The Entrepreneur Journal
Hosted by Steven Fong
A Malaysian business podcast that gets founders to share the unfiltered stories of their biggest failures, debts, and comebacks.
This is a Malaysian business podcast that skips the 'hustle porn' to focus on the comeback story. Hosts Steven Fong and Gene Loo create a space for founders to be candid about massive debt, business collapses, and the mental toll of starting over, often before they even get to the success story. It's less about 'how to succeed' and more about 'how to survive failure,' with a distinct focus on the emotional and financial reality of the journey.
“Its hyper-focus on the 'comeback story' and the hosts' direct, specific questions about debt and revenue figures set it apart from more generic business interview shows. The Malaysian context provides a specific cultural and economic backdrop to the entrepreneurial struggles discussed.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by Steven Fong and Loo Hon Gene, The Entrepreneur Journal (TEJ) features long-form interviews with Malaysian entrepreneurs and experts. The show delves into the unglamorous side of building a business, covering topics like debt, failure, mental health, and tough decisions behind starting and scaling a company. TEJ also partners with Dasein Academy of Art, a Malaysian art and design college, to provide industry mentorship to students.
Credentials & credits
- Steven Fong: Co-Host, Founder of Circle Studio (animation), Bug Works (design), and Starlab (tech/AI).
- Loo Hon Gene: Co-Host, former Head of Production at Lemon Sky (animation studio) with 18 years of experience.
Other ventures
- Horizen Media (Production Company).
What kind of podcast
- Country
- MY
- Region
- se asia
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02The Harsh Reality of First-Year Startup Life in MalaysiaJun 24, 2026 · 1 min
- 03Leaving Fame to Start Over: Reuben Kang's Malaysian Entrepreneur JourneyJun 17, 2026 · 1 min
- 04
- 05How Zucca Used TikTok Live to Rebuild After Retail Failure.Jun 11, 2026 · 1 min
- 06RM 4 Million Debt to RM 30 Million In Sales, Zucca Comeback Story - Gary NgJun 11, 2026 · 1h 21m
- 07The Brutal Reality of Building a Supercar Business in KL - Billy Ooi l One CorsaJun 3, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 08Leaving Comfort for Impact: Building a Startup in MalaysiaMay 27, 2026 · 1h 06m
Notable episodes
- 01RM 4 Million Debt to RM 30 Million In Sales, Zucca Comeback Story - Gary Ng
A classic TEJ episode detailing a massive business failure, personal struggle (driving Uber), and a successful comeback via live streaming.
- 02The Truth About Quitting Youtube to Build Real Business - Reuben Kang l Imagineers Film
Explores the transition from a well-known creative personality to a business owner, tackling the creator-to-entrepreneur path.
- 03The Harsh Reality of First-Year Startup Life in Malaysia - Brenda Yong l Financial Planner
A practical, expert-led session on the financial and structural mistakes founders make, directly addressing common pain points like partnerships and valuation.
What you'll be asked on this show
Steven Fong and Gene Loo operate as a conversational duo, building a narrative of the guest's journey. They typically open by establishing the guest's backstory before their entrepreneurial leap, asking questions like, "Before you came into the scene, who were you?". They probe for the unglamorous details, directly asking about specific debt figures, revenue numbers, and the mental struggles of failure. Their follow-ups are designed to extract the full story behind a pivot or a comeback, often asking "Can you tell us the whole story?" to get past surface-level answers. The interview often concludes by connecting the guest's hard-won lessons back to the audience of aspiring founders.
A two-host conversational interview format. Steven Fong and Gene Loo maintain a casual, supportive tone, allowing guests to speak at length. They often begin with origin stories before digging into specific moments of failure and success, using direct questions about financials and operations.
Questions Steven Fong keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Steven Fong reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“Before all the success and your current venture, who were you and what was your path?”
This is a standard opening question to establish the guest's origin story before their entrepreneurial journey began.
- Q.02
“What is the origin story of your company?”
A foundational question to understand the 'why' behind the guest's current business.
backstory
1- Q.01
“Can you walk us through the whole story of your previous business failure?”
The hosts ask this to dig deep into past struggles, setting the stage for a comeback narrative.
mindset
2- Q.01
“What was the mental and emotional toll during the early, uncertain days of your business?”
This question directly addresses the psychological aspect of entrepreneurship that the show emphasizes.
- Q.02
“How does the reality of the first year of business compare to the initial plan?”
This question aims to ground the romanticized idea of a startup in the harsh reality of early challenges.
money
3- Q.01
“How significant were the financial struggles, like debt, during your lowest point?”
A direct question used to quantify the extent of a guest's past failures, a signature of the show's direct style.
- Q.02
“How did you secure the funding to get your next venture off the ground?”
Asked after discussing a failure, this question pivots the conversation towards the practical steps of recovery.
- Q.03
“Can you share some specifics on your revenue or business scale?”
The hosts are not shy about asking for hard numbers to give context to the business's success.
industry
1- Q.01
“In a crowded market, what was your strategy for differentiation?”
This question probes into the guest's business acumen and strategic thinking.
process
1- Q.01
“What does the behind-the-scenes process of your core business activity look like?”
Used to get into the operational nitty-gritty of the guest's business model, like running a live stream.
advice
1- Q.01
“How should founders approach negotiating valuation and equity splits with partners or investors?”
This is asked of expert guests to provide actionable advice for the audience.
future
1- Q.01
“What's your take on how major trends like AI will impact your industry?”
This question looks toward the future and gauges the guest's forward-thinking perspective.
Signature segments
- · Deep dives into past failures and debt
- · Focus on the 'comeback story'
- · Direct questions about revenue and metrics
- · Opening with the guest's pre-entrepreneurship origin story
- · Call to action to like, comment, and subscribe
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Primarily Malaysian founders and entrepreneurs who have a significant story of overcoming failure or navigating a major pivot (e.g., from millions in debt to a profitable business). The show also books subject-matter experts in fields like finance to provide practical advice.
- Brenda Yongon The Harsh Reality of First-Year Startup Life in Malaysia - Brenda Yong l Financial Planner
- Reuben Kangon The Truth About Quitting Youtube to Build Real Business - Reuben Kang l Imagineers Film
- Gary Ngon RM 4 Million Debt to RM 30 Million In Sales, Zucca Comeback Story - Gary Ng
- Billy Ooion The Brutal Reality of Building a Supercar Business in KL - Billy Ooi l One Corsa
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show features integrated sponsorships, often for services related to entrepreneurship like financial planning or startup camps. Guests also occasionally promote their own services. Estimated sponsor fit includes financial services, business software, and educational platforms targeting Malaysian SMEs.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Steven Fong
People also ask
- Who are the hosts of The Entrepreneur Journal?
- The podcast is co-hosted by Malaysian entrepreneurs Steven Fong and Loo Hon Gene.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a long-form interview show where the two hosts talk to a single guest, typically an entrepreneur or industry expert from Malaysia.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast appears to release new full-length episodes on a weekly basis.
- What kind of topics does The Entrepreneur Journal cover?
- It focuses on the real stories of entrepreneurship, including business failures, debt, mental health, fundraising, and strategy, with a specific focus on the Malaysian market.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube and audio platforms like Spotify.
- What makes this podcast different from other business podcasts?
- It stands out for its focus on the struggles, failures, and comebacks of entrepreneurs, rather than just their successes. The hosts are known for asking direct questions about sensitive topics like debt and revenue.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]The Entrepreneur Journal | Official Traileryoutube.com
- [02]The Entrepreneur Journal Podcast - YouTube Musicmusic.youtube.com
- [03]Steven Fong: I Built This From Nothing | EP02youtube.com
- [04]Entrepreneur vs Employee: Which Path Is Right for You? | EP008music.youtube.com
- [05]Steven Fong's LinkedIn Profilelinkedin.com
- [06]Gene Loo's Instagram Profileinstagram.com
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