Catching-Up with Dr Julian Tan & how he became an Amazon Bestselling Author!
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Dr Julian Tan is a dear friend and one of the first guests I had the privilege of featuring on the So This Is My Why episode 3.
This was back in 2020 and a lot has happened since!
So it’s time for a quick catch-up.
1. 4 years ago, you were featured as the 3rd guest on STIMY! What’s happened since?
Well, firstly, it’s been wonderful to see STIMY grow as much as it has since we last spoke. I always thought what you had set out to do with STIMY was inspiring and special and through this, I’m also glad to have found a friend in you.
As per the modus operandi of my life, nothing ever stays constant. I’ve done a lot of things from being a writer for the Huffington Post, an academic at Cambridge, a scientist, management consultant at BCG etc. When we spoke almost 4 years ago, I was leading Formula 1’s digital transformation including the sport’s virtual racing and esports business.
Having been part of the management team that transformed F1 from a declining business into one of the world’s most exciting sports, I decided to take on a new challenge and I assumed a director role at Flutter Entertainment, a sports betting and gaming company, where I was responsible for their corporate and commercial strategy.
During my tenure at the company, Flutter has experienced tremendous growth and is now a FTSE20 company that just listed on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year. It’s been an exhilarating journey, especially because it was a completely new industry to me when I joined. As someone who is innately curious, this scratched my intellectual itch and I had the privilege of working with some amazing people at Flutter on genuinely interesting and challenging work in a dynamic industry.
After almost 3 years at Flutter, I made the decision this year to wrap up my chapter there in order to reset and recalibrate my career. And in this time also pursue personal goals I’ve always wanted to go after as I proactively and intentionally design my next chapter in my career.
2. You must’ve thought long and hard before you quit your job. What was your decision-making process like?
It was a difficult decision to make. I enjoyed my work at Flutter immensely, primarily because I had an amazing team and the challenging nature of the work made it inherently interesting.
However, I experienced some personal challenges last year that made me stop and think. For instance, I lost my beloved grandmother, with whom I was quite close to, and received the devastating news of my father’s cancer diagnosis. I think when big things like these occur in your life, it compels introspection and prompts you to really ask yourself whether you are spending your time and energy on the right things in your life.
The fact that we only have one life to live is both a harrowing and sobering thought, and it forced me to confront myself honestly. I decided I wanted to be more intentional with my time and energy, which led me to the decision to step away from my job in sports betting and igaming. It’s often hard to face yourself in the mirror and ask these difficult questions, especially when you are caught up in the fast-paced demands of the day-to-day job, but I’m glad I made this decision.
It feels right.
3. What are some of the things that you’ve been up to since?
Firstly, a lot of introspection. I felt the need to go back to first principles and evaluate what truly matters to me in my work.
Aside from the important work of introspection and subsequent goal setting, I’ve also actively pursued the dreams I had previously parked because life and work commitments kept getting in the way. For example, it has always been a lifelong dream of mine to become a published book writer. I decided I would go after this dream and not leave it to something I would do “when the time is right”.
I’m thrilled to share that I have just published my first book, ‘From Nowhere to Somewhere’, which is an autobiography chronicling my journey of making it into the renowned universities of Oxford and Cambridge from a small suburban town in Malaysia. In the book, I share the lessons I learned growing up and provide real practical advice for anyone aspiring to earn a place at Oxbridge or any world class university.
In addition to my writing endeavours, I’ve also spent time training at Rafael Nadal’s tennis academy in Mallorca to sharpen my groundstrokes and improve my serve. I even had the opportunity to meet Rafa himself (twice!) during my time there.
Professionally, I’ve been carrying out advisory work for private equity funds on an independent basis and I’m travelling quite a bit as well. Just in the past few weeks, I’ve been to Amsterdam to finalise my book, hiked in Wales’ stunning landscapes in Brecon Beacons, and will be living in Seville to learn Spanish for the next few weeks, before heading to South Africa for the first time at the end of August.
Amidst all this, I’m also making sure to prioritise quality time with my family and especially my parents, returning home to Malaysia to celebrate and truly be present when I’m with them.
4. Will you ever return to the corporate world?
Yes for sure! I’ve loved my time in the corporate world. However, I believe the time I’m spending now to reset and recalibrate will help me to enter my next chapter with renewed energy and intentionality.
5. How did this book come about?
The idea for this project actually came to me almost 8 years ago. As I mentioned, publishing my own book has always been a longstanding ambition of mine. I started by jotting down a few initial ideas in the notes app in my iPhone. From there, I began developing the key themes and chapters, refining the overall flow and gradually writing the content in parts.
However, due to the sporadic nature of my bursts of writing, stealing a few hours here and there, I didn’t really have periods of proper concentration to make substantial progress.
That said, effort, even in small doses, can and does accumulate over time. The little bits I did manage to write eventually started to coalesce and take shape. And when I left my role at Flutter, I dedicated my time to developing, refining and bringing to a conclusion this project I started almost 8 years ago.
It’s quite a personal book as I share a number of personal anecdotes and lessons I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way. I also spent considerable time and effort researching the latest Oxbridge application process, corroborating it with my own experiences. It’s really been a labour of love and I’m so proud to finally be able to bring it to life.
6. Why should anyone read this book?
If you or someone you know is applying to Oxbridge (perhaps your kid, friend, cousin, nephew or niece), this book is a comprehensive guide to earning a place at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. It will be immensely helpful not only from a practical standpoint, outlining the necessary steps required to succeed, but also an inspiring read for anyone daring to dream big, whether their aspirations are on Oxbridge or not.
7. What is one thing that you wish people understood about the book writing process?
The journey of writing and publishing a book is paved with countless rejections. You will be met with many ‘no’s and you will need (to develop) a thick skin. The key is to keep going in the face of rejection.
Also, doing a little bit of writing each day consistently. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence – even when your writing may be far from flawless for example, each incremental step you take will add up, until you suddenly find yourself completing your book, as I found in my case.
Someone once shared this saying with me: Many people have books in their head, but few have the discipline to put pen to paper.
I think this saying captures the essence of the book writing process really well. A large part of it is discipline at the end of the day. 🙂
8. You’ve made it to the Amazon bestseller list! How does that feel?
It’s a little mind-blowing if I’m honest. I wrote the book mostly for myself as a personal side project. So the unexpected success of it since its launch has taken me a bit by surprise. But as soon as I announced my book was out, I can’t begin to tell you how amazing all my friends, family, and colleagues have been. Everyone has been so supportive, buying themselves a copy, and in some cases, buying multiple copies to gift to people they know.
And I think after a certain point, the algorithm on Amazon just takes over and it creates this virtuous cycle.
‘From Nowhere to Somewhere’ topped Amazon’s Hot New Releases list across 3 categories in 1 week and was the #2 best-selling book on Amazon in the ‘College & High School’ and ‘Graduate School’ categories in that same timeframe.
It was also interesting to see that my book was competing with the official GMAT and SAT guides, which do sell very well. But that did reinforce my hunch that there was a gap in the market for a university admissions guide, that didn’t have a typical textbook structure and was more conversational, personal, and an easier read.
I’m honestly delighted it is resonating. Becoming a published author was a lifelong dream I achieved last week when I finally launched my first book/autobiography after 8 years of working on it as a side project. To also become a best-selling author with my very first book is just unbelievable.”
9. Where can we get this book?
‘From Nowhere to Somewhere’ is available in paperback and ebook in major bookstores. From Amazon/Kindle and Barnes & Noble, to Apple Books and Rakuten Kobo, the links are below:
- Amazon/Kindle: Available on all local Amazon platforms (US, UK, Singapore etc.).
- Amazon UK link: https://www.amazon.co.
uk/dp/B0D7M55QF7 - Barnes & Noble: https://www.
barnesandnoble.com/w/from- nowhere-to-somewhere-julian- tan/1145833560 - Apple Books, Rakuten Kobo & more: https://books2read.com/
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