The other day, my colleague and I had a fun thought experiment as we talked about our careers : What would our careers look like if we weren’t both working at startups?
This was an interesting question because between the two of us, we've spent the last decade navigating the world of startups—high-growth, high-stress, high-reward. But as we’ve moved into our mid-to-late thirties (he's in his early forties with two young kids), we’ve found ourselves reflecting on where we are in life and whether startups still make sense for us now.
My colleague made the leap from corporate banking to the startup world about ten years ago. Since then, he's lived in China, moved to Singapore, and hasn’t looked back. His story actually mirrors mine in many ways though he did data science and I marketing. I started with lifestyle journalism, PR, then marketing. I completed an MBA, interned briefly at a large MNC, and then joined a crypto startup as a growth manager—an experience that shaped the rest of my career.
I’ve worked in four countries (Singapore, Thailand, France, UK), and I love immersing myself in new cultures and ways of thinking. That curiosity has always pulled me toward dynamic environments, and for the most part, startups have delivered. I love the start up experiences I've had that have helped me to hone my career path and figure out what I love, enjoy, tolerate and absolutely abhor.
I realise that what I'm looking for now is still similar to what I was looking for before but I'm able to articulate it better. I care about the things I care about and am able to express them as 'values' instead of just 'passions'.
My values help me to navigate my own messy and sometimes unpredictable career path, while at the same time bringing me a great sense of fulfilment and joy in what I do.
For me, I’ve learned (through trial and error) that I value:
Autonomy – I thrive when I have the freedom to make decisions and execute without heavy oversight.
Speed – I like moving fast. Bureaucracy frustrates me.
Growth & learning – I constantly seek new challenges and knowledge.
Strong culture – A close, supportive team environment is non-negotiable.
These values have shaped the kinds of roles I gravitate towards: startups and scale-ups in the B2C space where there's momentum, creativity, and a sense of purpose.
I realised that growth marketing, whether it's for MNCs or start ups, basically functions the same way.What differs is the culture, the size of the teams and how they work together to get things done. Execution levels may be different, as well as processes and the structure for getting things done, but the skill sets are invariably the same.
Whether it's paid ads or SEO or doing events, all these companies seem to want the same thing: a 'T-shaped' marketer who has a breadth and depth of experience doing all kinds of marketing activities. Your role is then to figure out what works for you and where you'd fit in a company based on the experiences you've had.
Looking to get your hands dirty? A start up seems more like the right place for you.
Looking to learn the ropes from someone more senior? A corporate/MNC with a mentor and structured guidance would definitely help kickstart your career.
Looking to improve on your existing skills and grow what you already know? Maybe a scale up might be a good place to learn and grow those skills you have.
Whether it's a start up, scale up or a corporate MNC, there will be different things to learn and each will require a different set of skills and experiences.
Where you've been isn't as important as where you want to go. What's most important is to figure out where you are in your career journey and where you want to go.
You may be in a situation where you're trying to figure out what your next step should be. And these questions are for a generalist marketer/can be applied to anyone; you don't have to be a growth marketer to answer these questions!
While there's no fast and easy answers, try thinking about the answers to these questions to help you figure it out. What matters is you're looking for insight about yourself, who you are and what you want to do/achieve.
What surprised you (in a good way) about your current role?
What parts of your work do you enjoy more than expected?
How much learning and growth are you getting—and is that something you value?
What are your top 3 values in a workplace?
Do the career paths around you excite or repel you?
If you could do anything, what would it be—and why?
No path is one-size-fits-all. Whether you’re building something from scratch at a startup, scaling a rocket ship, or operating inside a global machine, the key is knowing what energizes you—and finding a company that aligns with that.
Your career isn’t just about climbing a ladder. It’s about finding the environment where you can truly thrive and be your best authentic self. The real you, not the 'you' you think you should be or others tell you you should be. Self-empowerment is about equipping yourself with all the necessary tools and knowledge to be the best version of yourself. I believe that the true way to carving a successful career is to be uniquely and completely yourself.
You may not have to try alot of different companies like me but if you don't then I guess you'll never know and only have yourself to account for. Because trying and failing is far better than not trying and failing. I believe that failure is never 'failure' in the sense that we understand it to be.
Defining your own success is more important than being defined by your failures. Don't let your failures and foibles define you, but work towards a better outcome and future by coming back stronger and better than ever. Go forth and conquer! Be brave. Be unique. Be tenacious and you'll find the role that's meant for you.