Jun 23, 2021
William Wang, founder, and CEO of VIZIO, survived the crash of Singapore Airlines Flight 006 in 2000 suffering only carbon monoxide poisoning. The tragedy provided an opportunity for him to reorganize his thoughts and his life, and within two years, he had closed down all of his previous businesses before entering the television market in 2002 with VIZIO Inc. William has won numerous awards, including the 2012 USC Alumni Merit Award, the 2012 Forum for Corporate Director’s Award for Enhancement of Economic Value, the 2012 Orange County Business Journal Board of Achievement, and 2010 Forbes 25 most notable Chinese Americans.
Today on the podcast William shares more about the pivotal moment that made him rethink his life and his businesses and decide to build something new. He discusses why all our past experiences, even those that push you backward are all learning experiences that you can use going forward. William also dives into why VIZIO made it their mission to make affordable technology at an accessible price point, and what it felt like to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange when he took the company public in 2020.
"You can't grow if you don't dare.” - William Wang
“You got to pick your field, right? — for me it was about building a company, building a legacy, building enterprises bigger than me.” - William Wang
“Trust builds the foundation of luck” - William Wang
This Week on The Wow Factor:
- When the entrepreneurial juices were started to flow in William
- How he got his first big idea working as a computer technical support engineer teaching people how to use their IBM compatible monitor
- How being a problem-solver helped William make the leap into becoming CEO of his own business
- What William decided to do when his company seemed to be tumbling down around him
- Why William’s micromanagement habit hampered his company’s success and how he learned to outsource
- How William came to be onboard Singapore Airlines Flight 006 and the three things that went through his mind in what he thought were his last moments alive
- Products that are being released by VIZIO and how they're making life better for people
William Wang’s Words of Wisdom:
Treat the people around you well — if you want to be good in business, you've got to be lucky, and trust and great relationships are the foundation of luck.
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