David Chang's Question to Entrepreneurs: Are You Doing Good or Bad?The chef knows he's been successful but wants to make sure his work creates positive change, too.
ByJason Feifer•
This story appears in theSeptember 2020issue of狗万官方.Subscribe »
"It's hard for me to appreciate the good things that have happened," David Chang says. And there have been many. His Momofuku restaurant group made him one of New York City's most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs, he's the star of the Netflix seriesUgly Delicious, he is a best-selling cookbook author, and more. This month, Chang releases a new book — a memoir calledEat a Peach, which chronicles his rise, as well as his struggles withmental health. Chang is open about his depression and self-doubt, and he now worries for the future of his business and his industry — but hopes that talking about these things sparks positive change in himself and others. "The thing I'm wrestling with is, ultimately, I know I've done good," he says, "but I think I've done a lot unintentional bad by getting to my goals." In this conversation, he talks about the power of difficultself-reflection.
Eat a Peachis a memoir, but you say in the opening that you think of it as "a textbook for what not to do when starting a business." Why focus on what not to do?