When Henry Ting started TTRacing in 2017, he didn’t just launch a gaming chair brand, he took a leap of faith. With every cent of his past venture earnings, RM 400,000 poured into a new idea, there was no guarantee of success, only conviction.
The early days were humbling. Sales were slow, the brand was unknown and in the first three months, Henry recalls making “just a thousand dollars.” But there was one thing that kept the dream alive: customer reviews.
Each review was more than a comment. It was proof that vision was real. It was a validation that someone out there cared enough to share their experience. And soon, those voices built the trust that TTRacing needed to grow from a risky bet into a household name.
Reviews as the New Currency of Trust
Scroll through any e-commerce page today and what do you see first? Not the product description, not the flashy marketing copy but the reviews.
Shoppers want proof from people like them. In Southeast Asia, where online marketplaces thrive, over 90% of buyers check reviews before hitting ‘purchase”. It’s not about discounts or celebrity endorsements anymore, it’s about trust built through shared experiences.
As Henry puts it: “The key is trust.”
A Brand Built on Risk, Resilience and Community
What makes TTRacing’s journey remarkable is how much of it was powered by listening. Without massive advertising budgets, Henry leaned into the most authentic growth channel there is: word-of-mouth.
As he explained in an interview:
“We are really good at listening to our customers… we take feedback very seriously. Those voices are really helpful for us to understand the product and our users.”
Every satisfied customer became a brand ambassador. Every piece of feedback shaped the next product iteration. And every review whether glowing or critical, was answered with the same focus: to improve.
That resilience paid off. Today, TTRacing is more than a gaming chair company. It’s a community across five countries, loved by gamers, remote workers, and lifestyle enthusiasts alike. And Henry’s vision only grows bigger:
“We want this to be a global brand. We are now in five countries but in the next five years, hopefully you will see us everywhere.”
Feedback as a Growth Loop
Customer reviews aren’t just compliments or complaints. They’re a mirror showing what works and what doesn’t.
Henry recalls the early skepticism:
“Back then, no one really knew what a gaming chair was… convincing people to buy something they didn’t understand was tough. There were more ‘nos’ than ‘yeses.’”
For Henry, they became a growth loop: listen, improve, respond, repeat. Studies confirm this approach, companies that actively engage with reviews enjoy 1.7× higher repeat purchases.
Or as Henry believes: “Every review is more than feedback — it’s a foundation for trust.”
Adaptability: The Ultimate Differentiator
But Henry also knows listening alone isn’t enough. Markets shift, technology evolves, and competition intensifies.
His words are a stark reminder:
“Companies that fail to adapt will risk being left behind. It’s about who can use AI better to fight the war.”
For TTRacing, this means not only responding to customer voices but also embracing new tools, technologies, and ideas that keep the brand ahead of the curve.
Adaptability, Henry believes, is what separates those who fade from those who lead.
Resilience as a Mindset
In his one of his interviews, Henry went further by sharing a personal philosophy that shaped his journey as an entrepreneur:
“The best way to prepare yourself is to imagine the worst-case scenario for what you undertake in life and then multiply that by ten. With that feeling, continue doing what you have been doing. In the long run, this helps fortify your mental strength.”
This mindset, accepting challenges as inevitable and preparing for them with mental toughness has guided him through TTRacing’s toughest seasons.
A Lesson for Every Brand
Henry Ting’s journey with TTRacing proves that success doesn’t start with huge budgets or viral campaigns. It starts with listening.
But he also reminds entrepreneurs that no one succeeds alone:
“If there is only one most important criteria here, I would say it’s about finding the right people to build the company together… with a great team that shares the same vision, that’s when great things happen.”
From risking it all in the beginning, to being named one of Augustman Malaysia’s Visionnaires, Henry’s story reflects both humility and ambition. It shows that the brands people love most are not the ones that shout the loudest, but the ones that listen the closest.
In the end, reviews aren’t the final step in the customer journey. They’re the starting line of a relationship. And for brands willing to listen, adapt, and grow, those relationships can fuel global ambitions.
References:
The Star – In the Hot Seat: Henry Ting
The Peak – Henry Ting on TTRacing’s Origin Story
Augustman Malaysia – Henry Ting Profile
If you enjoyed this Retail Insight, you’d want to give this article a view: Rockbird Media – Henry Ting on Consumer Behavior
