Danny May, Breaking Down the Global Language Barrier – InnovaBuzz 376
Danny May, Lingmo
In this episode, I’m really excited to have as my guest, Danny May. Danny is a global AI tech entrepreneur and industry speaker who founded Lingmo, a digital AI-Powered translation software provider with no IT or AI background. His idea to develop a real-time language translation solution, to break down the global language barrier, came about after an embarrassing situation in China when his passport was stolen and he had no way of communicating with the local people.
With no formal training in the technology space, Danny has a deep understanding of AI and Speech Recognition technology in the translation sector and the benefits it brings not only to products but also to the people using the technology. This has led him to develop relationships with many corporate multinationals and take the lead in mentoring them on how they can improve their business communications as well as guide them into incorporating AI into their internal systems.
With an impressive portfolio presenting keynotes, sitting on panels and giving talks around the world, Danny’s easy-going and approachable manner gives him the natural ability to share his expertise. His intuitive mindset seeks to make the impossible possible and inspires many young people to follow their dreams. His engaging presentations make it easy for people to relate to him as he demonstrates how to push the boundaries in the startup world.
In our discussion, Danny talked to me about:
- How he overcame the challenges he faced when changing industries
- His passion for improving business communications across language and geography barriers
- Why you should be comfortable being uncomfortable
Neil Sahota in episode 343 introduced us to Danny.
Listen to the podcast to find out more.
Listen to the Podcast
Visualise how product should look like in the end. Know where it's at right now and what it needs to look like in the future, so that you can plan accordingly and know the process in between. @MayBoys3 on #InnovaBuzz podcast Click To TweetShow Notes from this episode with Danny May of Lingmo
Key points and takeaways from this episode include:
- Visualise how product should look like in the end. Know where it’s at right now and what it needs to look like in the future, so that you can plan accordingly and know the process in between.
- Don’t be scared to ask questions that may be stupid for other people because that is how you learn.
- Think outside the box and challenge the status quo.
- When you’re just inside the box, you can innovate but only to a certain degree. To stay ahead of the curve you have to get out of your comfort zone, because that is where the magic happens.
- Find the right people to bring on and who would invest in you. Find people who believe in you and in your product in the same way that you do.
- Angel investors believe more in people than in the product.
- Lingmo is an Ai app that provides real time language translation solutions for enterprise customers.
- Lingmo enables businesses to engage better with their end users.
- Communication is key no matter what industry you are in and what language you are using.
- If you have a product in mind that already exists, think about how you can make it better, not how you can do it differently.
- Passion is important. If you’re innovating a product to make money and build a company, you won’t stick with it when the times get tough. But, if you are passionate about making a difference with that product, you will stick with it through thick and thin.
- When you’re passionate about something, you always want to diversify what you have to keep going.
The Buzz – Our Innovation Round
Here are Danny’s answers to the questions of our innovation round. Listen to the conversation to get the full scoop.
- #1 thing to be more innovative – Think differently. Challenge the status quo by thinking outside the box.
- Best thing for new ideas – Be passionate and be laser-focused on the problem.
- Favourite tool for innovation – Zoom and Skype.
- Keep project/client on track – Be laser-focused on what you are doing. Make sure you have good budget and a good work-life balance. No matter how big a problem looks, break it down into little sections and work on those.
- Differentiate – Think differently. Own your story. Learn more about yourself and how you can differentiate in various areas, and replicate that into what you are doing now.
To Be a Leader
Be comfortable in being uncomfortable. It is when you feel uncomfortable that you keep learning.
Reach Out
You can reach out and thank Danny through their website and on Linkedin.
Suggested Guest
Danny suggested we have a conversation with Coach Sadiq Hussain. So Sadiq, keep an eye on your inbox for an invitation from us to the InnovaBuzz podcast, courtesy of Danny May.
Links
Cool Things About Danny
- He founded his first company, MayTeck Enterprise, after almost losing everything to a catastrophic fire, to help other people and companies be fire safe with there homes or workplace.
- He was a Solar Designer and Distributor in Shanghai, China.
- Prior to founding Lingmo, he was the CEO of Global Creation, an organisation that assists foreign companies to expand their operations and sales internationally.