Lukas Jim. Tan | My Entrepreneurial Journey and Contribution to the Universities

I am Lukas Jim. Tan, a technopreneur and software consultant. I launched my business OPERION back in 2007. I got inspired to start my first venture when I discovered how automated systems could save time by integrating with our daily workflow. To me, similar routine works that an AI program can easily replace are a waste of time. Humans are meant to do more than stick to one thing and run like a robot all day.

With this view in my mind, I developed my own billing/ CRM system by 2009. My target was to automate customer relationship management, quotation follow-up, payment requisition, HR, and leave management to save any workforce from such monotonous activities. Gradually I moved on to developing multiple automation to reduce manual workload from the office environment. I would rather have my employees investing their valuable time learning new things than having a tedious work life.

I drew my inspiration from the AI- bot Jarvis introduced in Iron Man 1. I am a software programmer. Unlike Tony Stark, I cannot build a robot. But my expertise and experience pushed me to develop what I call a?Half-Jarvis.?So that’s it. I automated whatever lies within my limits.

I seek knowledge, and I want everyone around me to do the same. So, I sought to change the work environment, facilitating an independent learning culture for my employees.

A little down the road…

Not long ago, programming was seen as a hobby of geeks tweaking with computers in their basement. But today, programming arose as something more. From our daily necessities to everyday entertainment, there are hints of tech and coding everywhere.

Ever since I stepped into the IT industry, I was introduced to monumental tech services. Soon I realized the technological ideologies are something that everyone should learn and not just me.

And this is what stirred me. When I launched OPERION, all I could think about was how I could contribute to the technological advances of Malaysia and the whole world. When I look around the world, I envision the future in an automated mode. Everything related to coding and tech will continue to grow at an exponential rate.

Here are some stats to back my claim:

● Web developers are expected to flourish by 13%.

● Computer systems and network administrators are expected to grow by 5%.

● Database administrators are expected to grow by 9%.

● Software developers are expected to grow by 21%.

This is the prediction for the next 5 years.

A handful of IT professionals are expected to outrun a lot of other career options. And if people are not educated with something so important, they will be missing out on a huge opportunity. I believe tech studies is not an option but a vital life skill for students of every walk. Therefore, it’s time to infuse tech studies into the curriculum.

The universities in Malaysia are sparing no effort to implement significant changes in their course structure. University authorities are pouring all their blood, sweat, and tears to resolve the gaps between courses and real-world applications.

Unfortunately, the process is painfully slow and requires several stages of approval from the government. For example, if we try to update the maths syllabus, it takes 1 year for a minor change and 5 years for a colossal swap.

Further, the research students conduct in their final year is below par. The result? Students literally have to struggle for internships and job placements. To me, it’s a tragedy. If students are rewarded with disappointment after all these years of studying, we failed- as a nation.

If this is the condition in my country, what about the rest of the world? There are still some parts of the world where people are deprived of fundamental education. Tech studies continue to be a dream or luxury for them.

Then…

There was one thing common amidst all the bright minds of the world. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Jack Ma, Elon Musk, Larry Page – they climbed the success ladder through programming. Every one of them leveraged the power of tech knowledge to get this far.

I quickly realized the best answer to the issue is to bring students and newcomers under a technological roof. That’s when I contemplated devising?INVILENT?for tech and non-tech students.

My goal is to organize internship programs and technopreneur talks to boost the spirits of tech and non-tech students. With this motto in mind, I started collaborating with different universities throughout Malaysia. Currently, INVILENT partnered with 22 universities intending to inspire students and freshmen for a better future.

I do not believe the country should be a barrier when it comes to education and internship. Every person around the globe deserves an equal opportunity in terms of learning or acquiring knowledge. So INVILENT introduced the WFH strategy in its course structure.

No matter which part of the world the students are in, they are invited to join the INVILENT program.

Naturally, people may wonder why any other tech giant hasn’t worked out such programs yet. I think this is the reason. Designing schemes like this is time-consuming and doesn’t yield any profit. We are doing this because we understand coding is a blessing to prepare for the future.

We call out students and freshmen from all walks to be a part of our portal.

How INVILENT helps students and freshmen:

Companies do not feel confident hiring freshmen because they are inexperienced. So they always try to chase the ones with experience. The recruitment limbo sprouts deeper and actually affects the economy of

the whole world.

When I was pondering how to make a difference in the country with programming, the idea of INVILENT just struck me. I decided to train students in IT and untangle the recruitment hassles for them.

Many people keep asking me about the internship program. They believe it’s nothing more than attending meetings and preparing reports. But now, I want to break my silence over the belief. In INVILENT, we allow interns to handle their projects independently. We give our interns the space and facilities for personal development.

Our program was developed around offering interns a real-life experience of how things run in a tech company. We also show them how their internship activities integrate with different businesses. This is a bonus for recruiters around the world as we are sending out accomplished students and freshmen.

If somehow INVILENT’s trainees end up unemployed, they have the chance to flourish as independent technopreneurs.

Programming is a game-changer, and the ones skilled in it have a competitive advantage in their career.