Simple yet full of wild ideas. Passionate, willing to sacrifice many things to pursue what he loves. And ready to give it up as soon as he feels it is no longer suitable. That is the personality of PewPew (Hoàng Văn Khoa, born 1991).
PewPew was once called the “prince of streamers”, shining with the glory of fame. But PewPew only sees himself as an ordinary worker, ready to wash cars, shine shoes, sell sugar cane juice… as long as he can earn money to support himself and his family.
Having announced retirement, returning to his old job, and eventually saying goodbye to his audience, was the decision to leave the streaming profession and withdraw from the entertainment industry very difficult for PewPew?
PewPew: Actually, I still livestream now. But unlike before when I did everything to make a living, now livestreaming is just a hobby, something I do for fun.
Could it be that when you decided to give up being a streamer, it was also the time you felt you were no longer at your peak, and your creativity was gradually falling into a rut?
PewPew: That’s right, I can’t catch trends in the market as quickly or as well as many younger or newer people in this profession.
In addition, my health is no longer what it used to be. I can’t stream games for 12 hours straight and still feel normal. Now, just sitting for 5 hours continuously makes my throat sore and gives me a terrible headache.
Is being a streamer an unsustainable and very difficult profession?
PewPew: To have a sustainable streaming career, you need resources, especially life experiences. Livestreaming is very difficult to script. On television, with a whole team, how many shows are done live? Let alone an individual who livestreams and wants people to watch them! So what should they watch, and how? If you continue to do the same things you did yesterday, why should people watch you?
Livestreaming is even harder than making videos because with videos, you have time to think, prepare, and edit; while livestreaming requires continuous interaction with the audience, constantly coming up with interesting things to say, and you can’t just say something wrong and cut it out. Not to mention that when you go live, there is controversy, insults, and you have to endure all that pressure.
Therefore, this profession is not sustainable. It’s not just about needing to renew yourself, but about constantly having new things to say on the livestream.
But isn’t it true that at the time you stopped streaming games, many people still considered PewPew a “prince of streamers”, at his peak?
PewPew: Honestly, I never thought of myself as a prince of streamers or anything lofty. Throughout my youth (which I think is now over), I tried to do what I liked, as energetically as I could, to pour all my passion into it. To hold a position and do things that no one else can do, you must endure things that no one else can bear.
When I decided to stop streaming games, many siblings and friends asked: “If you are at the peak, why stop?” But in reality, what people see is just from the outside in, while I look from the inside out.
I really like the quote from Sơn Tùng MT-P: “To hold a position and do things that no one else can do, you must endure things that no one else can bear“.
That quote is very meaningful and very true to me. Before I heard it, I had also experienced this long ago. And I know one thing for sure: in this world, everything has its price.
So what is the price you pay for being a streamer?
PewPew: I think the biggest sacrifice is time. Almost all my youth was spent working, my outings were fleeting, sleeping backstage, in a taxi, during meetings, before meetings, not having time to sleep for 2-3 days… was very normal.
During that time, a day has 24 hours, and I often worked 12-16 hours a day, with the remaining time just enough for sleep and personal activities.
I worked too much, not to mention I am also passionate about business and learning. A day of 24 hours is truly not enough for me. And I have been like this for nearly 10 years since I started my passion for being a streamer.
For me, that is the greatest sacrifice and of course, cannot be regained. But looking back, I also feel satisfied with my past choices.
With such sacrifices, what has PewPew gained to still feel satisfied after everything?
PewPew: Quite a lot! First, living with my passion and getting paid for it. That was also my primary goal when I became a streamer.
When this profession was still very new and not many people knew about it, I thought that one day society would have to pay me to do what I love. That was my belief, and I accomplished it.
The second thing is fame, even though fame was not my goal. It is very good for future business, personal development, and life experiences…
Additionally, I have worked with large corporations, learned a lot, and done various businesses. I am just an ordinary person, with no family background or money, so everything started with being a streamer; without that profession, I probably wouldn’t have experienced these things. Even the relationships I have today with friends and siblings all started from livestreaming.
The life of a businessman is very busy. It is not at all like the reasons you gave for quitting being a streamer, that you need a normal life, with more time for yourself and family, to play football, to sleep more like other young people?
PewPew: Right. But I think, it’s the same for everything. To have a high income, the effort you put in must be greater. You will have to invest your brainpower, or health, or time, or a combination of all those factors.
However, my own business also gives me a certain amount of time to do personal things. Except for meetings and partner appointments that need to be on time, I can still actively arrange my work. That is very different from when I was a streamer, sometimes going to shows, I had to wait for the team for 1-2 hours, which was very normal.
Speaking of income, I would love to know, what is PewPew’s income like now that he is no longer a streamer?
PewPew: Leaving the entertainment industry at the peak of income is something I have no qualms about sharing. If I maintained the same income, within 1-2 years, I would be able to acquire basic things like a house and a car.
But now, I am back to the income level I had when I first returned to Vietnam about 5 years ago, and it is much lower than when I decided to stop being a streamer, lower by 5-7 times.
Do you feel constrained with finances being so tight?
PewPew: Not at all, I actually feel much more comfortable. I welcomed my parents from Hải Phòng to Saigon, so all matters from cooking to housing, clothing… my parents take care of everything, I don’t have to worry at all. My parents also said: “Just work less to keep your health”, so my life has become very leisurely.
Essentially, I used to work crazily but earned high income, I have experienced both high and low. There were times I had to split a package of instant noodles to survive the day, so I realized one thing: being rich or poor is determined by oneself. The issue is not how much money you have, but how you spend it. If you always feel like you are lacking, then no matter how much money you earn, you will feel it is not enough.
My needs are very simple. The clothes I wear are still new after 4-5 years, and I don’t buy anything expensive. The shirt I’m wearing (a simple dark-colored T-shirt) has been used for 5 years and still feels very new. When I bought it, I only spent 30,000 VND.
The day my mom just came to Saigon, she was very excited to buy me things and got a new pair of pants for 60,000 VND. My mom was very happy because it had been a long time since she could buy clothes for me, and I also felt very satisfied with those new pants. That’s how simple my life is.
I don’t spend on clothes or hairstyles… and I feel I don’t spend money on anything other than food, rent, and monthly electricity bills. A plate of grilled pork rice with egg here is about 30,000 VND, plus a cup of sugar cane juice for 10,000 VND. Two meals a day like that cost less than 100,000 VND. Since I don’t go anywhere, just stay home all day, I feel that living like this is also comfortable and economical.
You previously described yourself as a massive debtor. By 2020, has the situation improved or worsened?
PewPew: In fact, the pandemic has made my situation much worse (laughs).
But the positive point is that I not only see debt as motivation but also view it as a responsibility. I think this is the time I will answer the question of how far I can maintain my credibility. For example, by June, I have to pay a debt. With everything that has happened, completely unexpected, I could ask the creditor to postpone the due date, but I don’t want to do that.
I am still trying to pay that debt next month, to tell myself: ah, I can do it!
How specifically did you steer your business during the pandemic?
PewPew: About 3-4 months ago, when the pandemic just started, I still thought positively, always telling everyone: “Everything will be fine, there will soon be treatment drugs”. But things did not go as planned; the pandemic escalated stronger every moment.
Last March, I was supposed to open a complex, but due to the pandemic, it had to be postponed. Postponing like that already cost a lot of money, honestly, it was very painful for me because saving money takes a long time but losing it is very quick.
By early April, the situation did not improve when the pandemic escalated in many countries around the world. Finally, Vietnam implemented social distancing. At that time, I thought a lot and decided to pull back to go further in the future, meaning to completely stop this project to cut losses.
I still managed to raise shrimp and hope that by mid-year, the first shrimp season will be up, then everything will be fine!
With two bánh mì shops, I had to maneuver, sell online, and deliver to customers. At this point, I am still sitting here talking with you, still selling bánh mì, so I can say that things are not too bad. And I cannot deny that thanks to the support and affection of customers, I was able to get through the Covid-19 pandemic.
In your life, have you ever felt as difficult as when you decided to pull back, stop the project, and cut losses?
PewPew: Never, Covid-19 will be a very unforgettable time in my life.
Last April, I went through a very suffocating and uncomfortable time just staying at home; sales also dropped due to social distancing.
With such a massive debt, not having a solution while it keeps increasing, what to do now? Before thinking of a solution, I always reassured myself to stay calm, but honestly, even staying calm didn’t help.
I couldn’t see a way out, didn’t have any clues to solve this huge problem. Even wanting to look abroad to learn was impossible, reading the news showed that even large companies were going bankrupt, and big corporations had to ask for money… so I felt very confused.
That was a time when I could only sleep when my body could no longer endure it. All my business activities were heavily affected by the pandemic.
In April, I had to pay a debt, and at that time, the creditor said to me: “Take your time, because with the pandemic like this, everyone is in trouble”. I understood that no creditor wants their debtor to die or drift away. They want me to live to pay back the debt, so as long as I live decently and work hard, there is still hope.
If you fail this time, or if you want to stop like before, or if you get bogged down in debt and lose all your savings from nearly 10 years of being a streamer, how will PewPew react?
PewPew: This time, I will definitely not stop. If I fail, I can temporarily retreat a bit to reassess everything.
This year I am 30 years old, and from now until I turn 50, I always ponder the question: what do I want to do, and I have found the answer. Now, all my mind and energy are devoted solely to business. My nature is that once I want to do something, I only think and worry about it.
Participating in many different fields, PewPew thinks that the biggest goal of pouring all his heart into business is what?
PewPew: I think simply doing something good for everyone. Many people often say that business is to make money, but I think differently; money is just a number, and the ultimate meaning of business is serving society.
Having gone through difficulties like the Covid-19 pandemic, the fact that my two bánh mì shops still exist helps me believe that what I do is accepted and needed by society, and customers also love and support me. All of that will be motivation for me to continue to dedicate and serve everyone.
I will strive to harmonize, serve, and satisfy as many people as possible, and I also believe that society will leave me a path to move forward.
Does that mean you do not confine yourself to a few specific fields, with clear goals, but can do everything, simply to serve the community?
PewPew: Exactly. I have thought about opening a quality car wash and repair shop combined with food service. I am not afraid to become a car washer or sell sugar cane juice to make this life better, to help everyone have better options.
A month or two ago, when everything was very bad and I could no longer ensure my own income, I thought about livestreaming to sell goods. I am not afraid of being talked about, that I used to be magnificent and now have to livestream selling online. I only care that as long as I sell quality products, do it with heart, and sell what people need.
Is it too small of a goal when usually at a young age, people think about who they will be in 5-10 years, what position they will hold in society, and whether they have accomplished anything great yet?
PewPew: I think everyone has a dream. Over the past year, reflecting while at home, I realized that for a person without money or power like me… why not start with small things, serving brothers, friends around me from basic needs like food, car washing, hair cutting, or laundry…
Speaking of my goals for the next 10 years, I think very simply, I hope that by then, PewPew will have 5 bánh mì shops, 1-2 coffee shops, 1-2 hair salons, a few hectares of shrimp, raising 1000-2000 chickens, 1000-2000 pigs, and a few hectares of vegetables.
Of course, not everything will be mine; to achieve that, I will need to collaborate with many people. In 10 years, I also don’t know if anyone will remember PewPew or where I will be positioned in society. But as long as in that wealth, I have 1% of everything, I would feel very happy!
Hearing you talk about such goals, do any of your friends laugh and say you are just talking big?
PewPew: Most of my friends laugh at me. For example, when it comes to raising shrimp, they still laugh at me now. Or when I want to have a place to shine shoes and wash cars for drivers, people also laugh. They ask me why my mind thinks of such things?
But what can I do, because everyone is born with a different perspective, a very different approach to life. And I am confident that I am not doing anything bad; I simply want to live and contribute to the community. My friends laugh at me a lot, but whatever, I will still do what I am passionate about!
You once said that when running a bánh mì business, you have to count each customer; what is the hardship in raising shrimp?
PewPew: I also count each shrimp (laughs). Just the other day when I visited the pond, I saw the shrimp were not uniform, so I had to separate them; how many shrimp of this size go to one side, how many larger ones go to another.
That day, if there were 100 shrimp per kg, is that good news? I had to sit and talk for a long time with the farmers to see if they looked satisfied with that result.
My farmers and I have to measure very carefully, accurately weigh each shrimp, count and recount, quickly lift the shrimp and pass them to someone else, then transfer them to another pond because I’m worried that the shrimp stay on the surface too long will get tired.
With those efforts, what do you feel you have gained from your business?
PewPew: In business, I’ve lost a lot of money (laughs), lost everything I had saved and am still in the red.
But what I gained is that I’ve changed a lot, learned a lot, and found that life has so many interesting things to experience.
For example, during the recent pandemic, when everyone felt it was so bad, I felt a bit of positivity in it; it was a time of hardship, who would be there to work with me, when I had to stop the complex project, who would be sad with me…
The important thing is that through this pandemic, I have come to appreciate customers a lot because they have given me a very big test: whether my product is good, if customers would give me the opportunity to live another 1-2 months to continue my dream.
PewPew once said that in whatever you do, you always have to be in the mindset of a gambler? So in business, what do you gamble?
PewPew: I bet on trust. This trust is very broad in meaning; do the people working with me trust me, trust the path I am taking? Do my partners trust my products? Do the young people working with me believe they will receive something? Do customers trust me? Because there is no 100% perfect product and no one is free of mistakes, but if customers trust you, they will give you a chance to correct your mistakes.
The most important thing is whether I believe in my own abilities. I think that in this life, you can lose anything but never lose trust, because losing trust is losing everything.
So has there ever been a time when you lost trust? Because until now, many of your business plans have not become reality, for example, having to stop the complex project?
PewPew: I think no one gets a beautiful picture right the first time they put pen to paper. To have a beautiful picture, you have to try hard, sketch a lot.
What I desire is to do what I want to do, to follow that path, it does not mean I will achieve everything, but at least I want to head in a certain direction. For me, having a direction is already very positive, and failure is a normal thing; if there is no failure, I cannot grow up.
For me, in doing anything, the most important thing is whether I feel happy or not. If I am happy, even if people look at me sadly, I don’t care. If I am happy, even if I wear shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops to go out, and people say I look shabby, I don’t care. I will spend more time thinking about what I should do, how to make a day meaningful, so that every morning I wake up, I will feel truly happy!
