SCALE UP - Conversation with William Fan, CEO & Head of School @ NewCampus

07/25/23 • 6 min

My guest this week is Will Fan, the CEO and Head of School at NewCampus. NewCampus is an education platform that caters specifically to Asia-based growth companies, providing tailored solutions to help founders and leaders scale their people and organizational practices. Will's entrepreneurial journey can be traced back to his upbringing in a working-class Asian immigrant family in Australia. Throughout his life, he keenly felt the absence of role models and the lack of resources to find one. This experience ultimately propelled him towards his current venture in the education sector. Prior to this, he has also worked in the banking and consulting sectors, with renowned companies such as Nomura and Accenture. During our interview, Will shared invaluable advice for startup founders on navigating the challenges of the current funding winter. Drawing from his extensive experience serving over 500 startups for a decade, he discussed key lessons about people and organizational dynamics. Additionally, he opened up about his personal journey, highlighting the difficult circumstances he witnessed while growing up, which served as a powerful motivation for his current endeavors. "The essence of building a successful business lies in creating something credible and valuable for your customers. It's not about playing funding games or presenting superficial figures to achieve short-term gains." Subscribe to never miss an episode of SCALE UP.

Previous Episode

SCALE UP - Coversation with Chia Jeng Yang, Principal @ Pantera Capital

This week I sat down with Chia Jeng Yang, Principal @ Pantera Capital, the first institutional investment firm focused exclusively on bitcoin, other digital currencies, and companies in the blockchain tech ecosystem, with $5b AUM. Chia came from a diverse background in Legal, entrepreneurship, early stage venture investment (such as Antler and Saison Capital) and now crypto, across US and APAC. Some of the companies he has successfully invested in include Reebelo, Ula, Tazapay. He was also part of the Rocket Internet SE venture team on the Daraz project (sold to Alibaba Group in 2018). In this interview, Chia talked about his thoughts and experiences on the scaling up journey, from an investor perspective; his view on the market/labor correction and advice for the startup ecosystem; and lastly his unconventional trajectory from a Firefighter to Lawyer to Harvard Business School drop-out to Forbes 30 under 30 venture investor.

“During the market downturn, a good founder possesses the charisma to bring people together once again, reigniting their dreams and beliefs. It's crucial to revisit the company's vision and mission and remind everyone why they joined in the first place.”

Subscribe to never miss an episode of SCALE UP.

Next Episode

Bonus Episode with Eric Hudson - Layoff Job Search Tips

Little BONUS 🎁episode from the last interview with the #recruiting guru, Eric Hudson! Hopefully it can help those in the job search journey in this tough market. 1️⃣ GET creative and GET referrals! In an overwhelmed market like this, you need to get creative in your job search strategy. Getting referrals, buying your target connections coffee ☕ or drink, do whatever it takes to get a foot in the door. Whether this may lead to potential hiring manager or not, at least it’s better than just cold application. Which in time like this will usually get buried in the flood of resumes. 2️⃣ SELL your impact and SELL your contributions! If you have been getting interviews and consistently not able to make it through. It’s also worthwhile to take a look at your interview skills and the cases and examples you have prepared. Are they reflecting the impact of your work? Or do you need to craft a better story? "The best marketing is just telling the truth." - Steve Jobs 3️⃣ NEVER reveal your salary to a recruiter and NEVER accept your first offer. Just because you are laid off doesn’t mean you need to be desperate. "A magician never reveals his secret." So don’t let the dreadful market stops you from any negotiation practice. Subscribe to never miss an episode of SCALE UP!