Notas del episodio
Episode Description
In this captivating episode of Intrigued to Innovate, host Dr Jovan Tan sits down with Lee Seung Jun and Aditya Satish Nalini, two NUS Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) students who dared to reimagine men's grooming retail.
What began as an ambitious vision to create an AI-powered razor recommendation system nearly ended in complete failure — until a desperate cold email turned out to be their salvation.
This episode reveals the messy, unglamorous side of innovation that nobody talks about — dead ends, false starts, and the moment when staying silent becomes more dangerous than asking for help.
From ChatGPT failures to AI tools that struggled to distinguish a nose from a blemish, Seung Jun and Aditya's journey exemplifies resourcefulness, resilience, and humility.
They learned that groundbreaking innovations are not always created from nothing; often, they stem from strategic collaborations with those who believe in your vision.
This episode uncovers:
· How dreaming bigger doesn't always lead to better solutions and outcomes
· Why building things from scratch and doing everything yourself isn't always the answer, and the importance of strategic collaboration
· How recognising when to stop fighting and giving up is a sign of strength, not weakness
· How there's always a way forward, in fact, many different ways — and the moment you stop searching for the "right" solution and start looking for any solution is when breakthroughs happen
Whether you're an engineer, entrepreneur, or a young innovator pursuing a seemingly impossible dream, this episode reminds you that the way ahead isn't always what you initially plan—and that's where true innovation happens.
Guests: Lee Seung Jun and Aditya Satish Nalini, Y3 Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) Students, National University of Singapore
Hosted by: Dr Jovan Tan
Produced by: Low Tse Han & Jovan Tan
Presented by: NUS Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) at the NUS Engineering Design and Innovation Centre (EDIC)
Don't miss the EDIC Project Showcase 2025 on 14 November 2025, 5PM at the NUS Engineering Auditorium Atrium, featuring over 40 cutting-edge student projects.