Meet Larson Ong: Growing Visual Studio From a Team of 3 to Nearly 50 Staff Across 4 Countries

When Larson and his co-founders started Visual Studio in 2004, they had little more than youthful optimism, a shared vision, and $500 in the company bank account. What began as a small events company run by three former NS buddies in their 20s has since grown into an award-winning brand and marketing creative agency with nearly 50 employees across four countries, serving renowned brands such as HBO, Changi Airport Group, and CapitaLand.

Visual Studio celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The past two decades have taught Larson that the key to sustainable growth is about far more than winning clients or delivering creative work. It is about building trust, investing in people, embracing change, and having the resilience to navigate both personal and business challenges.

Growing from three people to nearly 50 employees across multiple countries is no small feat. What were the biggest challenges along the way?

Initially, we thought winning clients would be the biggest challenge. Instead, we discovered that managing people and building the right culture were far more important.

As the company expanded regionally, we had to navigate different cultures, expectations, and working styles. We also had to learn to let go. In the early years, the founders were involved in everything, but expanding the business required us to delegate responsibilities and trust our people to lead and move projects forward.

Hiring and retaining talent remain challenging for many SMEs. For those who put their trust in us, we made sure to provide opportunities for them to grow and develop professionally alongside the company. Feedback from long-serving staff has reinforced our belief that people stay not only because of pay, but because of how they are treated.

Looking back, building a strong team and culture has been both our greatest challenge and our greatest reward.

Visual Studio has worked with brands such as HBO, Changi Airport Group, and CapitaLand. What does it take to earn the trust of your clients?

Our clients trust us not because we are the biggest or the cheapest agency. They trust us because we consistently deliver on our promises.

Trust is built through reliability, accountability, transparency, and attention to detail. Sometimes it means going the extra mile; other times, it means being honest when things do not go according to plan.

Over the years, I have learnt that trust is built by people. Strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and vendors are worth far more than any award. Whether serving a global brand or a small business, I have realised that clients value the same qualities: integrity, reliability, and a genuine commitment to doing good work.

Many entrepreneurs focus on growth. What decisions allowed Visual Studio to scale sustainably?

While growth is important, we have always prioritised sustainable expansion instead of growing at all costs.

We only expanded when we felt we had the right people and processes in place. For example, although we could have opened our Jakarta office earlier, we waited until we were ready.

Investing in people has also been key. Many of our employees started as interns or part-time staff and have grown alongside the company. Several have also been with us for over a decade.

I believe that if you take care of your people, they will take care of your business. Sustainable growth came not from one major decision, but from consistently making the right decisions about people, relationships, and long-term value.

With three co-founders, how have you managed disagreements throughout your entrepreneurial journey?

In the early days, all three of us handled everything together. As the company grew, we divided responsibilities according to our strengths. One co-founder oversees our production and technical operations, while I focus on HR, finance, and business management.

For major decisions such as investments or opening new offices, we discuss them collectively. Having three founders is helpful because there is always a neutral third perspective when opinions differ. When necessary, we simply vote.

Ultimately, mutual trust, respect, and recognising each other’s strengths have allowed us to work together for more than 20 years.

You have also been active in mental health advocacy. What advice would you give founders who are struggling silently under the pressures of running a business?

Running a business can be lonely. Founders often feel they must always appear confident and have all the answers.

I experienced this personally when I struggled with depression in 2016. I suffered in silence for six months because I believed leaders could not afford to appear vulnerable. Looking back, that mindset caused more harm than good.

My advice is simple: do not struggle alone. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it takes courage to admit you are struggling.

One of the biggest lessons I have learnt is that success requires taking care of both the business and the people behind it, including ourselves. Strong leaders are those who recognise when they need support and are willing to seek it.

What can you personally do to make the world a better place?

I do not believe changing the world requires grand gestures. Often, small acts of kindness can have a great impact too.

During COVID-19, a cashier once offered me two peanut butter sandwiches because her daughter had packed too much food for her. I was deeply touched by such a simple act. I have also experienced kindness from colleagues who quietly left cough medicine on my desk when I was unwell. These moments remind me that compassion matters.

As business owners, we have responsibilities beyond making profits. The deeper measure of what we have built is the careers we have launched, the people we have mentored, and the potential we have helped others discover in themselves. I believe that our legacy lies in the people we have impacted at Visual Studio. This creates a ripple effect as they go on to make a difference in their careers, families, and communities.

If there is one thing I can do to make the world a better place, it is to leave people better than I found them, whether as an employer, mentor, or friend. Small acts of kindness can collectively create meaningful change.

What is your vision for Singapore in the next five years?

While the global environment remains uncertain, I hope Singapore continues to be a place where both businesses and people can thrive together.

Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly transform the way we work and live. However, I believe AI will remain a tool. What truly differentiates us will be our creativity, judgement, and ability to build meaningful relationships.

As Singapore continues to progress, I hope we preserve qualities such as kindness, workplace wellbeing, and strong communities. These are values that technology cannot and should not replace.

If you could have a superpower for one day, what would it be and why?

I would like the ability to understand people’s emotional states.

Having experienced depression myself, I have come to appreciate that everyone is fighting battles we cannot see. Someone may appear perfectly fine on the surface while struggling internally.

While I consider myself reasonably sensitive to people’s emotions, having the ability to truly understand what someone is going through would help me become a better leader, colleague, and friend.

Since that superpower does not exist, I try to achieve the same outcome by listening more, judging less, and showing appreciation whenever possible.

Connect with Larson: VisualStudio and LinkedIn.