Javier Lorenzana is the co-founder and CEO of Up Next, an edtech startup that builds community-based short courses for the future of work in Southeast Asia.

👋🏼  How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

Being an early-stage startup founder is all about navigating chaos. You want to have the foresight to identify huge opportunities that align with your vision while still crushing the day-to-day.

Often, this involves hours of conversations with our members, partners, and mentors.

🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

I get to work closely with top industry operators from companies like Alibaba, Grab, and YouTube to design our programs. But the most surprising thing I've found is just how kind, approachable, and knowledgeable they are!

The level of expertise is mind-blowing. And the fact that our community members get to meet & interact with these folks makes it 10x sweeter.

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🏆  What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Getting into Iterative's W22 batch! Shout out to Hsu Ken and Brian.

Being a part of Iterative's community has opened so many doors for us and has transformed the trajectory of our company. Being able to chat with experienced founders and folks with deep knowledge of the region was game-changing.

Shameless plug, but I'd highly recommend applying to their next batch at https://iterative.vc/apply 🙈

🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

I've been in and out of the web3/metaverse rabbit hole for a few months.

It's fascinating to think about how decentralized platforms will impact the way we interact online.

That, and the prospect of having the Up Next campus in the metaverse would also be pretty awesome.

💼  What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

For anyone building a venture-backed startup, I've got 3 lessons: Launch as soon as you can, talk to 10 or more users (or potential users) per week, and never stop iterating.

🗣  What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

Learning how to learn. I've been running personal experiments and reading a ton on this topic for years.

🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

The Office, Rick n Morty, South Park.

🍨  What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

Cookies and Cream but with more cookie.