For Michael Yang, success wasn’t the problem. The Silicon Valley founder of pioneering internet price-comparison site mySimon.com spent years checking every box that mattered, until he realised the boxes themselves were wrong. So he traded the boardroom for 40,000 miles across two continents – not to escape his life, but to figure out what it was actually for.
His book, Coming Alive on the Ride, is released next week. Part adventure memoir, part reckoning with Korean American identity, part dismantling the concept of achievement. Whether he’s crossing deserts, borders, or the gap between who his parents wanted him to be and who he needed to become, Yang writes with the clarity of someone who had to get lost first.
Exact moment you decided to hit the open road?
After returning from a solo motorcycle trip from Los Angeles to Alaska in the summer of 2023, I decided that adventure motorcycle travelling and inspiring others to embrace adventure would become my new vocation.
How do you balance ‘constant motion’ of an entrepreneur with ‘meaningful miles’ of a traveller?
To me, they are two sides of the same coin.
And how did 40,000 miles on a motorcycle change your definition of ‘success’?
It shifted my focus from business and financial success and accumulation to living a life of meaning and purpose.
Which stretch of North American road felt the most transformative?
Dalton Highway – 400 miles of gravel road in Alaska along the Trans Alaska Pipeline.
Does the ‘immigrant grit’ required to build a startup translate to solo adventure travel?
Yes, overcoming challenges and barriers to accomplish the goal.
What’s the biggest lesson your Korean heritage taught you about resilience?
Always bounce back.
What do you miss about the Silicon Valley hustle?
Attending tech and innovation conferences and events, and learning about them by talking with other Silicon Valley innovators and professionals.
Was there a specific ‘talisman’ item during your 40-day trip?
My faith in God is what I relied on for guidance.
Most memorable meal you had while on the road?
Shin Ramen cooked with mussel broth and Maine lobster meat, which I cooked at a campground in Bar Harbor at Acadia National Park in New Hampshire, on my LA to Newfoundland trip in summer of 2022.
Favourite local restaurant in LA?
Park’s BBQ in Koreatown.
Local hidden gem?
In La Canada, California, Chodang Tofu & BBQ.
Top three museums in the world?
Louvre in Paris, because of it’s vast collection including the Mona Lisa. Musee d’Orsay because of its Impressionist masterpieces. Rodin Museum because of its Thinker and sculpture garden.
Most inspiring city for writing?
Seoul, South Korea.
Where do you go for pure escapism?
New Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur, California. And my annual long distance, motorcycle trip somewhere around the world – in 2026, that’s a ride to Northern Europe to Nordkapp in Norway.
And where do you go for stimulation and creative energy?
On a long motorcycle trip.
Favourite hotel, anywhere in the world?
Westin Josun Hotel, Seoul.
Travel splurge you’ll never regret?
My family of six’s adventure trips to Korea, Japan, Alaska, France, Switzerland, Italy, Mexico, and Canada over the last 10 years.
What’s always in your carry-on?
Battery charging cables, iPad
Dream vacation, not yet fulfilled?
Riding a motorcycle around the world, one continent at a time. Still doing it. Next continent: Europe.
How has the ‘forced solitude’ of a helmet changed your relationship with yourself?
I discovered my identity as an adventurer.
Advice for other high-pressure professionals asking ‘what comes next’?
Listen to your body and do what it itches for, because it may be telling you to treat yourself with some fun and adventure. Take on a challenging and slightly scary, but not life-threatening, activity or travel experience. In my case, it involved long-distance motorcycle trips. For you, it could be whatever that excites you but also scares you a little. Also, do this activity or travel solo. By doing this, you may discover more about yourself.
