Exclusive Interview With Leon Ho, Founder of Lifehack.org

1. Tell me a little bit about your background and how you ended up choosing your field.

I began as a software engineer at Red Hat, where I was quickly promoted as a manager. Unfortunately, I learned that simple hard work was not enough to cope with the increasing complexity and workload. 

I needed to find ways to go beyond my “fixed ability,” and through trial and error, I discovered techniques that actually worked. These “life hacks” were simple tricks and methods to increase productivity. 

Using these life hacks, I was able to successfully manage over 150 engineering projects. I soon decided to summarize my experiences and publish them online. This is how Lifehack was born.

2. What are 3 tips you can share with our readers as it relates to your industry?

Here are my three tips:

1. Keep learning and growing! If you stop moving forward, you will get left behind. You should always feel the need to improve yourself and equip yourself with new skills and knowledge. 
2. Never forget your “why.” Always remember what you do this for — your drive and purpose. This will help you stay motivated when going through challenging times. 
3. Stay positive! A positive attitude can help you find opportunities when you’re feeling stuck.

   3. How do you personally define success? What does it mean to you?

I define success by identifying my intention or purpose, and then going for it! What also helps me feel successful is inspiring others to do the same. 

So, to me, I aspire to make a positive impact on others. This is why I want to put Lifehack out there to help people while being able to take good care of my family (2 kids and wife) — this is what makes my life fulfilling.

I’ve never felt that success is about how much money you make or how famous you are.

4. How do you differentiate yourself from others in your field?

We don’t want to just talk about the theories – we want to make things practical  or applicable in real-life situations.

While we do talk about concepts and frameworks, we make sure users or readers know what actions they can take right away after understanding these self-improvement concepts.

Our core concept — the Full Life Framework — is also quite unique. This framework helps individuals maximize their potential without sacrificing their family, leisure, or other important areas of their life.

5. What advice would you give to someone asking for advice about becoming an entrepreneur?

Utilize the concept of  “leverage.” No, I’m not talking about loans or debt, I’m talking about leveraging your time, your strengths, your skills, and your resources.

It’s also an important concept when it comes to people management — you need to learn to leverage the skills and time of your team members in order to be successful as an entrepreneur.
Leon Ho is the Founder and CEO of Lifehack – a productivity blog he started in 2005. He was listed as Business Week’s #4 “Top 24 Young Asian Entrepreneurs” and has grown Lifehack into one of the most read self-improvement websites in the world – with over 12 million monthly readers. You can check out his book The Full Life Essential Guide, and take a look at his self-improvement mastercourses here or join one of his free classes here.