In the first part of an ongoing series where our gini team members share our stories with the company, our country manager Fung Lim gives us his thoughts on being the first hire at gini!
That’s me in front as always, taking the selfie to celebrate a birthday!
When I was asked to share my thoughts on ‘What is it like to be the first hire at gini’, I keep coming back to one word – grateful. Ok fine, the fact that I’m writing this on the last day of 2018 does have some influence on that ?
Just thinking back on the early days with gini and where we’ve come, I love that such an amazing finance solution came from hard work and overcoming tremendous challenges with this handful of people, and we are still going hard at it. Simply, to be part of this unique opportunity is a great privilege.
Every new role, in a lot of ways, is like going into uncharted waters — for both for employer and employee. Particularly as a startup, it isn’t like hiring into an established role. So, there’s learning to be done on both sides, and that’s the God honest truth. Being the first hire, intensifies it even further with all the uncertainties, the lack of processes, and must say this, the sacrifices.
In this digital age of instant gratification, the immense value of sacrifices or delayed gratification have sadly gone to deaf ears. Perhaps being old school, I have never had it any other way, always having to work for what I’ve set out to achieve, and to work your arse off at that (oops… sorry if I’m not supposed to use that word ?).
Moving to HK from ‘Middle Earth’ NZ, with Groupon as my first professional introduction to Hong Kong to gini today, it has certainly been an extreme, intense, grueling and humbling experience, not just work-wise but culturally at that. And for all that, again I can’t help but feel super grateful.
From all the late nights to running around with my hair on fire, it has indeed helped me grow in many ways. Some may look at it indifferently and say, that’s pain and suffering, i.e. “tai sun foo”, but I look at it as preparation for what’s ahead, and I have the past AND present people to genuinely thank for this.
With the interest of time, if you are reading this and happen to be at a stage in your life where you’re contemplating a change of some kind whether in your career, relationship what not, this does not serve as any kind of advice, but simply a sharing of some insights from personal experiences.
As this is the beginning of the new year, I wish everyone a gallant, gracious, great and grateful 2019!
Interested in joining the gini team? Check out our openings and opportunities at our careers site here!
