08/08/2026
Grateful for the opportunity to serve as a mentor during the DOST Misamis Occidental 3-Month Incubation Program.
During the World Cafรฉ Mentoring Session, I had the chance to sit down with aspiring founders and share one principle that has helped me approach complex problems:
Start with the big picture, then reverse-engineer your way toward it.
A big vision can sometimes feel overwhelming when viewed as one huge goal. But when we work backwards from the outcome we want and break the journey into smaller, bite-sized steps, the path becomes much clearerโand more importantly, easier to execute.
It was inspiring to hear the ideas, challenges, and ambitions of the participating teams. Every founder starts somewhere, and sometimes what they need is not another big idea, but a clearer way to turn the big idea into the next achievable step.
Thank you to DOST Misamis Occidental, DOST Northern Mindanao, and iDEYA for creating a space where aspiring entrepreneurs can learn, exchange ideas, and build together.
I'm looking forward to seeing how these teams turn their ideas into ventures that create real value in our communities.
Think big. Work backwards. Start small. Execute.
โ Junji Refundo, Founder