Rithy Thul

November 14th, 2004. Two friends, Seak and Piseth, and I rode our bicycles from our hometown to Toul Tompong pagoda in Phnom Penh, where we would live for a few years while going to university after graduating from high school. I stayed there around two years before moving to a rented house near the S21 museum, with initial rent covered by my mentor, Charles. The two stayed a little longer before they moved to other places to make room for new students from the provinces.

I studied for an associate's degree at a small private college in English literature, recommended by a monk friend who also went to school there. I also went to basic computer classes at other schools.

In 2006, I quit college to pursue business in real estate and internet-powered ventures, exploring classified ads and such. I was alone. I didn't know programming besides a little Linux command line and basic email and internet search.

In 2007 and 2008, another transitional year for me, I met Charles DiBella, who became a mentor of mine. He told me I needed to be in a space where progressive-minded youth hang out, or create a space—a hub where they could all connect. I could work with them or connect them to work together. That concept stuck with me for a few years.

I didn't have money to rent a space, so I created a Facebook group called Khmer Young Entrepreneur in 2009. Then I proposed that people in the group meet face to face, once a month at coffee shops. At the time, it was the early days of Starbucks-style coffee in Cambodia. There was a coffee place called Baitong Cafe, T&C Cafe, and Brown Coffee had just two locations. These became our chosen meeting areas. Casual meetings at Brown. Private meetings held at either Baitong Cafe or T&C.

After a year or so, I realized I had spent so much of my little savings on meeting rooms and traveling to the meeting places. At the time, I was working at an organization called PEPY in Siem Reap. Every month, I had to travel to Phnom Penh to join the monthly meeting. With this realization, I proposed to some of the close people who came to almost every meeting that we should have our own space just for meetings and brainstorming, maybe even start a business. Those were the seeds.

Growing Up with Business Dreams

I heard my dad talk about joint ventures in his vegetable farming and middleman business among villagers, but he wasn't successful with that because people in the village were more independent, preferring to do their own things. He was more successful in acquiring land and building his farm, but often he wanted to venture into different businesses. That gave me thoughts about building a business of my own one day.

Growing up in a farming family, my parents wanted me to go to school so I could work away from the heat of the sun, in an air-conditioned office. Maybe becoming a doctor, because this profession could make more money, or at least a teacher.

When I was about to finish high school, there was a movie that changed my perspective about doing business. The movie told the story of a legend in China named Shen Wansan, who was born into a poor family in a very poor village. He was told he wouldn't be able to become a businessman or anything because it was like a sin. He should be a farmer and protect their family farmland.

Defying the odds, he dreamed of becoming rich and owning his business. He faced many obstacles, against all odds, and ultimately became the richest man and went head to head with the new emperor, whom he had met when they were both young and poor.

The Internet That Opened Everything

I learned about the internet via Khmer pop songs when I was in secondary school around 1997, but never touched a computer until March 2005. I started with MS Office and typing skills, which I signed up for but wasn't interested in. I was interested in the free extra 10-hour introduction to the internet.

I was looking forward to when they showed me the internet, and I was introduced to Skype. That captured my imagination and drove me to explore the vast universe of internet knowledge—Wikipedia, WikiHow, and googling so many things. I guess what sparked me most was the ability to learn anything I wanted to learn, anytime and anywhere with an internet connection. This was one of the reasons why I quit college later in August 2006.

In 2007 and 2008, I was cycling around Cambodia while doing some consulting work as an assistant to real estate researchers and investors who wanted to invest in Cambodia.

What I've Learned About Building

I wish someone had told me to build a business instead of trying to help many businesses and startups, but it is what it is. I believe that the higher power or the universe wanted me to learn all those things and experience life that way.

Young Cambodians, including myself, were looking up to Silicon Valley too much that we forgot that businesses need to serve what people need where they are. Only when you fulfill what people need do you have a business. Otherwise, you don't. They think they need money, but actually skills and patience are most needed.

Three Lessons I'd Share

Be grateful for what you have. Work with what you have. Remember where you come from, so you can remember where you are going.

I need more money, but I'm not desperate to have money. I'm more content. And I know I can have enough money to do what I need to do when I need it.

Simple living means living on my own terms. Not having to impress others with what they think I should have. Example: I never wanted a car because I didn't see what a car was for. Now that our businesses need to travel more, and renting a car doesn't make economic sense anymore, I'm thinking of buying one. Not buying yet, but soon.

Simple living also means living with fewer materials, with only what's needed.

Balance in Building

Cambodia's economy needs to be developed and improve people's living standards on food, shelter, and leisure—travel and fun. But we also need not to forget nature and natural life beyond direct human needs, culture and traditions that keep people together.

We shall not forget the spiritual life, inner peace, and old wisdom while modernizing what must be modernized. We shall not overemphasize economics and undermine the forest, mountains, air, rivers, and earth that sustain all life. This is not just for Cambodia but globally.

Though Cambodia is fortunate to have been a bit unfortunate before the digital revolution—like civil war and genocide—it allowed us to skip many steps of technology and not have to deconstruct those layers of technology and development.

Adventures That Taught Me

The bike tour that was most transformative was the one I did in December 2007 from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville in one day, then cycled up Bokor Mountain before they built the road, in midday sunny heat. Another one was from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Another adventure was my run from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh in 2012.

For meditation, I am more aware of my feelings. I meditate in between working hours for short periods of time. I meditate on bad news and try not to overreact.