About TragicHappy (a mini manifesto)
TragicHappy is a media and publishing company—but not really.
It’s not really a company.
We do things companies don’t do.
Anti-company things.
Losing-profit things.
Maybe it’s because we identify too much with the people we serve:
The Broken, The Sick, and The Disbelieved. . .
And now we’re a class of people that society pities at best—or attacks at worst.
A class that smells of suffering.
A class that should be avoided.
A class that understands shame.
But could we be more?
Can the pain that breaks us also elevate us?
Perhaps transform us into warriors of a lost healing class?
Or leaders of a new hopeful class?
TragicHappy exists to answer YES.
That through strong & safe communities, shared stories & tears, hard work, and an epic refusal to give up—that yes, we can be transfigured.
We can transfigure each other.
And it starts with this belief:
That great wounds create great healers—
healers that may be sleeping giants today,
but as TragicHappy nudges and nudges,
eventually, one day, you’ll awaken.
And that’s why TragicHappy is not a company.
Because it is a Soul.
About Samson Yang
While struggling to stay alive, Samson grappled with the meaning of his suffering and life.
And deep amidst these struggles, he eventually found his purpose in TragicHappy.
And now, the mission he founded is the one he serves as Employee Zero.
‘Employee zero’ means that he’s alone with zero help. So he does everything—from cleaning toilets to managing HR complaints—by himself.
It also means his pay is zero. Because there’s zero money.
That may seem bad, but it’s a sweet deal for TragicHappy.
And for zero pay, Samson has great job security. So it’s win win. 😁
But really, Employee Zero is a title of Hope. Hope that we’ll eventually see an Employee One, Two, Three, and more.
Because the mission needs others to keep it alive.
Samson’s life in bullet points (as of January 2025):
- He once had a rising career at The Blackstone Group
- In late 2012, a crippling mystery illness ended his career and his ability to work normally
- He married, they had a daughter, but his condition worsened, Then he lost the house, all the savings, the marriage, and the ability to live inside any indoor space.
- His illnesses opened the door to acknowledge and understand his childhood traumas, and how they had contributed to his illnesses
- Today, he lives in a car—where he founded TragicHappy and wrote The Hoping Tree
- Today, he is grateful to be unplugged from the finance industry
- Soon, he hopes to make art, build communities, and inspire healing
