What’s Important – Journey or Outcome?

Is Success Defined by the Outcome Or the Journey?

The poet Robert Frost famously wrote “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” That runs contrary to the Singaporean logic – which states that the popular option is the best option. We believe an established path provides security and maximises probability of “success”. But is there one standard our youths today use to measure success?

JOEL YAP

Graduate Member, SCS Future Leader in Tech, Tech Leader Awards 2022 Founder in Residence, Entrepreneur First

What is success to you? Is it about earning enough money to live a comfortable life? Or is it a feeling of empowerment from working a job you are passionate about? The bar is different for everyone.

TO EACH HIS OWN

I’ve often been labelled as a “serial entrepreneur”. But what does that mean? From my perspective, it means I try a lot.

Growing up, I was always a decent student. I was never the brightest, but I learnt from a young age that if I worked hard and studied smart, good results would follow. I did however excel in something – I have the gift of the gab. My mother would often say: “You may not be smart enough to be a lawyer or a doctor, but you’d definitely be a good used car salesman!” It definitely wouldn’t be a stretch to deduce that my family’s reassurance seeded my confidence to attempt entrepreneurship.

PASSION IS THE STARTING POINT

Following National Service, I wanted to learn a new skill and landed on bartending. After working as a barback for three months, I packed my bags and went to London to attend bar school. There, I studied the theory and history behind cocktails, as well as picked up flair bartending skills. After two months of learning and travelling, I returned to Singapore armed with newfound knowledge and did shifts at my previous bar.

However, it wasn’t long before I started my undergraduate studies and didn’t have the time for bartending shifts. This led me to my first business venture – Double Strained Bartenders which provided bartending services and curated menus for private events and weddings. The experience made me discover the joys of solving a problem I am passionate about. I also learnt the fundamentals of running a business, from procuring and pricing products to managing customers. This early success taught me that with the right mindset and creativity, almost any passion can be turned into a business.

SETBACKS ARE PART OF THE PACKAGE

While studying Computing at the National University of Singapore, I made it a point to join at least one hackathon every month. I would often attend these hackathons without a team, so as to ideate and learn from different people. I believed that exposing myself to new tech and different ways of thinking was important. I also decided that my next business would leverage on my technical ability.

Then came the downs. I tried launching various business ideas, from a service that enabled employees to receive their claims automatically, to an app that enabled businesses to manage their business intelligence better. A lack of traction as well as user feedback forced me to give up on these ideas. Despite these setbacks, I was undeterred. I knew that I just had to find the right opportunity and jump on it.

SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY ARISE

In the midst of COVID-19, an old friend reached out and pitched the idea of building an adaptive game that could personalise questions for students. Within 10 minutes, I knew he was onto something – and LevelUp was formed.

Over the next two years, LevelUp grew from a founding team of four to 18. We also won numerous awards while bootstrapping to equity-free grants and competitions. In addition, LevelUp was featured in Business Times. The article “Student-led start-up merges study and play” highlighted the growing demand of personalised education and the need for innovation in EduTech. As with any startup, pivots are inevitable. LevelUp was no different. In mid 2021, the team started prioritising psychometry over technology. Resultantly, my role diminished in importance. Although I could comfortably continue in this capacity, I knew that if I want to create something great, I have to work on something I am passionate about even though it may be uncomfortable. Hence, I left LevelUp in early 2022 to continue my entrepreneurial journey at Entrepreneur First as a founder in residence.

MY UNIQUE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS

Elon Musk and Steve Jobs made “entrepreneurs” cool but that is only what people see on the surface. In reality, startups are about grinding towards an uncertain goal based on the founder’s conviction. That said, I am deeply drawn by the idea that I can make a difference and build a company that makes the world a better place.

My startup journey thus far was not without ups and downs, but at the back of my mind I know that if I were to achieve anything, I’ll have to put in the work and try my hardest. For me, success is about making the world a better place by being a value multiplier.

SUCCESS IS IN THE NOW AND THE FUTURE

Although I have embarked on my journey to build success, I have yet to scratch the surface of my entrepreneurial or life goals. Come back to me in 20 years, I hope by then my aspiration to build Singapore’s next unicorn would have come true – and I can share good news.