Name: Catherine Tan
Job Title: Chief Strategy Officer
College Name and Major: BA Law & Business, University of Warwick
Website: Notey
Twitter: @cathnotey
Instagram: @cathnotey
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
CT: I founded Notey a few years ago, and I live and breathe it every day. My typical day starts with a Venti size cappuccino and a stand-up team meeting where we share what we’ve accomplished the day before, and our goals for the day ahead. In a fast growing company, it’s so important to stay in sync and make sure our goals are aligned!
Today, for example, I have a few things on my calendar including drawing out a new feature, a late night conference call and a round table discussing how tech is changing the future of education. There is no typical day and that’s why I love it!
What is the best part of your job?
CT: The best part of the job is when you get an honest, authentic testimonial from a client about your product that you’ve built from scratch. Just this morning my client said, “This is the easiest platform I’ve used to create content in a long time.” We’ve launched a new product called “Connect” which helps brands become publishers. Since launching three weeks ago, we’ve already on-boarded a global bank, an international hotel group, and a few e-commerce companies.
What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
CT: I really didn’t know what I wanted to do while in school, but I knew I wanted financial independence and to live in a big city while not going into debt. So I spent a lot of time at the careers office understanding what the best-paying jobs were, where I could also surround myself with smart and hardworking people. That’s how I landed a graduate job at Barclays in London and started my career in finance. I loved it ,but always knew I wanted to start my own thing, whether it be a company or creative project, once I saved a bit of money.
What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
CT: “Done is better than perfect.” I know it may be a bit overused… but it’s something I remind myself everyday given my ever-growing to-do list.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
CT: Hiring people based on a resume, but without thinking thoroughly about how they can add value.
What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
CT: There’s been so many, but again, it’s seeing people using a product you’ve built from scratch.
What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
CT: Self-Starter. Thinker. Hard Worker. Good Person.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
CT: Embrace the vicissitude of life! Bumps on the road are inevitable, the only way to achieve your goals is to overcome them.
What’s the one thing that’s stood out to you the most in a resume?
CT: One of our applicants wrote a “Bitcoin” song for kicks and uploaded it on YouTube. The song went viral within the bitcoin community and she was tipped 3 bitcoins a few years ago. Now it’s worth around $12,000! A fun fact like that tells me she’s creative, has an inherent interest in tech, and knows how to think outside the box!