“2nd gen”?

“some day, these will be yours.”

If you grew up in an Asian household, you have probably heard this before.

Depending on your family business, that could mean a thriving company or a tired office stuffed with endless stacks of files. Either way, welcome to the world of the 2nd Gen—a term that, in Asian society, is both a badge of honor and an unspoken life sentence.

The idea of the second-generation business owner is a complicated one. On one hand, it means you are inheriting something that your parents or grandparents built with blood and sweat. On the other hand, we are often expected to carry that legacy forward—should we be privileged to be given this choice.

The Burden of the Family Business

For many observers, stepping into the family business might seem like we are set for life.

However, quite the contrary.

Stepping into the family business is not just about inheriting the riches, instead we are inheriting the commitment and responsibility to the livelihood of our employees, especially old-timers who have fought alongside our parents to build the company that provide for our comfortable life.

There is also a certain weight to being the next in line. Our parents often remind us of how they started with nothing, the sacrifices made, and how we must be similarly hard working like them to be successful.

So, while our peers are off launching startups, traveling the world for work, or exploring careers in the arts, we are here—learning about supplier negotiations, logistics, and the fine art of haggling over 50 cents.

But despite the pressure, I admit there is also a sense of pride. Because unlike a startup, we didn’t just build something from scratch; we are taking something built by the previous generation and making it better – making it our own.

The Clash of Generations

Here is where it gets tricky: modernization. Many of us 2nd Gens walk into a family business and immediately think,

“We need a website.”

“We need to digitalise these!”

Us: “WHY IS EVERYTHING SO MANUAL?!”

We push for online stores, cashless payments, and automated processes, while our parents insist on traditional methods because “that’s how it is always been done.” It’s a generational tug-of-war, with one side armed with Google Analytics and the other with sheer intuition.

The Silver Lining

For all the struggles, being a 2nd Gen business owner is a unique experience. We have the privilege of learning from the past while shaping the future. We get to innovate, expand, and (hopefully) avoid the mistakes that came before us.

And perhaps some day, we will find that sweet spot where tradition meets modernity. Where we respect the old ways but aren’t afraid to embrace new ones. And who knows—perhaps one day, we will be the ones telling our kids, “One day, all this will be yours.”