This week our interview is with Bobby Chang.
Bobby Chang is the COO of Rapidshare.com, one of the worlds most visited websites, with an Alexa ranking of just 15!
Adam: You have had considerable success with the launch of RapidShare in 2006.
What business were you in prior to this?
Bobby: I was in telecommunication voice and IP business before joining RapidShare, and the team already had a lot of experience in file hosting.
Adam: You always talk about learning lessons and moving on, what lessons did you take with you into the launch of RapidShare?
Bobby: I knew that technology is one of the keys to success. You need a high performing system landscape to match the users´ expectations. Another lesson I had learned was to always listen to the users carefully. Some companies loose this ability as they grow and I am always trying to match the users’ needs as quickly as possible.
Adam: What is your educational background, do you believe that the traditional
education system fosters entrepreneurial spirit?
Bobby: My background is economics and I think that entrepreneurial spirit is related to personality rather than education systems. I think the family background influences a lot, if you become an entrepreneur or not, because this is the place where children can learn to take on responsibility and make decisions.
Adam: What is your management style and how has it adapted during your
company’s rapid growth?
Bobby: If a company grows, you spend more and more time communicating, motivating and inspiring people. I think communication skills are very important if you lead a bigger company.
Adam: Your business is constantly under fire, how do you manage to retain such
composure under constant pressure?
Bobby: Of course it is hard, if the company is under fire. But at the same time there is a lot of success. That’s what keeps me going and what rewards me at the end of the day. Apart from that, we are a good team.
Adam: You have been quoted as being an admirer of Steve Jobs, what are your
thoughts on Bill Gates?
Bobby: Bill Gates has done many remarkable things and of course he is a great man that facilitated many things in IT and communication. I often refer to Steve Jobs, because the way he built iTunes relates directly to what we call Internet economics. He was the one that legalized Napster more or less, a task that everyone deemed to be impossible and that changed the music industry a lot.
Adam: What inspires you and motivates you?
Bobby: Many things inspire me, I like technology and I am fascinated by the internet and all the new ways of communication and collaboration it offers.
Every day, there is something new to be discovered, because there a millions of talented people out there designing next generation’s applications. That is exciting.
Adam Toren
