A Hero’s Quest for Smart Data : How A Self-Taught Leadapreneur Became a Fintech Innovator

In our Stars of the Accelerator series, we explore the transformation journey of the participants in the Leadapreneur Accelerator.
 
Ong Beng Beng
 
Mortgage Analyst Ong joined the Accelerator because he was keen to embark on his own Hero’s journey. His call to adventure came when he noticed that something doesn’t add up in the data-driven finance industry. Big data has been available for years. Yet, stakeholders still struggle to make well-informed and immediate decisions.
 
Data may be readily available, however, there are two obstacles: weak data analysis and slow, inconvenient access. Ong’s quest is to create a mobile app that will transform the way data is delivered and read.
 
Through enhanced data manipulation, the app would deliver smart and efficient reports.  Furthermore, dashboards and reports can be customized according to specific business requirements. There are many benefits to this innovative project:
- Time efficiency: reports will be generated much faster.
- Greater Accessibility: the app would be available anytime, anywhere, on any device.
- Cost Saving: risk and loss will be tremendously reduced as compared to the existing data handling.
 
Ong’s area of expertise mortgages, which is worlds away from app development. Knowing that outsourcing the app development would incur a heavy cost, Ong decided that it would need to be done in-house.
His first challenge was limited technical knowledge. Through determination and willingness to learn, Ong taught himself app development with resources absurdly online. In fact, Ong designed the initial version of the mobile app himself. It was a tough and tedious journey to get there, but Ong powered on and found solutions conducting extensive research, and more importantly, utter dedication and perseverance.
 
Ong’s greatest challenge is the fear of failure. He has been able to overcome this fear by looking to his idols such as Apple’s Chief Design Officer Sir Jony, who failed many times before finding success. Since joining the Accelerator, Ong has acquired a solid understanding of the possibilities and opportunities that can be created in Fintech. The app is only the beginning of his Leadapreneur journey.

Congratulations Ong in becoming a Star of the Accelerator!