Choosing to Build: Jia Chen on Risk, Hackathons, and Founding Early

Episode 15 of the The Time I Left My 9 to 5 podcast, hosted by Maggie Ma, titled "Choosing to Build: Jia Chen on Risk, Hackathons, and Founding Early" was published on November 5, 2025 and runs 23 minutes.

November 5, 2025 ·23m · The Time I Left My 9 to 5

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Summary

In this episode of The Time I Left My 9 to 5, Maggie sits down with Jia Chen, a 21-year-old founder, indie musician, and content creator who turned down software engineering offers from Disney and Intuit to build her own company.Jia shares her journey from studying finance to switching into computer engineering, winning 23 hackathons, and raising six figures in funding after a viral pitch video. Jia opens up about navigating parental expectations, building Sprint.dev to 20,000 users and $48K profit, and balancing creativity across music, tech, and social media.Whether you’re a student, early-career creative, or aspiring founder, Jia’s story is a masterclass in following curiosity, betting on yourself, and building in public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Description

In this episode of The Time I Left My 9 to 5, Maggie sits down with Jia Chen, a 21-year-old founder, indie musician, and content creator who turned down software engineering offers from Disney and Intuit to build her own company.

Jia shares her journey from studying finance to switching into computer engineering, winning 23 hackathons, and raising six figures in funding after a viral pitch video. Jia opens up about navigating parental expectations, building Sprint.dev to 20,000 users and $48K profit, and balancing creativity across music, tech, and social media.

Whether you’re a student, early-career creative, or aspiring founder, Jia’s story is a masterclass in following curiosity, betting on yourself, and building in public.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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