In this episode, we speak with Sean Zhang, CEO and co-founder of Talon Esports. Talon Esports is an esports organisation co-founded in 2016 by Sean Zhang and Jarrold Tham, who have been passionate gaming enthusiasts since the times of dial-up internet. Esports and professional gaming is a topic of great relevance to our listeners, as an increasing number of young gamers today aspire to become professional gamers. In this episode, we have the privilege of hearing from Sean, who is an expert on this topic, having built numerous esports teams from the ground up and is fully immersed in the world of competitive gaming. Having spent a successful career in banking and technology, Sean has instilled the core values of continuous improvement, innovation and hard work into Talon’s culture, winning multiple titles across various games with their content being viewed extensively across the globe. Timestamps 2:36 – Starting an esports team 4:31 – How to identify and recruit young talents 8:11 – Balancing competitive gaming and other aspects like education 11:46 – Other career opportunities in esports outside of being a professional gamer 13:34 – Traits to succeed at a professional level – nurture vs nature? 17:19 – Challenges that young people may face when pursuing an esports career 24:08 – Role of parents in their child’s participation in the esports world 28:18 – Stigmas associated with competitive gaming 31:01 – Benefits of gaming in a controlled environment 33:35 – Streaming and content creation 37:23 – Advice to young aspiring gamers Follow Talon Esports: Website: https://www.talon.gg/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TALON_ESPORTS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talon-esports  Follow Sean: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeanZha91508818 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xiao-sean-zhang-29639462/  Follow k-ID: Website: https://www.k-id.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_identify LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k-id