- Max Fu was a gastrointestinal surgeon, a career that pleased his parents.
- He felt called to more creative work and left medicine when he was 28.
- Ten years later, he's glad he made the switch.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Max Fu, CEO and Creative Director for Nyan Heroes. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I was raised in Australia by Chinese parents. Growing up, there was one career path I knew would make them proud: medicine. Both my parents had their doctoral degrees and were scientists who worked at a heart research lab. They wanted me to have an even more prestigious role: medical doctor.
I wasn't 100% sure that medicine was the path for me, but after high school, I didn't feel strongly about any career path. I applied for a six-year program that combined medical school and undergrad in Australia. The day I was accepted was the happiest I've ever seen my parents.
I completed my education and two years of residency, but I was starting to question my choices. I had no work-life balance — I was constantly at work or on call. I couldn't see myself living like this for the rest of my life.
I was hesitant to leave after more than a decade
I fulfilled all the stereotypes of a first-generation Asian immigrant growing up. I did well academically and had a full roster of extracurriculars, including playing piano and violin.
I'd always had an interest in the creative arts, but with my full schedule, I never pursued it. After four years as a surgeon, it became like an itch that I suddenly needed to scratch. My desire to leave medicine was like a seed: it had taken hold, and it was growing.
The biggest obstacle to leaving medicine was the sunk-cost fallacy. I had already spent nearly 12 years studying and practicing. My perspective changed when I considered that I still had 40 to 50 years of my career ahead of me. In the grand scheme of things, the years I'd already spent weren't that much.
I left medicine for filmmaking when I was 28
My friends and colleagues understood why I wanted more work-life balance, but they couldn't understand why I was giving up such a promising career. Still, my mind was set. I also felt that I could always go back to medicine if I wanted to.
My parents were not so understanding. They were really unhappy, to be blunt.
I was either brave or stupid enough not to care. I had enough savings to live for one year, so when I was 28, I quit medicine and started learning everything I could about creating creative content.
I found financial success and creative freedom
It was a complete 180 to go from being a highly educated doctor to starting in a field I knew nothing about. Still, it came naturally to me. At first, I worked for free to build a portfolio, but I had paying clients within three months. I founded a media agency, and soon, I was working with global brands.
I loved the freedom I had. Surgery is understandably very structured. You read research and follow best practices. But in marketing, I could come up with any crazy idea, and as long as I convinced the client I could pull it off, I could go ahead with it.
Over the next few years, I grew my company to have about 50 employees. It was very financially successful, but my parents still never asked about my work, especially at the beginning. I could read between the lines.
My parents have accepted my career
After a few years into my marketing company I pivoted again. I founded 9 Lives Interactive, a video game company, and started producing a game, Nyan Heroes, which integrates blockchain technology. This time, I turned to venture capital instead of bootstrapping the business. We've raised more than $17 million over three rounds of funding.
I'm a huge cat guy — I have four of them. I've lived three lives already in my career, but since cats have nine lives, I have plenty more to go. I don't regret the time I spent in medicine, but staying in that career would have been a shame for me. Even my parents have accepted the change, and we're on good terms now. They're happy with me as long as I remember to visit regularly.
