Ep 354 - Jake Go - The Hustle Behind Springboard Philippines

EPISODE INTRODUCTION

In this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Jake Go, Founder and CEO of Springboard Philippines, to trace his path from coasting through a dead-end dev job to running one of the country’s most resilient niche staffing firms. He shares how lessons from his grandma’s tiny Recto canteen stuck with him, the career-shaping mentorship he got at Kalibrr, and the leap into entrepreneurship that saw him earn back his first investment in six months—completely bootstrapped. Jake talks about winning boardroom deals as a baby-faced 23-year-old, how teaming up with his wife brought a much-needed dose of frugality, and why balancing “push” and “pull” has kept Springboard profitable for over a decade. He also opens up about teaching at La Salle, mentoring students, and the leadership shifts that turned him from a people-pleasing founder into a decisive, purpose-driven leader.

Episode Timeline: 

[00:01:59] - Jake Go’s Hustle: Bootstrapping Springboard Philippines
[00:04:25] - The “find your purpose” turning point at 12
[00:09:57] - Drifting through school, landing a dead-end job
[00:13:40] - Quitting without a plan and finding Kalibrr
[00:18:34] - Cold calls, lobby drop-ins, and a 6-month ROI
[00:24:44] - Lessons from Kalibrr’s rise, near-death moments, and reinvention
[00:29:53] - Winning boardrooms as a baby-faced 23-year-old
[00:35:17] - Playing the long game with public sector deals
[00:39:05] - Co-founder exit and the new dynamic with his wife as CFO
[00:51:15] - Teaching at La Salle and keeping students engaged
[01:02:11] - Leadership evolution: from people-pleaser to decisive
[01:08:47] - Matching talent with the right culture fit
[01:12:16] - Why your “MBA” should be working in a startup first
[01:15:52] - How to connect with Springboard and Speed Regalo

QUOTES
“Now as you get older, you realize that it's definitely a marathon. It's not a sprint. You have to last longer for you to actually build an empire from that point.”– Jake Go

CONNECT WITH JAKE:

Email: jake@springboardph.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaakego
Website:  https://springboard.com.ph  & https://speedregalo.com

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