Managing to Excel

Workpuls is a time tracking and employee productivity monitoring software that help businesses manage their employees more efficiently. It is also the brainchild of Ivan Petrović. We interviewed him to find out more about his entrepreneurship journey.

Tell us more about yourself before starting Workpuls.

You can say that I have always been interested in technology in one way or another. I started coding at the age of 12, and shortly after that I started playing around with technology and discovering its potential. This also included hacking the public billboards in the city, but that’s another story. I went on to study software engineering, but from the early days I imagined myself as a creator of something big and genius. So, I guess entrepreneurship was something I always wanted to do. And here I am today.

Tell us more about your startup and why did you start this company?

Before starting my own company, I worked for other companies. As a software engineer, I noticed that many time managers had no idea what was going on in the company, how busy (or slacking) their employees actually were and so on. At the same time, the developers and teams always thought that all other teams were less busy than their own, so they delegated things from team to team without knowing anything about the workload of other teams. This lead to guesswork and conflict, and I thought that it would be a lot easier for both the managers and employees if we had some way to objectively measure how busy and productive everyone was. This is how WorkPuls was created, as a time tracking solution which will provide automatic reports about Time and Attendance, the amount of productive, unproductive and neutral time spent at work, and productivity insights about employees and teams.

That was several years ago, and of course, new use cases have emerged in the meantime. Many companies around the world manage remote teams and remote employees, so the reports that WorkPuls automatically generates for the managers serve as an objective basis for decision making, but also as a proof of work from the employee’s side.

Any significant setbacks your company has faced? How was it resolved.

Competition in this area is very big, and it is always a challenge to find the fastest way to reach your prospects. So, there are always many failures that you make trying to discover this, but it is a learning process that startups factor in their projections.

An example would be a great focus on outbound sales as most of the deals came in through inbound traffic online. It is important to stop and evaluate and see where you should focus.

How do you stay motivated daily?

I do not have a lot of trouble staying motivated. I chose to do this because this is what I want to do and I love it. But my team often says I should rest a bit more.

How do you motivate your employees?

Constant communication is the key. It is essential that the team stays motivated because in the beginning you make mistakes all the time and there is a lot of pressure. It is important that everyone understands that success is not instant, and that the mistakes and failures are the part of finding out what works best for the business. Everyone needs to be focused on daily tasks, but with the big picture in perspective, so that everyone is on the same page and everyone knows where we want to be in the next month, five months, and so on.

What is your company’s culture like? Why is this culture important?

We maintain a casual atmosphere. It is a very result oriented culture, but the focus is on the results, and not on very strict procedures. After all, you have to allow people to be creative and find different approaches to tasks they work on and the goals that they have to achieve. I think culture affects the way people see their work, and it is partially the culture that determines whether they are looking forward to the next workday, or they cannot wait to leave. So, you have to let people do their work, but maintain constant communication and ensure that feedback flows between employees.

Does the culture aid in retaining and attracting employees?

It is essential. Not only for us, but for all businesses. It is true that companies in different business fields might need to have a culture tailored to that line of work (i.e procedures might be more or less strict, focus on security might be bigger in some areas, working hours might differ), but I would say that culture has to be considered by management of any business that wants to reach success. Many of the companies we work with especially raise this point when they are considering buying our software – they always think about how its use will reflect on the morale of the employees.

What have Workpuls achieved / managed to accomplished so far?

I think the key think is that we are getting more and more feedback from our customers, which allows us to constantly improve our product and promote it in a smarter way. We are a growing company, and one of the foundations of this growth is the feedback we get from our customers.

We are proud to say that our product has been improved many times over and over based on this feedback, and that today, WorkPuls as a business software solution is a complete but a constantly improving solution that is favored by many successfully businesses around the world.

What are some future plans for Workpuls?

WorkPuls wants to become a human behavior data company, and help humanity avoid some mistakes that are common, but not always obvious.

If you could turn back time, what would you have done differently?

As first-time entrepreneur, it is hard to say what I would do differently, it’s almost everything. I believe that first timers always need to go thru this process alone and learn their own weak spots.

A single piece of advice for the aspiring entrepreneurs?

As I said you need to go through this process on your own and if you are the chosen one you will find your way out of this chaotic state. Just be ready to go all-in!

More about Workpuls:

Website: www.workpuls.com

Twitter: @WorkPuls

Facebook: @WorkPuls

Featured Image Credit: WorkPuls

 

The Story Behind A Noodle Story

When we think of hawkers, a young face don’t usually appear and the food that we can buy from Hawker centres are usually more traditional. Recently, there are a younger group of hawkers appearing in our hawker centres, some to take over their parents, while some are like Gwern, whipping up amazing new dishes. We go behind the scenes to know more about the story behind the hawker that was awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Please tell us about yourself before you started A Noodle Story

My name is Gwern Khoo, 36. My dream is to be the best chef as I can be. Hence, I started my culinary journey working and learning from the best. I started cooking ten years ago. I had been working in various top fine-dining establishments. Last was 2 Michelin stars, Waku Ghin at MBS.

I started A Noodle Story four years ago. I’ve always love to create new dishes even when I was a chef. I’m very happy when people come up to me and say they like my food. What I really want is to start my own business and let customers enjoy my creations. The hawker Centre is a cheaper way for me to test out my ideas and concepts. 

How did you pick up your culinary skills? Why have you chosen making noodles instead of other cuisines?

I attended Shatec to learn the basics. During that time, I also read cookbooks widely and regularly do my own R&D. As such, my knowledge was much better than most of my course mates due to the extra effort I put in.

From there, I worked in various top restaurants to learn from the best. My passion is such that I even worked on my off days in other restaurants for free to increase my knowledge and skills. I love to eat noodles. It’s important to cook what you like to eat, then you can improve.

How did you chance upon this idea? What gap did you wish to make up for?

There had been an uptrend in Japanese cuisine, especially ramen in the past few years. I knew I couldn’t fight head-on with those famous chains from Japan. So, to leverage on this trend, I started my S-style ramen. Somewhat same but still differentiated from the usual ramen and hawker fare.

I chose the Central Business District (CBD) because of the demographics. Now, more youngsters are well-travelled and willing to try new things. And they are willing to pay for quality and unique concepts. The Hawker Centre is a low-cost platform for me to test out my ideas and concepts. With the high-casualty rate of cafes and restaurants in Singapore, you won’t want to throw away good money.

We are the “First & only Singapore-style ramen.” What this means is you can’t get this noodles anywhere; only at A Noodle Story. We are also probably the first to use modern cooking technique used in high-end restaurants in a hawker setting. Having such differentiated advantages allow us to play and amplify our uniqueness in the media and social media leading to more awareness, and of course, sales.

The store to look out for.

What motivates you on a day to day basis?

It’s important to have a vision. Once you have a vision of how your business is going to be down the road, everything you do is aligned in achieving that vision. Anything else is just noise.

How do you serve high quality food while keeping the price affordable?

It’s difficult. I probably can because I’m in a hawker centre. If this was a restaurant, it would be hard.

What are some ups and downs you have experience?  

The Ups

Happy, satisfied customers giving the thumbs-up.

The Challenges

It had to be our most valuable resource – time. We spend on average 13-14 hours daily here. There were huge sacrifices of family and friends time. It’s definitely physical tired and mentally draining. In addition to the long hours, the heat is also unbearable. To cook at a high level consistently for 3 hours non-stop for lunch and 2 hours for dinner, we need to be in tip-top condition. Hence, we’re mentally drained at the end of the day.

I must admit that maintaining consistency in our food is a huge challenge every day. Our ingredients are all natural produce and so varies in consistencies all the time. Consistency comes from being precise; so, we make it a culture do everything with precision in our kitchen. That said, we always taste, taste, and taste. Be it soup, sauce, meat or wontons.

Similar Profiles: The Stressed Stop Founder’s Story & The Stressed Stop Chef’s Story

What is the best advice that a mentoring entrepreneur gave you?

“Do not allow yourself to be limited by beliefs.”

What is your typical working schedule look like?

Very long hours.

We come in at 7.30am and start preparing immediately. It will be a mad rush. We will start with our broth over a rolling boil as it takes time to release the flavor and for the gelatinous stuffs to turn creamy. We use a lot of meat in our broth and so it’s very tasty

Next, I will marinate the wontons with our market-bought fresh minced pork. I insist on using only fresh Indonesian pork because that’s the best. My trusted supplier will grind for me my secret ratio of lean meat to fats because that’s the juiciest. While I’m marinating the wontons, Ben will slice the 36 hours cha-su. This will be cooked beforehand and chilled so that it is easier to slice.

It will be almost 9am when I start to cook the eggs. Over the years, I’ve managed to refined my technique so that our eggs are always consistent. In fact, A Noodle Story is renowned for our ‘Hot-Spring Egg’. At the same time, Ben will wrap the wontons.

After that, Ben will start peeling the eggs. Peeling the eggs is a delicate process and requires skill and patience as the eggs are very liquid in the center. At this point I’ll be slicing the scallions. The spring onions will be slice very thin, like paper, so that we can mound them high for aesthetics.

By the time we are finished, it almost lunch service which starts at 11.15am. We will have our first meal of the day around 3-5pm. Following with more prep and dinner service will start at 5.30pm. By the time we finish and pack-up, it’s almost 9pm.

This is Singapore-Style Ramen.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently?

I would charge a higher price. We undercharged in the beginning as not too sure how customers will take to our product. We’d revised our price 3 times since inception. It would not be so painful if we’d the right pricing for our product in the beginning.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I have plans to launch the “Singapore-style ramen Version 2.0” soon. Besides that, I Have some interesting concepts up my sleeves and hope to expand by then.

What do you do to maintain your work-life balance?

I do not have work-life balance as yet. We are still in the growing stage.

That said, when it’s family time, I devote myself fully. No mobile, no thinking of work, distractions and such.

What is the greatest pride you take with regards to your stall?

The high standards and consistency which I set and had been able to achieve. This probably is the secret sauce to our success.

What are some key aspects do you look for when selling new dish?

Food is meant to be eaten. So firstly, it must be delicious. Secondly, food that looks pretty is a bonus.

How did attaining the title of Michelin Bib Gourmand affect your business?

It is good to be recognized. There are more tourists coming now as the guide is internationally recognized. Customers’ expectations are now higher when they come and we have a greater pressure not to let them down.

Other than that, nothing changes much. We sell-out everyday even before Michelin came into town. Quality, standards, numbers of bowls remained the same. Maybe the crowd starts coming earlier than usual.

Amazing looks and amazing taste!

Are there any other things you would like to share to our readers?

Be persistent, willing to accept feedback and continuously improve. This works across all industries.

Similar Profiles: The Stressed Stop Founder’s Story & The Stressed Stop Chef’s Story

More About A Noodle Story

Facebook: @ANoodleStory

Website: A Noodle Story

Address: 7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111 #01-39 Amoy Street Food Centre

Featured Image Credit: A Noodle Story

 

Finding Opportunities

You do not have to be an industry veteran to spot an opportunity. Nor do you need to have years of experience to start a business. Sometimes all it take is to be passionate about building a company for a cause that you believe in or solving a problem that you believe exist.

We interviewed the Co-Founder of Vintage Inn, Shanthan, to find out more about how he spotted an opportunity and started building a company around it.

Please tell me about your personal background from before you found Vintage Inn?

Completed my National Service and worked part time in a back packers hostel while doing my Accounting and Finance Degree.

How did you chance upon this idea? What gap did you wish to make up for?

While working in the back packers hostel, we saw a lot of improvements that could have been done to give guest an enhanced experience in a backpackers hostel. One of the gaps we wanted to fill was having privacy yet staying in a backpackers hostel.

What does your hostel offer?

Staying in capsule has became part of rising trend in hospitality.

Our capsules were designed and built with the privacy of our guests in mind. Thus, each capsule is equipped with ample room space, high quality beds and a privacy curtain that when drawn, makes you feel like you are having your own private space.

Living in Capsules. Image Credit: Vintage Inn

What are some ups and downs you have experienced with Vintage Inn? 

The Hostel Business is very seasonal. There are times where occupancy will be low and you need to have reserves to cover you at low periods. The learning curve was very steep for us as we spent a lot of money to bring in sales at the on start. The upside is of course the experience that you gain operating such a business, ensuring that standards are well maintained, guest are happy, customers are returning and gaining a brand recognition.

What are some key aspects do you look for when hiring an employee?

We look at these three aspects – Outgoing, High social interaction, Fun. These three aspects provide a wonderful interaction and service with our guests.

What is the greatest pride you take with regards to your business?

Creating a wonderful and unique experience for our guest at Vintage Inn. We hope that visiting guest would choose Vintage Inn as their stay again if they are visiting Singapore again.

Rest and Relax. Image Credit: Vintage Inn

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Expanding the business regionally. We have set our eyes on Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia.

What motivates you on a day to day basis.

The feeling to succeed.

I hope that the hostel can provide an enjoyable accommodation for people from all around the world.

What do you do to maintain your work-life balance?

Although business is a 24/7 work life, there are parts of the business you leave in the hands of trusted individuals like our employees to run the daily operations. This gives us the time focus on what we do best, looking and working on new opportunities.

What is the best advice that a mentor gave you?

Starting a business is easy, but turning it sustainable and profitable is the challenge.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently?

Probably the features of the Capsule.  As mentioned above, due to the increasing trend of capsules in the world, our competitiors have added more facilities and features in their hospitality. We could have put in more features inside to give guest an even better experience. Features like a small Ipad or television.

Are there any other things you would like to share to our readers?

Always be prepared for any outcome that you will face during your business  journey.

More About Vintage Inn: 

Address: 60 Race Course Road S(518567)

Website: www.vintageinn.sg

 

 

 

 

 

4 Workplace Culture That Startups Have

We spend most of our adult lives working. The working hours and management style have been pretty much the same and we have all grown accustomed to it. There is really nothing wrong with the fixed hours or even the working environment, but would it be better if you were given more control over your working hours or perhaps even where you work?

In recent years, startups have changed the way their employees work. Gone were the days of working 8 hours at your desk, some startups allow their employees to work from home or even giving them full control over how many hours they are working every day. Here are some workplace culture that founders and early members of startups told us they have.

No Hierarchy

Eunogo: “In Korea, most companies are very hierarchical and it is very different for us, we do not call people by their titles in our company, we address each other with our English names which is very uncommon in Korea.”

YogaTrial: “we are very close and connected to the CEO and we can communicate and discuss the ideas based on his vision and the ideas can be developed and implemented very quickly.”

Most startups have a very lean structure and work very closely with each other. The flat hierarchy makes communication easier among the members of the startups. With the improvement of communication, decision making became much faster and ideas or solution to a problem gets implemented very quickly, as such, saving money and time.

Encourage Opinions

Cygen: “I will always tell them, it does not matter if you are the web developer or a human resource personnel, if you are able to suggest something that is good and you can present your reasoning well then we will implement it.”

Staydilly: “At Staydilly, we foster an open culture with a flat hierarchy. We value and encourage input from every member of the team, regardless of seniority.”

Gibbon: “We believe that our company should be very lean and open.  The industry that we are looking at is very new, anybody that is coming in can provide a better idea than ourselves.”

To make your employees feel like they are part of the team, you will need to encourage them to voice out their opinions. There is no harm in hearing them out, they might just have the solution to the problem you are working on. However, when it comes to deciding which suggestions would be most beneficial to the startup, the pros and cons still have to be weigh carefully by the founders.

Autonomy With Discipline

Swememo: “There isn’t a lot of control exerted over our employees, they have huge amount of freedom, they can decide on their working hours and even go on long breaks, just as long as the work is done.”

Sitting at a desk from 8AM to 5PM might not be the most productive setting for some. If an employee is able to produce quality work on time, does it matter if he or she does not work during office hours? Well, some companies believe in focusing on the end product instead of the production process.

Closely Knit

Swememo: “We are also very close with our employees.”

YogaTrail: “All the opinions matter in our company, we can have meetings and everybody have a chance to voice out their opinions. This makes us feel like we are really a family.”

As most startups have a very lean structure, it is easier to know and interact with everybody. Also, with a flat hierarchy, it is easier to have a casual conversation with superiors and even founders of the startup. These will result in a very well bonded team of people within a startup.

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These are just some of the cultures that startups have. Every startup or companies will have different management style and hence will have a different culture within the company. There are no right or wrong culture, but it is important to keep the culture alive and consistent within the organization.

4 Recruitment Challenges Startups Faced

Recruiting top talents can be really difficult for multinational corporations. But what if you are a startup? Then, it might be even tougher.

Startups face lots of challenges when it comes to recruiting the right person to develop the company alongside the founders. With the right mix of people, you can definitely bring your startup to new heights. So, what are the challenges surrounding recruiting talents for a startup? We interviewed founders and early members of startups from E27 Echelon to find out more.

Finding the Right Fit:

YogaTrial: “They can be very talented but they can have different mindset, the speed of accomplishing the work also matters. It is not easy to find someone that fits into every aspect of the company.”

For most startups, culture is of utmost importance. Hence, it is crucial that a new hire can fit into the company’s culture seamlessly. But it is difficult to distinguish a candidate that would fit perfectly into organization from the start, so many startups have to go through the guessing phase and weed out the misfits later on. This process could be time and resource consuming for the company.

Hiring the Experienced:

Staydilly: “However, as we seek the more experienced hires, we have found it more difficult as the more experience the candidate is. I am of the opinion that this is the main challenge for start-ups, is to hire experienced senior team members who can call upon their wealth of experience to lead a more junior team.”

With someone on board who has been there and done that can make a huge difference. They have the connections and also the experience that fresh graduates do not have. But these senior and experienced personnel most probably have a very stable and well-paying job, the challenge here is, can you convince them to join you?

Lack of Financial Resources:

Swememo: “Yes we have difficulty hiring talent, I think many other also have the same problem as well. When it comes to hiring top talents, you also have to pay top bucks for them. The problem here is that startups like ours have very limited resources.

The amount of financial resources for a startup equals to the runway that your startup have. The further you can stretch your dollar, the more chances your startup gets to succeed. But without top bucks you cannot poach or recruit top talents, especially when you are competing with larger and more established corporation for the same person.

Retaining Talents:

Swememo: “Another problem that we faced is that after investing the time and effort to train a new employee, they leave us after a few months. People don’t think that there is a future in startup.”

After getting the talent, how do you make sure that your startup is not just another stepping stone for them? Wasting the finite amount of resources a startup have on training and salary all for nothing can be a huge problem. This situation should be minimized at all cost and the founders of the startup should consider using non-monetary incentives to retain the talents.

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Many founders of startups have not been in the shoes of an employer and have no idea how to attract talent or how to retain them. But all of a sudden, they are thrown into such a situation where they have no choice but to be competent. As such, the more important skill that a founder should possess is adaptability.

3 Reasons Why You Should Work For Startups

Would you rather work for a startup or an established company?

Most of us would choose the latter, but, should we?

Here are some very good reasons why you should work for startups. These reasons are not just from us, we have interviewed founders and early members of the startup teams at E27 Echelon in Singapore. And these are their responses.

Challenge yourself

Gibbon: “Our team at GIBBON believes that joining a startup goes beyond rising above challenges. In fact, we emphasise specifically on people who are able to adapt and stay resilient despite the lack of clear cut structures and a pretty tenacious and shaky future. GIBBON looks for character among all other things.”

Eunogo: “We are looking for someone that can grow everything together with us, so these specific types of people are not really looking to go for the big-name companies. We are looking for people that are very interested in the product and also believe in the company’s potential.”

Not everybody is suitable to be working for a startup, you have to be very disciplined and also have a huge passion for the company and its industry. It is going to be a very challenging journey ahead due to the uncertainties and also due to the fact that these startups are in relatively new industries. And so, if you are the type that hates stability and wants an exciting working experience, you will be suitable for a startup.

More to learn

Swememo: “The students back in Vietnam wants to work for the big-name companies and get internships there right after they graduate from school. We don’t think that it is a good choice, yes, these big-name companies do look good on their resume or portfolio, but you will just be doing very simple tasks so you do not gain so much experience. But in startup, due to its smaller scale operations, you will get to do everything.”

Cygen: “People think that going into multinational companies will help them, but they are wrong, being in a startup, you can learn processes from end to end. I was from a multinational company before I started my own company, the experience I had in a multinational company was nowhere near what I had learnt from a startup.”

Eunogo: “In startups, one person can be in charge of many different functions such as sales, management and many others. So, if you are to join a startup, you should be willing to take on such responsibilities and view it as a growth opportunity. ”

When working for multinational companies, you will be given very specific duties and very rarely will you get the opportunity to do something else. But startups present an opportunity to do anything and everything within the company itself. These opportunities allow one to develop more skill sets and have a greater understanding of the company.

Be different

Cygen: “If you have a chance to go to a startup, please go. Having a startup experience now could be more valuable for a multinational company. You can grow yourself to be more of an all-rounder after the startup experience.”

When most of your peers are working in a multinational company, take the opportunity and try out for a startup, take a look at what you can learn and how it can help you develop your existing skill sets. One thing that is guaranteed is that, your experience will be vastly different from that of your peers. And who knows, this might be the reason you will stand out in a crowded and competitive environment.

So, why not take a look at what some of the startups are offering and see if it resonates with you. Maybe this could be an eye opening experience that you will never forget.

Working With Passions

37Tech is a independent technology news publishing portal where the founder, Billy Zheng, avidly writes about the latest trends in technology. Billy also regularly contributes to Techoutsg.com. We interviewed Billy to find out more about why he started and the journey he had been through.

Image credit: 37Tech

Please tell me about your personal background from before you conceived the idea of 37Tech.

Pretty much a normal childhood – went to primary school, secondary school, poly, army, work and uni. I worked in retail part time, before i found a full-time position at a Public Relations Agency, doing PR work for tech clients like Adobe and Lenovo.

I just finished my degree in Web Communication at Murdoch University, and I’m currently working on 37Tech and Techout Singapore while looking for a full time Job.

How did you chance upon this idea? What gap did you wish to make up for?

Well, the idea for thirty-seven ties into my interest in technology and that goes way back into my childhood. I got into technology when I was young. My parents ran a clothing company called Thirty-Seven Degrees (thus the name, 37Tech), and had PCs and Macs around for design work. I visited the office often and learnt to use a computer by accident there – I was inspired by how their designers could create amazing artwork through software and spent lots of time trying that out. We also had a computer at home, and that’s how I learnt about the internet and video games. I remember playing my first game, Warcraft II, when I was five years old!

My love for tech grew as innovations like smartphones hit the market. I was amazed at how these portable little devices could do more than my old computers. When social media came about, I often shared my thoughts on tech trends – and smartphones online. Some of my family and friends who read my posts encouraged me to start my own website, and thus 37Tech was born.

With regards to the gap – well, I think that tech is an amazing productivity multiplier and a force for good, but it can get complicated fast, with so many concepts, standards and marketing buzzwords to understand. I hope to offer readers an honest and easy to understand, yet in-depth perspective.

What motivates you on a day to day basis?

Family, friends, role models. Companies who believe that there’s more to life than the dollar – and work for the advancement of mankind, rather than short term goals. And on the flipside – companies that screw over the everyday consumer and have huge ethical problems.

Either way, both good and bad interactions and experiences drive me to write and communicate – to advocate for the good others do, or to alert others to danger.

Since the start of 37Tech, can you share some ups and downs you have experienced to our readers?

Ups – getting the first scoop on tech in Singapore. It’s such a privilege to attend events, launches and conferences and be one of the first few to know and break the news.

Downs – opportunities and interviews which start our promising but don’t work out in the end. It’s really disappointing to work hard at crafting a story and realising that it doesn’t fly well with your viewers.

More of a personal downer – but getting a really hyped-up product to review and finding out that it doesn’t do what was advertised.

What is the best advice that a mentoring entrepreneur/ anyone gave you? Is there any advice you would give to our readers?

Words from my sister and dad:

Whatever you want to do, just get started right here and now, even though you feel you’re not ready.

It’s natural to make calculated decisions and to avoid risks in your journey, but if you keep getting too caught up in doing something perfectly in the best way possible without any losses, you’ll never, ever get started on what you want to do.

Just go all in with love and do your best. If it fails? Just try again.

Another piece of advice from my old boss: We actually have two jobs. Our first and primary job is to be the best version of ourselves we can be – to be happy, to pursue our passions, be with family and friends, and do good in this world. What we do now at the workplace is our secondary job – a place for us to earn the resources and learn the knowledge to do our first job well.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently? (personally, or on behalf of your site)

I would have started Thirty Seven much earlier! Personally, spent more time with my family, especially my dad. Kept in touch with my friends from school and army more. Most of all, just taken life a lot easier and put a lot less pressure on myself.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Definitely still writing about tech! Perhaps flying to the USA to cover Apple’s latest gadgets. Or maybe even working for Apple.

What do you do to maintain your work-life balance?

I keep reminding myself about the advice that my former boss gave me (first job, second job). Exercise now and then, make a point to discover new things and meet new people.

What is the greatest pride you take with regards to your website?

I’m proud of our simplicity and honesty. We aren’t the flashiest news portal our there, but we write the truth and try our best to get straight to the point. We don’t do clickbait, fluff stories or fake news. We’re about transparency – if we get paid to do a review, we’ll tell you upfront here and now.

Conclusion – Are there any other things you would like to share to our readers?

37Tech was a labor of love and it’s been a long journey learning how to run a site and to write well. I’m still learning every day, and I’m excited to see what will happen over the next few years.

The last and most important thing I’d like to share is about learning and technology.

For the uninitiated, tech and gadgets can be hard to understand and it’s tempting to just use them in the simplest way possible, to just buy the gadget or smartphone everyone’s talking about, or to dismiss the issues that we face with technology as problems others need to solve.

Well, ignorance is bliss. and many entities out there take full advantage of our ignorance to entice us to spend more, buy more, subscribe more, just get a new one to save the hassle, and so on. It’s easy to give into laziness and convenience.

My advice – don’t stop learning and just keep going!

Learn how your tools and tech work. Understand how they work, why they work and what you can do to get the most out of them. Nothing about technology is too hard to understand. Whether its earphones, smartphones, computers, cars, planes, or buildings – each of these things work in a certain way, based on a set of fundamental principles you can figure out.

Never think that you’re too stupid to learn something. If you just keep reading and finding out more about your gadgets, you’ll learn how they work, why they work – and eventually you’ll figure out how to fix them or even make better versions of them for others to use.

The same applies for everything that we do – never stop learning, discovering and exploring.

More about 37Tech:

Website: thirtyseventech.com

Facebook: @thirtyseventech

 

From Employee to Employer

OneClubNet is a solution for the private clubs and their members to stay engaged with each other at any point of time. This easily available connection creates value for all parties.

To find out more, we spoke to their director, Gabrielle. She let us in on her journey and also the prospects of OneClubNet.

Tell us more about your story

First off, I would like to say that not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur, otherwise there wouldn’t be anyone working for the entrepreneurs. I think as Singaporeans we have to travel more, because it is when you travel that you meet different people and realised that there are different ways of living. Most Singaporeans tend to think that the right way to succeed in life is to go to school get a Diploma or Degree and get a good job, but nobody said that, there are actually many other ways to succeed.

I believe that we are all different, my first job was in the armed forces, I took on an overseas scholarship in order to further my studies. I had to do this as I was the eldest in a middle-income family and I had a brother which was 2 years younger than me and if my family could afford the university expenses the money should go to my brother first. For me, my first career in the armed forces was very interesting, I held my Officer Commanding appointment in 23SA, this was the highlight in my armed forces career as I got to lead over a hundred men and test out new weapon systems. My take away here was, if you don’t know something, just ask. The best way to learn is to put yourself in situation that are difficult, if you don’t push yourself out of your comfort zone, you will never learn. Always try to push yourself further out from your comfort zone, most of us are too comfortable and not willing to take the first step to do anything because we are too comfortable.

So, at a point in time I thought of starting my own business because I wanted to do something different. At the end of the day in the armed forces, you are training people to kill with the minimum amount of ammunition and this is not what I wanted to do, I don’t want to teach people how to destroy or kill. I left the force is 2009 and started my own social enterprise without any knowledge about starting a business. I had a background in psychology so I went on to find partners and dealt with sensitive issues in the armed forces. We went to help the commanders and whenever they had issues they would call me. Overall I think the experience in the armed forces is very much related to running a business when we look at the culture, recruitment process and even succession planning. However, this venture did not work out so I went back to the public sector and eventually left after a year, it made me realised that I am not suited to work in the government sector.

I worked in a non-profit sector, government sector and private sector before I finally discovered the tech start-up sector which I felt was the best. In a tech start-up, you get to learn everything from scratch which includes sales, talking to random people on the street, providing services for people, interacting with investors which I would have never gotten a chance to do so if I was not in a tech start-up. So, if you really want to start a business, join a tech start-up and learn everything. While all these was happening, I also started an affiliate marketing platform and I am still running it now as I believe that there has to be a way to earn money from the internet. I think it is always good to have multiple income streams so that if one of it doesn’t provide enough income or no income at all you still have others to rely upon. This is essential to me as I am the sole bread winner of my family.

How did you join One Club Net?

I was in Hawaii when OneClubNet called me via LinkedIn. LinkedIn is very important as many people are hired via this platform. So, my current COO called me and requested for a chat via Skype. I believe that we should always be opened to new opportunities, so I had a Skype meeting with him and the next thing I knew was that this company has quite a lot of opportunities.

What sort of gap does your company seek to fulfil?

We are addressing a gap in the industry, right now most of the private clubs are only kept for the wealthy and let’s face it, the shopping mall around the neighbourhood are more interesting for youths nowadays as you don’t play golf. Knowing this problem, the clubs still wanted to engage the millennials and also continue to engage with their current club members actively. We also help to bring in events to the clubs so let’s say I want to do a Chanel show, I can just target the females and if I want to do a whiskey events then I can focus on targeting the males. This is a multiple-wins situation where the members can know the events better and bring their friends along, the clubs can have more events held at their location which can be handled by us and the brands also can have access to an exclusive database which they did not have a chance to get before.

What is your company culture like?

We are based in Texas, Bangalore and Singapore, we also have a partner in Indonesia. We depend a lot on remote work to interact with my colleagues from overseas. We don’t necessary have face to face meetings and I need to get used to working with them via Whatsapp, you have to be very discipline when you get this kind of autonomy. In tech start-ups, we get a lot of autonomy and not everyone is suited to work in this kind of environment. We have a very young working group ranging from 24 years old all the way up to 50 years old. We need young people for creativity and energy and the older ones for their experience and their network.

What do you look for when you hire?

Actually, I am hiring right now, I need someone that is good. A very important factor to me is the attitude. Attitude ranks first followed by high EQ and ability to communicate well, written and verbal. This candidate doesn’t need to be a degree holder, a few people in our team are not degree holders and ultimately a degree does not guarantee success. In fact, many successful people are not college degree holders.

What motivates you daily?

This is something very personal, and for me, I believe that my faith is very important. I believe that I am in this job because god has placed me here and ultimately my god is like my CEO and I have to be accountable to him. Having this faith motivates me and every day I will read my bible and say my prayers, so what I feel is that this is my motivation. I don’t think that we can rely on material motivations as it is not going to last.

What do you do to maintain your work life balance?

I don’t really have a work life balance because my mission right now is to quickly grow the company. In the beginning when you are growing a company, you have to make sacrifices. For example, last Sunday I flew to Hong Kong and stayed there for 3 days for a conference, immediately after that I flew back into Singapore for Tech in Asia and I have to send my updates by Saturday. I fell sick halfway thru but I had to manage my time well in order to meet deadlines and also to take good care of my health.

Where do you see your company in the future?

At the end of this year, we should have successfully penetrated the South-East Asia market, a thousand clubs and about a hundred brands should be in our portfolio.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently?

I don’t think I have any regrets in my decisions concerning business. But for personal life wise, I think should have put in more effort to date. It has never been a concern for me but thinking back now, I do feel regretful but if I could do it differently, I would have spent more time going on dates. I meet a lot of people while working but there was always a clear line drawn between business and personal.

Any advice for our readers?

The world is your oyster. 

Go and explore as many sectors as you can and you don’t have to be afraid because of your age and youth, you will have plenty of opportunities and you have nothing to lose. The only thing you will get to lose is living a life that is average because average is boring. I would recommend that you read this book, “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek it is an excellent book. You will have to find your purpose in life and then everything will align for you.

More about OneClubNet:

Facebook: @oneclubnet1

Website: www.oneclubnet.com

Featured Image Credit: @oneclubnet1

A Hardworking Dreamer

We have seen The Stressed Stop from the eyes of the chef here, now we will take a look at Alvin’s journey as the founder of The Stressed Stop.

How it all began?

When I was younger, I used to have huge dreams of doing big things and living a life that is not bound to a single country. But my bubble popped when some of my friends which I proclaimed my dreams to told me: “It is ok to dream, but don’t go too far.”. I got used to this kind of comments from others and I am perfectly fine with disbelievers but even my closest friend came up to me and told me straight in the face: “Can you stop dreaming? There is a reason why others are successful and you aren’t.”. This was a turning point in my life, it was then that I decided to really ignore everyone’s comments and kept on working hard and belief in my own dreams.

Fast forward to today, here we are now, and I have taken the first step towards my dreams. I just want to say that no matter what, don’t let anybody talk down to your dreams.

What sort of gap do you wish to fill with The Stressed Stop?

To answer this question, I guess I have to first tell you more about myself. I am a food lover and I love to eat. For me, I feel that no matter what type of cuisine it is, from Italian to Asian, at the end of the meal, there is always one thing that doesn’t change, Desserts! I realized that most of the products that are sold in The Stressed Stop are pretty pricey in other cafés and restaurants, that is the reason why not many people have tried it. What we can do is to lower the price to a more affordable “neighborhood rate” and let more people have the chance to try it. This is how we share and spread the love.

What inspired you to do this?

To be really honest with you, there is no sudden eureka moment nor any epic story behind my startup. I just did not like to work with unappreciative superiors or bosses and I have always wanted to have my own business. I am not someone who like to take the usual path of following others and be contented with the rest of my life, I want to create something, something that will live beyond myself and be remembered even when I am ultimately forgotten.

How was the hustle like in the early days of your company?

I feel that we are still pretty much in the early stages of the company. Like all food and beverages business, there is no shortcut to reach success, we will just have to keep on working hard in this sowing phase of our business which is usually around 6 month to a year. There is no excuse or any way out of this and it is especially so for us as our crowd is relatively small and relationship with our customers really play a major role in converting them into regular customers. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for supporting and believing in us, it was these little bouts of belief and support that has sustained us till today.

Apart from building relationships, we were often questioned why we chose to setup business at Hougang Green. But to those people my answer is always: “Why not?”.

Any advice for our readers?

The advice that I have may be simple and often repeated thru seasoned and greenhorn entrepreneurs, but that is just because it is true.

It takes time to succeed.

Try and try and continue to believe in yourself. If a way does not work, there are many other ways to go about doing it. As long as you are living and breathing, it is too early to talk about giving up. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes commitment and dedication to build a city, let alone an empire.

About The Stressed Stop:

A look at the shop

Address: 21 Hougang Street 51 #01-32, Hougang Green Shopping Mall, S (539719)

Facebook: The Stressed Stop

Instagram: @thestressedstopsg

Featured Image credits: The Stressed Stop

WOOFR – The Startup Rock Star

We had an interview session with WOOFR’s CEO, Alfy to find out more about his startup.

Please tell me about your personal background from before you joined WOOFR?

Didn’t go to university and started working since young. Eventually, I went on to become a DJ/Music producer and I have created EDM tracks for Sander van Doorn’s labels and other regional artistes.

What sort of applications and revelations does your platform bring about?

WOOFR is your lifestyle passport. Within a few taps on your smartphones, we bring you instant bookings and exclusive deals to your favourite clubs, bars and music events.

What inspired this business idea?

I’ve travelled regularly as a DJ, and I’ve seen so many pain-points in the nightlife space. It’s such a hassle for tourists to discover the best nightlife spots, and language barrier makes it even harder to book a table or purchase tickets to the venue.

Nightlife venues themselves are still running on traditional methods of reservations (pen and paper), and they are unable to retain data analytics of their consumers such as the name, age, nationality and spending history.

We saw an opportunity, and jumped on it. My other co-founder was fresh out of army, and one was posted here in Singapore with a good, stable job and was just getting married. All of us took a leap of faith and went into creating WOOFR full-time.

Can you share more about your platform’s back story?

We started as a reservations app to clubs and bars, and we have added newer features since then. We have recently rolled out the XCESS Pass, where you are able to jump from bar to bar every day and get free drinks right away!

What motivates you on a day to day basis.

People & Purpose.

Nothing beats seeing how your product helps deliver joy to people. Purpose makes you wake up every day in the morning and tell yourself nothing’s gonna ever stop you, and no obstacle is too tough to manoeuvre. Get shit done, basically.

Since starting the company, can you share some ups and downs you have experienced with our readers?

There’s been some crazy moments. Investors pulling out of the deal, back-end system of the app crashing at an event, angry clients and having no cash in the bank – we’ve been through it all. But that’s the reality  of start-up life, anything that you expect to not go wrong, WILL go wrong. Shit always hit the fan, but when it does, make sure you face it with style, learn from it and emerge as a stronger, tougher person.

What is the best advice that a mentor gave you?

“The shit you go through today is essential, so that you’ll have a good speech to share with the world on the day your company IPO”.

If you could go back in time, what would you like to do differently?

Nothing at all. I embrace my failures because that taught me most about humility and empathy.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Touring as a DJ/entrepreneur, running an umbrella of game changing companies and discussing about investing in your start-up.

What do you think of the future of the nightlife in Singapore?

Truth is, nightlife in Singapore isn’t at a great stage right now. However, we’ve set our sights on strategic emerging markets, and we will launch in Indonesia and Thailand pretty soon.

What do you do to maintain your work-life balance?

I still make music on the weekends if I do have the time, train Muay Thai rigorously and invest in self-development.

What is the greatest pride you take with regards to your business?

Working with a great team of 17 young, amazing and crazy entrepreneurs from all walks of life and nationalities. Half of the team are ladies, and our average age is 25. We’re creating the next generation of tech rock stars.

Are there any other things you would like to share to our readers?

Don’t give a shit about anything anybody says. Be fearless, be you.

A close knitted family. Photo Credit: WOOFR

Having fun as a team. Photo credit: WOOFR

Team WOOFR. Photo Credit: WOOFR

More about Woofr:

Facebook: @thewoofr

Instagram: @woofr_app

Website: thewoofr.com

Featured Image Credit: thewoofr

Download the app: IOS Android

Promo Code

Enter the promo code to receive a free 1 week XCESS Pass.

WOOFRVENTURED (Valid till 13 Sept 17)