A Personal Bias

Perhaps I should have said this upfront.

My earlier blog, Evangelizing Entrepreneurship attracted close to 26 comments (including my responses) on my Facebook.

Very positive and passionate - mainly from a very good friend, Nazrin Hassan.

Nazrin is an old friend. We have known each other from our Technopreneur Association of Malaysia (TeAM) days - where he and I were council members until I left two years ago. Nazrin is currently the Vice President of TeAM. He also holds a full-time job as the CEO of a Malaysian GLC (Government Linked Company) called the Cradle Fund Sdn.Bhd.(http://www.cradle.com.my)

Nazrin possesses a sharp intellect. IN fact some of us in TeAM would turn to him when we want either a candid view or an out-of-the-ordinary perspective on a particular matter.

I have always come away with a new perspective to my own situation whenever I have a discussion with Nazrin.

Anyway, at the end of the long and interesting discussion I think we came to some form of a landing - that it is important for the youth to work or do something to earn an income as long as they are not depending on their parents and evangelizing can happen simultaneously.

This bring me to my very personal bias which I should have stated upfront. Like many, I believe in sustainability.

When I was merely 15, my dad threw me a challenge "can you earn money to buy your own school books?" he asked. It was devastating at that time to hear that from your own father. I did not know how to respond but being a rebel I took the challenge.

I have never taken any money from him ever since - I always earned my own money.

I paid through school right up to my MBA. I even paid my own wedding expenses !

I am currently pursuing a post-graduate diploma in entrepreneurship in Cambridge University and and I can say this with a straight face - IT FEELS DAMN GOOD!

Neither my company nor I have any loans, apart from the usual car loan. I have never applied for any government grants. I started my first business by selling a small flat my wife and I owned and by borrowing a small sum of money from an uncle.

All dues have been settled since.

I am not saying everyone should walk this path i.e get married with their own money or don't take grants - NO.

What I am saying is this : get cracking and get sustainable.

OR FAST FAIL - its alright. You will come back fast enough if you have what it takes for this journey called entrepreneurship.

Then again, no one needs to agree. This is my view and a very personal bias.

Cheers