The ingredients of my character recipe are very simple: transfer student, father away for work, captain of the soccer team, and gap year. I've experienced as many failures as I have successes.

As a transfer student, rapid environmental changes taught me adaptability and communication skills.

When my father was transferred away from the family for work, I nurtured autonomy and developed a work ethic.

As captain of the soccer team, I practiced leadership and problem-solving, but also came to understand the value of networking.

During my gap year, I faced significant failures for the first time. It was then that I learned the importance of companionship and physical and mental well-being.

While hindsight might glamorize the narrative, I believe all these life lessons were essential nutrients for my growth as a venture capitalist.

I chose a career around my wish for a professional environment free from office politics and strict hierarchies—and no ceiling on personal growth. I defined a “professional” as someone accountable for results, someone with autonomy.

Upon graduating from university, among several job offers, I chose an environment where I would be part of the first group of new graduates hired. It was just what I was looking for. There was no ceiling or precedent. As a brash and inexperienced newcomer, I caused a lot of trouble for those around me, but somehow managed to also garner support and encouragement.

Later, I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to join my current company. I still remember the culture shock of that first encounter with the entrepreneurial community. Suddenly, everything I’d said about being a professional and breaking away seemed so embarrassing. These people had such positivity, initiative, and a voracious appetite for growth.

I started my capitalist journey clueless, struggling to find my way. Yet I take pride in my journey. I consider this one of the noblest and most professional occupations. It demands a high sense of fiduciary responsibility, comprehensive martial arts-like discipline for confronting tough problems and finding healthy solutions.

I’ve been doing this now almost as long as it takes for a baby to reach adulthood, and I am still going strong. Those around me in the entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem fuel my sense of purpose and perseverance. Thanks to them, I feel a sense of mission in this job.