Recently, we had the privilege of speaking to angel investor and entrepreneur Sam Hanui Sun.

Originally from China and now based in Canada, Sun has accumulated more than 20 years of experience working in both markets: his career includes notable leadership roles, such as serving as Qunar.com’s president in 2015 and its CFO from 2010-2015. Earlier, he held several financial roles in Microsoft (2006-2007) and KPMG (1995-2004). Currently, Sam is a director on the boards of iQIYI.com, YSB Inc, and Yirendai, and since 2021, he has also served as chairman of VSP Private Fund Management (Zhuhai). During our interview, Sun shared his personal journey through the workforce and the struggles he overcame to reach where he is today. One of the most pivotal moments, he recalled, was the decision to leave his stable role at KPMG.

“Stepping out of my comfort zone was very challenging, but I have never regretted that decision at all.”

This bold move was a true turning point in his career, highlighting the role of discomfort, not as a deterrent, but rather a necessary companion to growth. In advising the next generation of entrepreneurs, he emphasized the importance of adaptability and ingenuity. “Entrepreneurs need to be resourceful and take advantage of everything around them,” he explained. It is this sense of resourcefulness that leads to what he believes to be a cornerstone of any company: their unique competitive edge.

Sun elaborated further:

“Entrepreneurs are never satisfied–they always see problems. They constantly innovate in order to solve problems which have no easy solution.”

But innovation, he reminded us, does not occur on its own. To Sun, the foundation of any successful venture is the team behind it. “The founding team is essential,” he said. “They must have diverse and complementary skills, and more importantly, they must possess almost unconditional trust in each other.”

Sun’s reflections and advice are an extremely valuable piece of guidance that all entrepreneurs—especially youth entrepreneurs—should keep in the back of their minds.