For the month of May, we’re delighted to have Emma Cui, CEO of LONGHASH Singapore, share about her experiences in FinTech.

How is being a leader and heading a business different in a corporate versus being in a startup?

Being a leader in a startup requires you to be resourceful, resilient and agile. Lacking the structured peripheral support that’s generally available in a corporate, start up leaders need to think how to ‘leverage’ resources not owned by the company to get things done. Lacking the financial resources of a corporate, you are constantly selling ideas/dreams to the team and others. Which means you need to be 110% passionate and authentic about what you are doing and what you set out to achieve.

What are some of the curveballs you have experienced in running your business and how have you dealt with them?

It’s still early stage, ask me again in a year!

Is there ever a good time and can you prepare yourself to be an entrepreneur one day?

There are definitely things that you can do to better prepare yourself to be an entrepreneur and potentially increase your odds of success, such as getting an MBA degree, or work in a strategy consulting firm, but thinking about it is never the same as actually doing it。 The best time is NOW!

Do you think your industry is progressing at the right pace? How do you see your industry evolving in the next 5 years?

I think the blockchain industry is growing at an explosive rate but we are still at very early stage of this industry. A lot of people are excited about the long term potential of this technology and its wide applications/potential impact across almost all sectors, even though currently the technology is not working yet due to scalability issue .However, I can see a world that runs on smart contract 5 years from now. I can see a lot of industry standards/governance being developed in the next 5 years

Can you share a crystal ball prediction for 2027?

10 years is a long time. I think blockchain technology will fundamentally shift how companies are run and how internet works.

What is the one piece of advice you would like to give to your younger self? Or to the aspiring female entrepreneurs?

Just do it. If it’s on your mind long enough, it’s worth doing.