Not Just About Profits

On the other hand, working at Garage Society allowed me to be exposed to the dynamic ecosystem, and encounter some great and creative minds. Truly, I was fortunate to experience such an opportunity. Working in an early stage company allowed me to gain hands-on experience that was both fascinating and fulfilling in that I could actually contribute to the company in a meaningful way. I had the chance to help our supervisor Tytus locate potential investors, analyse data for startups, report on one of our portfolio companies, and so much more. Furthermore, as an investor for startups, there were many opportunities for me attend pitch meetings, startups conferences, and fairs. Meeting so many creatives and seeing their business models was eye-opening, and I was learning new things every day in such an environment.

Working with Tytus was one of the main reasons why this programme was so fulfilling for me. As a very approachable mentor, Tytus was always willing to share his insights about the startup environment and answer any questions we raised. I also learned so much from him in terms of the way he led the meetings with investors and startups. “We target startups that can make a social impact, not just for making profits.” This is what Tytus said to me on my first day of work. His passion for startups and mission to make meaningful change is what made working with him so memorable.

I never knew there were so many startups trying to change our lives to a better way, and we can be a catalyst to their success. The learning curve was steep as I constantly came across unfamiliar tasks and concepts. But we always worked out a solution; sometimes with and sometimes without Tytus’s help. This, in a sense, was just like entrepreneurship. Being an entrepreneur means taking a path most people won’t, which undoubtedly places you in the face of obstacles, and without guidance most of the time. Great minds always find their own solutions, and are not afraid of failure when others would simply wait for help from others. In all, my time in Fresco gave me not only hands-on experience, but also the entrepreneurship mindset that is vital to success.