When I left university in 2005, I jumped straight into what I thought would be my dream job which was working for an investment bank. That dream lasted 2 weeks when I realised working in the corporate world was not suited for me. But every cloud has a silver lining and it unwittingly became the start of my entrepreneurial journey though I didn't realise it till later.
I spent over a decade in the corporate world working for world-class leading banks where I worked in the business side but was also interacting with the technology teams. It was here that I came across the word ‘FinTech’ which really excited me.
‘FinTech’ is a term used to describe how traditional finance is disrupted by the use of technology in innovative ways. As I investigated how this technology could be used, I was invited to co-author my first book, ‘’The FinTech Book’’. I became curious about how technology could be used to disrupt traditional ways of working in the bank and that led me to discover the exciting new world of blockchain technology.
So I retrained and qualified as an IBM Foundation blockchain developer. This lead me to write my second book called ‘’Books for Blockchain’’. Blockchain technology allows people to transact directly with each other. In the financial world, this is very important because it means you no longer need a middleman to help process the payment.
This is particularly relevant for people in developing countries where they struggle to open bank accounts and make payments. Blockchain tech brings a greater level of trust and transparency in the financial world and no longer excludes sections of society who cannot get access to financial products.
In the most basic terms, each time you use your credit card to make a purchase, a part of the payment is paid to the card providers (such as Visa or Mastercard) and they will charge a fee (usually paid by the retailer) to process that payment. But what if you could transact directly with the retailer? This means the costs of the transaction would be cheaper for you as a consumer as well as the retailer. The retailer would also get paid instantly (and not have to wait for 2-6 months for payment by the card providers).
I am a passionate advocate of the potential of this technology and last year in April 2018, I became the first author in the world to publish my third book, “Escape the Cubicle: Quit The Job You Hate, Create A Life You Love’’, on the blockchain.
For this world-first to be created by a woman from a diverse background is an important achievement because it shows technology can be used to create a more inclusive society and I hope its a message to all Asian women to see that technology is a viable career option for all. I finally plucked up the courage to leave the day job in 2016 when I became a full-time entrepreneur, setting up my latest tech business. I am now the co-founder of MarketOrders, an online tech business that helps independent retail jewellers to source the products they need direct from suppliers. We are using technology to upgrade a traditional and outdated industry.
I love working in tech and I have been recognised by a number of industry awards for my contributions including Asian Women of Achievement Awards, Management Todays ’35 Women Under 35′, Top 100 Women in Tech and named a Top 100 European Digital Pioneer by The Financial Times and Google.
Becoming an entrepreneur has been an exciting journey but it’s also been a steep learning curve with many challenges. You have to keep learning all the time and have a fearless can-do attitude that helps you to overcome the many obstacles running a business will bring. As long as you are willing to keep learning and turn obstacles into opportunities then you will succeed. We have to let go of the idea that our career will follow a linear straight forward path and be open to experimenting with learning new skills, understand that in today’s world we need to keep learning and up-skilling and re-skilling ourselves. Learning should not stop at college or university.
Technology is what progresses humanity in leaps and bounds and it's important that women are a part of this journey more so now than ever before.So if you are a woman reading this, and in particular, from an Asian background, know that the world of technology is flinging its arms wide open to welcome you in should you choose this path. Embrace it, discover it and above all, become a change agent and inspire our sisters, daughters and mothers to be part of this tech revolution. It’s never too late to learn about technology.
Twitter: @SukhiJutla/ @Market_Orders
Book:Escape The Cubicle
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I am an Asian woman disrupting the Fintech industry and empowering women. In this column, I share my journey into becoming an Asian female entrepreneur working in tech.
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