“I wanted to do something so hard that people could not ever talk shit to me ever again,” says Gene Yu, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Blackpanda, on the Crazy Smart Asia podcast. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, the Taiwanese American shares the scary hostage rescue of a family friend that got him into cybersecurity, why military school was more traumatising than war and why Asian founders should holiday in Europe if they really want a break. Show notes:00:00 Introduction to Crazy Smart Asia00:22 Meet Gene Yu01:07 Quick fire questions04:06 Gene Yu's childhood and early influences14:48 The West Point experience22:11 Transition to civilian life29:45 A life-changing decision30:30 The rescue mission that changed everything32:59 From the military to cybersecurity34:24 Building Blackpanda36:57 The evolution of cybersecurity43:16 Setbacks and insights54:02 The importance of relationships55:20 Final thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.