Solo and Strong | Journey to Validation

Anfernee, a Singaporean education director, took an unconventional leap in 2023. Passionate about solopreneurship, he created a training program. However, his colleagues doubted its effectiveness. So, Anfernee embarked on his own solopreneur journey to bridge the gap. This meant juggling his day job with late nights learning new skills and tools. Inspired by his own struggles, he even built Notion-based products specifically designed for solopreneurs.

Anfernee's biggest challenge was securing those first sales. He tackled this head-on, devouring online resources and learning from established solopreneurs. His methodical growth strategy focused on creating a product pipeline, followed by expanding outreach through various platforms. Through hard work and adaptation, Anfernee's solopreneur journey transformed him from a passionate director to an empowering entrepreneur.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how it led you to where you are now?

I’m the director of a couple of companies in Singapore in the education industry for around 18 years. In early 2023, I came up with a new training programme for solopreneurs targeting to better equip solopreneurs with the essential skill sets to thrive in their trade. After I presented the programme, some of my business partners commented that it was not convincing enough because none of us in the company has ever done anything related to solopreneurs.

So I started my solopreneur journey in Aug 2023 to ‘prove’ that whatever I teach works because it works for me as a solopreneur.

Juggling my responsibilities as a company director during the day and a solopreneur at night was challenging. It required me to learn entirely new processes and ways of thinking, as the dynamics of solopreneurship greatly differ from traditional entrepreneurship.

I chose to incorporate Notion into my work as I have been a user since 2019, and believe it is a valuable tool for solopreneurs. Notion's comprehensive features can be immensely beneficial as an all-in-one system for managing a business.

Finally, I recognize the critical role of AI in sustainable solopreneurship, hence its inclusion in my approach.

What inspired you to start your business?

I firmly believe that solopreneurship represents the future of business. In this increasingly digital and connected world, one individual with a unique idea and the drive to see it through can build a successful enterprise. This shift towards solopreneurship opens up endless possibilities for innovation and creativity in the business world.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I first encountered Notion in 2019. Initially, I was overwhelmed by its features and nearly gave up. However, by 2020, I had mastered its use and was convinced that it could be a key tool for every solopreneur. Consequently, I decided to create Notion-related products specifically for solopreneurs.

How did you fund your Digital Business initially?

Self-funded. For the first two months, almost everything I use is free.

Did you face any challenges or obstacles during the early stages, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge in the early stages was not knowing how to achieve my first sales. I overcame this by reading as many online articles as I could find, following established solopreneurs, particularly Notion creators, and learning from them.

What strategies did you use to grow your business?

Building phase - In the first three months, focus on creating numerous products and listing one per week on Gumroad to attract leads.

Expanding phase - Increase outreach through platform X, Pinterest, and existing social media channels. Exploring TikTok as a potential key platform for the future.

Consolidating phase - Identify effective strategies and concentrate on those.

What tools do you use for your business?

• Notion for managing my entire business and all my Notion products

• Things for my to-do list

• Canva for designs

• Typefully for X

• Google Gemini for idea generation

• Gumroad for my store

How did you acquire your first customers?

It was quite surreal. I posted an offer on a Facebook Group and invited my target audience to respond and download my free product. Surprisingly, one client paid $5 for one of my products!

What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an entrepreneur?

I believe everyone faces the same challenge: time management and task prioritization. We all have numerous tasks to complete, but it's crucial to identify which ones will actually make a difference.

What lessons have you learned from these challenges?

We all need to learn to consolidate, scrutinize, and focus on urgent and important tasks.

Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back and start over?

I will initially focus on my personal branding, establishing some form of authority on my chosen social media platform.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out as an entrepreneur?

Prioritize rapid learning. The quicker you learn, the better you become at executing tasks, thus increasing your chances of success.

What are some common misconceptions about starting a business that you'd like to address?

Some common misconceptions about starting a business include the idea that you need a lot of money to start, that you need to have a completely unique idea, or that success will come quickly. In reality, many businesses start with a small budget, build on existing ideas, and require time, effort, and persistence to succeed.

Is there any particular mindset or approach that you believe is crucial for entrepreneurial success?

Yes, there are a few key mindsets and approaches that can contribute to entrepreneurial success. First, resilience and adaptability are crucial as entrepreneurship often involves facing and overcoming challenges. Second, a growth mindset, which involves viewing challenges and failures as opportunities to learn and grow, is also important. Finally, successful entrepreneurs often have a clear vision for their business and are able to stay focused and motivated towards achieving this vision.