Firelight Chats Ep053 | Worldwide Chameleon vs African Iguana w/Philippe Ho

Firelight Chats

Dec 10 2023 • 1 hr 50 mins

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Philippe Ho made his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha by the fireside about a remembrance of things past and God's Plan for the present & future. Philippe shares stories about his family's deep historical ties to the founding of the Republic of China, escape from the mainland to Taiwan, another pivotal migration to France, being born on a tiny island in the middle of Paris, growing up as mixed-race kid, dealing with identity crises, having a fire of curiosity lit under him by his father, being motivated by his brother, intense classes prépas culture & protocol, getting into a top university, studying abroad in the UK, working in London, becoming a chameleon, and eventually making his way back to Taiwan.

Philippe also shares stories about traveling to Niger while working for EY, safe houses, AK-47s, morning radio checks, meeting an iguana, working in finance as a button-pushing money-making monkey, getting his first glimpses into the startup life in the Bay Area, joining Samsara as an early employee, co-founding a video game company, finding his calling, and building a platform that helps bridge the gap between startup founders & real, actionable resources. Kane & Philippe also talk about disability, dumplings, the importance of heating, suitable pots for plants, Drake vs Kanye, swag & sunglasses, Japanese men's fashion, tennis, and serendipitous meetings at tech meetups.

Philippe Ho was born and raised in Paris, France to a Taiwanese father and French mother. He is a graduate of Lycée Fénelon - Paris, the prestigious ESTP - Grand École, and the University of Birmingham. Philippe currently lives in Taiwan as Gold Card visa holder working on and with several startups in the gaming and tech space.