Ep 106: WTF? This is the best secret to unhappiness | Xav Desmet, Head of Digital Natives, Startups&Unicorns for Asia @ Zoom - a podcast by Ling Yah

Xavier Desmet is the Head of Digital Natives, Startups and Unicorns for Asia at Zoom.

And in this episode, we talk about all:

• Tiger Mums (or for the French, “Jewish Mums”);
• Xav’s “WTF” moment when he realised that management consultancy wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life;
• His journey in the startup world and why he decided to leave Paris;
• Whether your life ends when you have kids;
• How words can change your brain;
• How Xav’s initial months at Microsoft were “absolute hell” and how that changed; 
• The cultural differences working in the startup world in France, Australia and Southeast Asia; and 
• So much more.

Want the details?

You’ll have to listen to Xav Desmet’s episode. 😉

Highlights:

• 2:50 We are all grown up children
• 5:35 Having a “Jewish Mum”
• 7:07 The French education system is violent & elitist
• 12:08 How entrepreneurs are viewed in France
• 13:47 Why leave management consultancy to run a startup?
• 15:38 Breakthrough moments
• 18:34 Finding like minded partners
• 21:56 The average lifespan of a startup is…?
• 28:57 Going on a 11 month sabbatical
• 34:51 How you can find the values in your life
• 37:25 The first 6 months at Microsoft were “absolute hell”
• 40:18 Four reasons Microsoft became great
• 43:26 Shutting down his startup
• 43:36 You’re a failure
• 49:33 Moving to a startup called Zoom
• 52:31 Delivering happiness
• 54:12 The difference in startup culture in France, Australia & Southeast Asia
• 58:16 Startups that Xav wants to help with
• 59:48 Mentors

📍Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/106 

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter that deconstructs how you can find success on your own terms: https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/acd5bd1062

Sponsored by Descript: https://www.descript.com/?lmref=sjT9JA

Official Bio

After graduating as a Computer Science Engineer in France and completing a Postgraduate Master of Technology Management at UNSW, Xav quickly realised that his passion wasn’t in coding in C but in people, technology and entrepreneurship.

He started his career as Management Consultant in the UK but in 2005, his entrepreneurial nature led him to co-found and develop, Mome Sweet Mome, the master Franchise of Les Petits Bilingues, the first and leading network of immersive English learning centres for children from a very young age. He sold his shares in 2011 and today, Les Petits Bilingues are still the leader in France with more than 10,000 children enrolled each year. 

The same year he decided it was time to discover new horizons and moved with his wife and two new born children from Paris to Sydney, becoming also Australian in the process.

Down under, he joined Microsoft in Enterprise Strategic roles while also experimenting with ventures on the side (Perenne Investments and Solana) and becoming a sport addict through triathlons and long distance trail running.

He relocated to Singapore with his family in December 2020 during the pandemic and recently joined Zoom where he now leads the Digital Natives sales activities for Asia.

In his free time, you will find Xav influencing his family and friends to adopt a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle such as adopting a plant based diet."

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