SMU alum Karl Mak is well known as co-founder and chief executive of Hepmil Media Group, the company behind meme site SGAG. His entry into the start-up world in fact began with failure. His first venture is a software start-up called Televate that produced a digital solution that can eliminate the customer hotline waiting times for banks and telcos. The idea traced back to a school project in 2013, Mak’s final year at the SMU, where he majored in economics and entrepreneurship. The assignment involved solving a bank’s struggle with consumer satisfaction ratings on the call centre. While the venture failed, he received much support upon failing and he learned valuable lessons from the experience, which slowly shaped how he approached his next venture.