The ONE Mindset Shift That Turned an Engineer Into a Founder ft. Kriang Khanijomdi | Ep 9

Meet Kriang Khanijomdi — a Shopify veteran turned startup founder and the creator of PuppetVendors, a multi-vendor marketplace used by e-commerce brands worldwide.

In this episode of On My Own Terms, host John Lim explores Kriang’s journey from big tech to entrepreneurship — the pressure of being the “last line of defense,” taking risks in your 30s, and the mindset shifts needed to build beyond your comfort zone.

💬 In this episode, we talk about:

👉 Why solving a problem you personally experienced is the strongest foundation for a startup

👉 The biggest mindset shift from being a corporate employee to becoming a founder

👉 How AI is reshaping the future of e-commerce, small business, and product development

👉 Why conviction matters more than timing, and how to stay in the game long enough to see results

👉 The hidden skills from corporate life that become superpowers in entrepreneurship

👉 How to manage time, reflect daily, and build momentum without burning out

👉 What “living life on your own terms” means after transitioning out of big tech

—-----------------------------

Chapters:

00:00 Why People Quit Too Early

02:02 Introduction

02:33 Who is Kriang Khanijomdi

04:47 What Shopify Taught Him About Winning

19:56 A 10-Year Problem Became His Business

33:11 Why He Says NO to Customers (On Purpose)

33:54 How He Levels Up

36:18 The Toughest Part of Building

42:31 What AI Can Do (And What It Still Can’t)

53:51 When You Become the Last Line of Defense

—-----------------------------

Where to find Kriang:

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4rONvs4

PuppetVendors: https://bit.ly/4acW4qB

🔍 Scale Score™— Free Quick Diagnostic for SMB FoundersRunning a business that’s generating revenue but still feels heavier than it should?

Scale Score™ is a free short diagnostic designed for SMB founders to pinpoint where growth is actually getting stuck — across sales, delivery, positioning, and systems.

Most businesses don’t need more tactics or tools. They need clarity on the real constraint before investing time, money, or energy (including things like AI).If you want a clearer signal on what to fix next — and what to ignore for now —

👉 Take the free Scale Score™: https://bit.ly/3MC4aiE

🎯Find practical tools and resources to guide your journey:

Check out: https://bit.ly/3CTMZRW

📩 Follow us on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onmyowntermspodcast

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/on-my-own-terms-podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnMyOwnTermsPodcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UoZFflZDdk03KfafgTwQg

Email: [e-mail]

Support the podcast here: https://buymeacoffee.com/onmyownterms

📌 References, Recommendations & Resources:

✅Shopify — Where Kriang learned shipping intensity and product execution. Start your Shopify free trial here 🔗 https://bit.ly/48tXjQL

✅Puppet Vendors — Shopify app that helps Shopify store owners convert their store into a full-fledge Multi-Vendor marketplace. Drop-shippers, marketplaces, and consignment businesses also commonly use the app to help better manage their sales, commissions, and payout reporting with 3rd party vendors. Click link for 14-day Free trial: 🔗https://bit.ly/4oJTHz2

✅ AI as an Enabler — How Kriang uses AI to speed up execution and decisions. 🔗 https://bit.ly/44h6JMU

✅Calendly - Free online appointment scheduling software 🔗https://bit.ly/4pVGt31

✅Cursor - AI-powered code editor 🔗https://bit.ly/4aFY0YA

✅Notion - AI-powered workspace 🔗https://bit.ly/4rTurJu

✅Daily Reflection Habit — Kriang’s method to improve faster, every day. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4oIMfny (general resource for habit building)

✅ Entrepreneurship Resources — Guides that shaped his approach to building and validating ideas. 🔗https://bit.ly/4aE9awX

[Mindset, Startup, AI, Millennials]

#EntrepreneurshipJourney#StartupFounder #CareerTransition #TechEntrepreneur #EcommerceBusiness #AIinBusiness #OnMyOwnTermsPodcast