Chaos as a Compass with Linda Du

Guest Bio

Linda Du is the founder of Moola Money, a FinTech startup providing financial guidance for millennials. A British-Chinese first-generation immigrant with an engineering degree from Cambridge and MBA from Yale, Linda spent 4.5 years at McKinsey advising global banks before leaving to build her own ventures. Her international journey spans London, Dubai, Berlin, and Silicon Valley, bringing a unique global perspective to democratizing financial literacy. She also runs Okta Investment, applying over a decade of retail investing experience.

Episode Summary

Linda shares her journey from McKinsey consultant to FinTech founder, driven by an embrace of chaos and the "outsider advantage." We explore how being perpetually foreign shaped her ability to navigate uncertainty, why Germany's Industry 2.0 mindset struggles in today's volatile world, and how undiagnosed ADHD led to burnout but ultimately revealed her entrepreneurial superpowers. Linda reveals why even high-earning professionals struggle with personal finance and how transparency—not complexity—is the key to financial empowerment.

Key Takeaways

1. The Outsider Advantage: Being perpetually foreign gives you permission to shape your own identity and break cultural norms—a superpower for founders
2. Chaos Over Control: In a world of infinite unknowns, the ability to navigate chaos beats trying to control outcomes
3. De-risking vs Control: Instead of trying to control everything, focus on reducing risk while maintaining flexibility
4. Purpose + Lifestyle: Sustainable work comes from both caring about what you do AND designing a lifestyle that supports your neurodivergence
5. Financial Transparency: People's finances are often better than they imagine—they just need clarity, not more complexity

Memorable Quotes

"I embraced the fact that I would always be an outsider. And there's actually a lot of incredible power in that because people can't really expect you to fit into cultural norms."

"Risk equals reward, but it's about how do you be smart in taking that risk?"

"I see so much opportunity for international collaboration... but I feel like we're going in another direction where countries and states are starting to say, let's do things our way."

"If you didn't have to work for a living, what would you do with your time?"

Resources Mentioned

• Pierre Bourdieu's forms of capital (economic, cultural, social)
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs
• China Plus One investment strategy
• Stanford investor education program
• Moola Money: [Website link]
• Gravitas - 1:1 accelerator for biz owners stepping into their founder era
• The Curiosity Lab - Strategy sessions for leaders by Chedva
• You’re Gonna Want to Sit Down for This - bi-weekly email packed with lessons and free tools
• Chedva's newsletter - Weekly musings and questions

Reflection Questions

1. How might being an "outsider" in your industry actually be your biggest advantage?
2. Where in your life are you trying to control outcomes instead of de-risking?
3. What would you do with your time if money wasn't a factor?