#02. Shilpa Nath and her Values, Passion and Purpose
Values are your non-negotiable foundation, passion is about what excites and motivates you, and purpose is your deeper reason for existence.
- Havard Business Review
Wantedly’s mission is to create a world where work drives passion, and whether you are a founder or creator, a leader or a gig worker, a consultant or a teacher, discovering and aligning your values, passion, and purpose will give you the best chance at having a fulfilling career, and more importantly, a meaningful life. On top of that, organisations can achieve their mission, and society and beyond will benefit in the long run.
Welcome to the second of 60 stories about people who have been shaped by Singapore, and are making a difference in Singapore. This series pays homage to Singapore's 60th birthday this year.
SG60’s theme is a refreshed spirit, and by celebrating Singapore’s journey to date, Wantedly also wants to spotlight some of those who have contributed to the past, and will be shaping the next chapter of the Singapore story. And as a nation, we reflect on our shared values of multiculturalism, boldness, resilience and openness, which allowed us to prosper… This series aims to be a platform for individual reflection on what our own values are, and how we discover our passion and strive towards our purpose.
1. Why is Failure important?
"When a baby takes its first steps and falls, they try again and again until they learn to stumble, waddle, and eventually walk. We aren’t born with a concept of failure; instead, we are conditioned by culture, media, and society to view failure as something negative. The truth is, failure comes in different forms, and not all of it is bad. In fact, certain types of failure can drive growth and innovation, both in our personal and professional lives."
"For instance, when learning a new hobby, it’s natural to make mistakes as a beginner. But with persistence, those mistakes become lessons, and over time, you improve. In a professional context, during my experience leading change communications in bank transformation programs, I observed that organisations striving for innovation must adopt an experimental mindset. This means recognising that not all experiments will succeed—and that’s okay."
"Failure is an inherent part of life. The key lies in learning: What can we take away from these moments, and how can we apply those lessons to achieve better outcomes in the future? We can choose to play it safe and avoid risks, but that also means limiting our growth and potential. By embracing failure as a tool for learning, we open ourselves to greater opportunities for success and self-discovery."
- Shilpa
Introducing Shilpa
Shilpa is the founder of What The Fail, a movement redefining the narrative of failure in Asia. Since its launch in August 2023, WTF has engaged over 1,000 attendees through meetups in Singapore and Seoul, a podcast, and a newsletter. She is also the founder of Kali Club, a life design community that empowers digital nomads and solopreneurs to achieve accountable self-transformation while fostering meaningful friendships. Currently, Shilpa is writing her book, S(e)oul Searching: Confessions of a Recovering Workaholic, and dedicates her time to mentoring and consulting founders, startups, and accelerators, and she is a strong advocate for community-led growth as a driver of business success.
Shilpa moderating a panel featuring Women in Disruption, 2024
2. What are your top 3 values?
- Curiosity: I chase knowledge for the love of knowledge, and knowing different things have come in handy in my personal and professional life. I just loved knowing things. Science experiments to learning a new language or moving to a country where I didn’t know anything. Of course this meant that sometimes I failed - make the seemingly wrong move- but I loved trying anyway. With the world changing around us at such a rapid pace, I believe staying curious will become critical. I think we should give ourselves space to chase curiosity. A new hobby, a random book, questioning our beliefs…chase the curiosity for the fun of it!
- Determination: When I was 16, I came across an article in Reader’s Digest about the 3Ds that we need to incorporate into our lives, and it has stuck with me ever since. I even designed a postcard with these values that I taped onto the walls of my university and work places through the years.
Deliberation - We are constantly faced with so many choices to choose from. But we have finite time and resources. So, we need to be deliberate in our actions.
Determination - We need to be determined to work on things that we have chosen for ourselves, especially when things get difficult. How can we master our trade or our minds if we give up at first sign of difficulty?
Dedication - Are we devoted to the tasks that we are working on? Do we dedicate ourselves to the mastery of the things and path we have chosen for ourself? - Gratitude: No matter what, I try to never forget how lucky I am to have what I have, and to not take them for granted. There is a small practice I have been doing for years; every night before I sleep, I say thanks to the universe for 3 things that I am grateful for that day. On days when my mood was low, it helped me to look out for 3 small things during the day so that I would have something to say gratitude for at night time. Those moments reminded me that it’s not the end of the world, and that I can keep going.
3. What keeps you up at night?
(The reality is) As a founder building a media and community platform, what keeps me up is monetisation. Am I doing enough? How much can I charge the community, especially in a market which is used to having a lot of freebies thrown around? Am I making enough impact? For instance, changing the mindset of the ecosystem and culture is my ultimate mission…will I see it in my lifetime?
On a personal level, I wonder if I am doing enough? If I have given it my best shot today?
In 2025, I want to work towards building a more sustainable model.
4. What gets you out of bed in the morning?
“What can I do today that will take me one step closer to my goal?”
When I wake up this is usually what I ask myself. I typically work in sprints, so I have my calendar to reference my tasks for the day. But this question to myself, gets me excited because I am someone motivated by progress. The thought that I can get even 0.1% closer to my goal really helps to get out of bed.
Also, the thought of making my first cup of coffee ;)
5. What fills your cup?
“I didn’t know I needed to hear this.”
When community members DM me or tell me this in person after one of our meetups, I know what I am doing is worth it. It truly makes me feel like I am fulfilling my purpose as a human. It also gives me a lot of joy to see how the community comes together to support one another too!
Shilpa with her What The Fail community, 2024
6. Please leave us with your advice for startups/founders.
There are no guarantees for success, but what you can control is taking that first step—and then the next. Each step you take is progress. Let’s strive to fail forward together! Don’t be afraid to build a culture in your startup that embraces failure. By doing so, you create a space where your team feels empowered to try, fail, iterate, and ultimately succeed more quickly.
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Once again, in celebration of SG60, let us strive to be bolder and kinder to one another, for Singapore and ourselves.
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