Azran Osman-Rani is one of Malaysia's most well-known CEOs & entrepreneur and in this STIMY episode, we cover his colourful & highly impressive career that has included being:CEO and Co-Founder, Naluri Hidup (now)CEO of iflix Malaysia. Dragon-Keeper of the TaoCEO, AirAsia X BerhadSenior Director, Business Development, Astro All Asia Networks plcSenior Vice President, Kuala Lumpur Stock ExchangeAssociate Partner, McKinsey & CompanyAssociate, Booz Allen & Hamilton But how did it all begin?ChildhoodGrowing up with two professors for parents, Azran was always encouraged to speak up and speak out. This began when he was just 4 years old, where he would participate in adult conversations with his parents’ visiting guests that other professors.Stanford UniversityAzran eventually went to Stanford University to pursue a degree in electrical engineering although he did end up doing the barest minimum amount of engineering classes required. Instead, he ended up taking lessons in history, culture, psychology, economics, ballroom dancing and even sailing! After completing his masters, Azran ended up becoming a management consultant first at Booz Allen Hamilton, then McKinsey. He eventually left for Bursa Malaysia, which set him on his incredible path as an entrepreneur.Highlights:6:37: Studying at Stanford University before the dot com boom8:01: Ultimate frisbee13:45: Working at Booz Allen Hamilton14:25: Bombing his client presentation & being warned he would be kicked out if he repeated his performance14:25: Moving to Korea for work16:18: Earning the trust of his Korean clients20:28: Working to turn the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange from a nonprofit government linked organisation to a for-profit company (Bursa Malaysia)25:14: Phone call 1 that led him to Astro All Asia Networks27:06: His big failure at Astro, where he had to shut down their Indonesian business & letting go of 450 staff28:42: Phone call 2 from Tony Fernandes that led to him becoming CEO of AirAsia X30:16: AirAsia X’s value proposition31:27: Building a sustainable airline business model36:47: Making the pitch of a lifetime to the European export credit agency to save AirAsia X39:34: Securing an upward flow of information47:06: AirAsia X’s $15 million in-flight entertainment mistake50:47: Staying ahead of the competition51:47: Becoming CEO of iFlix54:13: Starting iFlix with a few people & laptops, but no product!56:14: How iFlix gained 1 million subscribers, 6 months after its launch1:00:03: Learning about Omada Health1:01:41: Launching Naluri Hidup1:02:59: Why Azran bet his kids’ education, life savings etc. on Naluri Hidup1:07:00: The importance of localisation1:10:25: Educating the public about digital health1:11:10: Why Azran is a YouTuber & active content creator1:11:58: A life-changing car accident in May 20181:12:32: How Azran kept going & completed his Ironman 6 months after his brutal car accident!1:15:31: Fundraising before & during COVID-191:17:05: Azran’s mirrors to deal with his confirmation bias?Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/46    ? Sign up for the weekly STIMY newsletter: https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/ebf231f605