wanna prove them wrong.
Interesting nuggets during our interview:
Q: What are your favourite ways to unwind?
A: Badminton, futsal.
Q: This is a book that every business person should read:
A: “One Minute Wisdom” by Anthony de Mello.
Q: What would you do if you were to commit a crime? What would you have done and how would you have gotten away with it?
A: Just fess up, no point running away. Be a good boy, yo.
Q: What is the most amusing event that has recently happened to you?
A: People trying to scam me of my NFTs.
Q: Describe the colour pink to a blind person.
A: Soft as a lady with a touch of periwinkle.
Q: What would you do if you found yourself on a (potentially) deserted island as a single survivor?
A: Build a raft and row.
Q: How would you choose which emails to answer if you woke up with 1,000 unread emails and only had time to respond to 100 of them?
A: I have a list of filter words, if they appear in the email, I read them.
Q: How much would you be willing to pay for a machine that could produce 100 dollars every day for the rest of your life?
A: Depends on how many days I have left in my life, ain’t it?
Q: How fortunate are you, and why are you so fortunate?
A: Extremely so, I’ve lived a full life and am still here to tell the tale.
Q: What would you play if you could only play one song every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life?
A: Pachelbel canon
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