From Ground Zero to FinTech Pioneer — Dinner with Alex Kong, CEO & Founder of TNG Wallet

Sometimes the most meaningful and inspiring conversations happen over casual meals. The Time Auction Blog is a snippet of our meetings with people who have found passion in their life and career, where we get a glimpse into their mentality behind their ventures.

A pioneer in the global cashless ecosystem and HK’s forerunner in the e-wallet industry, one could not imagine the wild ups and downs behind Alex’s success. Over an intimate meal with the CEO and Founder of TNG Wallet, we were taken on a roller-coaster ride that left us surprised, emotional, motivated and tingling not from the food but the laughter! The worldwide adventures that brought Alex to the table today resurfaced in our 3-hour conversation of true honesty!

It was an honour to meet a man that exudes fearlessness, perseverance and passion — let us share with you the takeaways from our bumpy ride!

What is your life motto?

“Persevere and never give up.

In life, you’ll face lots of challenges. When you persevere to find a solution, only then will you find your capability and mental strength to undertake bigger challenges. That is what makes life very interesting.

Be Fearless,

because the biggest risk is yourself: if you never invest, you never learn.”

Any advice for young people to develop more perseverance?

“Keep trying and learning. The objective is not about how much money you earn, it’s about whether the company can provide a platform for you to learn. If you feel that you can’t learn much more at this company, move on to the next one. To the point you think you are ready, you can either start up your own company or be a professional investor.

The moment you stop learning, other people will surpass you.

The world keeps on evolving. In business, if you don’t obsolete yourself, other people will. In school, if you don’t study hard, other classmates will score better. Don’t be afraid to fail because

Failing is the best way to learn something new.”

A habit that has made you successful?

I always tell myself and those around me:

If you’re not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.

Every day, I remind myself of the problem I am solving. I want to solve a problem once and for all. If you keep solving the same problem, then you are not solving it.

When you are young, it’s about how much knowledge you can learn, not the money. Later on in life, it’s about how much value you can create for the society. The more people you help, the more lives you touch,

Earning money is just a by-product.

If you’re not creating value to society, you are not being relevant. But when do, people appreciate what you have created. That gives tremendous pleasure.

One action for everyone to take away from this meeting?

Go out and take action. Massive action. Don’t be overconfident, but don’t undermine yourself when your ability is not yet there.

People always choose the lesser of two evils,

and make decisions based on gaining pleasure and avoiding the problem. You need to go beyond your comfort zone in order to get there.

My true love changes all the time, depending on the life cycle.

Soul searching is fine, I went through it in University. The industry and profession you’re in doesn’t matter, but what you enjoy matters most. You won’t feel like it’s a job and have to drag yourself out of bed every morning. You feel excited about work, ‘I wish tomorrow will come sooner!’

When you’re young, your biggest asset is time.

When you get older, you’ll find that you have less and less time. Time becomes so precious that I don’t know how to describe. So, don’t waste your youth. Appreciate now and take action.

A Big “Thank you” to Alex for taking time off on a Friday night to have dinner with us! Thank you to all those who volunteered and raised 165 volunteer hours to Room to Read, Caritas Crisis Family Support Center, Scout Association of Hong Kong, AIESEC, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association and more!

For more meetings with amazing people, visit Time Auction to volunteer and talk to inspiring mentors!