In this episode of The First, we speak with Chris Eigeland, co-founder and CEO of Go1 — the company that has grown from a small university side project into one of the world’s largest professional learning marketplaces.

Chris’s story is a vivid illustration of how unconventional paths can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Beginning in fields as diverse as theme park design and humanitarian work in post-earthquake Haiti, his early experiences shaped a worldview grounded in curiosity, adaptability and ambition.

Over the past decade, Go1 has transformed how organizations and individuals access workplace learning, scaling from its roots in Australia to serve millions of learners globally. This conversation traces that evolution — from its first experiments and pivots to its emergence as a unicorn at the forefront of professional education.

Rather than focusing only on milestones, the episode delves into the mindset required to sustain growth under pressure and to build a company that continually evolves with its customers and markets. Chris also reflects on the power of co-founder alignment, culture, and the deliberate choices that allowed Go1 to move from startup to global leader.

For founders, operators and investors, this episode offers a window into the broader shifts shaping Southeast Asia’s technology ecosystem and its growing interconnectedness with global innovation hubs. It’s not only a portrait of an entrepreneurial journey but also an exploration of how vision, adaptability and perseverance can drive change at scale.

Episode 16 of The First is out now— a candid, wide-ranging conversation about building, scaling and redefining what it means to learn at work.