SET Pitch Competition 2024 opens for submissions next month
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Entrepreneur Transformation (SET) Pitch Competition 2024 will be open for submissions next month, said its founding president, Datuk George Lim.
He said SET is actively raising RM200,000 for this sixth edition of the annual competition, adding that RM100,000 is awaiting the top 10 winners.
Lim, who is also the patron of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Tanjung Aru, said this while speaking at the JCI Tanjung Aru’s 43rd Installation and Award Night here Sunday.
Earlier, he urged the JCI Tanjung Aru members not to be afraid to have a big dream.
He asked them to look at the six sell-out Taylor Swift concerts in the 55,000-seater Singapore National Stadium.
“The Swiftonomics turned the United States economy to the tune of at least $5 billion ripple effects into additional consumer spending.
“What are the ripple effects of your action? What is stopping you from taking action?”
According to him, there are four common fatal fears for entrepreneurs, namely the fear of failure, being wrong, rejection and being discomfort.
“The fears stop us from embracing a larger vision. The pandemic has changed everything, yet entrepreneurs could not embrace the discomfort of changing and playing too safe to avoid making mistakes.
“To overcome this, entrepreneurs need to have a 10x dream, a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG), an ‘impossible dream’ which could take 10-30 years to achieve. This big dream makes us more focused without being distracted by the presence of obstacles ... what is your impossible dream?”
He said Enzo Ferrari once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it. Since childhood, I always thought and loved cars and everyone dreams of driving a Ferrari. It was my intent from the start”.
“José M Hernández, a MexicanAmerican, dreamt of becoming an astronaut and it took him 30 years. His determination and passion from childhood created something extraordinary a testament to the power of a dream.
“Do not be afraid to dream big! As Robin Sharma wisely said, “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality’,” said Lim.
Yet, despite their big dreams, why do 90 per cent of startups fail within their first three years?
“It often boils down to a lack of clarity, a detailed action plan and the discomfort journey of up and down in entrepreneurship.
“Leadership, too, plays a pivotal role in this journey. A leader isn’t just someone who leads. They inspire others to follow a cause and have clarity on where you’re headed and why.
“In our pursuit of leadership, it is about how to stop peoplepleasing while making a difference.”
Lim said: “John F Kennedy ‘moon-shot vision’ envisioned 1961, where he said, ‘I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth’.
“Making ‘moon-shot goals so big, so impossible’ it underscores the power of big hairy audacious goals to inspire and propel us beyond obstacles towards extraordinary achievements.”
With this “moon-shot” vision in mind, Lim said SET started the mission in 2018 to create 100 entrepreneurs yearly.
“To date, we have created more than 500 entrepreneurs and impacting more than 50,000 business communities.
“SET has created the four pillars of transformation programmes, namely the twoday Entrepreneurs Business Camp, the Business Pitching Competition and the awards, and the monthly leadership mentoring. We integrated our ecosystem resources to accelerate the growth of entrepreneurs for the SET communities,” he said.
Lim said the x-factor of great leadership is not just personality, but it is humility.
“It is about putting the needs of others above our own.
“As we move forward, let’s keep in mind ‘The first thing is you have to know what you want’ and Last one, ‘When you think you’ve made it, you’ll probably have to try even harder’,” he said.