How to build a purpose-led business

Ange Dove (00:01)
Welcome to You’re the Boss podcast show. And today I have a guest with me, Jermaine Ee. Jermaine, welcome to the show.

Jermaine Ee (00:11)
Thanks for having me, Ange.

Ange Dove (00:13)
You’re welcome. Let our listeners know—who are you and what do you do?

Jermaine Ee (00:23)
I’m coming to you live from California, from a small town called Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles. I come from a Malaysian Chinese family—my parents moved to the U.S. in the late ‘70s, early ‘80s. My journey is really an immigrant story. My parents started with nothing, got their MBAs, and worked their way up so I could have the privilege of thinking about business and traveling the world.

Ange Dove (01:02)
Lovely. I’m based in Singapore, so very close to Malaysia. Were you born there or in the U.S.?

Jermaine Ee (01:16)
I was born in the U.S.

Ange Dove (01:18)
Nice. So your parents built the American dream—you had strong business role models early on.

Jermaine Ee (01:35)
Yes, but the biggest lesson I learned was that success isn’t a straight line. It’s ups and downs. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a pattern looking back—but most of the time, it’s just putting your head down and doing your best every day.

Ange Dove (02:00)
That’s such a good point. It can feel chaotic in the moment, but later you connect the dots—like Steve Jobs said.

Ange Dove (02:30)
Tell us about your journey. Have you always been entrepreneurial?

Jermaine Ee (02:45)
Entrepreneurship only became a popular term recently. Before that, it was just “starting businesses.” My first sign was around age 12—I recorded songs off the radio, made mixtapes, and sold them at school… and got into trouble for it.

Ange Dove (03:32)
That’s brilliant. Schools weren’t set up to encourage that back then. So how did it develop?

Jermaine Ee (04:03)
I spent about a decade in Malaysia, which is why I speak Mandarin and some Malay. I moved back to the U.S. at 15 and struggled at first. Later I went to USC, where entrepreneurship was trending. Many classmates started companies—some went on to build big tech businesses.

After graduating, I couldn’t land a job I liked. I was either overqualified or underqualified. Looking back, I understand recruiters saw me as high risk.

Ange Dove (05:52)
What could you have done differently?

Jermaine Ee (06:10)
If you really want a job, read the description carefully and de-risk yourself. Help recruiters check their boxes so they can justify hiring you.

Ange Dove (06:53)
That’s so true. I recently posted a job and someone messaged me directly after applying—it made her stand out instantly. Initiative matters.

Ange Dove (08:05)
So what happened next?

Jermaine Ee (08:09)
Around 2012, Snapchat became popular in LA. In Southeast Asia, no one was using it yet. I started an agency helping businesses create geofenced Snapchat filters. At the time, it was new—bridging social media and physical spaces.

We built clients, did RFPs, and sold an unproven technology—but attention was high, so it worked.

Ange Dove (09:42)
What drove you?

Jermaine Ee (09:53)
At first, validation. I thought success would solve everything. It doesn’t. But it pushed me to work hard. I even drove Uber—over 4,000 rides—to support myself.

Ange Dove (11:04)
You did whatever it took—and that pays off.

Jermaine Ee (11:22)
In business, if you don’t quit, you don’t lose.

Ange Dove (11:52)
What happened after the agency?

Jermaine Ee (11:58)
In 2016, I felt there was a lack of empathy in society. I entered politics—cold emailed my way into working with California’s Treasurer. It gave me insight into how decisions affecting millions are made.

Ange Dove (14:06)
What was most rewarding?

Jermaine Ee (14:10)
Being in rooms where major decisions happen—seeing how things actually work.

Ange Dove (14:32)
What did you learn?

Jermaine Ee (14:40)
I became more realistic about change. But I also realized the world is built by people no smarter than us.

Ange Dove (16:03)
That’s powerful—people aren’t as “special” as we think.

Jermaine Ee (16:33)
And some truly want to make a positive impact—even billionaires.

Ange Dove (18:05)
You mentioned money doesn’t solve everything. What did you discover?

Jermaine Ee (18:30)
Six months ago, my mom was on her deathbed. I realized money couldn’t solve that. I would trade everything for more time.

Ange Dove (19:35)
Moments like that shift your entire perspective.

Ange Dove (20:58)
How did COVID impact you?

Jermaine Ee (20:58)
I was CEO of an edtech startup. COVID shut down our physical locations, giving me time to reflect. I realized I wanted more time with family.

There’s a concept—by age 30, you’ve spent 95% of your time with your parents. That made me rethink everything.

Ange Dove (22:53)
That really puts things into perspective.

Ange Dove (23:14)
How did AirLight come about?

Jermaine Ee (23:14)
I realized people don’t fear retirement because of lack of money—but lack of clarity. My mom didn’t know what she had financially.

So I built a chatbot to ask her questions—and realized I could turn that into legal documents. That’s how AirLight was born.

Clarity is love in practical form.

Ange Dove (25:29)
It’s such an important but avoided topic.

Ange Dove (28:13)
How does AirLight work?

Jermaine Ee (28:17)
It’s a mobile app. We guide users through creating three documents: a will, health directive, and financial power of attorney. We ask simple questions and organize everything into legal documents.

Ange Dove (29:29)
So it’s automated?

Jermaine Ee (29:42)
Yes—with AI guiding the process and attorney-approved templates.

Ange Dove (31:43)
What about pricing?

Jermaine Ee (31:57)
It’s free to start. Exporting documents costs $179. Future plans include subscriptions for updates.

Ange Dove (34:37)
What surprised you most?

Jermaine Ee (34:43)
Even wealthy people delay estate planning—not due to resources, but psychology. They just don’t want to face it.

Ange Dove (36:12)
It’s denial, really.

Jermaine Ee (36:32)
Exactly. That’s why we’re exploring ways to reach people at the right moment—like during life events.

Ange Dove (37:00)
Where can people find AirLight?

Jermaine Ee (37:31)
Go to download.airlight.com—it’ll direct you to the app store. Currently available in California, with more states coming.

Ange Dove (38:01)
And possibly global in the future?

Jermaine Ee (38:29)
Yes, but it requires country-specific legal adaptation. The biggest challenge is compliance—not technology.

Ange Dove (39:46)
It’s a beautiful mission.

Ange Dove (40:06)
Thank you so much for being on the show, Jermaine. It’s been inspiring.

Jermaine Ee (40:20)
Thank you for having me.