Turning Down a Great Job Offer

One of the most important career decisions I ever made was turning down a well-funded executive role to lead an insolvent start-up.

The offer came from Tien Wong.

It was 2000. And that decision defined my path as an entrepreneur.
I still have the offer in my files.

It was real. A serious opportunity. Tien was already a proven entrepreneur, building and leading successful technology companies with clarity and momentum.

Being asked to step in as Executive Vice President was a big deal.

And then I did something unexpected.

I declined.

Instead, I chose to bet on myself, cashing out my savings and retirement to build a company that had more risk than runway. No guaranteed salary. No infrastructure. No safety net.

It was the harder path.

But it was mine.

What I didn’t fully understand at the time was this:

Having that offer gave me the confidence to take the bigger risk.

When someone credible sees your capability, it changes how you see yourself.

Over the past 26 years, I’ve watched Tien do that for countless founders. As Chairman & CEO of Opus8, Inc. and founder of The Big Idea CONNECTpreneur Community, he hasn’t just built companies, he’s built an ecosystem. He creates rooms where investors meet entrepreneurs. Where ideas get oxygen. Where momentum begins.

He’s a connector in the truest sense. Not transactional. Not loud. Just consistent.

Our paths have taken different turns, but they continue to overlap. Companies scaled and exited. I built and raised capital. I stepped into public service.
But the respect endured.

The best professional relationships aren’t built on proximity.
They’re built on time, trust, and mutual belief.

I’m grateful that in 2000, he saw something in me. And I’m grateful I chose the risk.

It was a joy to recently celebrate the Lunar New Year with Tien and friends, a reminder that the strongest professional relationships, when rooted in respect, become something more lasting.

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