what inspired this post

(so grateful for the active uva alumni network in sg!! i love these people so much <3)

a few weeks ago, i was having a conversation at a bar that got me thinking:

• why are some people drawn to climbing the corporate ladder: finding stability, mentorship, and structure?

• why do others gravitate toward building something of their own: carving out their own path from scratch?

and maybe most importantly: what makes someone more well-suited for one over the other?

it reminded me a little of the nature vs. nurture debate. do we become entrepreneurs or corporate leaders because of how we’re wired… or because of what we’ve experienced and been socialised to believe is possible?

in today’s world, the landscape of work has never been more dynamic. the rise of the “creator economy” means there are endless ways to build a career and generate an income. you can build ‘scrappy,’ scale a business from your bedroom, lead with authenticity and storytelling (leveraging social media!), and redefine what “success” looks like on your own terms. however, sometimes it is exactly this freedom that can make it hard to know which path is best for you.

traits that thrive in entrepreneurship vs. corporate life

(so this was the list that dean and i came up with!)

when i think about the people i know who thrive in each path, i’ve picked up on a pattern (also corroborated by my conversation at the bar)!

entrepreneurs tend to have a high tolerance for uncertainty and a strong internal drive. they’re self-starters who create structure where there isn’t any, and they stay calm (or at least adaptable) when things get messy. they’re fueled by curiosity and tend to find creativity in constraint: making something out of very little.

corporate professionals, on the other hand, often thrive in environments with clear progression. they value mentorship, collaboration, and working within systems that help them grow steadily over time. they’re creative in a collective way: building with others, refining ideas, and improving processes rather than reinventing them.

neither path is inherently “better” - they just require different emotional dispositions, motivators, and definitions of safety. the truth is, both paths are interdependent and synergistic: entrepreneurs build the companies and corporate talent scales them. both are essential to the ecosystem!

my own leap

(just over 200 days of buiding bwh... what a blessing!)

just over 200 days ago, i left my consulting job to start my own skin-safe, low-tox activewear brand. it was both terrifying and thrilling: especially because, by nature, i’ve always been someone who plays it ‘safe.’

i didn’t grow up thinking i’d go down the entrepreneurial path. i thought i’d follow the “conventional” route: study hard, get good grades, find a stable career, climb the ladder, and make my family proud! even when that quiet itch for something more kept showing up, i’d brush it off: convinced i wasn’t “the type.”

but i stayed curious about what else could be out there for me… and i started reframing the critiques that crept in when i realised i wanted to leave kpmg:

• maybe i wasn’t running away from structure… maybe i was building one that worked better for me

• maybe i hadn’t started earlier… because i was still collecting the tools i’d need to do it well

• maybe i wasn’t delusional for wanting something different… maybe i was just willing to believe in a future that didn’t exist yet

what i learned from both worlds

(so grateful for everything i learnt through my time at kpmg... i loved the fast-paced, dynamic work environment!)

again, there’s so much i appreciated about corporate life. i loved the structure, the mentorship, the sense of teamwork and shared accountability. i learned how to communicate clearly, manage deadlines, and approach complex problems with logic and empathy.

however, something always felt like i was forcing a fit. i realised that while i thrived in people-facing roles and high-pressure environments, i also craved autonomy, ownership, and the freedom to experiment.

that’s what drew me to entrepreneurship. i’ve always been independent, organised, and curious. i like building systems, solving problems, and working through things from first principles. i can really work… as long as it’s toward something that feels personally meaningful. i’m wired to feel more fulfilled when i have creative and executive control, even if that comes with slightly (or a lot) more uncertainty!

redefining “risk”

(soooo... technically, everything is risky!)

entrepreneurship is undeniably risky: there’s no playbook, no guaranteed paycheck, no linear career ladder. there are so many moving parts and so much that’s outside your control.

yet in some ways, everything is risky: even what we might’ve been led to believe is the “safe” choice.

in corporate, you don’t own the intellectual property (ip) of what you create and also, your trajectory can shift overnight based on leadership changes or restructuring.

so maybe it’s less about avoiding risk and more about choosing the type of risk you’re most willing to tolerate.

being authentic yet pragmatic

(it's important to be practical - and then also actively working towards building a reality that can actually hold space for your aspirations!)

personally, i wanted to pour my entire being into something i believed in. this might be highly, highly romanticised - i’m only 200+ days into this founder journey (and it’s already presented plenty of challenges). however, i didn’t want to spend years wondering: what if. i wanted to shoot my shot - in a practical, pragmatic way!

when i finally went for it, it wasn’t blind faith: it was informed risk. i’d taken a gap year to work when i was still pre-med and another year and a half at kpmg, tracking my finances and saving intentionally. with my lease coming up for renewal, i also had the privilege of moving back home after leaving my job: this gave me breathing room to invest in the business and take time to figure things out without big bills looming over my head.

that safety net didn’t necessarily make the leap easy: but it made it possible. and that’s why i never would buy into the idea of “just quitting your job to start something.” it’s not about being fearless; it’s about being self-aware. the best decision you can make is the one that aligns with your true reality (while also actively working towards building a reality that can actually hold space for your aspirations)!

the takeaway

(purpose is at the core of who we are, as people, and i think it's really important to find something that is personally-gratifying and intellectually-stimulating!)

my parents - who see me day in and day out - sometimes remind me that not everyone would choose this lifestyle: the perpetual uncertainty, the endless to-do lists, the late nights. 

though, after experiencing both worlds - the ‘stability’ of corporate and the ‘chaos’ of entrepreneurship - i still believe i made the right choice for myself.

again, it doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone. it all comes down to self-awareness: knowing what energises you, what drains you, and what kind of structure you need to thrive!

some people find freedom in consistency. others find it in building something that doesn’t exist yet.

so maybe the better question isn’t: should i take the leap?
but rather: which kind of risk feels more aligned with who i am?

because there’s no one-size-fits-all path: just the one that makes you feel most alive!