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<\/p>\nPutting Joe and Marcus Wee together in a room, you wouldn\u2019t immediately figure them to be brothers, let alone twins (albeit fraternal ones). Marcus has a fuller build and looks younger (despite both of them being 33), and Joe has a more athletic frame. The way they speak and communicate separates them even further: Marcus is more dynamic and expressive, while Joe is soft-spoken and concise with his words. Perhaps it is due to their differences \u2013 and how they overcame them \u2013 that Joe and Marcus have been so successful with Aftershock, their local boutique custom PC company that specialises in high-performance PCs.<\/p>\n
In an industry that has seen many players start and then bow out in the early levels, Joe and Marcus have been able to keep Aftershock going for five years, grown from a staff of three to 25, even expanding into new markets such as Thailand and Malaysia, and products like gaming monitors under their own Prism+ label. Joe shared an anecdote about how obsessed with gaming the two brothers were, even at a young age. Apparently, when they were six years old, Marcus approached their grandmother and convinced her to buy them a video game console.<\/p>\n
As their parents were not fond of the idea of them playing video games, he had to wait for an ideal opportunity when his parents were away. \u201cMy dad smacked my brother that night,\u201d said Joe, the elder brother by five minutes. \u201cNo, he smacked you!\u201d said Marcus. \u201cI told him you bought it!\u201d Regardless of what really happened, the brothers grew passionate about gaming and spent much of their adolescence in LAN shops, though they would eventually go down different paths.<\/p>\n
Joe steered towards first-person shooters like Counter-Strike and Half-Life at an enthusiast level, while Marcus became a competitive real-time strategy gamer, competing in games like StarCraft and Warcraft 3 (and was very well-ranked in Singapore too).<\/p>\n
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While on an exchange programme in Canada, Marcus bought a laptop from an American boutique company called XOTIC PC and was blown away by its friendly customer service. \u201cIt was phenomenal customer service,\u201d he said. \u201cThe way they make you feel, and how they follow up after delivering the machine. It was very personal service, and it felt like you always had someone you could talk to.\u201d Such service was unheard of in Singapore at the time, and Marcus came back wanting to change that. \u201cOur business philosophy is built on great customer service,\u201d he said. \u201cIn Asia, customer service normally takes a back seat, so if we get this right, we can really stand out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen customers come to pick up their PCs, we don\u2019t just hand it over. We talk to them to find out more about their needs. Being Singaporean, they do get a bit surprised when we try to engage them like this.\u201d So when he was 26, Marcus started doing serious research into the business, and speaking to suppliers and component manufacturers. Aftershock was officially launched less than a year later.<\/p>\n
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Since Aftershock started in 2012, at least 15 other computer startups have entered the scene. Some are still around, but most of them did not take off and had to fold. Marcus estimates that the typical lifespan of these startups was only around a year. When asked about Aftershock\u2019s ability to succeed, Joe pointed to the differences between the two brothers as a key reason. Many companies are started by friends with similar skill sets, something that isn\u2019t always beneficial for the company, as these founders might not be able to cover a wide enough range of skills.<\/p>\n
In contrast, Marcus and Joe bring vastly different skills and ideas to Aftershock. Both studied at SMU, with Marcus pursuing information systems, while Joe studied psychology. Joe\u2019s skills now sit with the branding and marketing side of things (\u201ccreating the whole company look and feel,\u201d as he describes it), while Marcus\u2019 logical thought processes were put to work setting pricing strategies and planning products for specific demographics.<\/p>\n
\u201cRunning a business is almost like playing an RTS [real-time strategy game],\u201d Marcus said. \u201cIt\u2019s highly strategic and you need to commit everything if you want to be the best in this industry.\u201d Another unique selling point and reason for Aftershock\u2019s success? It offers free after-sales services, such as free cleaning if you bring your PC or laptop back.<\/p>\n
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But does working with your twin create friction, especially when you have such different mindsets? \u201cWe had quite a lot of friction at the start,\u201d admitted Joe. During the early days, they were \u201cgrinding\u201d obsessively in the office seven days a week \u2013 \u201cgrinding\u201d is a gamer term for repeating less glamorous tasks to \u201clevel up\u201d your character \u2013 and constantly working or planning their next steps. They did not always agree on what those steps should be. However, both agree that going at each other really did help to improve things.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as you\u2019re fighting over something logical,\u201d Marcus says. \u201cIt\u2019s always good to express your opinions. If you always [agree], it\u2019s not a good thing.\u201d Joe adds: \u201cEventually, we decided to play to our strengths. Now, we are each in charge of different things, and we each give inputs, but leave the final decision to the [brother] in charge of the issue.\u201d As Aftershock grows, a key challenge to managing this growth is keeping their original vision in mind. From just gaming laptops, they now build high performance PCs for people from all walks of life, ranging from videographers and photographers who need the high resolution rendering power, to scientists and corporate customers who run complex simulations all day.<\/p>\n
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For the curious tech geeks, these latter machines are decked out with dual Zeon CPUs, four graphics cards, 128GB of RAM, 20TB of SSD storage, and special cooling solutions so that they can run non-stop. They\u2019re upping customisation options with rare components and custom casings, as well as their signature custom paint jobs using automotive paints. They are also venturing into new products like monitors (under their Prism+ label) and other computer accessories.<\/p>\n
But Aftershock made its name with customer service, and Marcus and Joe are adamant that this is an area that cannot be neglected with its rapid growth and higher turnarounds. To cope with the increased volume, they needed to grow the company with like- inded people who are equally passionate about the product and the gaming culture. \u201cAs our company grew, we hired some of our customers!\u201d said Marcus. \u201cWe hired passionate customers who understood us. When customers buy a $2,000 to $3,000 product, it means they believe in the product.\u201d<\/p>\n
To ensure Aftershock\u2019s continued success, the brothers intend to do what they\u2019ve always been doing: be immersed in their business, and work hard all the time. \u201cHard work is our secret recipe,\u201d said Marcus. \u201cIn gamer terms, be a grinder.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brothers Joe and Marcus Wee on founding their multimillion-dollar custom PC firm, Aftershock, and how they overcame initial friction to beat the odds. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[14],"yoast_head":"\n