Theodoric Chew, 28, co-founded psychological well being startup Mind in 2019.
Theodoric Chew suffers from panic assaults and an nervousness dysfunction. However, he is by no means allowed it to cease him — the truth is, it is impressed him to assist others battling the identical.
At present, he’s the 28-year-old CEO and co-founder of psychological well being startup, Mind, that is raised over $20 million.
“We’re not simply an app, we aren’t only a misery helpline,” Chew advised CNBC Make It.
Mind is an “built-in psychological health-care system that goals to sort out any degree of danger and want,” he stated.
“It could possibly be as acute and demanding as a disaster name [where] you’ll want to converse to somebody on the bottom … to as small as desirous to be extra assured,” stated the Singaporean CEO.
Based in 2019, the corporate’s companies vary from psychological well being screening instruments and self-care applications, to consultations with clinicians and in-person clinics. Mind has over 200 staff throughout 12 international locations and says it has served over 3 million folks as of 2024.
Highschool dropout
From drop-shipping to advert arbitrage, Chew began experimenting with numerous web companies all through his teenage years.
“A variety of this began throughout my secondary faculty years (ages 12 to 16) … I used to be already engaged on a few my very own issues at that time,” stated Chew, who attended Raffles Establishment, a well known and prestigious faculty in Singapore.
At age 16, Chew determined to drop out of highschool.
“Wanting long run, I actually did not see myself going the trail of … being a prime scholar, going to a prime college, or being a prime lawyer or physician,” he stated.
However what he clearly knew was that he wished to spend extra time constructing issues. “For me, it is by really working in startups moderately than, you realize, the speculation of it.”
Chew caught a few “fortunate breaks” after dropping out, he stated.
By age 20, he had already based and efficiently exited his first startup, Existgreat, a self-help content material platform that featured interviews with the likes of American entrepreneur and speaker, Gary Vaynerchuk.
Following the acquisition, Chew went on to work at a few startups, the place he gained extra expertise.
Impressed by his personal journey
Recounting his personal journey with psychological well being, Chew stated: “I bought my first panic assault after I was 16.”
“That is when, really, I spotted one thing appeared a bit incorrect,” he added.
Chew went on to hunt the assistance of a therapist, and was later identified with an nervousness dysfunction.
By way of his personal expertise, the Singapore-native discovered a obvious drawback: whereas psychological well being points are prevalent in Asia, the house is essentially underserved.
Theodoric Chew served Nationwide Service in Singapore for two years.
Courtesy of Theodoric Chew
In keeping with World Well being Group analysis, “virtually one billion folks globally stay with psychological well being situations of which roughly 260 million folks stay within the WHO South-East Asia Area.”
As well as, about 82% of staff in Asia have a “medium to excessive” danger for growing psychological well being points, in keeping with a report by insurance coverage dealer Aon and Telus Well being.
“For me, a number of issues have been beginning to piece collectively,” stated Chew. “It is not information that Asia has one of many highest psychological well being disaster charges, however stigma is tremendous sturdy.”
Naturally, there are cultural and historic nuances that form how Asians are inclined to deal with their very own psychological well being. They are typically much less inclined to share their emotions overtly, defined Chew.
“That trickles right into a broader, societal focus of well being care as nicely. A variety of funding and innovation goes into secondary, main and tertiary care — we see hospitals being constructed,” however the psychological health-care market lacks maturity, Chew stated.
I do not assume I am the neatest, I do not assume I am probably the most succesful however … I’m naively bold, and I feel that has served me fairly nicely.
Theodoric Chew
Co-founder and CEO, Mind
Chew noticed that his buddies have been additionally battling their very own psychological well being wants, and so they did not know the place to start.
There was “fairly virtually little or no to no innovation occurring within the psychological well being house in Asia,” at the moment, he added.
“Not so much has been executed, however the points are very actual,” stated Chew. “So, that gave us an excellent place to begin: how can we handle this challenge of serving to folks to get began?”
And so, Mind was born.
Anticipate challenges
“I feel within the very preliminary phases, any founder must be a bit delusional,” stated Chew. “I do not assume I am the neatest, I do not assume I am probably the most succesful however … I’m naively bold, and I feel that has served me fairly nicely,” he stated.
All through his journey to this point, Chew has been distinctly conscious of his strengths, and extra importantly, the place he’s missing. By understanding the place his weaknesses lie, Chew outsources sure abilities and jobs to staff.
“As a founder, significantly a younger founder, you’ll want to be very conscious of the place you are not good at, moderately than the place you are good at, and be open minded to study,” he stated. “Our total govt workforce is rather more skilled and senior than I’m.”
Mind now presents in-person clinic visits.
Courtesy of Theororic Chew
Together with being “naively bold” and being extremely self-aware, the important thing to Chew’s success has been three-fold: Having an innate curiosity in constructing issues, having the drive to experiment with concepts, and anticipating challenges alongside the way in which.
Nevertheless, the fact is that “it by no means will get tremendous simple or straightforward for anybody, so there’s at all times that inertia to beat,” Chew stated. “I feel [expecting] that to be a part of the journey can be an important factor.”
Shaping the face of psychological well being in Asia
Wanting forward, Chew desires to develop Mind past Asia, with the objective of being the “world chief in hyperlocal psychological well being care,” he stated.
“The journey has been very thrilling and rewarding … I did not even anticipate how rapidly we may really serve a really obvious want.”
When requested about how he handles the nervousness and stress of being a startup founder, he stated he works on regulating his feelings and stress, and tries to compartmentalize.
“Parking work at work typically is admittedly required,” he stated.
“I feel having my very own private downtime in house is essential for me to operate for the lengthy haul.”
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