Thought I’d fumbled my shot at joining BLOCK71 because I forgot incubator interviews involved pitching.
One minute into my interview, I was asked for my pitch. Cue: awkward small talk while I scrambled to find the latest version of my deck.
Rusty is defintely the right word.
Still, after the rocky start, I found myself talking about Maibel in a way that felt clearer than it would have a year ago.
A year ago, when I got into AppWorks, I remember feeling like the smallest fry in the room.
That was exactly why I wanted to be there.
It made me think more regionally, ask better questions, and realise how much of founder growth comes from being around people who are building at a higher resolution than you are.
Now Maibel has been accepted into NUSX's B71 Singapore’s incubation programme - joining a network of 1,600+ startups across 11 locations in 6 countries.
My favorite part of the interview?
Nobody asked me why I was solo.
Nobody asked why I didn't have a 'technical' cofounder.
Nobody made me spend half the interview proving I was allowed to build this before engaging with THE VISION I was building towards.
Maybe I am a little delulu (most founders probably have to be). But for once, the questions weren't about whether I could make it.
They were about how far Maibel could go.
I was asked about my behavioural loops. My long-term vision. What Maibel could become for women’s wellness in Southeast Asia, and beyond.
That might just be the biggest win of the whole interview.
I know acceptance is just an opening door, not the end-result. But this one means a lot.
A year ago, AppWorks made me think bigger.
This time, B71 made me realise I already was.
Hi, I’m Mabel.
I’m the founder of Maibel. I write about emotional AI, women’s wellness and learning to build the things I wish existed.
More about me