With three start-ups to his name, Turochas Fuad is definitely a risk taker.
“My first startup required me to take a home loan to temporary fund that business,” says Fuad. “My second startup had me leaving a senior level high-paying role while my wife was heavily pregnant with our first child. My third startup enabled me to convince my expecting wife to allow me to take on an industry that I have very little knowledge about.”
His first start-up was WUF Networks, an Internet of Things software company based out of Silicon Valley, which was acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. His second, Travelmob, an online marketplace for vacation rentals, was acquired by HomeAway, Inc and became part of Expedia in 2013. In 2017, WeWork acquired his third start-up, Spacemob, a coworking operator. In between these startups, Fuad was also the managing director for Skype Asia Pacific. Safe to say, Fuad’s businesses are far cry from his first job, which required him to sell financial plans to the elderly.
His current position is a triage of real estate, technology and hospitality. A global network where companies and people grow together, WeWork is headquartered in New York City, with 10 locations in Singapore alone. But it isn’t strictly a real estate company. “More than just the best place to work, this is a movement toward revolutionising work,” Fuad explains. “We believe that CEOs can help each other, offices can use the comforts of home, and we can all look forward to Monday if we find real meaning in what we do.”
The secret to his success? “Adapt, tweak and learn – focus on the end goal,” he shares. “The battle is half won when you believe you can do it.
