Indonesian mixed martial artist Eko Roni Saputra was first introduced to ONE Championship fans in Jakarta in 2019. (ONE Championship)
E
ko Roni Saputra believes that there are a lot of lessons people can learn from just watching a TV show, including The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition, which is currently trending on Netflix.
The non-scripted reality show, which recently earned two accolades from the Asian Academy Creative Awards, offers fresh and valuable perspectives on how to run a business, particularly in an era where start-ups are booming.
To win and earn a US$250,000 job offer to work as the protégé of ONE’s CEO and chairman Chatri Sityodtong, 16 handpicked candidates from 11 countries are challenged to identify key business problems before pitching their innovative solutions in front of experienced CEOs.
From launching a never-before-seen product to designing a creative marketing campaign, this show emulates what qualities are needed for individuals to thrive in a highly competitive business environment.
And that’s exactly what Eko wants to learn.
The mixed martial arts rising star has recently expressed his intention to build a state-of-the-art gym to find and develop hidden talent in Indonesia. The lessons he learned from watching the show have helped him understand the challenges of running a business.
“I can learn a lot about business and competition. Like Chatri said, the business world is harsh, dog eat dog world. It gets more intense as the show progresses and gives me more of a picture of the business world. Business and marketing are a very tough world,” the Samarinda-born athlete said.
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He also noted the importance of expanding his professional network.
“Having extensive links is important, and I am proud of Chatri because his friends are all extraordinary. They [the guest judges] are top people, meaning that Chatri is an influential and extraordinary person himself too,” he added.
Eko, who makes an appearance in one episode as a guest athlete, believes that the audience will be glued to their screen once they begin watching on the giant streaming platform.
Apart from challenging the candidates to show their expertise in business, The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition is also pushing them to their limits through various forms of physical challenges. That includes escaping from a helicopter crash and competing against each other in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) fight.
“The physical challenges were tense and people who love business or who want to start a business need to watch this show. This is not just your average show, this offers a quality show that is relevant to the real world. I definitely urge everyone to watch. Those people are the smart ones who have tons of experience in business and marketing. Knowledge is expensive, and the show gives it for free,” Eko said.
“I personally pay attention to their pitches – they are very detailed. It’s amazing that they can even calculate how much the profit margin is although they have only a few days to prepare. Make sure not to miss it,” he added.
You can watch the show here
Watch ONE: FULL CIRCLE on Feb. 25 on the ONE Super App and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!
This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
