‘Do what you love, love what you do’
How do you think the industry you are in will evolve in the future? If you look at P2P financing based on the lifecycle of a human being, we are just a newborn. Therefore, the future depends on not just the intrinsic “genetics” of the platform but also the “environment” surrounding its growth. I think this “child” is born at the right time because the infrastructure and opportunities that are available promotes its growth. The market is very open to embrace “fintech” as the way forward. Thus, I strongly believe that the industry is in for rapid growth and as long as all players continue to innovate, it can have the potential to evolve as a mainstream way of seeking funding and making investments in perhaps, 10 years down the road. The key is for all players to ensure the integrity of the notes offered and to continuously provide better services and products to grow the market. In technology, we cannot stop innovating.
What advice can you offer those looking to start their career/own business? Find passion in what you do. Always “do what you love, and, love what you do”. If you find yourself dragging your feet to work, take time off to ask why and how you can re-energise yourself. If you no longer can find the passion to make a positive difference, even after doing your best, perhaps you are in the wrong field. I feel that it is totally fine to start over or start again as long as you’ve thought through it thoroughly. We all know about the industrial revolution, are we in for a technological revolution? Your thoughts. I definitely think so. In fact, I believe the revolution already started since the first smartphones came about. The question is the speed and pace that different people takes to embrace it to feel that it is a revolution. Take my own household for example. My 75-yearold dad who grew up without a computer is now trading using the internet. “Technology dinosaurs” will become extinct in no time despite not having a sudden meteor fall on them. As with any revolution, it is almost unstoppable and with so many advances in technological strong countries such as the USA, China and Korea, we must embrace the latest in order not to be left behind. Hence, it is really a positive move that the Securities Commission (SC) has taken to be the first in Asean to regulate P2P financing because technology is powerful and if abused, will definitely negatively impact not just a community but an entire nation.
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years? It will be my biggest dream come true to be able to shape the investing behaviour of young people in the next five years in such a way that they would be investing on Fundaztic.com instead of playing games on their phones during lunch time or social events. If this dream come through, it would mean that Fundaztic.com has succeeded in its mission of helping SMEs grow and building a nest egg for even the smallest of investors.
Best piece of advice you ever got on your career. “Challenge status quo”.
Most admired business leader? Why? I look up to Warren Buffett a lot. I love how he remains totally grounded and down-to-earth despite his wealth. I love his foresight and strategic thinking. I love his great sense of humour and most importantly, his generosity/his philanthropic nature.
If it is someone I know, I would say Piyush Gupta of DBS Bank and Fundaztic’s chairman Jeffrey Chew. Both men are brilliant thought leaders with distinctively different styles. I did not directly report or worked under Piyush yet during the little time that I’ve had the opportunity to interact with him, I learnt loads. With Chew, I totally admire his perseverance and energy. He is also very visionary because he started planting the seed of this promising industry. He takes action (quickly) and that’s very important to always stay ahead.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced? And what did you learn from it? I face challenges everyday because of two of my biggest weakness – my impatience and horrible temper. I’ve “hit the wall” many times because of these traits. Now, I take 10 deep breaths before I “blow it”. For my impatience, I always set an extra hour, an extra day, an extra month, an extra year to see results to better manage my expectations as well as not to drive too many people crazy over timelines.
What was the most outlandish business proposal you have ever heard of? Consider running a sales-driven organisation without any direct hires/internal resources.
What man-made innovation confounds you? Why? WeChat. It took away the need for cash literally overnight.
A must-read for every business owner/ manager is ... Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2013.
What are the top three factors you would attribute to your success? My attitude, my passion, my sincerity.
Tell us a joke. My son always asks me to tell him jokes and riddles and my answer is consistently the same .... “I don’t tell jokes. I’m a darn serious person. Haha”.
But here’s a witty one that I heard recently: Husband to wife: “You shouldn’t be too upset with your mistakes. You should embrace them.” She hugged him immediately.