Stampede Design
The single best real-life industry-smart lesson I’ve had during my university years was served by Mr Amzairi Amar, lecturer of then Small Business & Entrepreneurship class. He thought me the fundamentals of having a sound business plan before venturing into a business but most importantly, how to stand on your own when you need to.
Like most of us, I was really looking forward to a career-life post-graduation. The three-piece-suit, feeling all-important doing work and making difference, climbing up the corporate ladder. The reality hit me 4 months after. I realized that there are such thing as “office politics” and prejudiced colleagues driven by job insecurity. I found that it always rain early in the morning when you have to leave for work and that the big money is not that really big after all.
It was about then that Dov and I decided to take the plunge and Stampede happened. Sure things go crazy, people come and go, milestones get at you, frantic phone calls at 2am – but it’s all part of us growing up to be better at what we do and I’d be insane to say I don’t love every minute of it.
Looking back at my life then, I’m grateful to be here now doing what I love and working with people that matters. Starting up a small business is scary and frustrating at times but I find that small steps keep you grounded and your values intact. You’re left humbled and wiser with every mistake you make along the way. Most of the times, getting past the initial resistance is the biggest challenge of all. I’m just glad we have the knowledge and early guidance of how to start right.
Perhaps one day what we do at Stampede will be an inspiration to others, but for now I’d like to applaud the wisdom of Mr Amzairi Amar, an inspiring teacher and true to UTP tradition – a well-rounded individual all in all.
