May 2012 be a great year, with a fresh start and new hope for all of us.
Stop giving excuses, step up the action and make a better tomorrow for ourselves, and everyone.
May all of us have a prosperous and fruitful 2012 :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Merry Christmas :)
Merry Christmas
keep sharing the love for food in 2012 :)
stay hungry, stay foodie
check out some Christmas Promotions
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Press Release: Malaysia Most Wanted joint ventures with Worthy Media
16 Dec 2011, Malaysia – Worthy Media, publisher of Worthy Book (www.worthybook.my), has formed a joint venture with MalaysiaMostWanted.com which will see the pair offering a complete online and offline advertisement and promotion (A&P) offering to F&B brands in Klang Valley.
Worthy Book is a discount voucher booklet with over 100 top Malaysian brands, with the likes of Kenny Rogers, Sushi Zanmai, Krispy Kreme, Manhattan Fish Market etc in its 2010/2011 edition and will soon be releasing their 2012 Food & Beverage (F&B) edition in all major bookstores by first quarter of following year. Food enthusiasts can expect more attractive food vouchers (including free samplers) in the book, valid for the whole year long. MalaysiaMostWanted.com attracts approximately 300,000 unique visitors per month and owns the number one online food & restaurant guide in Malaysia (http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com), helping people find great places to dine based on reviews and recommendations of a vibrant and active community of locals in the know.
"This partnership represents an optimal convergence of traditional and new media platforms and underlines our commitment to promoting the best F&B brands of Klang Valley, a region that we regard as a food haven and by joining forces with Malaysia’s top food portal, MalaysiaMostWanted.com, we take this to a whole new level, benefiting our clients as well as Malaysian consumers at large with greater impact," said Ken, co-founder of Worthy Book.
Desmond Lua, founder of MalaysiaMostWanted.com, shared “I am delighted to have found passionate food-lovers like myself in the Worthy Book team and I believe this partnership will fully complement and enhance our mutual offerings. We look forward to continuously providing value-added, useful and relevant content to our readers. ”
Interested F&B advertisers are welcome to contact the Worthy Media team at info@worthymedia.my or 03-2264-3115.
---
12月16日讯，雪隆区 – 消费指南兼优惠礼卷手册Worthy Book (www.worthybook.my)出版商 – 我的媒体有限公司（Worthy Media）今日与MalaysiaMostWanted.com成立了一個合营企业，并将提供雪隆区一带餐饮业务完整在线与离线的广告与宣传（A&P）产品服务。
Worthy Book是个拥有超过一百家马来西亚顶尖品牌参与的优惠手册，在其2010/2011版本里包括了Tony Roma’s, Sakae Sushi，旺角茶餐厅，紫藤，Krispy Kreme, Manhattan Fish Market等其他品牌。公司即将在2012新春第一季在各大书店商推出最新的Worthy Book – Food & Beverage (F&B) 餐饮特版。美食爱好者可以期望在书中得到物有所值的餐饮食券（包括免费试餐券），有效期为全年长。MalaysiaMostWanted.com每月迎来近于300,000游客浏览，拥有马来西亚第一餐饮指南网站，http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com/，专提供针对餐饮业的便利资料以及道地一带社区对餐饮所的评论。
“这次的合作意识着一个最理想的传统与现代媒体平台的结合，同时在有‘美食天堂’之称的雪隆区彰显出我们对促进餐饮业优良品牌的宣传热诚。” Worthy Book的共同创立者，Ken说道。“透过与马来西亚第一餐饮指南网站MalaysiaMostWanted.com的合作，更借此介入一个全新境界，让我们的客户以及马来西亚的消费者，得到最大的受益。
MalaysiaMostWanted.com的创立人，Desmond Lua也分享道，“我很高兴能在Worthy Book团员中找到美食爱好者的知己。此外，我也相信这次的合作能同时补助与加强彼此共有的产品服务。我们向往陆续提供有价值并且有用的相关内容予我们的读者。”
有兴趣刊登广告宣传的餐饮业者，可发电邮到info@worthymedia.my，或拨打 ：03-2264-3115，联系Worthy Media成员。
"This partnership represents an optimal convergence of traditional and new media platforms and underlines our commitment to promoting the best F&B brands of Klang Valley, a region that we regard as a food haven and by joining forces with Malaysia’s top food portal, MalaysiaMostWanted.com, we take this to a whole new level, benefiting our clients as well as Malaysian consumers at large with greater impact," said Ken, co-founder of Worthy Book.
Desmond Lua, founder of MalaysiaMostWanted.com, shared “I am delighted to have found passionate food-lovers like myself in the Worthy Book team and I believe this partnership will fully complement and enhance our mutual offerings. We look forward to continuously providing value-added, useful and relevant content to our readers. ”
Interested F&B advertisers are welcome to contact the Worthy Media team at info@worthymedia.my or 03-2264-3115.
---
12月16日讯，雪隆区 – 消费指南兼优惠礼卷手册Worthy Book (www.worthybook.my)出版商 – 我的媒体有限公司（Worthy Media）今日与MalaysiaMostWanted.com成立了一個合营企业，并将提供雪隆区一带餐饮业务完整在线与离线的广告与宣传（A&P）产品服务。
Worthy Book是个拥有超过一百家马来西亚顶尖品牌参与的优惠手册，在其2010/2011版本里包括了Tony Roma’s, Sakae Sushi，旺角茶餐厅，紫藤，Krispy Kreme, Manhattan Fish Market等其他品牌。公司即将在2012新春第一季在各大书店商推出最新的Worthy Book – Food & Beverage (F&B) 餐饮特版。美食爱好者可以期望在书中得到物有所值的餐饮食券（包括免费试餐券），有效期为全年长。MalaysiaMostWanted.com每月迎来近于300,000游客浏览，拥有马来西亚第一餐饮指南网站，http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com/，专提供针对餐饮业的便利资料以及道地一带社区对餐饮所的评论。
“这次的合作意识着一个最理想的传统与现代媒体平台的结合，同时在有‘美食天堂’之称的雪隆区彰显出我们对促进餐饮业优良品牌的宣传热诚。” Worthy Book的共同创立者，Ken说道。“透过与马来西亚第一餐饮指南网站MalaysiaMostWanted.com的合作，更借此介入一个全新境界，让我们的客户以及马来西亚的消费者，得到最大的受益。
MalaysiaMostWanted.com的创立人，Desmond Lua也分享道，“我很高兴能在Worthy Book团员中找到美食爱好者的知己。此外，我也相信这次的合作能同时补助与加强彼此共有的产品服务。我们向往陆续提供有价值并且有用的相关内容予我们的读者。”
有兴趣刊登广告宣传的餐饮业者，可发电邮到info@worthymedia.my，或拨打 ：03-2264-3115，联系Worthy Media成员。
---
16 Dis 2011, Lembah Klang – Worthy Media, penerbit buku baucer lumayan “Worthy Book” (www.worthybook.my), telah menyertai usahasama dengan MalaysiaMostWanted.com dimana pemasangan tersebut sekarang menawarkan peluang pengiklanan dan promosi (A & P) yang lebih meluas kepada industri hidangan selera di Lembah Klang, biarpun online mahupun secara percetakan dan jerayawara.
Worthy Book adalah sebuah buku baucer tawaran dan diskaun yang memaparkan lebih daripada 100 jenama terkemuka di Malaysia, termasuk Kenny Rogers, Sushi Zanmai, Tony Roma, Krispy Kreme, Manhattan Fish Market dan lain-lain dalam edisi 2010/2011-nya. Edisi seterusnya merupai edisi khas jamuan selera yang akan dijual di semua kedai-kedai buku utama menjelang suku pertama tahun depan. Peminat makanan boleh menikmati baucer makanan dan minuman yang lebih menarik (termasuk hidangan percuma secara percubaan) dengan tempoh sah penggunaan baucer sepanjang setahun. MalaysiaMostWanted.com menarik kira-kira 300,000 pelawat unik sebulan kepada laman web halaman-nya, menjadikan http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com sebagai panduan makanan & restoran online yang nombor satu di Malaysia. Ia membantu pengguna mencari kedai makan yang menarik untuk menjamu selera berdasarkan ulasan dan syor-syor daripada pengunjung mahupun penggemar makanan yang terdiri daripada komuniti penduduk sekitar.
"Usahasama ini merupakan satu kombinasi yang optimum dengan gabungan saluran media konvensional dan Internet, dan ia menyatakan komitmen kami untuk memaparkan jenama hidangan selera yang terbaik di Lembah Klang secara meluas,” kata Ken Kho, salah satu pengusaha Worthy Book. “Seiring penghubungan portal makanan termasyur di Malaysia, kita menuju tahap yang baru dengan harapan ia akan memberi lebih manfaat kepada klien kami dan juga pengalaman yang lebih berkesan kepada pelanggan Malaysia".
Desmond Lua, pengasas MalaysiaMostWanted.com, berkongsi pendapat "Saya berbesar hati menjumpai peminat makanan seperti saya dalam kumpulan Worthy Book dan saya percaya usahasama ini serasi dengan matlamat dan hasrat kami selama ini untuk memberi tawaran yang lebih menarik dan lengkap. Dengan penuh ghairah dan semangat, kami akan senantiasa menyediakan kandungan yang lebih bernilai, berguna dan tepat kepada pembaca kami."
Pengusaha premis hidangan selera yang berminat untuk mengiklan dialu-alukan menghubungi pihak Worthy Media di info@worthymedia.my atau 03-2264-3115.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Restaurant Christmas & New Year Promotions
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Restaurant Owner Guide: Cheap, Attractive, or Great (平靚正)
Among all the restaurants out there selling almost the same thing, how could one really standout and become the favourite among the food lovers? How do I start a great restaurant?
I have a hypothesis based a Cantonese expression: 平靚正which literally means Cheap, Attractive, and Great. To be one of the restaurants with good business, the restaurant should be exceptional at one of the following:
Good luck to all the restaurant owners (and would be restaurant owners) out there, as we could like to enjoy more Cheap (平), Attractive (靚) or Great (正) :) so keep them coming.
I have a hypothesis based a Cantonese expression: 平靚正which literally means Cheap, Attractive, and Great. To be one of the restaurants with good business, the restaurant should be exceptional at one of the following:
Background Image from: My Story~
- Cheap (平): You are offering the customer a bang for their bucks (cheaper than equivalent product in the market), where they know this is value for money (or even a real steal) without sacrificing on the quality or portion (if you do that, the customer will felt cheated). For example, the famous Tak Fok is offering crab for RM 18 per KG all year round, and the crab taste as good or even better than others; New Paris is known for delicious and affordable dishes, and their service is super-fast as well. Alternatively, you could experiment with Cheap by offering discounts during off-peak hours.
- Attractive (靚): Attractive here refer to the place rather than the food, where the environment or ambience of the restaurant must be special (different from conventional restaurants), where it feels very new-age, artistic, romantic, homey, grand or based on a special theme such as nature or anime. For example, Fullhouse focus on modern lifestyle; while café café are known to be classy or romantic. If your kopitiam looks like a OldTown clone, you don’t have the brand nor is your food cheaper; why not turn your kopitiam into something special, perhaps something which cater for a specific group of customer.
- Great (正): The food must be great. If being Attractive (靚) is like an Idol (like most boy or girl band who looks really good), the Great (正) is those who really can sing really well like Jacky Cheung or Celine Dion. The food must be so delicious that when people mentioned the specific dish, they could think of your restaurant immediately; perhaps not everyone can claim to the best Fried Kuey Teow in town, but your food must be known as delicious or high quality (a notch above your competitor, definitely not mediocre). Must be Good (better if Great), cannot be “so so” or “okay la”. For example, Pasta Zanmai and Dave’s are known to serve good food; and Nadeje Patisserie are known the serve the best Mille Crepe is Melaka, and probably the whole Malaysia as well.
Good luck to all the restaurant owners (and would be restaurant owners) out there, as we could like to enjoy more Cheap (平), Attractive (靚) or Great (正) :) so keep them coming.
Friday, December 02, 2011
Winner of MalaysiaMW T-Shirt Slogan Contest
After a month hungry slogan war, with dozens of meals consumed and creativity juice flowing, the perfect showcase of our tham-jiak food culture, the winners of MalaysiaMW T-Shirt Slogan Contest had finally emerged!
"Life is a journey, Food is the fuel", Silver Fox says proudly.
Allysha Tong shouts, "Yes, I Admit. I'm a Food Addict"
"I am a true Malaysia foodie - watch me eat, hear me slurp, excuse me when I burp!", Siti Shahanim Hashim sings happily.
And the famous Petronella Johnny announce, "I Heart BakKutTeh", receiving thunderous claps from the crowd.
Congratulations!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Malaysia Most Wanted Food & Restaurants 2.0 GO LIVE!
After 5 years since the last release, months of hard work, we are determined to bring a new dawn of great food hunting experience to all the tham jiak Malaysian foodies. With Malaysia Most Wanted Food & Restaurants 2.0, promise better user experience: easier to search and discover our favorite food and restaurants for all kind of occasions.
What's New?
What's New?
- A complete revamp of the homepage, where there is a big search bar to start hunting (advance search for zooming on certain location or cuisines, or Google our site). You can discover restaurants by browsing by Locations, Cuisines and view our Best list.
- We change the voting system from 5-star system to Facebook's like-system: no longer need to pull your hair to figure out is this place 3 stars or 4 stars, just thumbs up or thumbs down.
- There is a new ranking system in place to show Top 10/50/100/500 in Malaysia, and for each state is well. Top 10 places in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melaka or Ipoh, anyone?
- Mini Map: to show you what's nearby this restaurants; and show a list of "People who like this place also like ..."
As of today, we have 8311 restaurants listed with 333,516 visits per month; that's a lot of choices satisfying the desire of a lot of hungry folks.
What are you waiting for? Start HUNTING for FOOD!
PS: for all the foodies out there, thank you for making Malaysia Most Wanted the Top 100,000 websites in the world (Top 600 websites in Malaysia); without you, none of these would be possible. THANK YOU!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Make The Pitch Ep 2: Photo Kiddos, Malaysia Most Wanted and Worthy Book
Aizuddin from Photo Kiddos, a talented children photographer who wanted to setup a photography studio.
Desmond (me) from Malaysia Most Wanted Food venturing into Malaysia Travel; to easily find hidden gems of good travel places within Malaysia.
Jia from Worthy Book, bringing discount coupons to mobile devices; and probably a very good salesperson who persevere well.
Guess who won?
After viewing the full video, I do have to admit my pitching skill sucks. I could argue that some judges misunderstood my idea, or the judgement of market saturation is unfounded, or it's like selling a bat to a golfer (view my post-mortem). But still, I fail to deliver a solid pitch, and I sure didn't look convincing nor confident; but that doesn't mean the product sucks, or we are not moving in the wrong direction. I believe we are in the right market, doing things we are passionate about, solving a good problem; we have a solid team, a decent product and good traction (IMHO, haha), though we could always do better.
I guess I am more a executioner that a seller; then again, if I wanted to ask someone to give me some money, I better come up with a more convincing pitch. A lesson well learned.
Until the next time, we shall continue to do what we do best: to build better product for you, be it food, travel, property prices or price checker.
Desmond (me) from Malaysia Most Wanted Food venturing into Malaysia Travel; to easily find hidden gems of good travel places within Malaysia.
Jia from Worthy Book, bringing discount coupons to mobile devices; and probably a very good salesperson who persevere well.
Guess who won?
After viewing the full video, I do have to admit my pitching skill sucks. I could argue that some judges misunderstood my idea, or the judgement of market saturation is unfounded, or it's like selling a bat to a golfer (view my post-mortem). But still, I fail to deliver a solid pitch, and I sure didn't look convincing nor confident; but that doesn't mean the product sucks, or we are not moving in the wrong direction. I believe we are in the right market, doing things we are passionate about, solving a good problem; we have a solid team, a decent product and good traction (IMHO, haha), though we could always do better.
I guess I am more a executioner that a seller; then again, if I wanted to ask someone to give me some money, I better come up with a more convincing pitch. A lesson well learned.
Until the next time, we shall continue to do what we do best: to build better product for you, be it food, travel, property prices or price checker.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
MalaysiaMW Food Tagline/Slogan Contest for T-shirt
After launching Malaysia Most Wanted FOOD almost 5 years ago (December 2006, time flies), we decide to print some really cool and comfy T-shirts as a thank you gesture for all the food bloggers who had made MalaysiaMW Food what it is today. Without you, there shall not be a MalaysiaMW Food.
What does a really cool T-shirt need? It needs a really cool and catchy tagline/slogan/phrase. Rather than making that up by ourselves, we thought it would be in the spirit of MalaysiaMW that we let the foodies decide what they would like to show-off on their T-shirt.
The rules are pretty simple:
The contest starts on 18 October 2011 (Tuesday), 1PM and ends on 19 Nov 2011, 7PM (my novice Feng Shui date picking skill says these are the ONG dates). The winners will be announced within 7 days after the closing date (we shall contact you on Facebook); and we will transfer the cash prize (YES, you need a bank account) within 7 days. You will get the T-shirt once we printed it, which might take a while.
The Slogan Winner will get RM 100. If he/she happens to be the Facebook Winner as well, then the total prize money is RM 100 + RM 50 = RM 150. Slogan Winner and Facebook Likes Winner could be 2 separate people. If it sounds confusing, just join anyway; you will get something if you win :).
If you have any questions or doubt, leave a comment.
Start sending us the cool and catchy tagline/slogan/phrase for the MalaysiaMW Foodie T-shirt.
What does a really cool T-shirt need? It needs a really cool and catchy tagline/slogan/phrase. Rather than making that up by ourselves, we thought it would be in the spirit of MalaysiaMW that we let the foodies decide what they would like to show-off on their T-shirt.
- Suggest a cool and catchy tagline/slogan/phrase (no graphic skill required, just a creative slogan) related to Malaysia, Foodie, Food, Restaurant, Guide, Blogger, Malaysia Most Wanted, Yum Yum, Awesomeness, etc. Make it fun, make it awesome, break the rules (e.g. My avatar can beat up your avatar)!
- Post your comment on our Facebook wall. There is no requirement on word use.
- Optional: You can suggest how the design should look like to match your tagline, or even submit a design if you wish.
- The Slogan Winner (chosen by MalaysiaMW, decision is final) with the most awesome catchy tagline/slogan/phrase will walk away with RM 100 in cash.
- The tagline/slogan/phrase with the most Facebook likes (Facebook Winner) will get RM 50 in cash.
- Winners will be given a T-Shirt as well.
- Requirement: You must reside in Malaysia OR have a bank account in Malaysia.
The contest starts on 18 October 2011 (Tuesday), 1PM and ends on 19 Nov 2011, 7PM (my novice Feng Shui date picking skill says these are the ONG dates). The winners will be announced within 7 days after the closing date (we shall contact you on Facebook); and we will transfer the cash prize (YES, you need a bank account) within 7 days. You will get the T-shirt once we printed it, which might take a while.
The Slogan Winner will get RM 100. If he/she happens to be the Facebook Winner as well, then the total prize money is RM 100 + RM 50 = RM 150. Slogan Winner and Facebook Likes Winner could be 2 separate people. If it sounds confusing, just join anyway; you will get something if you win :).
If you have any questions or doubt, leave a comment.
Start sending us the cool and catchy tagline/slogan/phrase for the MalaysiaMW Foodie T-shirt.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Coming Soon: MalaysiaMW Food 2.0
A better food hunting experience,
by the Malaysian Foodies, for the Malaysian Foodies.
- sorry for the long wait, soon .. very soon ...
Friday, September 30, 2011
Invited: Best of Malaysia Awards 2011
MalaysiaMW was invited to a swanky cocktail party to witness the Best of Malaysia Awards 2011 organized by Expatriate Lifestyle (Malaysia’s number one expatriate magazine). The party is held View, GTower, Kuala Lumpur, a superb roof-top (balcony to be exact) bar with the view KLCC Tower, filled with beautiful people with superb dresses (and suits).
What is the award about? It’s a travel award, where expatriate votes for their favorite Hotels, Resorts & Spas (10 weeks of voting in 16 categories). Wanted to know which is the best place in Malaysia to pamper ourselves? Ladies and Gentlemen, now we know …
Matt Bellotti, who is also Editorial Director for Expatriate Lifestyle was very excited about the awards, he said, “These awards are now in their sixth year and are the only award of their kind. The Best Of Malaysia is a celebration of tourism and hospitality experiences in Malaysia, which surely rank among the very best in the world. These awards were voted for by expatriates who never cease to impress me with their knowledge and opinions of the best places to see, stay, eat and enjoy. The field of winning properties this year is stronger than ever.”
Wall of Fame
What is the award about? It’s a travel award, where expatriate votes for their favorite Hotels, Resorts & Spas (10 weeks of voting in 16 categories). Wanted to know which is the best place in Malaysia to pamper ourselves? Ladies and Gentlemen, now we know …
Winners from Pangkor Island Tiger Rock
(L-R): Alvin Khoo (Traders Hotel, KL), Daisy Rani (Shangri-la Hotel and Resorts), Julian Wipper (Shangri-la KL), Linges Warren (Traders Hotel, KL)
- BEST CITY HOTEL: MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR
- BEST BUSINESS HOTEL: HILTON KUALA LUMPUR
- BEST WEEKEND BREAK: THE RITZ-CARLTON, KUALA LUMPUR
- BEST ROMANTIC STAY: FOUR SEASONS REOSRT LANGKAWI
- BEST FAMILY STAY: GOLDEN SANDS RESORT BY SHANGRI-LA, PENANG
- BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL: PANGKOR ISLAND TIGER ROCK
- BEST BEACH RESORT: SHANGRI-LA RASA SAYANG, PENANG
- BEST SPA RESORT: PANGKOR LAUT RESORT
- BEST ECO-RESORT: PANGKOR ISLAND TIGER ROCK
- BEST ATTRACTION: PAVILION KL
- BEST AUTHENTIC MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE: GEORGE TOWN, PENANG
- BEST CITY SPA: SPA VILLAGE, RITZ-CARLTON KUALA LUMPUR
- BEST RESORT FOR REST & RECREATION: SHANGRI-LA TANJUNG ARU RESORT & SPA, KOTA KINABALU
- BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT: PREGO, THE WESTIN KUALA LUMPUR
- BEST HOTEL BAR: SKYBAR, TRADERS HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR
- BEST SERVICE AWARD: SHANGRI-LA RASA SAYANG, PENANG
- BEST BEACH RESORT: SHANGRI-LA RASA SAYANG, PENANG
- BEST SPA RESORT: PANGKOR LAUT RESORT
Best Romantic Stay
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Make the Pitch: Malaysia Most Wanted booted (ouch!)
Very recently, we decided it’s the right time to get some funding on a reality TV show (Malaysia’s version of Dragon’s Den). Why? I would like to test if the ideas of Malaysia Most Wanted would hold, and whether I can present a convincing case. Since I get a face-to-face time with some potential investors, I hope to get some valuable feedbacks. Hopefully we would get some exposure for our brand (and get more people to be aware of it, and use it), secure some funding to accelerate our growth, and perhaps get some help in the Sales & Marketing department. Our pitch focus on expanding MMW into Travel, and monetization of MMW Food.
The 1st round went quite smoothly, as one of the judges was quite impressed with our achievement in the Food & Restaurants segment, though there are concerns that we would not make enough money (our revenue is not very promising at the moment, as no one is responsible for sale). They get to thinker with our website on the iPhone and Blackberry (because the video won't play on MacBook), and trying to find their favorite local restaurants (luckily one of the judges’ favorite, Bawang Merah is in the list). So we are safe!
On Round 2, we face Round 1’s judges’ bosses (the CEOs). We need to submit a business proposal (which we are notified 1 day before, OMG!), and realize on the spot that we can’t do a PowerPoint presentation (the assumption is the judges already seen our previous slides and business proposal). Anyway, PowerPoint presentation on TV show looks boring, so we need the more dramatic verbal exchange.
I decided to keep my introduction short, since I assume they read the proposal and seen the previous PowerPoint. Perhaps it’s a bad move, as I could sense at least one the judges seem confused of what we are doing (perhaps she thought I am creating a blog and writing my own reviews based on my personal taste). For those who don’t understand MMW, it is a collaboration platform where users could submit recommendations, ratings, pictures and comments on their favorite restaurants. So it’s community driven, and the community decides and votes for the best.
The worst is yet to come, as I realize later in the show that the main VC (the guy with influence and experience) already has prejudice about the segment we are going into: it’s saturated with low profit margin. So Travel is too competitive, and there is no money to be made (or not enough money). On the global scope, we might have TripAdvisor as the leader (and other names don’t event popup in our mind). In Malaysia, we have static government endorsed travel websites like Tourism Malaysia and Virtual Malaysia, and Cuti-cuti focus on promoting travel packages rather than promoting places of interest. Do we have a really good (at least TripAdvisor-grade) travel website in Malaysia, where we can like really cool places like The Dusun or Sungai Klah Hotspring (and many more we are unaware of)? We don’t, and that’s why I wanted to build one. I guess my argument didn’t shake the “saturated” thought off the judges. Besides, company like KAYAK (USD 835 Million evaluation), TripAdvisors (USD 82 Million Revenue per Quarter) and even China's lvmama 驴妈妈 are closing multi-millions dollar round of funding. Do we want to wait for Foreign companies to dominate entire of Malaysia's websphere?
Actually I was pretty confident after the pitching (before the judges give me their piece of mind), but I was so wrong. First of all, one of the judges still think I write reviews (I hope the rest get the idea), and they still believed the market is saturated and we are not unique (even though we have proven to be the best in the Malaysia Food & Restaurant segment), and they don’t believe we have the capabilities to make Malaysia Travel another success. My heart just sank, WTF! Before we build MMW Food, perhaps no one would believe us. Now we have built MMW Food with reasonable success, and you don’t believe we can do it with MMW Travel. How many times do I have to prove myselves? The Venture Capitalists are not very adventurous, aren't they? I thought of putting in another final word, but I didn’t. I don’t want to beg you if you don’t believe in our idea and capability. I take it we are not on the same boat, and it would probably be hard for us to work together if we don't share the same belief and vision.
I think the judges don’t believe that number 1 Food & Restaurants guide in Malaysia is a valuable asset (or they don’t think I can monetize it, which might be true, since I am still “unproven”). Then again, I got reminded that Cradle have an “unofficial policy” not to invest in something “normal a.k.a saturated”, they prefer some really niche, unique or with buzz (MMW is definitely not their cup of tea, but sadly no other judges back us as well). Another thought is that the judges don’t use online websites to look for food and travel (they can’t relate well because they are not the target users); they get their recommendation from friends, and ask travel agency to arrange their travel.
Perhaps my presentations lacks emotions, all seems to focus on facts and figures (perhaps nervous and not straight to the point, and probably didn't clear the confusion as well). Clearly I fail to convey my ideas strongly, and fail to convince that we create cool and useful stuffs. The guy from PhotoKiddos was worried after his pitch because he got shot on this business plan, and I told him human are emotional beings, and the big cute smiling child photos on the stage might do some magic. And I was right, haha. Anyway, I like his photos and could be his potential customer (though not necessary means I would like to invest in his business).
What have I learned? This is tricky, as I seems pretty defensive and still believes strongly in my own ideas. The main reasons I do MMW Food and Travel is because there are no decent products out there that meet my needs, and my sole purpose is to create something useful and people would enjoy using it (and it helps them). Perhaps there are not much monetary values in it to make millions, but it should not be difficult to feed one mouth (or a few). You probably can doubt my capability to make money, but I am offended when you doubt my capability to build a successful web platform. Then again, it gave me more motivation to prove that I am right: I will develop the most useful travel website in Malaysia within 2 years. Hopefully I am not an arrogant and ignorant bastard, as I have no way of knowing (unless more people told me so). Anyway, this is probably my 3rd failed VC funding attempt in relation with Cradle, perhaps I am destined to walk the no funding required path. "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results." - Albert Einstens
MMW Food might not met 100% of my expectations yet; as there is a bunch for really cool features I would work on to make it more useful and cool. It would be cool to do use User & Content Profiling, to understand if the user prefers Western or Asian, Spicy or Mild, Halal or non-Halal, and match the relevant results with their preferences. As for the content, we like to know if the restaurant is romantic or child-friendly, good for supper or dinner, modern or classic, etc. At the same time, we would create community guides, where community expert recommends their favorite restaurants. If Jack prefer Western food particularly Italian, then those with the same taste as Jack would follow his guide (if the Jack’s guide have more followers, he might become a celebrity). We might have another person’s guide which focus on Indian and Spicy Food, etc. All sounds cool and fun to me, and I hope you will like it as well.
Lastly, I hope you would like what MalaysiaMostWanted is doing, and enjoy its services (we are hoping MMW could make our life slightly better, slightly easier). Do let us if you you like us (we could use some love), and give us feedbacks to help us improve.
PS: watch the show starting on NTV7 starting from 12 October 2011, and tell me how badly I did.
The 1st round went quite smoothly, as one of the judges was quite impressed with our achievement in the Food & Restaurants segment, though there are concerns that we would not make enough money (our revenue is not very promising at the moment, as no one is responsible for sale). They get to thinker with our website on the iPhone and Blackberry (because the video won't play on MacBook), and trying to find their favorite local restaurants (luckily one of the judges’ favorite, Bawang Merah is in the list). So we are safe!
On Round 2, we face Round 1’s judges’ bosses (the CEOs). We need to submit a business proposal (which we are notified 1 day before, OMG!), and realize on the spot that we can’t do a PowerPoint presentation (the assumption is the judges already seen our previous slides and business proposal). Anyway, PowerPoint presentation on TV show looks boring, so we need the more dramatic verbal exchange.
I decided to keep my introduction short, since I assume they read the proposal and seen the previous PowerPoint. Perhaps it’s a bad move, as I could sense at least one the judges seem confused of what we are doing (perhaps she thought I am creating a blog and writing my own reviews based on my personal taste). For those who don’t understand MMW, it is a collaboration platform where users could submit recommendations, ratings, pictures and comments on their favorite restaurants. So it’s community driven, and the community decides and votes for the best.
Actually I was pretty confident after the pitching (before the judges give me their piece of mind), but I was so wrong. First of all, one of the judges still think I write reviews (I hope the rest get the idea), and they still believed the market is saturated and we are not unique (even though we have proven to be the best in the Malaysia Food & Restaurant segment), and they don’t believe we have the capabilities to make Malaysia Travel another success. My heart just sank, WTF! Before we build MMW Food, perhaps no one would believe us. Now we have built MMW Food with reasonable success, and you don’t believe we can do it with MMW Travel. How many times do I have to prove myselves? The Venture Capitalists are not very adventurous, aren't they? I thought of putting in another final word, but I didn’t. I don’t want to beg you if you don’t believe in our idea and capability. I take it we are not on the same boat, and it would probably be hard for us to work together if we don't share the same belief and vision.
I think the judges don’t believe that number 1 Food & Restaurants guide in Malaysia is a valuable asset (or they don’t think I can monetize it, which might be true, since I am still “unproven”). Then again, I got reminded that Cradle have an “unofficial policy” not to invest in something “normal a.k.a saturated”, they prefer some really niche, unique or with buzz (MMW is definitely not their cup of tea, but sadly no other judges back us as well). Another thought is that the judges don’t use online websites to look for food and travel (they can’t relate well because they are not the target users); they get their recommendation from friends, and ask travel agency to arrange their travel.
Perhaps my presentations lacks emotions, all seems to focus on facts and figures (perhaps nervous and not straight to the point, and probably didn't clear the confusion as well). Clearly I fail to convey my ideas strongly, and fail to convince that we create cool and useful stuffs. The guy from PhotoKiddos was worried after his pitch because he got shot on this business plan, and I told him human are emotional beings, and the big cute smiling child photos on the stage might do some magic. And I was right, haha. Anyway, I like his photos and could be his potential customer (though not necessary means I would like to invest in his business).
What have I learned? This is tricky, as I seems pretty defensive and still believes strongly in my own ideas. The main reasons I do MMW Food and Travel is because there are no decent products out there that meet my needs, and my sole purpose is to create something useful and people would enjoy using it (and it helps them). Perhaps there are not much monetary values in it to make millions, but it should not be difficult to feed one mouth (or a few). You probably can doubt my capability to make money, but I am offended when you doubt my capability to build a successful web platform. Then again, it gave me more motivation to prove that I am right: I will develop the most useful travel website in Malaysia within 2 years. Hopefully I am not an arrogant and ignorant bastard, as I have no way of knowing (unless more people told me so). Anyway, this is probably my 3rd failed VC funding attempt in relation with Cradle, perhaps I am destined to walk the no funding required path. "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results." - Albert Einstens
MMW Food might not met 100% of my expectations yet; as there is a bunch for really cool features I would work on to make it more useful and cool. It would be cool to do use User & Content Profiling, to understand if the user prefers Western or Asian, Spicy or Mild, Halal or non-Halal, and match the relevant results with their preferences. As for the content, we like to know if the restaurant is romantic or child-friendly, good for supper or dinner, modern or classic, etc. At the same time, we would create community guides, where community expert recommends their favorite restaurants. If Jack prefer Western food particularly Italian, then those with the same taste as Jack would follow his guide (if the Jack’s guide have more followers, he might become a celebrity). We might have another person’s guide which focus on Indian and Spicy Food, etc. All sounds cool and fun to me, and I hope you will like it as well.
Lastly, I hope you would like what MalaysiaMostWanted is doing, and enjoy its services (we are hoping MMW could make our life slightly better, slightly easier). Do let us if you you like us (we could use some love), and give us feedbacks to help us improve.
PS: watch the show starting on NTV7 starting from 12 October 2011, and tell me how badly I did.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Bazaar Ramadan (Buka Puasa) Locations
This weekend is the last weekend before Hari Raya, which means it's the last weekend for Bazaar Ramadan. We compiled a list of popular Ramadan Bazaars, go hit on the Ayam Percik, Nasi Dagang, Murtabak, Popiah Basah, Roti Jala before you have to wait another year before you could see such glorious food!
Bazaar Ramadan (Buka Puasa) in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
Bazaar Ramadan (Buka Puasa) in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Price Checker: Keep track of Grocery Price (and Computer Peripherals)
While strolling through Tesco to perform Grocery shopping, I always wonder if the Promotion is really a steal, or did the price went up or gone down for a specific item. For a newbie shopper like me, I don’t know anything about the prices, and I wanted to know if I could be a smart shopper like the "Aunties", by leveraging on technology.
Thus born the idea of Malaysia Price Checker, where we keep track of the prices of grocery, and everyone can contribute to build a better system. Now I can know what’s the expected market price for Mister Potato, or which place sold the cheapest SD Card.
Bear with us as we quietly launch the service about 2 months ago, having archived over 1000+ items; do feel free to use the platform, contribute prices if possible, and give feedbacks if you feel there are rooms for improvement (we have a whole list of work in progress).
One day, I shall be better than the aunties in price comparison :)
Thus born the idea of Malaysia Price Checker, where we keep track of the prices of grocery, and everyone can contribute to build a better system. Now I can know what’s the expected market price for Mister Potato, or which place sold the cheapest SD Card.
Bear with us as we quietly launch the service about 2 months ago, having archived over 1000+ items; do feel free to use the platform, contribute prices if possible, and give feedbacks if you feel there are rooms for improvement (we have a whole list of work in progress).
One day, I shall be better than the aunties in price comparison :)
Retiring MMW Map
MMW Map was built at a time where Google Map doesn’t have a map of Malaysia (only Satellite Images), finding places or POIs around Malaysia is difficult and we wanted to become like Wikimapia.
As times goes by, it had been difficult for us to handle the large volume of increasing and rapid changing POIs. Sad to say that we have limited resources in hand, thus it is difficult for us to bring MMW Map to the next level (it had been orphaned without supervision for quite a while now). We have plan to morph MMW Map into MMW Places, where we focus on specific POIs like Post Office, ATMs, Petrol Station so that we can keep track of useful things around us rather than keeping track of everything (which Google Maps seems to do a reasonably good job nowadays). Sadly, other projects have taken precedence.
Until further notice: Goodbye MMW Map, you had served well.
PS: we shall keep MMW Map in passive mode for a few months before taking it offline.
PS: we shall keep MMW Map in passive mode for a few months before taking it offline.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Save our Children's Education
Most of us know that our education system is “broken” (Even the US Education system is failing: Waiting for Superman), yet we are not sure of the better alternatives. Should we send our kids to Montessori School? Is International School really better? How about school for special kids? Is there transparency in the teaching methods and programs? How about project-based learning? Can we change the education paradigm (which doesn’t fit the needs and style of today’s children) according to Sir Ken Robinson’s analysis? All of us wanted a change, but we don’t know where to start.
I stumbled upon an article talking about DonorChoose, where teachers post small projects which they like to do with their students, and the public can choose to donate in any amount (minimum is USD 1) in their favorite projects and causes. There might be a class to form a music band, or teaching English to rural children. We can donate to projects in our hometown, or any topics which interest us or matter to us.
I think education is important, but it’s not functioning as I expect it to be. I wanted more open learning, where students are encourage taking on special projects and taking up more hobbies. I wanted them to start a rock band, kick start a small business, build a game, help the community, create arts, active in sports, etc.
Though I don’t have the education background (I did teach computer class to children for 4 years, where I felt my contribution and impact is extremely limited), but I believe there are people out there with more passion and capability than I am as a teacher.
I (or rather Malaysia Most Wanted) would like to contribute in terms of technological skills to develop something like DonorChoose, where we can get people passionate about education and start doing something about it. I can’t do this alone, as a great piece of software without passionate people driving it would be utterly useless.
If you have an idea, with passion and time to improve the education of children in Malaysia, and you need a collaboration platform (like DonorChoose) to spread your idea and gather support: contact us, as we would like to help.
I stumbled upon an article talking about DonorChoose, where teachers post small projects which they like to do with their students, and the public can choose to donate in any amount (minimum is USD 1) in their favorite projects and causes. There might be a class to form a music band, or teaching English to rural children. We can donate to projects in our hometown, or any topics which interest us or matter to us.
I think education is important, but it’s not functioning as I expect it to be. I wanted more open learning, where students are encourage taking on special projects and taking up more hobbies. I wanted them to start a rock band, kick start a small business, build a game, help the community, create arts, active in sports, etc.
Though I don’t have the education background (I did teach computer class to children for 4 years, where I felt my contribution and impact is extremely limited), but I believe there are people out there with more passion and capability than I am as a teacher.
I (or rather Malaysia Most Wanted) would like to contribute in terms of technological skills to develop something like DonorChoose, where we can get people passionate about education and start doing something about it. I can’t do this alone, as a great piece of software without passionate people driving it would be utterly useless.
If you have an idea, with passion and time to improve the education of children in Malaysia, and you need a collaboration platform (like DonorChoose) to spread your idea and gather support: contact us, as we would like to help.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Malaysia Most Wanted: Home-based Data Entry Job v2.0
Malaysia Most Wanted Price would like to recruit you as home based data entry personnel, so that you could make some pocket money while working in your pajamas from home :)
Basic Requirements
Job Scope
Pay
You can work from anytime and anywhere (as long as you have a Computer and Broadband). Students, Housewives and the Less Privileged are encouraged to apply.
Interested Candidates do email your resume (tell us about yourself and your background) to info (at) malaysiamostwanted [dot] com
Basic Requirements
- A Responsible Person (DO NOT proceed if you have doubt).
- Basic Computer and Internet Skill (No Programming or Technical Skill required)
- Decent English Reading and Writing Skill
- Have a computer with Internet access (Broadband recommended)
- Have access to a digital camera (at least 3MP)
- Perform monthly or weekly grocery shopping
- Preferably those shopping around KL/Klang Valley, JB and Penang.
Job Scope
- Take photograph of purchased groceries.
- Perform data entry about the product's information, such as Name, Price, Ingredients, Manufacturer, etc. View Example.
- Detailed guidelines shall be provided upon shortlisting
Pay
- You are paid between RM 1-2 for each new product entry
- There is a RM 10 bonus for every 50 new products entered (valid for the 1st 100 products)
- Payment shall be made within 7 days upon your request for payment
You can work from anytime and anywhere (as long as you have a Computer and Broadband). Students, Housewives and the Less Privileged are encouraged to apply.
Interested Candidates do email your resume (tell us about yourself and your background) to info (at) malaysiamostwanted [dot] com
Friday, June 03, 2011
Property Prices for Ampang and Petaling Jaya (Damansara)
Our latest batch of Property Prices for Ampang and Petaling Jaya (Damansara). Check out the prices for
- Ampang (Central)
- Ara Damansara
- Damansara Damai
- Damansara Kim
- Damansara Perdana
- Kota Damansara
- Mutiara Damansara
- Sunway Damansara
- Tropicana
Top 10 Searches for Malaysia Property Prices
We had launch Malaysia Property Price Analysis for areas such as Ampang, Bangsar, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara – Hartamas, Petaling Jaya, Puchong, Shah Alam and Subang Jaya, and we would like to know which areas are Malaysia Property Buyer and most interested with.
For the past 3 months (01 Mar – 31 May 2011), below are the top 10 locations
- Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya
- Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong
- Taman Aman Putra (Terrace) @ Puchong
- Persiaran Puchong Jaya Selatan, Bandar Puchong Jaya (Apartment - Sutramas Apartment) @ Puchong
- Bandar Puteri, Puchong
- Jalan Tk 4, Taman Kinrara (Apartment - Suria Apartment) @ Puchong
- Jalan Merbuk, Bandar Puchong Jaya (Apartment - Sri Cempaka Apartment) @ Puchong
- Jalan Wawasan 2, Taman Wawasan (Apartment - Akasia Apartment) @ Puchong
- Bandar Sungai Long, Cheras
- Jalan Pu 8, Taman Puchong Utama (Terrace)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
MMW Foodie 2.0 Android App
MMW Foodie 2.0 is launched, allowing Foodie to sign-up and start liking their favorite eateries (and comment is enabled as well). The User Interface is more polished as well, and allowing fast alphabetically scrolling (and filtering) when browsing by category. Of course, we have our usual minor tweaking and bug fixing.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Valentine Restaurant Search
Every year we will have a surge of searching for food on Valentine day itself (Malaysians are certainly very last minute people, aren't we?). Anyway way, there are quite a number of people who start looking a week ahead, as you can see clearly in the graph.
So, what places are they searching for? (it's good reference for birthday, anniversary, or the next Valentine). The top 5 places goes to:
- Shogun, Japanese Buffet @ One Utama, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Saisaki Japanese Buffet @ Wisma UOA II, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur
- Tamarind Springs @ Taman TAR, Ampang, Selangor
- Look Out Point @ Kompleks Pelancongan Menara Tinjau, Jalan Ampang-Hulu Langat, Ampang, Selangor
- The Cave @ SS2, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Malaysia still like their Japanese buffet, as this had been the trend for the last 5 years. Tamarind Springs is coming up strong as a decent competitor. Look Out Point offer nice night view, but the quality of food is questionable. As of The Cave, I'm afraid it is no longer there (or under renovation?).
Other noticeable "romantic" venue includes
- Nadeje Patisserie Cafe, Mille Crepe @ Taman Melaka Raya, Melaka
- Sky Bar @ Traders Hotel @ Traders Hotel, , Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur
- Fullhouse Lifestyle Store & Cafe @ Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur
- New Paris Restaurant @ SS2, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Fullhouse, Lifestyle Store and Cafe @ Nui Ze Xui, Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Bumbu Bali @ Bandar Puteri Puchong, Puchong, Selangor
- Jaya Palace Restaurant @ Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- Tamarind Hill @ Ampang, Selangor
- Hajime Japanese Restaurant @ Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur
- Marco Polo Restaurant (富临门) @ Wisma Lim Foo Yong, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur
- Vincenzo Ristorante Italiano, Italy Food @ One Bangsar, Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur
Nadeje Patisserie Cafe is definitely the clear winner in Melaka, as they serve absolutely delicious Milk Crepe (western layer cakes) made by a Japanese lady. It's a surprise to me that quite a number of "traditional" Chinese restaurants pop up, but I guess there are still a big market for this group of food lovers. Besides that, we have bar in the sky, lifestyle cafe, Balinese food, Japanese, Italian, and what not.
Until the next food field study, enjoy!
MMW Foodie Android App
We packed in some pretty nifty features to aid food hunter on the go. MMW Foodie will search for nearby restaurants automatically, or you can choose to perform a search by keywords. Not sure what to look for? You can always browse by cuisine, location and food. We even have a special listing of Romantic places, most liked, most popular and most viewed.
We'll packed in more features for you to add comments and photos, suggest new places and "like" very soon. Enjoy MMW Foodie!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)