【Origin Stories - Fariz Isnaini, AyoBlajar AW#21】
I had a manager once back when I was working for P&G. He was a smart and diligent guy, very successful. I asked him one time whether or not I could be as successful as him and take over the branch office one day. Because I came from an engineering background, he said “no, you are going down a different path, to become a plant director--that should be good enough.” I felt dejected, and wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong.
I ended pursuing a PhD in strategic management from VU Amsterdam, in search of accumulating more knowledge in business. This period of my life was extremely tough. Racial discrimination was rampant and money was hard to come by. I took classes in the day, waited tables at night, and even sold bicycles on the side. This one time I went with my wife to a cafe and bought 2 donuts instead of 1. Despite overstretching our shoestring budget, I just felt like it would be a nice gesture after all our struggles; she cried in response.
During this time I was also active in leading the Indonesian Student Association in the Netherlands, and got a unique opportunity to meet an ex finance minister from Indonesia. He mentioned something that I would never forget: in order to have impact, you need to become a decision maker.
I came back to Indonesia in 2018 and briefly dabbled in politics before setting my sights on the world of startups. After a few failed cold starts spanning tourism to wellness, I decided to target a sector that was critical in putting me on my path in the first place--education.
There’s been so many ups and downs. I’ve almost lost track of our near-death experiences. I don’t think I’m the smartest guy in the room, but I’ve always found a way to climb out of tough situations. I’d have to thank my mom for that. She’s always said “the only limitation you have is in your mind.”
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AyoBlajar (AW#21) is an online learning platform targeting Indonesian students in grades 7-12, offering 1:1 mentoring, live classes, pre-recorded materials, and national exam preparation. For other startups targeting AI/Blockchain/SEA/NFT, applications for AW#23 are now live: https://bit.ly/3oiwy9o
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