After years of working high-intensity, low-agency roles, I was accepted to an 8-week founder residency program (in Austin) through Antler VC (Singaporean early-stage venture capital firm).
My goal was to take a stab at entrepreneurship and build software to solve bottlenecks in the American childcare system.
It was an incredible experience to join a cohort of incredible entrepreneurs, learn from famous founders, and empathize with people in the same ambiguous stage.
I presented my weeks of childcare SaaS research to the Antler Venture Partners and told them I was not pursuing their $250,000 check.
Why? I realized the U.S. childcare space was too broken–software was not the answer (a separate discussion).
The Antler partners were super impressed.
- Loved the in-depth research.
- Agreed with my findings.
- Appreciated my honestly.
- Told me that I’m the exact archetype of founder they want to fund and that they would open a separate Investment Committee in the future.
Cool story, right? Well, I still had no income.
Post-meeting, I’m driving home thinking “Well, God, what do I do now?”
I received several job offers and prayed for discernment. I was disappointed—I wanted to pursue entrepreneurship.
That same week, three people asked me if I’d help them hire overseas talent in the Philippines.
At my previous company, I built + managed a team in the Philippines—I’m quite familiar.
I told them how to hire, what to look for, and why they should do it. To my surprise, they offered me money and said “We will pay you to hire these people for us.”
I had a business—but I didn’t believe it.
One night, we were doing a Bible study with some friends before hanging with the homeless.
Our friend Jaime was teaching about Gideon, the Old Testament Israelite character who God chose to defeat the occupying Midianite army. Gideon was a simple farmer and the weakest member of the weakest clan, but God chose him (Judges 6:1-40).
Naturally, Gideon could not believe it—so he asked God for signs. God gave him several rounds of signs—only after the third sign did he (reluctantly) believe it.
As we walked across the Congress Ave bridge, I told Jaime that I wasn’t sure what to do next.
Jaime said something along the lines of “You want to be an entrepreneur. Three people are willing to pay you to solve the same problem. How many more signs do you need? You sound like Gideon!”
Jaime was right.
And, Anavah Talent was born.
