Sim Wong Hoo's 10 most memorable quotes

On what is No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS):

"NUTS is when you want to do something and you seek the approval of a higher authority. When there is no rule saying that you can do such a thing, then the standard answer is NO.

What is wrong with this? There is nothing wrong if we choose to be stuck in the old world of our own where nothing changes.

To meet the challenge of the new world, to meet the challenge of rising to a knowledge-based economy, we have to innovate like mad. How can we innovate when we need to obey rules to innovate? Innovate means to create things out of nothing, it means moving into uncharted territories where there are no rules.

How can you innovate when you have to get approval of somebody who looks at a rule-book first?"

From his book, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 1999

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"We are moving faster and faster into many uncharted territories, where there are no rules. We do not want to be paralyzed by waiting for the rule to be formulated before moving - it will be too late. We have to discard our NUTS mentality and learn to live in a new world where there are no clear rules. Not that it will be a cowboy lawless land. There will be broad guiding principles such as common goals, objectives and basic integrity to follow. The rest, we have to look at the big picture and decide what is the best way to do a job, to achieve our goals."

From his book, Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, 1999

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On what kept him going as an entrepreneur:

"What kept me going? I just wanted to be different. We just wanted to change the world. I want to do the world something good. I think we have the technology, I have the ideas how to make it happen. So, that is something that is positive. It’s always very positive. You lose a battle here, you lose a battle there, it’s nothing. It’s common. It’s very common out there."

Interview with CNBC News International, 10 April 2020

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On his advice to entrepreneurs not to get married:

"No, no, no, it’s not that I don’t like to be married. It’s just that for entrepreneurship, you want to be very focused. So, marriage is a big form of distraction. So, it’s your choice, you know you want to be very successful, then minimize the distraction. Or maybe your partner should work with you and become a support rather than a distraction. So, you make a choice, is it the right thing? "

Interview with CNBC News International, 10 April 2020

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On what he wants to be remembered for: 

"Nothing. I don't require people to endorse me. I think I've done my job. We created Sound Blaster. It's a big thing already. Normally you've got one shot in your life."

Interview with The Straits Times, 20 January 2019

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On failure:

Entrepreneurs need to make mistakes and figure out things themselves. Yes, they need information. I can give you the light, but I am not telling you how to go, which direction to go."

Interview with Yahoo!, 16 April 2019

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「在我的的词汇里面没有 “放弃” 这个字眼， 当我看到一个问题的时候，我往往就非常兴奋。我第一个念头就是说我能够解决这个问题。 我不管它是什么问题 我不管我是内行还是行外 所以我碰到问题的一种情况不是消极或是说怕它，而是很兴奋。」 

[Translated] "In my vocabulary, there is no “give up”. Whenever I am confronted with a problem, I tend to get very excited. My first thought is to say that I can solve this problem. I don’t care what the problem is, if I am an insider or a layman. So whenever I have a problem, there is neither negativity nor fear; I feel a sense of excitement. "

Interview with 「焦点」， 1994

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「失败是家常便饭。 往往碰到失败的机会多过成功，所以我是失败惯了。」 

[Translated] "Failure is not a big deal. Usually, you will encounter many more setbacks than successes. So, I’ve gotten used to it."

Interview with Lianhe Zaobao, 10 April 2019

On life and his lifestyle:

"Living the Crazy Rich Asian lifestyle is a sin. I never had any inclination for that."

Interview with Yahoo!, 16 April 2019

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"I am not a stubborn person. It is taking on the challenge. I am just determined. If there is something I want to do and people say it’s impossible, I want to make it happen."

Interview with Yahoo!, 16 April 2019