Princeton: Start-up co-founder; From hiring interns to teams of full-time talents

Poh Jin Heng Princeton

Class of 2024, Computer Science and Design
Co-founder, Scratchbac

It takes a certain thirst for adventure to attempt a start-up.

My job

As a technical co-founder, I have two primary roles: one as the front-end lead and the second as the co-founder.

My journey as the front-end lead has been quite long. It started from the initial stage where I was the only developer, to hiring our first batch of interns and our first international developer, and eventually having a full team to execute the designs. My main job now revolves around hiring talented individuals, providing guidance to front-end developers and acting as a bridge between other departments in the company.

That mostly covers the operational aspect of my work. In addition to that, as a co-founder, we spend a considerable amount of time strategising how to operate the company. This includes choosing which business ideas to validate, talking to users, strategising fundraising efforts, and working through technical limitations. In simple terms, I work on all the problems that the rest of the company is not focused on.

How I started

How did we start Scratchbac? Personally, I always believed that as a Singaporean living in HDB, we are so socially distant from each other while being so physically close. I felt there was potential to build a more connected community through technology.

I began by programming a Telegram bot that allowed HDB residents to reach out to each other for assistance during the pandemic. To my surprise, people wanted to use the crappy initial version that I built.

At the same time, I found three other SUTD mates who shared a similar interest in building a better community through technology. We decided to work together to get more users and see how far we could push this.

The highs and lows

Although start-up life is tough, there are indeed many wonderful moments that I cherish. One of them is hearing positive feedback from our users. I remember one user even wrote an extensive blog post about how she benefited from the platform. That warmed my heart.

Another great aspect is the late-night banter we engage in to keep each other motivated and focused on shipping our product. Seeing everyone coming together, especially during challenging times, to make things work is quite an experience. Ultimately, the relationships I have forged along the way bring me the most joy.

There are many low points, namely experiencing app crashes, managing low cashflow of the company, having uncertainties about the future, encountering arguments among the cofounders, hiring the wrong people and building the wrong product.

My happiest moment at work

My happiest moment at work is on the first day. When I received my first user to use my MVP, I was beyond happy!

Some advice

It takes a certain thirst for adventure to attempt a start-up. The journey ahead will be tough. You have only your co-founders and employees to experience them with you.

Choose wisely and appreciate them!