My first try at being an entrepreneur was during my third university course. That’s when I realised I didn’t want to be a Civil Engineer.

In 2008 (I was 20), the crisis hit. Housing and building developments were put on hold.

In high school, it also felt like a tough choice. I thought I had to pick a career for life, and switching later seemed difficult.

Everything is possible these days. Now, we see astronauts becoming movie actors or vice versa.

It was a crucial moment for me, almost life-changing.

At that time, no one mentioned that you could easily switch careers. No one told me that sticking to one profession for life is not critical.

I remember when I was at university. While my peers attended lectures, we stood at the university entrance drinking tea and discussing business ideas with my good friend.

I used to think a business idea's uniqueness was the key to success. I was so naive! It’s funny how my mindset has changed. Now, I believe you need to create distribution/community first, then focus on the product, not the other way around.

This evolution is fascinating. While we brainstormed, I realised that entrepreneurship is really cool. You have many ways to grow, so you don’t have to stick to one profession. You don’t even need a higher education to start making and selling products to others.

It also lets you start fresh if you fail. You can test new ideas, so it's more about ideas than a specific profession. It seems like a way to alleviate the burden of choosing just one career.

Oh boy, I didn't even realize at the time how much uncertainty you have as an entrepreneur. With all these ups and downs, constant waves, pivoting, finding the business model, dealing with customers, dealing with customers who are not happy, ... (you name it).

I can’t picture that time, but being an entrepreneur boosted my confidence and gave me certainty back then.

I'm joking when I say, "I'm too old for startup sh*t." But then, I dive back in, full speed, to execute my new idea :)

Starting a new startup is easier after you've had both successes and failures. You've learned to set aside the constant hustle and even find time to enjoy your work.

I'd love to hear your stories on becoming an entrepreneur and what your driving forces were at that time.