Posted 9:11 PM by Andy
Rob. I love to compete; I get such an adrenaline rush to square off against someone mentally or physically. As the former “godfather” of SMIC, Rob is someone that makes for an easy target of comparison. In seemingly most things, he is slightly better. Let’s run through the vitals. Education: Master’s degree for R vs. master’s program dropout for me. Undergrad school: Stanford vs. Cal. Classic line last weekend from the don in response to someone saying we are from rival schools, “There is not much of a rivalry when one is number 1 and the other is number 2.” He routinely says things of that nature to goad me. Intellect: It’s not obvious that he is intellectual, but his education and constant barbs suggest a bright mind. I am borderline genius in my own mind. Ha ha, seriously I think much more than 98% of the population about issues that have nothing to do with my daily existence so at least my brain gets a workout. Career: Senior account manager at design house vs. biz dev peon at foundry, advantage goes to R for having more responsibility and bigger impact. Bank: He makes 3 times what I make currently. I estimate his investments at roughly twice the equity value of my assets with a property in Shanghai’s Xujiahui area for him to none for me. Sociability: He is gregarious and has a vast network of friends and acquaintances. I am very selective in my friendships and grow my network painstakingly. Girlfriend: He has dated a quarter of the “beautiful” people in Shanghai and has maintained a local gf since the first weekend he set foot here. I hang out with a few cute girls and am reluctant to commit. Basketball skills: He is not quite Jordan but has pure offensive ability with an unconscionable ability to hit jumpshots and floaters off spin-moves in the lane. I am Pippen, the best complementary player this side of the Bund. Physique: At 5’6” and 174 pounds, he is not the prototypical model but gets by with his charm. With a one-inch height advantage and 50-pound weight differential, I reside at the other end of the physical spectrum. So with every measurable attribute, Rob has the upper hand with the debatable exception of ball skills, physique, and intellect. Prime example from recent memory of our parallel but different life experiences is the time we were both in Hong Kong during the May holidays. He stayed in the executive suite of Harbor Plaza Hotel overlooking the waterfront compliments of his employer. I was cramped into Carlos’ uncle’s tiny apartment in Mongkok with Ivan. I had a very sedate time during my vacation while he partied it up during his “business” trip. I hate what Rob stands for and yet I cannot help but use him as a benchmark.