Not just the 9-5 jobs. Why not a start-up? (and work Very hard?)

Are you passionate about something and is willing to work very hard for it? With some success, we may get new investors into the business, providing us the financial support and expertise. I joined a very small start-up which became a dominant player around 15 years ago. The stock options given were also very attractive too. Well, that was long time ago. Would I want to join another potential start-up or SME? Haha. Let’s see in the near future. As of now, let me enjoy my 9 to 5 job first. Anyway, expect to work hard, very hard actually if you want to join a potential start-up. No other ways because if a start-up hires too many people, they will lose money. The burn-rate is just too fast. If you are like me, comfortably working at a 9-5 job today and thinking about the potential for start-ups, there’s another piece of motivational news for you.  Another start-up is about to reach a valuation of US$1 billion.
According to an article in dealstreetasia, full article here. , the co-founder of PropertyGuru explained that while valuation will make investors happy, that’s not the right focus for the company. Propertyguru was established in 2010. Steve shared that PropertyGuru’s valuation is nearing the US$1 billion mark. The company is also on the road towards profitability. While it is leading, its competitors are also gaining attention from the fundings they are receiving. 99.co raised $7.9 million (S$11 million) in its latest round of financing, led by existing investors Sequoia Capital and Eduardo Saverin. The Edge Property, a property portal launched two years ago by Malaysian serial entrepreneur Tong Kooi Ong, has also recently secured a $4 million investment from a number of individual investors. My favourite sentence by Steve? Here: “How do we make it as seamless and easy as possible? Look at how long Amazon and Alibaba have been around – 20+ years? Some people think they’ve only been around the last 2-3 years. It is a long game, it is a marathon, not a sprint. “Please do read the article in dealstreetasia in full here. 
Ready to start a ‘marathon’? Well, look around for some of these small start-ups that we can join to make a huge difference. Ask for stock options, not high salaries. High salaries meant they could not afford you or you will bankrupt them very fast. The money is when they get noticed by a huge investor or when they get listed. As usual, an investment is always on a longer term. Here, the investment is your time, effort and creativity. Else, start something by ourselves? In fact how about owning an ‘online address?’ Think about some needs which are unserved or underserved currently. GRAB started just a few years ago and is now a household name in South East Asia. With mobile and internet penetrations, opportunities continue to open up. South East Asia alone is home to a potential 600 million customers. Malaysia can definitely be a good starting point. Happy thinking about the potential but more importantly, take actions.
written on 30 June 2017
next suggested article: Managing risks, starting strong. (Think Big, start small)