A big sports fan, Zac would have become a professional footballer had he answered the national call-up. He jokingly says he would have loved to become the Asian Lionel Messi. Ever since co-founding Curlec, a FinTech company that’s redefining how businesses collect recurring payments, it looks as if he’s seamlessly integrated the competition, energy and social influence of the beautiful game into an impressive business plan.
How has the start-up experience been treating you?
I’m very passionate about technology, so that helps. But whatever glamorous perception you might have about running your own business, that goes out the window very fast. Life is hectic, manic, and non-stop. You’re wearing several hats and have to be the jack-of-all-trades. It’s a situation where you see everything and you do everything. But if that’s what you like, it can be fun and challenging. In this space, you live and die by your own sword.
What are your guiding principles?
This is going to sound cliche, but you must stay hungry and stay humble. The moment you stop and smell the roses too much and be content, you’re already moving backwards. You got to have the desire to achieve your targets, and have a natural curiosity to learn more about everything. To me, success to the outside world is just a perception. You have to stay true to yourself and not get carried away with anything.
What are next year’s big plans?
We make it easy for businesses to take control of cash flow, and once we’ve done that locally, we want to go regional. An online recurring payment platform like ours is well utilised in other parts of the world. We hope to open our doors to Southeast Asia in time, and introduce to customers a unique experience that they can’t get elsewhere. We’re big on the subscription economy and that’s going to be our foreseeable future.
Jacket and pants by Gucci; TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 automatic chronograph in stainless steel with ceramic bezel and stainless steel bracelet