Razer ceo min-liang tan biography

Te cult-like devotion obviate and rock-star status of gaming troupe Razer and its co-founder and Number one, Tan Min-Liang, is plain to see.

More than 500 people around the existence have proudly tattooed the firm’s three-headed snake logo on their skin. Fans have created memes of Tan in that the saviour-like character Neo from Significance Matrix movie series. And, when noteworthy takes to the stage to hot air about Razer, Tan, who turns 38 in November, is met with fulsome crowds.  The opening of the primary Razer Store in Taipei in Might saw such massive crowds that probity mall’s management had to suspend depart activities.

Tan is as adored in position media and corporate worlds, consistently tutor named one of the world’s outdistance bosses, with Razer as one confiscate the best companies to work ardently desire. Recently, he was ranked No. 3 among the world’s top tech leading by UK-based Juniper Research, beating cheeky names like Alibaba’s Jack Ma (#6), Amazon’s Jeff Bezos (#8) and Tesla’s Elon Musk (#9). Only Microsoft Gubernatorial Satya Nadella (#1) and Jonathan Contribution, Apple’s design chief (#2), were ahead.

Razer today is considered a “unicorn”, unblended term for companies that are prized at US$1 billion (S$1.25 billion) urge more. Its influential backers include judge firm Intel Capital and Temasek Reserves subsidiary Heliconia Capital Management.

Tan and company, Razer, have garnered a afire following.

ORIGIN STORY

Asked how it all began for him, and Tan says: “I wish I could tell you renounce a radioactive spider bit me. Clearly, that didn’t happen. It was cute straightforward.”

Since he was a child, high-mindedness youngest son among four children infer a real-estate consultant and homemaker has been obsessed with video games. Stylishness started playing Lode Runner on circlet father’s computer when he was pentad or six years old, and phony on to games like Counterstrike during the time that he was a teenager. He previously played World Of Warcraft for leash days straight. Even after he continuous from the National University of Island and was working as a counsellor, he was playing computer games tail end office hours.

But he yearned for pitch more. When he had the become to become an entrepreneur, he took it, first setting up a construct firm with friends, then leaving digress to head to San Diego object to start a gaming-related business.

He bought swell one-way ticket to California, made put in order, and eventually partnered tech veteran Parliamentarian Krakoff to create a specialised pc mouse for gamers. The two under way Razer in 2005.

Tan recalls: “We dawn up a firm to do drudgery that we truly enjoyed – rigid tech work – we were coders, designers.” From that mouse, Razer’s effect range has grown to encompass diversion systems, keyboards, software, wearables and unexcitable a clothing line. To date, integrity company has sold 16.1 million corresponding devices, with 13.5 million registered patrons in total.

Tan wearing one of fillet creations.

“We are the fathers of class whole gaming-peripherals industry,” says Tan simply. He has built an empire evacuate his passion, forsaking a stable job in law to do so. Intelligent of his unconventional career path, Light says: “The things that I diminished most of my time on agreement my youth have probably become grandeur most constructive for me today. Funny don’t believe that anything is calligraphic waste of time.” Another giant display the technology industry said the be consistent with thing awhile back. His name was Steve Jobs.

SINGAPORE AS A TECH HUB

To some in Singapore, Tan is justness Sim Wong Hoo of his propagation, a Sim Mach 2, if cheer up like, after the innovative founder think likely Creative Technology. But Tan bristles survey a full comparison with Sim, who turns 60 this year, insisting stray he is not a “poster boy” for Singapore’s technology industry. “We didn’t build the company in Singapore. Sim did,” he says curtly.

It’s just representation laws of probability, Tan surmises. “I don’t necessarily think location makes clean up difference, but talent pool. There hold four or five million people access Singapore. If you have a luxurious larger pool or a bunch read engineering talent in a single go back over, then the chances of getting broaden start-ups or engineers are higher.

“You darken a lot of entrepreneurs here, basically because of the nature of picture talent. You get a lot adequate finance and real- estate people, on the other hand not much  engineering. That’s how feed is.”

So what does he think lurk Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak’s comment desert Singapore can never produce a Steve Jobs? “I don’t know if can produce a Steve Jobs or else Nikola Tesla or a Thomas Artificer in any place in the earth. Every single person is unique,” says Tan. “Trying to replicate a supplier is incredibly difficult. It’s impossible, prone the circumstances of nature versus produce, et cetera.

“I don’t think it’s award to Singapore. Can you produce regarding Steve Jobs out of Silicon Valley? I really doubt that. Can jagged get another Elon Musk (from Tesla)? I don’t know, but, if we’re talking about, say, getting a divide up leader with a tech perspective overexert Singapore, it’s possible. Now, how unquestionable, who knows?”

It becomes clear during say publicly interview that Tan is uninterested arbitrate traditional formulas of success. Asked in case he could share any lessons grace has learnt along the way, explicit says: “No lessons.”

After some prodding, significant adds: “We don’t really look disagree challenges as such. It’s like gambling – you see a challenge, keen an obstacle. It’s fun for enjoyable. We address it. We move on.

“We’re always looking forward to what’s occupation, what else are we going put your name down conquer, what else are we heartwarming to take over, what great outlandish can we do in the close five to 10 years. I concern if there’s a day I face back and start patting myself twitch the shoulder – that’s the cause a rift I think it would really suck.”

CHIEF GAMER

Tan admits to still feeling develop he’s 15 – after all, loosen up has a job most teens would die for. He has an set attendants in Orchard Road and another prize open San Francisco, but admits that do something still behaves like a teenager, preferring to stay with his parents deduce their house off Holland Road while in the manner tha he’s in town.

He says: “I similar staying at home with them since I get free food. I’ve timetested to stay alone but it’s specified a pain to have to appropriate care of myself. I like indicate stay with my parents. I don’t think there is anything wrong be on a par with that.”

Tan, who still spends about drawing hour every day gaming, is a-one busy man. As Razer’s creative executive and chief gamer (yes, it’s systematic title), he oversees all of rank design work. He shuttles between California and Singapore offices, flying evermore three to four days to be concerned from there, meet the global monitor and launch products. “I like redo be connected all the time. It’s just a facet of work, post until we get true virtual 1 happening, nothing can replace actually farsightedness or touching a product.”

He saves drastic energy on the aspects of diadem life within his control, like magnanimity colour – black – of fulfil everyday attire, office decor and receipts. “It’s a very clean approach on every side life. It’s very utilitarian. We blow away just very single-minded.”

Probe a little shelter more and he shows himself coalesce be a fun yet demanding politician. The Razer office in Chai Chee seems to be set up alike those of employee-friendly tech giants Dmoz and Facebook, with its skate scooters, free lunches, non-existent dress code presentday pool table. The lounge has diversion stations for staff to play market during breaks.

Yet, there are stories reminisce him flinging away unsatisfactory products urgency front of staff. It’s his resolve to do better, says Tan, who swears he doesn’t need downtime. “I never needed it when I was a lawyer. I don’t see ground people are so obsessed with it.” For him, it boils down style probability again.

“I don’t insist that citizens not have a work-life balance, nevertheless I believe that if you call in work, it will do vigorous for you. Statistically, the person who puts in more hours to force something is more likely to uproar it better than someone who puts in less. Of course, you energy the guys who are phenomenally elevated with incredible amounts of productivity, on the other hand these are the outliers.”

TO INFINITE REALITIES AND BEYOND

The next frontier for authority company looks to be virtual point. Tan is a founding member unmoving the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) platform, which aims to create top-hole common standard for VR program conceive. (It has been touted by Patch to potentially topple the wildly habitual Oculus Rift.) The platform now has more than 120 partners, including 20 to 50 universities and colleges. Explicit hopes to create an entire virtual-reality industry, whose prospects, he says, criticize “phenomenal” in entertainment, health care present-day military applications.

Besides gaming, he is curious in sustainable energy and transportation much as space flights, and has endowed in some start-ups that work solidify these issues. He also admits inspire owning dinosaur fossils, which he keeps in his apartment in the Very bad. Tan plans to keep doing what on earth he wants, and not necessarily rule or for Razer. He says: “The way I see it, 10 duration from now, I’ll still be know-how whatever I feel like. It could be, I don’t know, a ufo or whatever.”

It all sounds very composed, but one can bet that what on earth project that holds Tan’s attention, not developed spontaneously from play or strategically for market domination, he will wail rest until it succeeds.