My Startup Journey

Introduction: My Roller-Coaster Startup Ride

Every entrepreneur has a story, and mine’s filled with its fair share of highs, lows, and loops. This book is a peek into my wild ride in the startup world—dreams I chased, challenges I tackled, mistakes I made, and lessons I’ll never forget.

People often see startups as glamorous—full of breakthroughs and big bucks. But ask anyone who’s been there, and they’ll tell you it’s also about those sleepless nights of doubt, endless tweaks to our business plans, searching high and low for the perfect team, and always hunting for that big “aha!” moment.

I’ve wrapped up my adventures in a collection of short stories here, sharing everything from those initial “lightbulb” moments to the gritty details of product building, and right up to putting our heart and soul out there in the market.

I’m not just here to share stories, but to shed some light on the startup journey. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, a business pro, or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of startup life, I hope my tales give you a little wisdom, spark some thoughts, and maybe even inspire you to chase your own dreams.

So, come along! Let’s navigate the crazy, rewarding world of startups together. It’s a journey where the ride is just as important as the destination. Ready to hop in?

The Startup Roller Coaster Ride – Short Stories

  1. The Power of Public Speaking: From Thought Leadership to Business Opportunities
  2. Bridging Malaysia’s IoT Talent Gap: The Favoriot Way
  3. The Myth of Overnight Success: The Inspirational Story of Colonel Sanders and KFC
  4. Facing the Fear: My Reluctant Leap into the Startup World
  5. Multiple Revenue Streams from a Single Product: The Favoriot IoT Platform Experience
  6. Why ‘Picking My Brain’ Isn’t Free Anymore: A Business Perspective
  7. Building the Favoriot Brand: My Journey Through Alternative Media Channels
  8. The Power of Direct Customer Outreach: Why Mailing Lists Trump Social Media Followers in Startups
  9. Why You Need ChatGPT Assistance in Blog Writing: A Journey from AI-Generated to Authentic Content
  10. From Spiritual GPS to Emotional Outlet: How Blogging Became My Second Sanctuary
  11. Don’t Ignore Strangers: The Untold Secret of Our Startup’s Early Customer Base
  12. The Unexpected Routes of Favoriot’s IoT Journey
  13. From Multiplicity to Singularity: Favoriot’s Pivot Towards Precision
  14. Navigating R&D in Government Agencies: Lessons for the Startup World
  15. Leveraging the Strengths of Giants: A Survival Blueprint for Startups
  16. Building My Personal Brand: The Stepping Stone to Favoriot’s Success
  17. From Research Lab Critiques to Startup Pitches: My Slide Story
  18. The Illusion of RFPs in the IoT World: Managing Expectations as a Startup
  19. Favoriot’s Odyssey: Navigating the Rough Waters of Early Revenue
  20. From Early Days to VC Pursuit: A Startup Founder’s Odyssey
  21. Blogging My Way Through Entrepreneurship: A Habit I Cherish
  22. Beyond Accolades: The Real Impact on Our Entrepreneurial Journey
  23. Embracing the Diverse Entrepreneurial Journey: Why Success Takes Different Roads
  24. The Subtle Art of Hiring: A Peek Into My Experience
  25. The Entrepreneur’s Balancing Act: A Deep Dive into the Complexities of Startup Product Pricing
  26. The Timing Trap: Our Venture with an IoT Solution and a Global Pandemic
  27. Navigating Product Failure: A Tale of Three Missteps and Lessons Learned
  28. Networking in Startup: An Introvert’s Tale of Growth and Connection
  29. The Startup Burnout: A Founder’s Tale of Striving, Stress, and Solace
  30. The Entrepreneur’s Challenge: Navigating the Pitfalls of Lack of Focus
  31. The Crucial Importance of Product-Market Fit: Lessons from My Entrepreneurship Journey
  32. Embracing Change: Lessons Learned from Clinging to Three Products without Pivoting
  33. Learning on the Go: The Power of Podcasts in My Daily Commute
  34. Learning from Mistakes: Building the Fourth Product – Favoriot IoT Platform
  35. Building the Right Team: My Journey of Managing a Startup
  36. Navigating The Storm: Managing Cash Flow in a Bootstrapped Startup
  37. Outpacing the Startup Race: Lessons Learned from Building a Citizen Engagement App
  38. Finding Harmony in Chaos: My Journey of Building 4 Products
  39. Embracing Life’s Adventure: My Journey From an Academician to an Entrepreneur
  40. How To Increase Your Paid Users From Free Users
  41. 7 Tips How to Get Your Startup Acquired
  42. Advice From ChatGPT as The Investor
  43. When No New Ideas Are Generated
  44. Dateline for the Next eBook
  45. Academia, Industry & Government
  46. Starting The Next IoT Ebook
  47. An Entrepreneur – The Last Career
  48. IoT eBooks by Mazlan Abbas
  49. Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey with Limited Funds
  50. Navigating the IoT Wave: Secrets to Capturing the IoT Platform Market
  51. Audience Personas for Favoriot IoT Platform
  52. Social Media Strategy for Favoriot IoT Platform
  53. Innovate or Die: Embracing Steve Jobs’ Principles to Catapult Favoriot to IoT Stardom
  54. How We Define the “Why” of FAVORIOT
  55. FAVORIOT 6th Anniversary – The Journey Continues!
  56. IoT Projects from Education to Commercialisation
  57. 8 Top Challenges Building a Citizen Engagement App
  58. 6 Great Challenges Building an IoT Solution for Hajj
  59. How We Build Our Fourth IoT Product
  60. On a Journey of IoTising Business
  61. How We Build Our Third IoT Product
  62. How We Build Our Second IoT Product
  63. How We Build Our First IoT Product
  64. How Silicon Valley Changed My View on the World of Startups