From Failure to Building Breakthroughs

Here’s the story of Justin (Co-Founder) and the inspiration behind the founding of avantej:

At 3 years old, I hadn’t started talking. My mom was worried—she’d ask herself, “What’s wrong with this kid?” It wasn’t a question I could answer, but the label of “slow learner” followed me. I didn’t think much of it back then, but it set the stage for what would come next.

Things didn’t get any better in primary school. My siblings were top students, excelling in academics and making my parents proud. Meanwhile, my report cards were a disaster. I wasn’t great in the classroom, but I am good in sports. Even so, my teachers didn’t see much promise in me. One of them told me, “Why play so much? Sports won’t earn you money.” That stuck with me, and for years, I genuinely believed that if I managed to get a job one day, I’d consider myself lucky.

By the time I started secondary school, I was placed in the last class and consistently ranked at the very bottom. My grades were so poor that after just one year, my mom decided to pull me out of school, suspecting I might be dyslexic. “Do whatever you want at home,” she said, “but don’t give up badminton.” At the time, I was an accomplished teen athlete, excelling in the sport. But even that came crashing down when I turned 16. I received a letter from the state academy, dismissing me from the program. The letter labeled me as lazy, undisciplined, and unmotivated.

At 21, I faced a crossroad. I had no direction, no prospects, and no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Like many others, university seemed like the next logical step. But I hadn’t even completed high school. I decided to take my high school exams. Catching up on years of missed education. I studied day and night, determine to change the trajectory of my life.

The result?…1 G, 2 Ds (in other words, failed horribly), and the remaining subject that passed got me into one of the lousiest universities in the country.

Two years into university, I realized it wasn’t for me. I dropped out and decided to take an entrepreneurial journey, went on to open 4 businesses which eventually crashed.

My pitch as a potential co-founder:

All these repeated failures have taught me three invaluable lessons, which also serves as key reasons for why you should consider avantej as your co-founder if you have a game-changing idea:

1. High Failure Tolerance

Failing so many times has taught me to develop a high tolerance for failure, which in turn has made me very comfortable taking risks. We embrace this mindset in avantej as well, ready to take calculated risks alongside you. If you have a game-changing idea and is a trustworthy person, we’re prepared to invest financially, mentally and emotionally to support you. While the journey won’t be easy, you won’t have to face the tough times alone. We’ll stand with you through the initial grind, ensuring you have the support and resilience needed to move forward.

2. The Power of Collaboration

Over time, I've learned that I'm not that smart. The smartest thing I can do is to remain stupid & find smart partners who can contribute to a bigger picture. That’s how MOVE Private Fitness (Our 1st & going venture) grows into a $3 million USD business with 200% year-on-year revenue growth. It’s proof that having a great idea isn’t enough—gathering a strong founding team with diverse skillsets is critical. The core capabilities we’ve built over time—marketing, expansion, networking, management, HR, tech support, strategic thinking, and legal—are the same strengths we offer at avantej. Whether through mentorship, finding other exceptional partners or a hands-on approach, these resources empower startups to tackle unique challenges and scale effectively.

3. A game of leverage

Recently, I asked my wife what she thought my greatest skill was. Her response? “You’ve a weird combination of being damn lazy but also secretly hyper ambitious. Hence, you always find ways to take “shortcuts” so that you can get things done with 1/2 the time & 2x the effectiveness. That stuck with me because it’s probably true. Overtime, I’ve learned to leverage business structures, partners and system to create value. At avantej, we help founders navigate deep waters with clarity and direction & then leverage on resources efficiently and effectively to create value. If you feel overwhelmed or unsure where to start, let’s chart the roadmap to effective implementation together—saving you years of mistakes.

So there goes my pitch… 'Helping the underdogs develop an avantej'

If you have a bold idea and feel like the odds are stacked against you as an underdog, let’s collaborate and give you the avantej to turn your vision into reality.

Together, we can overcome new challenges, solve problems, and build the future that doesn’t yet exist.