Craft, standards and the reputation of Christian businesses. The most sharply focused session in the corpus.
Same topic, three different evenings, three different rooms.
| Run | When | Venue | Min | Voices | Film | Film % | Intro→Disc | Facil. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohort 1 | — | startup hub | 77 | 13 | standard | 25% | 0.67 → 0.93 | 40% |
| Cohort 2 | 2025-07-09 | convention centre used by City Harvest Church | 82 | 18 | standard | 26% | 0.87 → 2.64 | 45% |
| Cohort 3 | 2026-04 | condo private dining | 77 | 12 | substitute | 23% | — → 1.17 | 60% |
This session draws the smallest rooms and the highest facilitator share of the eight. Guard against it becoming a lecture.
Cohort 1. Met in a startup hub for 77 minutes with 13 voices in the room. The standard film was shown, taking 25% of the evening. 7 questions were put. Coded depth rose from 0.67 in the introduction round to 0.93 in the discussion. The facilitator took 40% of the turns.
Cohort 2 · 2025-07-09. Met in a convention centre used by City Harvest Church for 82 minutes with 18 voices in the room. The standard film was shown, taking 26% of the evening. 4 questions were put. Coded depth rose from 0.87 in the introduction round to 2.64 in the discussion. The facilitator took 45% of the turns.
Cohort 3 · 2026-04. Met in a condo private dining for 77 minutes with 12 voices in the room. A substitute film was shown, taking 23% of the evening. 5 questions were put. The facilitator took 60% of the turns.
Plan for 12 to 18 people. The sequence is the one feature of the evening with a measurable effect, and it should be run whole.
Open with the uncomfortable version: have you been let down by a Christian supplier? The room answers it honestly.
FDE promo, Kaestner intro, the Don Flow / Flow Automotive profile on one-price selling and used-car warranties.
Cohort 3 substituted a first-fruits segment and a profile of Dr Ngozi Onyia of Paelon Memorial, Lagos.
The Flow profile is concrete about pricing and warranty, which gives founders something to answer from their own operations.
A substitute was used in 1 of the three runs. Across all 24 sessions, substitution made no measurable difference to marker density (1.89 against 1.58, Mann–Whitney p = 0.20). What it changes is the subject matter.
Share of the 62 participant contributions carrying each subject, against its share across all 618 contributions in the corpus.
Frames raised: Western hustle and VC norms (4), The Singapore state system (3), The multi-faith workplace (3), Expatriate and transnational life (2), Shame and failure (2).
Where the room took a position on that material, it pushed back or negotiated 8 times against 3 endorsements.
Who speaks: 14 contributions from women, 21 from men.
Choose three. No recorded session got through more than about three at any one table, so the rest are a reserve rather than a plan.
All 96 coded turns from the three runs of this session, with their quotation codes, speaker codes and coding. Speakers carry a stable pseudonymous code with sex attached, so the same person can be followed across sessions and citations without being named.
I think that's a place where we can really share uh in a very vulnerable way … I created it for myself as well in the sense that I I got a group with people to share the struggles because indeed entrepreneurial journey is very [lonely] one but it doesn't need to be alone … anybody from uh non Protestant churches here okay yeah
you have given Jesus the name that is above all names that at that name someday every knee will bow … that we would not only speak to you tonight and worship you but that we would hear you and listen to you
people thinking that you know if I start using services for uh from a Christian business and I'm also Christian be you know an issue … what I can say what I cannot say can I bargain for the deal price … we are Christians shall we do this or not
I worked at the digital marketing agency uh don't own a business yet but I think there is a call there
our discussion was maybe 5 minutes business and another one and a half hours about uh face through entrepreneurship … so God clearly works on everyone us and connecting us in every interesting ways
I also help to organize investor event to [bridge] the gap between projects who need to [raise] money and uh with the investors um so yeah kind of stress actually because there are more project than investor in the market space now
what brought me here was that I met him on the train on the way here … I have 4 hours to spare where do I go … I took a gap Year from my college I just came back was in [Nepal] for 6 months and saw Miracles and wonders and can't live the same anymore
[FACILITATOR] and I go way back uh we used to I used to run [COMPANY] which is the shirt that [FACILITATOR] is wearing … I recently served for the [papal] Mass when um the pope was in Singapore a couple I think two months ago yeah so I served as a [Holy Communion] Minister for the [Mass] that was so fun
I didn't expect to come to [this] at the beginning I thought it was kind of business sharing uh events … I keep on attending this I didn't miss one … the good news is I and I recently accepted Christ yeah so thanks [FACILITATOR] and thanks [M005] … I believe that uh a lot my life has been transforming along the way
me and my wife uh are the good friend of [FACILITATOR] and we enjoying our good time in [Harvest] Church in in in [Suntec] every every Sunday and then we have very good friendship with uh [FACILITATOR] family
in Singapore uh construction uh in industrial some more emplo employer from uh a veteran and and yeah oversea oversea workers and uh the many many salary … our robot and our Automotion uh machines are coming to Singapore uh that will reduce many many many workers uh for example uh 300 workers can be reduced uh reduced 100 so uh the boss of the Singapore are very happy
we still have the same product which is advertising software but if last time we were helping marketers to you know uh make [ads] cheaper and better now our software helping them to spend less time on work being still excellent in their work through the Automation and they [spend] more time on their [faith] and family … one person coming here to get saved or one person catching a train and maybe start Redemptive business in the person is enough for us
as [F022] as we get more businesses that are we call it Redemptive in nature whereas they give first sacrifice first for others and then through the [faith] make their businesses working better
I obviously I don't go around asking are you a Christian business before I meet you … in Singapore context maybe from point of view I would believe so … one of it is the way that uh they pay the vendors you know and there this this thing about no playing with cash flow because you pay the [vendors] late … I would believe that definitely there are uh occasions that that they are probably run by Christians … we never partner [F022] enough with such businesses because usually uh when when we have such a relationship usually doesn't last very well very [F022]
it might be more in American context where people are much more open that they're working with a Christian business than in Singapore … we try to get this Marketplace thing going uh to to to to see that you know your faith in church on Sunday should translate to what you do uh in on on the weekdays and in your businesses
a lot of the success is what the world uh has prescribed as success how do you raise an [up round] how do you continue to increase valuation uh and and have that hyper growth regardless of cost right but if you frame the success as the Lord sees it then what does it look like … even in my workplace where it's not profit driven then what do success success looks like maybe I'm also helping my neighbor around in terms of succeeding together not just taking the [glory] for myself
government let's say software government programs they are often slower often less Advanced … the theory that competition where where one business want to eat another one to kill another one actually creates a good quality products … goes completely against the theory right so how how do you still create uh excellent products … when you … don't want to compete don't want to uh use advantage of knowing something that other don't know
we have the funds but we might not know how to deploy the [funds] … over the past 10 years we've [capitalised] our startup ecosystem pretty well uh over close to 5,000 Tech startups in Singapore and over 400 VC companies 200 incubator … people like to go for VCS like to go for Quicks … the ones really developing a new [drug] a [hard tech] you know where [capex] is very high it's hard … when you're working in non not profit driven thing the same motivation comes from the individual
one of the confusions sometimes comes when we talk about Excellence is we think of perfectionism … that's straining at [gnats] and swallowing camels … our employees are our neighbors our suppliers are our neighbors our customers are our neighbors … you measure Excellence by how good a neighbor you are within your work framework and I think if you do that in many cases the success will take care of itself but it may be a [F022] [slog] and you may have to walk by some some quicker and easier opportunities
did you follow up with them did you close the loop and politely say thanks for the meeting … well no I don't think I have to do that because you know they're just not good for you … the quality of Excellence sometimes is the quality of com of of of integrity and of follow through … it's never going to be we're human we fall short
at DMV we talk about high Excellence High Grace so yes we have a standard of what Excellence look like like whether it's you know having Integrity loyalty um following through but we also have a culture of Grace … as colleagues as a boss as a manager we still extend that Grace as well to them too
since we're playing tennis here I'll take one more volley on this … you try to bake into your process where you will be excellent even if even if you fail so example he had is we we we send you a quote and if we're wrong on it and it costs us more we we eat that
easy way to sell is to overpromise and under which is essentially lying … I take the time to educate … we want to be an agency that tries to under promise but [deliver] over the level … in selling Solutions I am not very motivated to sell what I know my agency isn't so strong at delivery so I guess that's another point of Integrity I just say that we we don't offer that service
part of it is to some extent Integrity also like like like my previous agency and after all I realized that my my execution team could not deliver I got very disillusion and very unmotivated to [sell]
we were discussing about Redemptive marketing how do the word marketing uh by itself contradicts [redemptive] … in agency we take all jobs we can because we want to you know grow the business … how you don't take every job you can actually but only take those jobs that not just good for your business but also at the same time they uh they don't they don't contradict the [values] your Christian [values]
sometimes lazy work become not really the result of laziness as at whole but probably the result of an anxiety of the team … when you are really anxious and uh don't feel like have a peace actually praying and just you know singing some worship songs can immediately change everything miraculously … making you anxious and busy is one of the weapons to make your work be not excellent … I never really find Peace by ticking all the ticks of the day
lazy I find very hard to Define because whether it's lazy or not the individual will know … it could be one or three reasons being lazy taking shortcuts … the question [of] ability maybe he or she has been doing their best but it's unable to produce work … maybe off season for or due to some personal reason that is affecting the family member is ill right and they can or maybe a problem of [my] leadership
rotation actually works very well I did it a few times and some people become really excellent in something completely different from what they were doing originally … people do [learn] through hardships in fact it's the most unfortunately the most efficient way
we have this sort of like a tip jar kind of thing … I put it in a chat group so that everyone sees it … and if you don't [meet] it then you put like a money to like this uh overall jar … actually for him it works not because of the money aspect but because all the employees are seeing it so like if you don't do it they like oh you know this boss is not you know it's not up there
that's also become accountable to the group uh not accountable to God because not everyone is Christian in your organization … you're actually not going to hire just Christians you're going to hire everyone and this is opportunity for you to be excellent and pray and hope that actually they will come to you and say hey why what is what is that much different in you
one of my employees he was talking about him uh making it become his identity always working very hard day and night … he started doing his work not excellently he start being angry at clients … I sent him the previous uh session video … maybe they'll join our group or they just [start] trying to get to know Jesus
if he has been consistently producing and just a season then I think it's more as a leader to know the person to know your [staff] understand not just machine
there is something different that we do in Singapore. First of all, we always [have] worship in the beginning, as we're going to do now... Third, our group is probably one of the biggest. If totally they have more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, 120 are already in Singapore... it's pretty tight communities that already [have] respond[ed to] Hong Kong and to Malaysia and to even Taiwan... And this all came from Singapore, which is a really great thing.
I'm [M002]. I am a solutions architect by day and I am a systems integrator by night. So one is my day job, the other is the side hustle of the business. So fun fact about myself, this is my fourth time here. I already got the book... The fun fact about myself, I brought my first invite today.
I'm [M012], I'm the invite person... So what brought me here is [M002] invited me. I'm a life coach. I run a program called [?] and I help overwhelmed professionals to find success by aligning their career with values. Fun fact about me, I used to be an actor. Not a famous one.
my name is [M010]. I'm a w[ealth] manager. [It's my] first time here as well... I do like investment using your CP[F], [retirement] planning, as well as mortgage, so if I see any residential loan, commercial loan, industrial [loan, the] L[andlord] can find me as well. Then a fun fact about myself, I think... I was [backslidden] for a period of time then now last year I just came back... I'm with Kingdom City so I'm serving and I got burned out there so [I have] been serving [elsewhere] right now. So I always believe that entrepreneurs need God more than anyone. Because it's not easy and I'm glad that I came back... every day I'm just blessed that I'm working the journey together with God.
my name is [U001]... We run our own individual wealth management practices by day. By night I run my own training company, I do financial literacy, I'm trying to embed more biblical principles into what I share... So fun fact about me, I was kind of homeless once in my growing up years, but God has provided me again and again and again to where I am today to run my own business.
I work for a startup which is more into travel, ESIM, so I'm on the business side. That's my day job. By night I just try and get some sleep. One fun fact, I've been trying to get my wife here. She's an entrepreneur, she does biblic[al] counseling. I'm hoping to get her here for the next session.
my name is [U023]... Actually I sell healthier coffee... So one of the things about myself, I'm a dancer. So from young until now I think I can easily do like 6-7 types of dance[]s... and I can do splits.
if God, the Spirit, let me hear, I decided last minute to come here from SMU... I'm normally not so good at speaking, mostly doing written literature, in [the] Mission Field but most of the time I'm doing a... written ministry instead of speaking.
so come here every month and practice so you can improve... you did pretty well.
I'm [F020]. I'm a portrait photographer. It's my second... time here. I have my own boutique photography studio. I mostly work with families in a fun and relaxing environment to create a physical keepsake that they can display their memories at home. Fun fact, I mostly dress in purple and black.
Myself, I tried to start a business selling 5 carat diamonds not too [F022] ago and it failed to take off so my wife is now wearing the inventory.
It's always good to say yes to some interesting opportunities, right? You never know what you will end up doing, so I'm glad I'm here... A fun fact about me is that I met this man, well, first time in a group tour in Taiwan... we pass[ed] the tunnels, we saw the stones, and then after one week, that [road/sink]hole... collapsed.
my name is [F040]. This [was] also [invited] by [FACILITATOR][a]... I brought a friend here today... I'm in capital market, I do both investment and also fundraising. So... before we engage our people, we help them in fundraising... If you're looking into coming in to co-invest, you can check later. Fun fact about me is my [wor]k is very stressful, so I like to go... cycling.
I'm [[FACILITATOR]], so I champion sustainability through fashion design at the moment right now. What brought me here, I've been here since 10 months ago... It's a great community coming back. Every week I want to come by, or every month I want to come by, but sometimes work, you know. ... Fun fact about myself, I initially wanted to be a pilot, so I took a private pilot's license. So I've flown a very small plane, but that license is not [valid].
My name is [M067]. I run a financial advisory team, helped young financial advisors achieve what they want. Interestingly, my company is a Christian organization, so the [chairman] is... a senior pastor from CFC. That's how I turned to [M005][t] now, past year August... My wife is [a] Christian, so I do hope that one day I [will] know the Lord [better]... We are both running a financial [business] together.
we do have... [M003], not here today, but we have [M003] who just accidentally [came into] the room. And now he is a Christian [and baptised]... He said I was looking for a different event but I cannot make it. So I come for the next one. I didn't know it was a Christian thing. So that's how it's [happened].
I'm [F060]. [By] day I run a startup called [COMPANY] [maker]... So literally create quiz[zes]... mostly used by teachers, coaches, and I think I'm very blessed, I think I'm perhaps now in 103 countries. So I think throughout my whole journey I always run into him in very unexpected situation[s], I would say. So he's actually been very instrumental in my own faith as well.
my name is [F054], second time here... And that's to provide good food for people. So we've got a farm in Singapore, a high tech farm building, and we've got a really big farm in the US as well... [I led] worship on the second session. And the reason why that was because on the chat, [FACILITATOR] was like, Anybody can help [with worship], anybody can help [with worship]. Nobody will reply to him. I'm like, okay, let me try and do something. So I think the part about this group of people gathering is really where we can help one another and build one another up and share the talents that God has given to each one.
I'm [FACILITATOR], I'm running a startup in marketing space[, a] platform for marketers to build strategy. I also have a marketing agency attached to that. Fun fact is that I play a[ccordion] in Singapore, many places, it's called me everywhere. But it's not because I'm good, but because I'm the only one.
If you are here for the third time and don't have the book, take the book. We are very blessed, somebody in Malaysia [is] copying a pirate copy of the book. It [is] actually quite developed in Malaysia. The [FDE presence in] Malaysia is quite big and I would say in Asia it started from Malaysia['s]... From all the group[s] he was living in Malaysia, he [was] like a pastor. His name is Martin, and [he went] back to the US.
inside the book there is 8 chapters, and we have 8 sessions that we are running and looping every month... We hopefully always have a h[all] from CHC and hopefully we can just keep running this and getting more people. So every session we have a different topic. Today's topic is excellence in work. So excellence matters. So we're going to watch the video and after that we're going to have some questions to discuss.
[It] is very true because we go by [biblical] principles. But in business, there's business principles... You go to a third world country, you go by under[-]table money. You want to have a license, you want to start this, you want to do that... And it's very real... She's a Christian. So am I. So I tell them, I'm sorry, the God that I know through my life can be very irrational and illogical. [God] tell[s] [M020] [to walk] around the world seven times and he will collect [it]... Do you do it? [God] tells you to do it. You walk seven rounds and this country is supposed to go. And they're not going to go through that one. Under table, my dear. Can I be honest with you today? I struggle with that. I struggle because the way of the world and the way of God is so different. So I think my answer is... Stay true to God. Our w[ork] has to be excellent. So we have to [mean] what we are saying. No means no. The money is not important. God will p[rovide]. God will p[rovide]. And God loves us and He will see us [through].
This is a video. I can relate a lot to it. In fact, when I have watched this video the first time, actually I read from the book, then I watched. I was, my first impression was like, hmm, if I do excellent service every [where], how do I get my margins in every single thing else? Because I [run a] service business, especially in marketing, right? The whole thing of the marketing agency is that you are improving your margin by not necessarily improving the service quality... It was a big shift of challenge to [refer] some customers[to] maybe some other agency or partner... Because you are not at the right stage.
definitely [there are] cases where, you know, for example, this lady is using the company email to send out a lot of Christian materials, so she doesn't actually do work. She sends out this Christian email, so it's not really a very good example. For us, it's very interesting because many companies in the world fund their businesses through, for example, bank loans, right?... but we[,] because we [believe in a] Holy God, we believe that that enslaves people. So we actually have zero d[ebt in] our company. We don't take any [PE] or [V]C funds and how we fund [it] is actually it's really five [loaves and] two fishes. That's what we call it. So people have come and said can I put this into the company[.] Literally the number was five [loaves and] two fishes. So that's how... he has actually provided way beyond just financial resources. God is a God of resources, not just financial resources. So I think that's been very encouraging for us. And we work really hard, right? It's not like you're literally just sitting there waiting for God to just make things happen, right? You hustle like everybody else.
I like this point about the hustle. I just came from London this morning, right?... I was in a suit, I was meeting the CEO of [a company] who just closed a 2 billion contract with someone else. We were trying to slot ourselves in. And then the next meeting was CEO of GWI. It's a big research platform... But to me, the definition of h[ustle] was me [riding] this bicycle... [across] London for one meeting, two and a half [hours]. In this suit. This is what entrepreneurs don't tell you on your... university. ... sometimes I'm actual[ly] somewhere I even don't even have much agenda and maybe some conference or something but I know that there will be a lot of opportunities coming out and I believe in it and they come[,] and you kind of gotta buy the tickets, spend money, travel, believe in it that opportunity is in there.
Now talking about working with Christian businesses. I think Christian businesses have to do a double, triple work because they have to pass through this bias. And then beyond that[,] [prove] that indeed[,] visit[ing a] Christian [business], you're not going to be cheated. And there's so many Christians out there who have Monday and [through Saturday,] that Sunday Christian will go back to their original practice in every situation. That fights against those who are trying to do it in the right way. So, you see, what do I personally do?... I always attribute things to God. You know, in marketing you have this attribution. Somebody click[s], then where it came from. So I do the same thing with my employees. Yeah, we got some big success or investment or something. Then I go [to] slack, general chat, okay, [God] provided us a gift... And then they're like [FACILITATOR] is talking about this, but if you do it a lot... they also start getting very curious and interested.
So I totally agree with the part that all the credit really comes from [God]... I like the way that you approach it. For me, I work with... [and] invest in cafes[,] so the owner of the cafe is also Christian. I think before I was a believer I came to judge people but I think after becoming a believer I realized that actually everyone... [n]o[ne] of us... Both of them have not... [cast] the first stone, right?... Who are you to judge them, right? So, I think the message that we can get is really just do your best.
I do feel God's Kingdom is very inverse from the ways of the world, right? So, it's often[]times we try to put our best image forward. We hide our faults and we put only the best part forward. And I think part of being, you know, excellent as a Christian is not necessarily just excellent output. There's actually being very honest and true, right?... So there might be a day where I feel my work output is not up to mark. I should have the freedom to go to my boss or my founder and say today was not a good day. I couldn't do what I had to do. I couldn't focus... Which usually we will not tell our bosses, right? So I don't feel excellence is not just from the perspective of the delivery, but it's, you know... what... freedom do we have to be honest with it? And I think that's what the Gospel does, it takes out fear and it gives us the freedom to be honest.
of course now that I look back, I'm like, oh, now we're in the 102 countries. I [would] never [have] talk[ed] about that[,] that would actually happen. So it all started from because I had this meeting with [FACILITATOR] one time. He was just next to me at some place that was at some convention... We found a table and the chair and just sat there... So I was [saying] at that point of time, [we] had no [SEO] or anything like that. I didn't even know, I mean, my co-founder didn't even know anything about it... he [said] like, what? You don't know anything? Like, do you ever use chat [GPT]?... So he sat me down for an hour, like an hour, he had time. Then he [pulled] out his l[aptop] and said, see, you can create an [SEO] very quickly and start ranking. And I was like, what? That's all I needed to do... So I really literally [rolled up] my s[leeves] and figured out SEO [from] scratch. And then today we actually ranked number one and [never] pay a single dollar to a single [agency]... my best customers would come from [countries I never expected]. Like best users, I didn't have to spend a single dollar... And all I did was just, everyday just focus on the right thing and just do it well.
so my perspective on that one, I remember[,] so we me[t] at the convention, right?... And then I [thought], how do I really spend my time?... okay, then I start this logical thinking, okay, [it's a] small startup, definitely they're not gonna be my client. Definitely I cannot charge [them] anymore. But then I'm like, but [should] I just, you know, try to fish for the clients there in that booth? Or should [I] really help?... I should really help... And what it proves is that it works, actually. I mean, generally business[people] say, oh, bring value first, then the sales will come. You can even further elevate it. You know, help people first, right, when you can... what is putting us in the positions where we are... [may] be useful for someone else, it's not for us.
For me, when I start[ed] working for the Lord... it's really [a] struggle, right[,] to work for the L[ord]... But when I do, I have complete freedom and complete peace. In fact, the things that have changed once we joined in[,] [t]hanks to [Faith Driven] [E]ntrepreneur and [D]igital [M]ission [Ventures]... is that the bottom line, the top line... things that actually don't really affect me, not because they don't care, but because they know that all these things eventually bring some really good purpose... Sometimes our current business is just a step to the next one... Just yesterday I made a decision to respond [to] some form with a due diligence that ma[d]e me lose maybe 35-4[0] thousand dollars... Last time I wouldn't respond in a 100% accurate way. Now I just feel, okay, that means maybe [it comes from] somewhere else. Just yesterday. It's painful. Especially when you prepare a lot of documents and stuff for it, and then eventually at the last moment, I'm like, no, cannot... but I [have faith] that if I make the decisions this way, ultimately there will be... other resources that will provide.
I think when your motivation is to please God and to be only the audience of one, you just become naturally excellent at what you do. But I think the [core] problem with Christian entrepreneurs is we are willing to let go of profitability, we are willing to let go of... all the glory, if it goes against our Christian values already... So just as a concrete example, two years ago I actually had to close another business which was more profitable than coaching. Yeah, it was way more profitable than what I'm doing now but I had to close it because I realized it was already becoming my idol. Like my identity ha[d] become that business and the way I tell stories is really coming from pride and ego and I thought that everything came from my excellence and what I did and then I just found myself like being distant from my wife as well[,] so yeah two years ago I made that tough decision.
I had a business for about five years then... actually the reason why I came back to [Christ] is also because of the failure of [my] business[,] so to be honest I feel that sometime[s]... for myself I'm [M056] so I thought that five years was very important but... when I came back to church when I hear stories from other entrepreneurs where they built for even more[,] more than five years and they have to close down and everything[,] then it... [seem]s many feel that actually my problem is so small[,] then it made me feel like actually why do I get so affected by it[,] but I think it's just the li[e] of the devil that actually made me feel that I'm not good enough, I'm in my 30s but why am I not having a good career and everything.
It's funny to say now because 30s is too young.
I feel like the gift of evangelism is... Yeah, [I have the] gift of evangelism. So that's what I d[id] when I was young, in my teenage[] years and everything. So quality of work that ha[s] positive impact on the unbeliever, okay, to me is, if [un]believers see the excellence in my work... it's easier for me to share the gospel to them, it's easier for me to reach out to them because they know why am I credit[ing] everything. So to me, it's having a [platform] in the world... where I can actually bring more people to [Christ]. And that's something that I enjoy doing. I really enjoy doing that.
I think a second question resonates with me better actually[.] For myself, after coming back to Christ again[,] then I start[ed] to listen to [preachers] from... around the world[.] So one of the [sermons] I heard is [']Worship God through my work['][.] So it's talking about more of like how can I worship God with the things I'm doing? So to me about excellence, to me I feel it's something that... we should be excellent in what we do because that is a worship of God[,] and maybe in the [secular] world they will say... how you do anything is how you do everything[,] so I think I resonate with that more[:] that... is actually very crucial for us to be excellent in our field because that is also an act of worship.
I see an level of accuracy at least for 95 to maybe 98-99% of the work which we need to do... So I would say there's a [Bible verse] that says [']seek[] firstly the Kingdom of God and all shall be added unto you[']
generally why [do] businesses sometimes[,] business owners, sometimes not fully understood... because the type of struggles we are dealing with is different as well, right? So I might get lots of sales this month, but... my bottom line[]... meaning that I don't have enough money to buy [lunch,] I will be still very excited. My employees might [see it and be] break[ing]... but it can be vice versa. I might feel very peace[ful], and then, suddenly, deals might not co[me]... But we have a very privileged position because we actually impact so many people around us. We make decisions where we trust and make decisions to guide our employees[,] to affect the companies of our clients, our friends... And I think just because of that you have to always try to do [your best] because we never know maybe your junior [i]nter[n] in the future will be... In fact I'm sure he was someone's intern[,] and same with [Zucker]berg.
Our next session will be [Faithful] versus [Willful]. Okay, it's always happening on the second Wednesday of the month. If it's not, then we have dates in the chat and usually it's because we don't have a h[all] or something, but it's actually always the second Wednesday of the month... Always looking for volunteers for ushering, for [worship]... I'm here to support you, give you all the materials, books, or [resources]. We started two in Singapore, and this one in Taiwan starts now. And yeah, there's one more in Singapore, but it starts soon.
I'm in a financial [advisory] space also... And in the financial [advisory] space, there's something called N5 Movement. Nehemiah Five. Where you wanna do good, wanna do right, wanna do well. So I've got inspired by the founder of the movement. So I connected with another agency director. We started our own [cell] group in church. We spoke to our chair[]man also, he had given us a green light to use the office space. He said, this is how it has to happen in the marketplace, because [he's] a man of faith also. So the [cell] group has been around for one year... So we decided to fix it twice a month, and one of the sessions will be focusing around faith driven entrepreneurship.
This is how it works. Each of you could impact so many things you never [imagined]... Okay, with this, join [WhatsApp]. And once you're done with the [QR codes], you can go down, have some fellowship. There's pizza there, right? So our... [FACILITATOR], he already announced, he already [laid out] the pizza on the table.
close the funding, one more funding round for OpenAI and SpaceX. So this is the biggest funding ever. It's quite amazing to work with this type of companies. Not that I support a lot of [them], I don't really, but it is still a very huge thing to work on.
I helped [them] get final[?] insight, helped them expand their operations, [...] so it's a one stop solution. So, who [brought] me here? I met [M024] and Karen [...] Yeah, so [FACILITATOR] messaged me and he came with me
[?] I was baptized in Egypt at the age of 16-17. The church in Singapore is opposite United Way. United Way alternate to the church in Africa. Just how it's called, right? Church in Singapore.
I think today's FDE had the biggest number of almost all troubles happening at the same time. I think I already counted 11. When you got so many troubles, there is means that somebody really really really want things to don't work and usually that means that something great gonna happen [...] that means that we are doing something right by meeting here.
So one thing they keep saying there is you have to build a product that is good enough. I think as a Christian, you should actually challenge this. [...] Why would we manipulate the pricing and why would we cut the service [...] So sometimes we tell our customers, hey, maybe our service [...] is not what you need. Maybe you take this money from us and place it [elsewhere]. That goes against business.
The problem that I have is I feel that I have a healthy obsession with [excellence] to the point that, so it's actually the flip side of what this is. [...] Yeah, so I find myself [...] staying up [F022] hours Just like what you said in the previous session about worshiping work. [...] We shouldn't worship [work], but we should still give our best. I think what I can do is [...] go to church, be around my [fellow] Christians and try to rest and not rely on my own strength from day to day.
I think for me, one thing that I... especially when I live by sight [not] faith, I trusted my capabilities and sometimes I get discouraged [...] I'm like, why am I putting so much [in]? [...] When sometimes I don't really see it, I don't really feel like, why am I putting too much of it? [...] So that's something that I realize has prevented me
Anybody [work] in [the] government here, right? [...] I have heard a story recently when a person was asked to write 40 pages handwritten, just because the lawyer was not ready to accept the digital signature. [...] how do you do excellent work when everything else around tells you just do it whatever it is.
I think the Singaporean [government?] are very blessed because we have many [?], I'll say, people who are [...] leaders [and] scholars, they are smart people who recognize the problem [...] I've had leaders, CEOs of [?] who are quite powerful. [...] But definitely I've encountered what you said before
Okay, two days ago, I give some payment terms to the customer and then they come back to me and [...] agree on something so much more better for me [...] because they confused me. [...] and then I like call and say [...] Not, we could take advantage, right? [...] But I feel in that situation, I was [...] doing it based on [...] not what my investors tell me, but what I feel I should do
Just a short sharing of my understanding. I think to me for working for the Lord is doing [a] task, whatever [is] given to us, we need [to do it] really [well] even [when] no one is watching. And [this] perspective actually changes my work quality [in] that everything is motivated by faith, not human approval. I remember God is our true master, so I kind of push each day with joys and also consistency. I trusted him.
just recently also I was meditating on this thing like, the Bible said that we cannot serve both God and money at the same time, right? So I realised that actually when we work for money [...] I feel like we are serving money [...] So, when I change my perspective, right, like when we serve God [...] that means we do work, yes, but it's out of the love of God and to serve him [...] Yeah, his yoke is easy [...] You don't feel so tired and you don't feel that work is so challenging.
So for me, investment or any form of investment, I will always pa[y] very [close?] attention. Before I even go and view, some people just view like 30, 30, 40, but I only view one property and I sign off the property and purchase it [...] or we'd be jumping into a wrong business, or we see people are doing so well, we also want to [go]. You forgot that what has [been] reserved for you. Is it for you? Yeah, ha[ve] you thought, [did God] prepare this business for you, or prepare this property for you, or this [person] for you to marry? [...] Everything you do, you ask.
Because we always go [before] God. We run faster than God. And we want something [...] fast [...] we want to achieve things faster [...] but we never check [with] God [...] Because you never turn back [to] God. So I think I practiced this for more than 20 years and I really thank [God].
Because if I ask about it [...] this success is not right. It will not prosper. [...] So you can funnel and narrow down all the things that you do. [...] You're full of anxiety and if you make this appointment where you said so many things but you only achieved maybe 30% of it. But if you [ask?], God will give you three. Just say, today you should just do three things. And you complete the three things and you feel the peace [and] go home.
so they had a situation when they had no cash to pay [...] And essentially, it's always provided. [...] [FACILITATOR], how come for the last three years, every once in a while you are telling me that you only have about one or two months to live as a company? [...] I say that probably is the true definition of what being profitable is. [...] Honestly, after this few years of this, you just know [He] will provide anyway. And if he doesn't, that is the reason for that too.
God is the CEO of the company, so he actually wanted to do 10% [tithing] to the world, and still up to 90% [...]
I did four number of partnerships recently [...] I think you have to pray a lot to go through this. [...] But I also do recently, I talk a lot about my faith, how I make decisions and I see how people react. [...] I'm just, you know, I'm running FDE, what do you think about it? [...] And I say, okay, how about we go church together? How about you join our gathering? [...] [FACILITATOR], you keep trying to convert me for the last half year. [...] So I treat partnerships as a way to reach out to other entrepreneurs and businesses.
I think for how to approach to collaboration, especially we must know, listen and observe, know other people's strength first [...] and not doing all the work by myself [...] whether it's the ministry or whether it's entrepreneurship in business or everything you manage [...] Yeah, I think efficiency and perfection can prevent [...] because efficiency and perfection is [...] standard [...] by human standard.
honestly I think this perfectionism to me is actually not a very good thing. [...] but why would you do that? Out of fear, out of being proud, or because you want to do it perfect [...] For example, I will ask you to make a pot. Would you do a good job? No, because you are not a potter. [...] you must know your team, the people, your strength, right?
I just don't have a direct experience about management. [...] And I feel that excellence is not only desired by God. Actually, a lot of non-Christians also desire excellence. Like non-Christian managers, non-Christian CEOs, when they see excellence, they can recognize it. [...] I mean, humans actually worship animals, and we worship the sky, anything that is like, you know, praiseworthy, right? [...] we see something a person, you know, exude [a] quality, you know, we want to worship them.
I was just thinking that excellence is not just about the end result but a lot about your heart [...] some very skillful people can be horrible people who do things excellent because they were intelligent and doing it for very [F022]
[Hire] people for the attitude [...] Because honestly, anything can be acquired [...] But very talented people with bad attitude, always [...] They'll bring you [down]