Manga Changed My Life — book excerpt #2: the Microsoft interview

I worked up a business plan to launch MIXX — and based on feedback from Ray — got it ready to pitch. As Ray was prepping the meetings, I received an unsolicited call from a headhunter who left me intrigued. It seemed Microsoft (by far the biggest tech company of those pre-Google, pre-Facebook, pre-Amazon, pre-Netflix times) wanted to compete with the market leader in Internet, America Online. They were building Microsoft Network, later to be known as MSN, and were recruiting an executive to run the new Internet business in Japan. How could I ignore this? After spending the last years excited by this new technology called “the Internet” and getting my feet wet licensing, producing and distributing multimedia titles, and at the ripe age of 29 years old, this was a dream job!

I decided to pursue both opportunities in parallel, hoping that one would work out. First, Ray had arranged for more than ten pitch meetings across Tokyo. While Microsoft agreed to fly me out back to the States later that month for interviews, we spent two weeks pitching. This was my first time in formal investor pitch meetings, and needless to say, it was quite intimidating as well as exhausting! These meetings were typically over two hours, and entirely in Japanese. I had translated my presentation into Japanese as well, so here we were, two Americans in Tokyo presenting a start-up business opportunity to Japanese angel and VC investors in their language. I was proud that we were not the typical “ex-pat”, expecting locals to accommodate English-speaking arrogant Americans, but instead two outsiders with so much respect and passion for the local culture and language that the accommodation came from us to them, not the other way around. I still firmly believe that’s how it should be. It’s not easy but going local and going deep into a foreign culture is the only way to combat misunderstanding and live authentically, which is a mantra for me.

So, while Ray was making progress following up with potential investors, Microsoft (via the recruiter) bought me a flight back to the States — and I even squeezed in a visit to LA in the process. After catching up with family and friends, I had to wake up super early for a flight up to Seattle. The plan was I would hit the ground at Microsoft with a series of interviews, then stay one night in a hotel and fly back to Tokyo via LA again. At the time I wasn’t much of a morning person, and I had a uncurable habit of being late to everything. Ah, the innocence — and ignorance — of youth!

During the hour-long taxi ride from my family home in Northridge to LAX, I realized — uh oh — I was really pushing it time-wise. My flight was leaving at 7 AM sharp and every moment in the taxi after 6:30 AM made my heart race faster. I tried to play it cool — hey, fate is fate. If I miss the flight, this Microsoft gig wasn’t my destiny. But then it was 6:40, 6:42, 6:45… The taxi eventually pulled up at 6:50 AM! While this was pre-911 (when airports were surprisingly manageable), 10 minutes to get to the gate was still an impossible feat. But since this entire trip was paid for by Bill Gates, I figured I needed to give it the old OJ Simpson-running-through-the-airport try (google that if you’re not sure what it means).

I raced up to the United check in counter, and with no bags, got my boarding pass in 3 minutes, then off to security check, which was very lax at the time (I’m going to pass on the LAX / lax Dad joke here). Coming out security it was 6:57 and not looking good. My legs kept going while my carry-on computer bag felt heavier and heavier by the second. Finally, I leapt forward to the gate counter, panting, at 7:01 AM. With a sunken heart, I saw the airline staff had closed the doors. Still, I ran up to them, “please let me on the flight!” They pointed outside the window, shaking their heads. I saw a plane with the United logo on its fin, slowly backing away from the gate.

I didn’t give up. “Come on, I have an interview with Microsoft!” One staffer grabbed my ticket and looked at it — my seat was 1A. “Hold on”, he sighed and picked up an internal phone. Hanging up, he said, “it’s up to the captain.” Time crawled into slow motion, and I could have sworn the United staffers’ faces melted while we all waited to see what would happen. One beat, two beats, three beats…

Suddenly, the United jet changed direction and inched slowly back to the gate. My heart leapt out of my chest — they were coming back for me! A few moments later, the United staffers smiled at me as they opened the gate doors. Here I was, a 29-year-old punk, strolling with pride onto the jet, where the captain greeted me as everyone else just stared, jaws agape. I could almost hear them thinking “Who is that kid?”