In this episode of Hustleshare, we chat with Stephanie Sy, founder and CEO of Thinking Machines, to unpack her journey from Stanford and Silicon Valley to building one of the Philippines’ leading AI and data science companies. Stephanie shares how her early startup attempts and time at Google shaped her hustle, why she made the leap back home to start from scratch, and what it took to grow Thinking Machines in a market that was still new to data science. She also gets real about the challenges of building an AI team in a resource-constrained environment, the scrappy moves that helped them thrive, and how purpose-driven projects are helping shape the future of tech in Southeast Asia.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreIn this episode of Hustleshare, we sit down with Bimbo Adewoyin, founder and CTO of Doublesquare Networks Inc., to talk about how he went from installing DIY wireless setups in college to leading a nationwide tech company. Bimbo shares how growing up in Nigeria shaped his work ethic, how he adjusted to life in Bicol, and how he hustled his way into city-wide projects—all while figuring things out on his own. He also talks about building a team, learning the ropes of government procurement, and how PLDT Enterprise helped them grow through the toughest moments of the pandemic.
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