Zi Yang Wong is Co-founder and CEO of Upmesh, the leading live commerce enabler in Southeast Asia that helps Facebook and Instagram live sellers easily automate orders and manage inventory. Before Upmesh, he was the CEO of a blockchain company.

👋🏼  How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

Taking care of a startup is like the work equivalent of a newborn baby; it screams a lot, and you have to spend 24/7 looking after it to make sure it doesn't die.

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🧐  What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

Founders are typically very broke people!

🏆  What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Successfully launching our product and helping many merchants save many hours of time live selling.

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🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

API-based fulfillment technology — helping suppliers connect their inventory through APIs to be distributed automatically with minimal input. It is very relevant to Upmesh and is something we believe will be transformative for the SEA e-commerce space.

💼  What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

Don't hesitate to reach out and network early, especially with other founders, so you can learn from the mistakes of others instead of going through expensive mistakes yourself.

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🗣  What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

Food!

🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Rick and Morty.

🍨  What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

Red Velvet!