This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on August 7, 2017 - August 13, 2017

THE fight Grab is involved in today is not an easy one. CEO and co-founder Anthony Tan and his team know this.

The Grabbers, as Anthony likes to call them, are always on the go. Their work schedules are crazy.

We asked him for the top three lessons, personal and work-related, he has learnt on this five-year journey building Grab, and here is what he said.

Lesson 1: With great power comes great responsibilities. I have been given a very blessed and comfortable life, but I have also learnt that it has given me a greater responsibility to do good. Not everyone can have the luxury and blessing to pursue their passion and mission. To whom much is given, much is expected. The question is, how do I leverage this privileged position to leave a greater and more positive impact? You don’t have to be a Bill Gates and start a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. How do we take what we have now, whether it is business or just our knowledge, to create double bottom lines? I believe the worst thing in our one short life on Earth is to waste our talents just because we are blessed with more [than others].

Lesson 2: Pushing [forward] and not just accepting it when people say “it’s impossible”. Five years ago, when many scoffed at the “lame” idea of a taxi-hailing app, we kept pushing. Lots of people kept saying taxi fleets and drivers wouldn’t adopt our technology, but we believed that if we showed that the technology would truly improve their income, they would adopt it. Call us stubborn, call us optimists or even crazy, but every time we heard the word “no”, we believed it was one step closer to a “yes”.

Lesson 3: My wife has been a pillar of support. My wife once said in jest, “Happy wife, happy life!” which I have held close to my heart, as I wouldn’t be able to invest full-time into growing Grab without her support. My amazing wife and my assistant help me keep track of everything. My calendar is meticulously packed, I wear a fitness tracker and even track my sleep.

Editor's disclosure: Anthony’s wife Chloe Tan-Tong is the daughter of Datuk Tong Kooi Ong, the chairman of  The Edge Media Group.

Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.

P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play.