As part of Entre’s Startup Happy Hour, they regularly host fireside chats with entrepreneurs. On Nov. 13, Cadence founder and CEO Nelson Chu was invited to share his journey and unique path to entrepreneurship.
Early questions dived into Nelson’s upbringing, as he spoke about the support he received from both parents in pursuing his passions. He highlighted his father’s entrepreneurial background, having co-founded an airline crew optimization company.
As they chatted about Nelson’s professional experience, he discussed the impact of his stint in the corporate world – learning how to be detail-oriented, how to manage down and up, and what not to do when it comes to building team cultures.
This helped him as he built his first company, Lumenary, a strategy consulting firm. While running Lumenary, he was able to hone various skills, including design, development, and sales. While building his network at Lumenary, he connected with a family office that ended up backing Cadence as a lead investor in the first round of financing.
The conversation then shifted to past failures and rejections, and how that shaped him to be more resilient. Finally, he encouraged everyone to pursue their passions, whether that’s working at a corporate job, in the startup world, or founding your own company.
“It’s not always about the money,” Nelson said. “It’s about doing things that give you fulfillment.”