Lost and Founded Series – Jacky Yap

Jacky Yap, Managing Director of Vulcan Post, is a believer of trial and error. He’s never had an editorial background, nor experience in product management, but is currently managing a content portal and a content discovery and sharing tool. Why? Because true to his favourite quote, “everything is going to be okay.”

People say you are “Jacky Yap, Managing Director of Vulcan Post". Who do you say you are?

A son, a brother and a good friend. Other than running Vulcan Post, I also help clients in content strategy. Our team is also constantly building useful software products, and most recently launched a super COOL content discovery and sharing tool called Parrot. Parrot indexes all the major publications in Singapore and sort them by virality hourly. Content virality fascinates me.

Best moment in your startup life. It was so good you wanted to fly BusinessClass somewhere with someone, and pop open the most expensive bottle of champagne there.

For Vulcan Post, it was when our content partners like Yahoo, AsiaOne and MSN came onboard to be our content partner, and also when Apple invited us to their iPhone 6 event even when we were just barely 8 months old. It was a huge validation to what we are doing.

For Parrot, it was when we first announced the product and immediately we had paying customers. Again, it was a huge validation to what we are doing, telling us that we are solving a problem.

What secret did you hide from your co-founder or partner or parent for the longest time? Why?

Hmm not that I know of.

What's the most eccentric thing about you? If VCs found out, they wouldn't have signed the term sheet then. But hell with that now.

Everything I do is trial and error. I don't have any editorial background, nor do I have any background in product management!

Have you ever cried? Or what was the lowest, crappiest moment in your start-up life. You wanted to give up everything. You wanted to kill someone. (During your startup career of course) Tell us more!

Never cried, but had a few low moments - there are times when I felt like I have disappointed the people who had trust in me and in what I was doing.

What are you up to today? What gets you up in the morning?

Today I'm working on cold email pitches to marketers to introduce them about Parrot (http://prrt.co).

Knowing that everyday, there are tens of thousands of people who are reached by Vulcan Post as well as Parrot, that gets me up in the morning. We know that we are doing an important part to introduce the best brands and products to our readers through Vulcan Post, as well as creating value to publishers and social media managers through Parrot.

How do you keep yourself physically and mentally fit for start-up life?

I hit the gym 2 - 3 times a week. I cook during the weekend. I make sure I get enough sleep. I subscribe to Spotify premium and blast the music when I work so that I can focus. I give myself one hour daily to indulge in mindless drama series or YouTube videos.

Offer a life hack (or two) to a young founder.

If not now, then when. If not you, then who?

Movie or song that best describes you.

N/A

Favourite quote.

Everything is going to be ok.

Who and what inspires you?

The list is too long already.

Tell me about Jacky Yap in 2030.

Husband, father and a successful founder. Perhaps VP Digital Content at DBS? If DBS does buy us over!