Darkest Period
In the following decade, Creative’s business couldn’t keep pace with giants like Apple. Sim mostly dropped out of public view. “During the darkest period of Creative, I became enlightened. I decided that nothing is ever going to hurt me,” he said. “Ever since, I thrive on adversities.” He started running regularly since 2007, a habit that he says has made him fitter, helped him focus and overcome mental blocks.
Sim remained a bachelor all his life, and advises aspiring young entrepreneurs to steer clear of commitments like marriage and mortgages if they want to build a serious business. He’s not against marriage, he says, but it’s a distraction and the financial burden would make it harder to take risks.
“We rarely see entrepreneurs like Sim who have the tenacity and determination to stay with their ideas against all odds,’’ said Chua Kee Lock, managing partner at Vertex Ventures, an early investor in Creative Technology. “Can he pull off a comeback with the Super X-Fi? He has a decent chance.’’
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.