Personal website of Wai Hong Fong, sharing insights on startups, tech, leadership, and the journey of building StoreHub.https://waihongfong.com/https://waihongfong.com/blog/i-was-a-bad-philosophy-student/https://waihongfong.com/blog/i-was-a-bad-philosophy-student/I spent twenty years mildly embarrassed about my degree. Then AI made it the most useful thing I ever studied.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/why-im-writing-again/https://waihongfong.com/blog/why-im-writing-again/Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. It's been quiet here. Like, really quiet. My last post was sometime back in the whirlwind of 2020 – back when 'pivot' became everyone's least favorite word and we were all figuring things out…Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/anti-fragile-local-edition/https://waihongfong.com/blog/anti-fragile-local-edition/In these tough times, I hear a lot of people talking about grit and resilience. That it's important to hang in there and tough it out. But I think it takes more than toughness to thrive in crisis. It takes being Anti-fragile.…Fri, 11 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/our-one-short-life/https://waihongfong.com/blog/our-one-short-life/'I love you guys' An unexpected message shot across my phone screen from a close friend. What sparked the random expression of a deep emotion, I wondered. 'A close relative just got cancer. Brain. Stage 4' My heart sank. Feelings of injustice…Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/sharpie/https://waihongfong.com/blog/sharpie/When most of us talk about permanent markers, we rarely describe them as such. We simply call them Sharpies. There comes a point where your brand is synonymous with the action/group of things it represents. Google Bubblewrap Jetski Tupperware Post its Rollerblade…Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/the-misunderstood-story-hare-vs-tortoise/https://waihongfong.com/blog/the-misunderstood-story-hare-vs-tortoise/We all know the classic story. Hare vs Tortoise. Slow and steady wins the race. But that's not what really happens here. The emphasis on slowness and steadiness camouflages the true lesson within: focus. I love how this video shows the hare…Fri, 28 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/knowing-your-season/https://waihongfong.com/blog/knowing-your-season/Competitive gamers know that winning a game requires us to understand the seasons and match our actions accordingly. In most games, it's as simple as the early, mid and late phases. Each of these phases would require a different playbook - a…Mon, 24 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/winning-and-patience/https://waihongfong.com/blog/winning-and-patience/We often believe that winning Requires us to take immediate action And a follow up with many steps We think by doing more The needle moves faster and further Until we hit the mark But perhaps sometimes Winning is simply waiting For…Fri, 21 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/why-believing-matters/https://waihongfong.com/blog/why-believing-matters/We dream bigger We act bolder We work harder We get out of bed easier We speak with more conviction We can't help but share with everyone We are more patient For the most important things in life, believing really matters. Because…Wed, 19 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/2020-its-not-easy-but-could-it-be-the-best/https://waihongfong.com/blog/2020-its-not-easy-but-could-it-be-the-best/2020 hasn't been easy We've been challenged to our limits Some of us have thrived While others have tilted But this is a needful season The air is getting cleaner The forests less ravaged Silly ideas for startups thrown away The return…Tue, 18 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/best-x-ever/https://waihongfong.com/blog/best-x-ever/The most glorious of days Often linger around the corner In the most unexpected ways You might just discover A happy happy day The best steak ever A wagyu 6+ at RM120 that happens to be the best steak ever? Love it…Mon, 17 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/getting-good-is-not-an-accident/https://waihongfong.com/blog/getting-good-is-not-an-accident/A close friend and colleague(Greg) recently wrote about learning, and how most of us think that the act of consuming content makes us better each day(full post here - def check it out, it's great). TLDR; it doesn't. I've been a gamer…Wed, 12 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/popular-wisdom-is-overrated/https://waihongfong.com/blog/popular-wisdom-is-overrated/Follow your passion rarely lasts. Never give up doesn’t apply to everything. You can be anything you want as long as you believe/work hard enough is simply false. The truth is Passion is a great starter, but success is what keeps us…Tue, 11 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/choosing/https://waihongfong.com/blog/choosing/Our best choices In dire circumstances Don’t come from absolute strength But rather a willingness to walk In spite of the absolute certainty Of the pain of failure Because of the joy and hope of success…Mon, 10 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/top-20-tools-updated-500-growth-series/https://waihongfong.com/blog/top-20-tools-updated-500-growth-series/Yesterday's 500 Growth Series was really fun. I shared on the Top 20 Tools to Hack and Grow a SaaS business. You can find the full video recording here: Some of you guys have requested for me to share the slides…Fri, 10 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/three-things-im-reminded-of-today/https://waihongfong.com/blog/three-things-im-reminded-of-today/There are no problems. Every problem is an opportunity. There are only Probletunities. 5 long Breathes will calm your body which calms your brain. Startup life is a roller coaster. You may feel incredibly down at 6pm. And feel on top of…Fri, 26 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/entrepreneurs-plenty-teachers-few/https://waihongfong.com/blog/entrepreneurs-plenty-teachers-few/After living over 16 years of my life away from Malaysia, I finally returned home in 2013. While it seemed like this was a natural progression considering the market focus(SEA) of my second startup(Storehub), I knew that there was a deeper purpose…Wed, 20 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/the-storm-before-the-calm/https://waihongfong.com/blog/the-storm-before-the-calm/In my experience We are most tested just before we achieve some major milestone And sometimes our worst enemies hide inside us In our thoughts and our doubts and our dreams But when we take them down we grow strong. And develop…Thu, 08 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/top-20-tools-hack-grow-b2b-saas-business/https://waihongfong.com/blog/top-20-tools-hack-grow-b2b-saas-business/I recently did a talk at the Magic Academy 2015 conference ( Some of you guys have requested for me to share the slides so I’ve put them up on slideshare here. If you have other questions, feel free to connect with…Thu, 10 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/humility/https://waihongfong.com/blog/humility/Humility is the ultimate networking tool. Still so true today. Even as we celebrate the small wins, we remember those unassuming, unexpected people that we took the time to respect and get to know, without agenda and prejudice. And how they led…Tue, 08 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/solve-saas-recurring-billing-subscription-woes-malaysia-solution/https://waihongfong.com/blog/solve-saas-recurring-billing-subscription-woes-malaysia-solution/At StoreHub, we’re constantly looking for ways to automate the way we do things. When we first started out, we knew an area that will pose a major issue is managing subscription billing. There were some solutions out there that did ‘recurring…Wed, 04 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/storehub-a-finalist-at-the-bizsmart-academy-challenge/https://waihongfong.com/blog/storehub-a-finalist-at-the-bizsmart-academy-challenge/Hey guys. We’ve got some exciting news. StoreHub got accepted as one of the top 20 finalists at the Alliance Bank Bizsmart academy challenge. There were 485 applicants and so we feel very lucky indeed to be amongst the finalists that got…Tue, 30 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/sin-repentance-forgiveness-salvation/https://waihongfong.com/blog/sin-repentance-forgiveness-salvation/Over dinner last night, a friend and I had a spirited conversation about a whole range of issues that we as Christians today engage with. We both agreed that there is a lot of fixation on ‘sin’ in church culture and that…Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/being-truly-human/https://waihongfong.com/blog/being-truly-human/Today, I got a message from an entrepreneur wrestling in their journey and sharing some of the struggles they’ve had to deal with. In the midst of the rant, there’s the popular disclaimer that we commonly hear of “I’m only Human. (therefore)I’m…Wed, 28 May 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/my-eg-make-the-pitch/https://waihongfong.com/blog/my-eg-make-the-pitch/Aloha. As I’m getting more understanding of the ecosystem here in Malaysia, I’m starting to see a few opportunities here and there. For one, I just signed up for an account on MyEG’s make the pitch. Seems like it’s an interesting programme…Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/healthworks-healthier-malaysia/https://waihongfong.com/blog/healthworks-healthier-malaysia/I’ve now had a few months to get to know the startup scene in Malaysia. It’s really been an eye opening experience and in the midst of it all, I’ve also had the chance to help make a health related startup come…Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/microfinancing-8-countries-ive-lended-to-via-kiva/https://waihongfong.com/blog/microfinancing-8-countries-ive-lended-to-via-kiva/Cambodia Colombia Kenya Kosovo Peru Philippines Senegal Tajikistan The countries I’ve made Microfinancing Loans to via Kiva. I truly believe microfinancing is one of the channels to address the issue of poverty(teach a man to fish), and to believe in people who…Sat, 23 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/trusting-in-the-things-i-cant-control/https://waihongfong.com/blog/trusting-in-the-things-i-cant-control/when the world has fallen out from under me I’ll be found in you, still standing When the sky rolls up and the mountains fall on their knees when time and space are through I’ll be found in you – Brooke Fraser…Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/new-skin/https://waihongfong.com/blog/new-skin/So I’ve just updated my blog to a new skin. And also will make it a point to post more regularly. Haven’t really Made it a priority but people have asked if I write. So this will be my avenue of expression.…Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/google-malaysia-hacked/https://waihongfong.com/blog/google-malaysia-hacked/Just doing my usual routine only to find that google malaysia accessed at www.google.com.my has been hacked by some Pakistani hackers. The group seems to call themselves team madleets. This is definitely the first time I’ve seen a google page hacked. I…Fri, 11 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/designcrowd-logo-design-experience-review-for-onesaviour-com/https://waihongfong.com/blog/designcrowd-logo-design-experience-review-for-onesaviour-com/So as some of you guys may know, I recently launched onesaviour.com which is simply the front I use when people come to me looking for consulting work. I bought a simple wordpress theme and implemented it fairly quickly. Of course, I…Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/hope-vision-mission/https://waihongfong.com/blog/hope-vision-mission/I have hope in a world where there’s enough grace for all our shortcomings. Where love is our default posture towards each other. Where cancer & sickness don’t exist and healthy relationships flourish. Where journey is celebrated because our hows are more…Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/10-killer-tools-ecommerce-success/https://waihongfong.com/blog/10-killer-tools-ecommerce-success/Some people have requested that I posted up the 10 tools I’ve been sharing at the Online Retailer Roadshow. Thank you to those who took the time to encourage me and hopefully these tools will help you towards greater success in your…Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/seo-trends-lookout-2012/https://waihongfong.com/blog/seo-trends-lookout-2012/In reflecting on the year 2011, I’ve also looked at what to expect in the year 2012. Here are some of my thoughts around what’s happening in SEO this year. Love to hear your thoughts so please feel free to post comments.…Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/the-age-melbourne-magazine-top-100-most-influential-creative-inspirational-people-2011/https://waihongfong.com/blog/the-age-melbourne-magazine-top-100-most-influential-creative-inspirational-people-2011/Couple of weeks ago, I unexpectedly received a phone call saying that I was selected to be on The Age Melbourne Magazine’s Top 100. According to Fairfax, “Now into its fifth year, the Top 100 celebrates the cities’ most influential people. From…Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/superman-saves-the-day-in-melbourne-bucks-night-out/https://waihongfong.com/blog/superman-saves-the-day-in-melbourne-bucks-night-out/So we had a pretty epic day on Saturday. We were all out celebrating a friend’s final week before enrolling into the school of marriage. Surfing in the morning and horseriding in the afternoon. Of course, to complete the ritual, we needed…Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/m2e-ebay-magento-integration-token-expiration-issue-2/https://waihongfong.com/blog/m2e-ebay-magento-integration-token-expiration-issue-2/For anyone experiencing issues with M2E’s Magento & Ebay integration, you need to replace a file which contains the token that M2E uses to connect to eBay’s API. The error that I am referring to is : Synchronize eBay items transactions/orders ...…Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/5-networking-lessons-from-a-complete-networking-noob/https://waihongfong.com/blog/5-networking-lessons-from-a-complete-networking-noob/I struggle with ‘networking’, full stop. It’s an unnatural thing for me, and hopefully some people will empathise with me. But in my experience, there have been many wonderful moments where I simply get opportunities to meet truly amazing people. Some of…Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/ozkitchenware-our-mostexciting-endeavour-yet/https://waihongfong.com/blog/ozkitchenware-our-mostexciting-endeavour-yet/Hi everyone! It’s been really eerily quiet here over the last couple of months as we wade through challenge after challenge in the business. I apologize for the lack of updates and will commit to posting more regularly! I think part of…Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/leaders-remember-to-ask-then-listen/https://waihongfong.com/blog/leaders-remember-to-ask-then-listen/It’s been a while since I blogged now, but I think I’d try to get into the habit of regularly posting again. I’d try to journal the things I’m learning on this journey on this blog as I go along. Watched a…Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/following-the-no-follow-rule/https://waihongfong.com/blog/following-the-no-follow-rule/Linkbuilding – The rel=“nofollow” tag So this week we will be examining another key component of the link: the rel=“nofollow” tag. This tag was originally introduced in 2005 by Google by way of helping webmasters combat spammers. So how does it work?…Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/write-title-tags-search-engines-humans/https://waihongfong.com/blog/write-title-tags-search-engines-humans/Search engines determine a website’s relevance to a search query according to on-page (internal factors) and off-site (external factors) signals. Today we will look at title tags, which are arguably one of the most important on-page factors to work on. They can…Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/seo-important-startup-businesses/https://waihongfong.com/blog/seo-important-startup-businesses/So you’ve got your website set up or are thinking of launching it and you’ve heard of this thing called search engine optimisation (SEO). You’re wondering what exactly it is and how relevant it is to your business. You know traffic is…Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/google-live-twitter-feed-observations/https://waihongfong.com/blog/google-live-twitter-feed-observations/I just got home and decided to google my name. I know what you’re thinking but I tell myself its for SEO purposes! This is what I found: A live twitter feed from my twitter account on the SERPS for the search…Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/everything-is-good-for-something/https://waihongfong.com/blog/everything-is-good-for-something/As a result of the conversation with T today, I realised that a lot of the stresses I’ve been holding in tension in this season of my life, do not justify the amount of attention that I have given them. Let me…Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/bym-2010-be-salty-and-lighty/https://waihongfong.com/blog/bym-2010-be-salty-and-lighty/So I had the privilege of being a part of the 100 selected for the Brightest Young Minds 2010(BYM 2010) Summit held at Sydney earlier this month. Folks have asked me, so how has the week been for you? In a short…Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/valleys-what-do-they-accomplish/https://waihongfong.com/blog/valleys-what-do-they-accomplish/Warning: This post is a rant of the mind, without form or purpose, and best read with a pinch of salt. There are certain times in our lives where we feel we are caught in a valley. It’s usually characterized by the…Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/embrace-of-a-season/https://waihongfong.com/blog/embrace-of-a-season/Every now and then, we enter into a season of our life where certain memories, or feelings, or thoughts cause us to almost resent the very breathe that we draw, the very life that is the gift of the creator becomes a…Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/my-secret-weapon-teachability/https://waihongfong.com/blog/my-secret-weapon-teachability/I was recently asked by a close friend, “What is it that you do that gives you the edge in business?”. As I paused momentarily to ponder the question, the answer jumped out at me with certainty. “I think it’s the fact…Mon, 31 May 2010 00:00:00 GMThttps://waihongfong.com/blog/lifes-a-journey-its-better-doing-it-together/https://waihongfong.com/blog/lifes-a-journey-its-better-doing-it-together/So this is the very first post of this blog. It may stay it may not. The most important question behind any endeavour is the WHY question. It is what gives meaning to the project. It is what gives purpose to life.…Sat, 08 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT