Mr Matthias Kunze, Managing Director and General Manager for Yahoo Connected Life in Asia, is possibly the fittest speaker to have graced the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore's Infocomm LIVE! (Leading, Innovating, Visioning, Engaging) speaker series to date.

Mr Kunze: Germans and Singaporeans like methodology, but don't just believe in methodology.

The serial entrepreneur was formerly a competitive swimmer, making it into the German national swim team from 1981 to 1985. He took up marathon running in 1992, and the triathlon in 2000.

Mr Kunze started his career in publishing and television before becoming an entrepreneur. He co-founded three successful software companies and a mobile advertising company Actionality, which was acquired by Yahoo in May 2007.

In his keynote address at Infocomm LIVE! on 20 March 2009, he spoke about the "Winning Ways of an Entrepreneur". Here are some excerpts from his presentation:

What is a winning attitude towards entrepreneurship?
Everyone is born to be an entrepreneur. My sons, who are five and seven years old, want to try everything. They're interested in everything.

You must be honest with yourself though. What sacrifices are you willing to make? Being an entrepreneur is a lot of work. You won't have much time for your friends and family, and you may have to travel. You have to be able to make such sacrifices, because if not, you won't be happy. You should have a life. Singaporeans have a high work ethic, but it can lead to burnout.

Is passion more important, or knowledge?
Passion is key. If you really believe in your idea, you can cope with all the challenges. It helps NOT to know all the details. Experts know everything and are perfectionists, and see failure everywhere. It helps to have some experience, but not to be perfectionist and risk-averse.

What if you are motivated by money?
For me it was the lifestyle, but if money is your motivation, it's good. VCs are looking for people who want to sell their companies. VCs are in for the money, and the exit. They are always asking about your exit strategy. They are happy to hear, "I'm happy to sell if the price is right."

What about people?
You must build the right team. Never compromise. If you hire people that you have to drag with you, it will take so much away from your energy. You have to be strong enough to get rid of them.

You also must be very careful if you start your business with a friend. When money is involved it gets complicated, unless you have the same values. Work out who has the right to make what decisions.

You talk about having good ideas. What is a good idea?
A good idea is anything the market is willing to pay for, or the VC is willing to fund. You will get your ideas in any environment. Germans and Singaporeans like methodology, but don't just believe in methodology. Socialising is good as it helps to know people. You might know someone who knows someone... Allow yourself to have lots of experiences – you need inspiration.