5 Individuals Who are Primed for Passion

SAM DARMALI, FOUNDER, ASKPROPSG

Can you tell us about yourself and what you’re passionate about, which led to what you’re doing now?
In a nutshell, I’m a law graduate who pivoted to the world of tech in Singapore, specifically in data science and AI. Driven by a passion for coding discovered in my final year of law school, I chose to diverge from a traditional legal career. After law school, I joined a start-up as a data engineer, immersing myself in cloud and distributed computing for three years.

But my passion for learning didn’t stop at work. I spent my free time honing my skills in web application development.

Three years later, I faced another crossroad: The stability of myrole was comforting, but the itch to create something meaningful was too strong to ignore.

I took another leap of faith and left my stable job as a data engineer to venture into this new frontier. As I’ve navigated the evolving landscape of AI, one thing has become clear: AI is not a threat, but a tool that can amplify human capabilities.

It’s not about AI replacing us; it’s about those who leverage AI outpacing those who don’t. This belief drives my current venture, as I aim to harness the power of AI to solve real-world problems. 

While ChatGPT was a remarkablebreakthrough, it wasn’t equipped to provide nuanced answers to specific real estate queries in the Singaporean market (and still suffers from some shortfalls — ChatGPT has a knowledge cut-off to 2021). By infusing GPT with external data, it gained the power to provide specific, reliable answers about real estate in Singapore.

As I continue to develop this company, I become ever more cognizant of the fact that I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. The developments in AI and LLM technology have laid the groundwork and served as the springboard that allowed me to bring AskPropSG to life.

What has been the biggest challenge in your pursuit of success and what steps did you take to overcome it?
One of the primary reasons I decided to venture into creating a tech company was to address real-world problems and to create tools that can provide tangible solutions. The inception of AskPropSG, a tool designed to provide reliable real estate answers and insights for the Singaporean property market, stemmed from such a problem. My mother, herself an agent, was the one who brought it to my attention — the lack of a fast, reliable source of information for real estate inquiries. She found that getting specific and accurate information about the property market took a disproportionate
amount of time and effort — it was far from convenient or efficient. 

Building a truly great product is a monumental challenge, one that I continue to navigate and learn from. Before AskPropSG, I had developed a tool aimed at helping writers efficiently plan their outlines. Despite my enthusiasm for the project, it quickly became apparent after user testing that the product lacked market fit. This was a humbling experience, but it also taught me the importance of agility and the ability to pivot.

Taking this lesson to heart, I approached AskPropSG with a focus on speed and real-world validation. I built a minimum viable product (MVP) as quickly as possible, aiming to get it into the hands of users for immediate feedback. This approach paid off. AskPropSG gained traction and positive user engagement right from its initial launch, unlike my previous venture. 

When was the last time you identified an opportunity and took action to seize it?
Building a product isn’t just about speed; it’s about meeting the real needs of users. I still spend considerable time
talking to real estate agents to understand their specific pain points. This user-centric approach doesn’t just validate
the idea but tells you whether you are on the right path or not.

This journey has taught me several invaluable lessons to act on:

Speed: In the tech world, the ability to build, test, and iterate quickly is invaluable. It allows for real-world validation and data-driven decisions.

Pivoting: Not every project will succeed, and recognizing when to pivot is crucial. It’s better to fail fast and move on to something with greater potential.

User Feedback: The best way to know if your product will succeed is to get it in front of real users. Their feedback
can shape the product into something that genuinely solves problems.

Resilience: The entrepreneurial journey is a rollercoaster. The ability to bounce back from setbacks and apply those
lessons to new opportunities is what separates the successful from the rest.

As I continue to develop AskPropSG and potentially other products in the future, these lessons serve as my guiding principles. The journey of building a truly great product is fraught with challenges, but it’s a journey I’m committed to,
and one from which I continue to learn every day. 

What words of advice do you have for individuals who want to pursue their true passion, but find it difficult to get started?
Given my journey so far, I still feel hesitant to provide any advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. I’m still very much in the trenches myself, navigating the challenging and daunting terrain of building a company. 

Truth be told, leaving your comfort zone and embarking on this path can indeed be one of the most ill-advised things to do, given the low rates of success. Despite the Cinderella stories you read about in the papers or hear about on TV, the odds of succeeding are stacked against you. This is especially true in a place like Singapore, where forging a stable career path is highly valued. 

However, what is life without a mountain to climb? What is success without the taste of struggle? The journey ofbuilding something meaningful, despite the challenges, can be the most rewarding experience. In closing, I’ll say this — if you have a burning desire to create, a persistent itch to make a difference, then the entrepreneurial journey could be your mountain.

SIMONE NG, EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SIMONE JEWELS

Can you tell us about yourself and what you’re passionate about, which led to what you’re doing now?
My passion for jewellery started at a very young age. Influenced by my mother who draws only in 3D, I found myself challenged and wanting to be like her. When my grandparents brought back colored gemstones from their travels, my mother would design them into beautiful pieces for herself. As I grew older, I found it was easier to create my own jewellery as I couldn’t buy what I wanted from anywhere. I love unique pieces that nobody else had and I wanted my piece of jewellery to be convertible so I can wear them differently (for example earrings that transform into rings). As a result, friends and family also loved what I created.

Seeing the joy in the eyes of those I’ve designed for, words cannot express how much accomplishment I felt. With the encouragement from my husband, I started Simone Jewels. Each one-in-the-world piece is inspired by a collection I would put together. The inspiration for the collection has and will always be inspired by history, as I love historical stories.

In your chosen field, what does success mean to you?
Most measure success through financial gains. While that is true, success to me means a lot more than just money. For me, I’ve achieved success on many different levels.

Personal growth: Character building, resilience, knowledge expansion, exposure to new things, and learning from others with diverse backgrounds. 

Helping others grow: Building the individuals within my team, collaboration with partners and expanding together, supporting good suppliers with loyalty.

Bringing joy to others: Helping customers create pieces that make them look beautiful (jewellery should never wear them); creating meaningful pieces that become significant heirlooms or to celebrate a milestone; recycling pieces to recreate and create better use of unworn pieces.

Knowledge sharing: Educating others on precious gems that Mother Nature has created.

What has been the biggest challenge in your pursuit of success and what steps did you take to overcome it?
Every challenge is different and an entrepreneur’s journey is always full of ups and downs. The passion for my work has kept me alive. I also recognize that you can never do it alone. Building an amazing team with the right culture fit is an amazing asset.

One recent challenge faced was during the pandemic. Over 95% of our business was conducted in person and with the restrictions in place, it disrupted our sales. It was also the time when we first ventured overseas.

We bounced back through adopting unconventional efforts to engage clients. Some of these initiatives included virtual appointments, white glove door-to-door delivery service, online digital marketing, and virtual masterclasses.

We also pushed through a major week-long exhibition in March 2021 to commemorate the brand’s 15th year. The exhibition, named “STORIED GEMS”, was the largest display of our work spanning 15 years. It was a huge success despite having to adhere to many COVID-19 rules and restrictions. Many significant and important guests attended and it was our first event with 101% attendance rate. As for our overseas initiatives, we found ways to travel and braved through the pandemic. Landing with an important pop-up in Harrods London was one such payoff.

When was the last time you identified an opportunity and took action to seize it?
During the pandemic where many were afraid to travel and many businesses shut down, there were also many opportunities available. It was a scary moment and we had to make some risky decisions. But when opportunities from Paris, the US, and London became available, it didn’t stop me. I learned that opportunities do not present itself twice. 

What words of advice do you have for individuals who want to pursue their true passion, but find it difficult to get started?
Passion will take you a long way. It keeps the fire alive and makes you resilient to challenges throughout the journey and bounce back stronger. Life is a constant balance and there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

BENJAMIN GOH, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, CAVIAR COLONY

Can you tell us about yourself and what you’re passionate about, which led to what you’re doing now?
I am the co-founder and CEO of Caviar Colony, a Singapore caviar brand. I lead the team, as well as drive the growth and development of the brand. I have been an entrepreneur since 1996. I started a smart home technology solutions business and in 2012, I launched OTK Kart Asia — a joint venture with OTK Kart Group in Italy,
the world’s largest manufacturer of professional Go Kart automobiles, which is still around today.

I believe in investing in businesses that make sense to me. In 2016, through a business contact, I visited a caviar farm in Yunnan and discovered that almost 60% of the world’s caviar is now farmed in China.

I decided to invest. Our 800-hectare farm, one of the largest in China, has been in operation for the past 20 years. It is spread over four provinces — namely Beijing where our R&D center is located, Chong Qing, Heilongjiang in northern China, and Kunming in Yunnan. In 2017, while on a family holiday with my co-founder Celine Tan, we decided that our farm needed to go beyond supplying caviar as an OEM business. We wanted to create our own caviar brand. It was two years in the making and in 2019, we launched Caviar Colony. The brand is now in over 20 established restaurants in Singapore, as well as in Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Taiwan, and Luxembourg.

In your chosen field, what does success mean to you?
At Caviar Colony, we’ve always believed that caviar should be an accessible luxury to all. Since we launched, it’s heartening to see greater awareness of our products over the years, as well as more people appreciating caviar enough to have this little luxury regularly in their lives.

What has been the biggest challenge in your pursuit of success and what steps did you take to overcome it?
One of the most important things about being an entrepreneur is that you must always focus on your end goal — which inevitably changes due to factors often beyond our control. It is crucial that you keep striving towards that mission no matter what setbacks you might have. 

One of the biggest challenges as a business owner is getting potential investors to believe in you and what you are trying to achieve. By investors, I mean both your customers who will buy your products, and backers who will put their money into your business. It’s always a balancing act.

When we launched Caviar Colony, we went in with our eyes open. As with any new brand, we had to make sure that beyond a solid business plan, Caviar Colony was clearly positioned and marketed. Caviar Colony was founded on the belief that quality caviar should be accessible to a wide range of discerning customers. Everyone should be able to enjoy caviar for its unique taste and nutritional benefits. We promise excellence in quality and genuinely-priced products, and want to appeal to a new generation of caviar lovers worldwide by making this coveted delicacy accessible to a broader range of customers.

Here we are, a Singapore caviar brand — when most people associate caviar with Russia. There is also a misconception that products from China are inferior in quality. But the truth is that China is one of the world’s largest caviar producers — total caviar exports in China between 2012 and 2017 rose to about 136 metric tonnes, according to trade data from CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Today, Caviar Colony is an established Singapore caviar brand recognized for its exceptional caviar at accessible prices.

When was the last time you identified an opportunity and took action to seize it
There’s a constant learning curve in engaging with our target audience, as consumer behavior and patterns are continuously evolving.

In August, we launched Singapore’s — and Asia’s — first caviar ice cream with artisanal dessert concept, Sunday Folks. The Caviar Colony x Sunday Folks caviar ice cream was a collaboration that was three years in the making. We took six months alone for R&D to create a freshly churned caviar ice cream featuring our Russian Hybrid caviar, a Caviar Colony exclusive that comes from the proprietary natural mating of a female Osetra sturgeon with a male Siberian sturgeon. The caviar used in this ice cream is also from a batch that we specially aged just for Sunday Folks, as we needed to ensure that the eggs would remain intact without compromising on their unique flavor profile.

What words of advice do you have for individuals who want to pursue their true passion, but find it difficult to get started?
I have found it beneficial to always keep an open mind to opportunities, especially those that are unexpected. Work smart and stay focused on your goals, but pivot when necessary. And always do your due diligence — work with people you can trust and respect.

JASON LEE, FOUNDER AND CEO, SCENT BY SIX

Can you tell us about yourself and what you’re passionate about, which led to what you’re doing now?
At my core, I’m just a man deeply grateful for the love of a wonderful wife and the laughter of our four children. I find solace in golf and often lose myself in books. But the true turning point for me wasn’t necessarily just driven by passion — it was also a profound moment of purpose. Crafting a fragrance for a woman with dementia, and seeing her recall her late husband’s name, was a powerful revelation. It’s not about chasing passions like the David Beckhams of the world. It’s about finding that heartdeep purpose, which for me, is in touching lives, lifting up those on the fringes, and making our world just a little bit better, one day at a time.

In your chosen field, what does success mean to you?
To me, success is deeply personal. It’s in the moments when someone shares how our fragrance uplifted their spirit, reminding me of the simple joys I cherish with my children. It’s when our fragrances don’t just smell good, but do good, echoing the lessons I hope to pass onto my kids about helping the less fortunate. Truly, success is when our work at Scent by SIX transcends aroma, becoming a heartfelt gesture of care, just as genuine as a family embrace.

What has been the biggest challenge in your pursuit of success and what steps did you take to overcome it?
The challenge that keeps me awake at night isn’t a one-time hurdle; it’s the ongoing journey of leadership – be it leading a team, being a husband, a father, or most crucially, leading myself. The world keeps shifting, yet the quest to stay grounded, open, and humble is perpetual. I tackle this by keeping an open dialogue with mentors, engaging in deep, heart-to-heart reflections, and constantly adapting. Earning trust starts with giving it, whether that’s with my team or my family. Each day is a new lesson in leadership, humility, and self-growth, and that, to me, is the most authentic challenge I face.

When was the last time you identified an opportunity and took action to seize it? What did this experience teach you?
I remember a time on the golf course when I faced a challenging bunker shot. Instead of going with the usual sand wedge, my rugby mindset kicked in. I thought, “What if I could just ‘scrum’ this ball out of the sand?” So, I took a more aggressive stance, really dug in, and powered through like I would in a scrum. Lo and behold, the ball not only got out but landed near the pin!

The experience taught me that sometimes, transferring skills from one arena to another can yield surprising results. And, you know, it also reminded me not to take myself too seriously, even when the game’s on the line. Life’s too short not to have a little fun with it.

What words of advice do you have for individuals who want to pursue their true passion, but find it difficult to get started?
Picture this: You have a cherished golf club you’ve always wanted to swing, but it’s been gathering dust in your bag. That’s your passion. Now, consider using that club not just to hit balls, but to spend quality time with a loved one, mentor a newbie, or perhaps even participate in charity tournaments. That’s your purpose.

My advice? Don’t just swing to see how far the ball goes. Swing with a deeper intent. Start by taking that club out on a quiet morning round. While your passion gets you to the tee, it’s your purpose that keeps you coming back to the course, hole after hole, sunrise after sunrise. In golf, as in life, it’s not just about the swing, but where and why you’re aiming.

KHOH WAN CHIN, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, IN GREAT COMPANY GROUP

Can you tell us about yourself, as well as what you’re passionate about, which led to what you’re doing now?
I’m the co-founder and CEO of In Great Company Group, which manages local dessert brands Sunday Folks and Creamier Handcrafted Ice Cream and Coffee.

Before going into F&B, I worked in corporate banking and was a partner at a design studio called Trine Design Associates.

I am passionate about living a life with purpose. Entrepreneurship is a challenging career choice, but what motivates me is the freedom to charter my own path on my own terms. As I move towards the big 50, I look back and realize that my passion and needs change at different stages in my life.

In my early thirties, I’ve just started my family and my happy place was one that made my kids and family happy — inevitably this was a guiding star as to why I co-founded an ice creamery — Creamier. Our brand tagline is “Moments of happiness” inspired by the quote, “We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten,” by Italian novelist and poet, Cesare Pavese.

In your chosen field, what does success mean to you?
To me, the definition of success is simple. It is when we are able to build brands that are wellloved and stand the test of time. For an F&B brand like ours to be around for over a decade in a fickle market like Singapore says a lot.

What has been the biggest challenge in your pursuit of success and what steps did you take to overcome it?
In the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, the lack of experience in the F&B industry proved to be the biggest challenge. It was a double edged sword because it afforded a freedom to build the brand and company without shackles, but at the same time, the learning curve was extremely steep.

When was the last time you identified an opportunity and took action to seize it? What did this experience teach you?
Rome was not built in one day. That said, we look for opportunities to become better and stronger every single day. It’s important to be well-prepared to be able to seize opportunities as and when they present themselves. To be well-prepared requires a tremendous amount of patience and fortitude.

What words of advice do you have for individuals who want to pursue their true passion, but find it difficult to get started?
What matters now may not matter ten years from now. What is most important is making a decision and taking a step towards the decision — no matter how small the step may seem right now. Do not live life with regrets.