Daryl is currently an Investor at Trihill Capital, investing in early-stage startups across South-East Asia & Founder of The Next Batch.
He was previously at Hypotenuse AI (YC S20) and Deskimo (YC S21), wearing multiple hats across Growth, Product, Partnerships, Marketing and Analytics.
Guest Author: Daryl Lim
🙌 Welcome back to Startup Wednesdays, featuring hashtag#VCs, hashtag#founders & hashtag#operators here in South-East Asia. For this week, we have Evan Heng, Founder & CEO at Zenith Learning Group
đź’ What was the motivation behind Zenith?
I founded Zenith in May 2019, after I finished NS. Before, I spent 2.5 years tutoring students, driven by a desire to create substantial impact in people’s lives.
Choosing to stay in SG to pursue entrepreneurship over moving to UK to study at UCL, I went all in & invested my life savings to start Zenith.
đź’ How does Zenith blend pedagogical expertise with tech?
We’re shaping the future of education by blending online & offline components, providing a data-driven, hybrid learning flywheel. Having spent 7 years in education, we are now working on achieving 2 big goals.
Firstly, revolutionising traditional education by introducing a more effective & engaging learning approach driven by tech.
Secondly, democratizing quality education in Southeast Asia (SEA). Acknowledging the contrast in the quality of education among neighbouring countries, I aspire to bridge this gap by digitalizing SG’s world-class education system, making it affordable & accessible to all.
With a dedicated team of educators & technologists, we’re committed to building what we envision to be the future of education.
đź’ What challenges has Zenith faced & how did you overcome them?
People management stands out, especially in scaling the team from 3 to >100.
The key challenges revolve around hiring the right talent, managing teams effectively, aligning expectations & motivating talent. Aligning incentives with goals has been crucial in overcoming them.
đź’ What role does Zenith see itself playing in shaping the future of education in the region?
We envision playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of education, guided by the core belief that education is the most crucial & impactful industry in SEA. Education goes beyond helping individuals survive, it facilitates social mobility by empowering individuals to create better future for themselves & loved ones.
In SG, Zenith aims to lead tech advancement in education, investing in data-driven learning based on validated pain points. Beyond SG, the goal is to contribute across SEA, ensuring quality education accessibility irrespective of financial backgrounds.
đź’ What advice do you have for a student entrepreneur?
To a student entrepreneur, I would offer 3 key pieces of advice.
1. Expect failure as the journey is challenging & success rates are low. Be ambitious, but also rational, questioning why you are uniquely qualified to solve the problem.
2. View challenges as opportunities for learning & maintain an open & receptive mindset. Seek mentorship & learn from experienced individuals who can guide & help avoid common pitfalls.
3. Embrace discomfort, as the most successful entrepreneurs are comfortable in ambiguous situations & will make unpopular but necessary decisions to achieve goals.
