John Tan is the Founder and CEO of Doyobi, an edtech startup that teaches kids the skills they need to build for the real world and the jobs of the future. Before Doyobi, he also launched Saturday Kids, a coding school for children that he still runs today.

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

I help kids build skills through collaborative problem-solving in the metaverse.

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

How challenging it is to convince parents and educators we need to help kids learn the skills to make their way in the world.

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

10 years of Saturday Kids this July. Without Saturday Kids, there would not be Doyobi.

Both companies share the same ethos of using play-based learning to help kids build skills and become curious, self-directed learners.

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

Web3, specifically the metaverse and blockchain. I'm excited about the possibilities Web3 affords in terms of helping kids build skills and earn credentials.

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

Build a great team. Keep hustling.

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

The need to reimagine learning because schools are stuck in the industrial age.

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🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Anything by Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar or Wes Anderson.

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

Pistachio.