How an Intrapreneur Develops an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Author: Serene Li, is a Moon Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR) from Mitsui Singapore. She joined the Boost program in 2024 with the goal of solving the problem of creating sustainable exercise habits for long-term health benefits. Here is what she experienced at Moon on her entrepreneurial journey.

"Do I need to wait for instructions to start interviewing users?"

"What are the safest choices to go with?" 

"Should I wait for Moon's approval for my next concept design plan?"

These questions frequently popped up during my early days exploring startup ideas at Moon Creative Lab. They appeared naturally from my corporate-employee mindset. I felt anxious when I realized I no longer had the "safety net" of a manager or senior colleague providing clear instructions and guidance, unlike my previous role at Mitsui & Co.

Letting go of this employee mindset wasn't easy. It took courage to take charge of my own plan and execution for the idea. Adjusting to this mindset took time, but it felt necessary because I wanted to see if I could bring my startup idea into reality.

In the Boost program, I researched, designed, tested, learned, and adapted continually to deepen my understanding about the market and customers, and considered other factors such as industry trends, on-going innovation, available government support and many more. This constant iteration is essential to drive the idea forward.

One of the most important principles that shaped my entrepreneurial mindset is Design Thinking. The problem serves as our compass — whether designing, testing, or connecting with stakeholders, keeping the problem statement in mind has prevented me from pursuing creative concepts that don't effectively solve the problem.

Focus on ends, not means

When I started my entrepreneurial journey, my purpose was to help people develop sustainable exercise habits for their health. I tested a few ideas and struggled to grasp users’ interest in relation to their problem.

Later, I moved on to test the next idea: an app that curates audio playlists for users to use while running.  I developed a prototype to keep people motivated to run by providing them with stimulating music synced to their heartbeat, interesting, location-specific information, and random fun facts while they are running.

However, I was too obsessed with the concept of the playlist, and the problem solving became secondary. Eventually, I realized that providing the curated content was not the means necessary to the problem I really wanted to solve. It was difficult, but I was able to step back and refocus on the important issues.  It was a wake-up call that reminded me to stay focused on “solving the right problem.”

My key learning in the Boost program has been the importance of staying open-minded and agile. To gather feedback, I've initiated conversations with Moon employees, target users, and even strangers. It was initially challenging for myself as an introvert, but pushing past my shyness and being open-minded have led to unexpected insights and inspiration.  

For example, I have noticed that asking open-ended questions such as “What approach do you think would work best?” or “How do you identify your exercise motivation from time to time?” and listening closely without jumping to conclusions or imposing my own opinions, has helped me build stronger connections with target users. Those connections have encouraged them to continuously share deeper thoughts about their personal exercise experiences, useful articles, and fitness trends, and even helped to discover an innovative market player that addressed the habit-creation problem with a different approach. Such enthusiastic sharing from target users has quickly deepened my understanding about the market and fueled innovation.

The process of concept brainstorming and selection, developing the prototypes, reaching out to people, learning from user-testing, and iterating the concept (mostly on my own with some support from Moon) requires much agility. Staying flexible and adapting quickly without being overly attached to the concept allowed me to refocus on the core mission, which is to solve users’ problems.

View risk as an opportunity for growth

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset has opened a new world to me. I've transformed from someone who avoided risks into someone who embraces them as opportunities for growth. While this journey isn't about becoming the next Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, it's a transformative experience that's helping me — and those around me — become more innovative, inspiring, and empathetic in both work and life.

If I could share one piece of advice: Don't wait until you feel ready, because you never will. Embrace the uncertainty of growth and you'll discover you're capable of more than you ever imagined!

Author: Serene Li
EIR at Moon, from Mitsui & Co.(Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd.