#1 BE MORE, As You Are
TLDR.: I talked with Felix Lee, about his journey on starting ADPList, with a mission to democratise access to mentorship for all.
Well, well, well, look who’s here! It's you, and me. 👋🏼
If you were one of the brave souls who survived my intro last week, then you know what's up. It's my first story release, and I'm feeling a mixture of pure terror and excitement. 🙃 But enough about me and my emotional shenanigans. I know you have things to do, places to be.
I won't be a big head (yet) and guarantee this story's worth your time.
Just buckle up and enjoy the ride! 🎢1
In 503-words, Felix shares:
How he started out on his mission to democratize mentorship
His driving force: achieving big goals through humility
The challenge of going from a ‘do-er’ to a manager
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
When the pandemic hit, I couldn't just sit around and watch as the creative community suffered. So I created a Google spreadsheet and called it the Amazing Design People List (ADPList).
Once I shared it on LinkedIn and Twitter, the list started getting noticed. Recruiters started to find potential candidates, while volunteers would being to offer career advice and mentoring support. This was also how I connected with my now co-founder, James Baduour.
A year later, I quit my full-time job and moved to San Francisco to begin fundraising and dedicate my full attention to ADPList.
WHAT’S YOUR DRIVING FORCE?
I founded ADPList in 2021 with the mission to democratize mentorship for all. In today's world, access to network and knowledge are gatekept by people of privilege. So we are here to change this entirely for billions of lives worldwide and the next generations.
WHAT ABOUT $$$?
I'm a very frugal and simple man. I spend on what I need, and gives me energy; I could care less about fancy materials. So navigating finance for me is always about being frugal, living simple and happy.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
Inspiring humanity. This is success to me, people will look at you as a symbol of a better world, a hope for a better world. I wake up every day to humility and the hunger to be better at what I set out to achieve and do. And I know, this will trickle through generations as an inspiration. That wakes me up every day.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE/LEARNING SO FAR?
Managing people. People are complex especially when they unconsciously mix emotions into work; and emotions change daily. So it's almost like a Rubik’s cube you are dealing with as the company grows. I'm still learning, but I think it starts from 1.) hiring people who are here to get the work done, and 2.) want to be great.
LEARNING BY DOING OR TAKING ADVICE TO ACCELERATE LEARNING?
Both. There is no binary in this answer. Each has a merit, so I suggest doing both.
ADVICE FOR THE ROAD
Live each day like its your last then you can progress in life.
AYA QUICK FIRE 🔥
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD TO CHANGE YOUR CAREER?
Nothing, as proud as I am for my achievements, I'm proud of the mistakes I've made. All of these are compounded learnings and will lead me to exactly where I need to be.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU’RE CURRENTLY STRUGGLING WITH?
Transitioning into management. This is one of the hardest things because as a designer, product owner, I get real and down with execution. As the company grows, I need to transit into a management leader of many different people and this is something I'm learning and growing into.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU’RE CURRENTLY CURIOUS ABOUT?
I'd like to figure out how to consistently improve myself and learn even faster; I enjoy learning and want to make the best use of the time I have.
FEED YOUR CURIOSITY
AKA - I asked Felix to share a resource
that’s helped him along his journey.
Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside By: Bill Carr and Colin Bryar
AYA SNAPSHOT 📹
Felix is the Co-founder @ADPList, focusing on driving product strategy and community efforts
ADPList is a platform serving a global community of Mentors and Learners through free mentorship
For the record, I’m (still) glad to have you here. ☺