Glenn Lai is the co-founder and CEO of Fr8Labs, a startup that empowers SME forwarders with a state-of-the-art, cloud-based Modern Operating System, infusing AI, real-time tracking, and robust digital customer engagement into their daily operations. 

They recently secured $1.5M in seed funding to enhance their platform. 

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👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

Normal version: I help logistics companies involved in cross-border movement (freight forwarders) level up their digital game through our SaaS platform and introduce them to a world where managing freight is as easy as scrolling through a smartphone, complete with embedded AI chats and real-time updates. 

My job is to ensure we continually innovate and deliver solutions that transform how these businesses operate efficiently and level up their game in interacting with their customers (importers and exporters).

Humorous version: Imagine being a digital wizard for the freight forwarding world. That's us at Fr8Labs. 

We turn traditional freight forwarding companies into a tech-savvy, app-loving, AI-chatting powerhouse. We're like the tech makeover crew for forwarding businesses–think of a reality show where clunky old systems get transformed into sleek, digital hubs. 

My daily grind? Making sure our magic wand doesn’t run out of batteries!

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🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

I'm terrified of roller coasters, but I've skydived before. #YOLO right? But yeah, never again. 

Also, I survived a 5-year long-distance relationship (she is my wife now and we have 2 adorable kids).

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🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

I love the discovery, the ideation, and ultimately the grind/iterative process of building things from zero to one and adding value to customers. 

One of the biggest highlights was when we were building Bizzy Digital (B2B FMCG marketplace), from implementing the first order on the ground with the retailer to reaching tens of thousands of retailers, the journey and building it together with building a team that was mission-focused, was a great highlight.

We are still at the beginning of this journey right now, so this is not the biggest highlight yet, but I am confident it will extend far beyond my previous biggest highlight.

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🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

I'm still watching generative AI. It might be an overly hyped space, but it is still barely scratching the surface. 

So far, the technology is more cutting edge on the infrastructure level (i.e. LLMs) and has not yet translated into massive change in all areas. 

I believe it's a bit of a bullwhip effect; we are probably seeing the first waves of the bullwhip hitting users right now with some muted responses, but the second and third waves are only going to get bigger and become a tidal wave that will take over players who don't keep up. 

For example, GPT-4 with Vision looks powerful enough to leapfrog and disrupt many vertical-focused AI document startups.

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💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry? 

With regards to being a startup founder, be careful what you wish for! You often get all the positive things that you might have been expecting to get from the journey, alongside a bunch of unintended downsides and consequences. 

It's a packaged deal!

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours? 

I would have used to say Sociology, maybe World of Warcraft, Gundam maybe. 

But these days I'd say mainly more about my adorable two-and-a-half-year-old Son (Luke), my 8-week-old daughter (Zoe), and the struggles of juggling parenting with ‘3’ kids (including Fr8Labs)!

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🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show? 

My guilty pleasure is sitcoms. I have Friends, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and Brooklyn 99 running on repeat on my phone constantly.

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Strawberry and cookies and cream! They are classics for a reason.

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FYI. We've edited this interview for clarity.