013 | "From Playing Video Games in Basement to Making $1 Million" (Z at Serenity Forge)
Today’s guest on the “Phil with Forbes 30” podcast is Zhenghua “Z” Yang – Founder of Serenity Forge
Forbes List: USA
Year: 2020
Category: Games
In this episode,
Can you imagine suddenly getting sick and being told you will probably die within hours? You survive and stay in a hospital as every experimental method is thrown at your body to save your life for an illness not identified. You slowly recuperate, continue working at the Federal Reserve and go to college simultaneously. You have lunch with then Chairman of the Federal Reserve Dr. Ben Bernanke, save someone’s life with a computer game you created, get validation on another game from both Bill Nye the Science Guy and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. My guest, Zhenghua Yang did all this before graduating college!
His story of starting his game development and publishing studio called, “Serenity Forge” is as unique as its purpose of creating games that are a vital part of art, culture and education.
The studio released its critically acclaimed titles “Where the Water Tastes Like Wine” in 2018, as well as “Lifeless Planet” in 2014, which sold more than a half million copies.
His team just launched the new psychological adventure game “Neversong,” which is on Apple Arcade, Steam and consoles.
The projected revenue for the studio’s games for good are projected to reach $1.2 million in revenues this year.
Zhenghua and I spoke about how his life and death moments as a young man, continues to influence all of his work and life philosophy. And we discussed all the misconceptions of the game industry, which is an-eye opener.
I hope you enjoy and learn from Zhenghua’s journey to personal contentment and financial success as much as I have. It’s an incredible story.
Check out his new game: “NeverSong” on Apple Arcade, Steam, and Consoles.
“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor. That book changed my life.
2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
Best - There are specific people that I work with today that are just so pivotal to where we are right now as certainly forward.
Worst - I drank the Kool Aid and made bitcoin investments at its height.
3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning routine and most impactful thing you do in your Evening routine?
AM - I host a little mini Chinese tea ceremony for myself to clear my mind and get the day going.
PM - I pull up some kind of mobile game and just play in bed and then fall asleep to it. I don’t recommend that to everyone listening.
4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of go to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
I would make sure I build lifelong work relationships. That's how you really find success in today's corporate world.
5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
Bone Conduction Headphones
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GUEST INFO: Zhenghua “Z” Yang – Founder of Serenity Forge
CONTACT: Twitter @ZhenghuaYang
WEBSITE: http://serenityforge.com
HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
SOCIAL MEDIA: @iamphilmichaels
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/philmichaels
PODCAST WEBSITE: www.PhilWithForbes30.com
PHIL’s WEBSITE: www.iamphilmichaels.com
