The Founder's Notes: A Journey of Inspired Ideas, Work and Life by a Leading Serial Entrepreneur

by Ji Qi

This unique book represents the inner journey taken by the author as an entrepreneur – his thoughts and reflections on the meaning of life, work and success. As well as offering a unique perspective on succeeding in the Chinese market, this book provides original insights on Chinese philosophy and weaving that into management and being an entrepreneur in today’s world.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jolyn Moh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would rate this 3.5 stars, but I chose 4 stars because of the author's uniqueness and authenticity.

As a bilingual individual, I can tell that this book was originally written in Mandarin and then translated. This made it challenging to fully grasp the polished meaning the author intended, which slightly affected the reading experience.

The book consists of various disjointed essays written by Ji Qi over the years, compiled into different high-level themes. Consequently, there is no consistent flow between chapters.

Nevertheless, the book is rich with profound wisdom, experiences, and quotes that offer valuable insights into the world. It remains a worthwhile read. Here are some quotes I noted, along with new vocabulary gleaned from the translation:

• Balance allows structural steadiness which ensures endurance
• Aesthetics is the manifestation of a value system in the arena of the visual and the experiential
• Just as language limits human thoughts, time also limits our understanding of the true nature of the universe (quote on meditation)
• Traditional companies can be filled with a sense of vanity and riddled with bureaucracy
• When ideal models are tested in the light of experience, we must be able to finesse a feasible way out of a difficult situation and, by constantly expanding upon the fruits of small battles, win the war.
• The black night gave me black eyes, I use them to seek the light - Gu Cheng
• Brand, scale, capital, and talent will be key factors in productivity
• Step 1: Territory Seizure, Step 2: Improve Quality
• When a tree stands out in the forest, the wind will topple it.
• Peter principle: speed of which we are so proud of is precisely what is blocking our progress
• Regular communication with all 3 management levels is needed in order to ensure consensus

Vocabulary
• Sojourners: People who stay temporarily in a place, especially travelers or temporary residents.
• Blitzkrieg: A rapid and intense military attack intended to bring about a swift victory, originally used to describe a German warfare strategy during World War II.
• Raison d'être: A French phrase meaning "reason for being," referring to the most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence.
• Inchoate: Just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary.
• Noumenon: A philosophical term used by Immanuel Kant to refer to a thing as it is in itself, independent of human perception, contrasted with a phenomenon, which is an object as it is perceived by the senses.
• Leviathans: Large and powerful entities, often used metaphorically to describe something of enormous size and power. Originally, a sea monster referenced in the Bible.
• Aphorism: A concise statement or observation that expresses a general truth or principle.
• Incursion: An invasion or attack, especially a sudden or brief one.
• Forbearance: Patient self-control; restraint and tolerance.
• Canonical: Conforming to a general rule or acceptable procedure; recognized as being authoritative or standard, especially within a particular field or discipline.
• Mired: Stuck or entangled in something, such as a difficult situation or mud.
• Surreptitious: Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of; done in a stealthy way.
• Tantric: Relating to or involving tantra, a set of esoteric traditions and practices in Hinduism and Buddhism that seek to channel divine energies through rituals and meditations.
• Sublimation: In psychology, the process of redirecting or transforming unwanted impulses into socially acceptable or constructive behaviors.
• Milieu: A person's social environment or surroundings.
• Renunciation: The formal rejection of something, typically a belief, claim, or course of action.
• Nietzsche: Refers to Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher known for his influential works on philosophy, religion, morality, culture, and science. His ideas on the "will to power" and "eternal recurrence" are particularly notable.

[Alex Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ji Qi is one of China's most successful modern entrepreneurs, having founded three multi-billion dollar businesses in the hospitality field. "The Founder's Notes" is a collection of essays written throughout his entrepreneurial journey and is a polymathic exploration of life, hospitality and philosophy. Ji has several of the ingredients of disruptive entrepreneurs: dissatisfaction with the status quo, a healthy disregard for naysayers, customer obsession, paranoia about competitive threats, and an ability to think long-term when allocating capital countercyclically. Ji provides wisdom on hotel operations through a practical lens, with advice on when to go for the land grab, how to incentivise employees at different levels of the organisation, and cost management.

Where the book falls slightly short is that it's obviously a translation of the original mandarin, and accordingly one suspects some of the nuance or poetry of his original writing - not least in the section on love & romance which reads slightly awkwardly. That notwithstanding, it remains a relatively easy, informative read.