ABOUT THIS SPECIAL CONVERSATION
EPISODE LIST
ANNOTATIONS
Annotations is a raw and reflective three-part audio series about building — and ultimately evolving and letting go of — one of Australia’s early purpose-led strategy and design studios, DrawHistory.
Co-founders Jeffrey Effendi and Angel Chen open the vault on a decade of navigating ambitions, doubts, and decisions with former teammate Kosta Lucas. From advocating with refugee communities to reimagining technology’s role in democracy, they trace the personal and professional choices that shaped their journey.
For anyone at a crossroads or quietly asking themselves what’s next, Annotations is part memoir, part manual — a time capsule of the fears, flashpoints, and moments of clarity that come with trying to do meaningful work, and the courage it takes to evolve.
PART 1: THE LEAP (2015-2017)
Jeff and Angel trace the origin story of DrawHistory, a leap of faith away from the legal profession and into the unknown. They reflect on the early convictions that fueled their mission, the decisions that set the tone for the studio’s emerging culture, and the naivety that helped them persist in the early days of imposter syndrome.
However, as word about the studio begins to spread, the stage is quietly set for a new kind of pressure: the spotlight.
A NOTE FROM OUR CO-FOUNDERS
Hey everyone — we hope you enjoyed listening. We’re sure there was a ton of messiness, but we wanted to keep the format as natural as we could to let the conversation build.
After 10 years, there are so many stories, lessons, and appreciations we couldn’t fit into a couple of hours. But this was something we wanted to record — for anyone who’s going through a similar journey of trying to build something of their own, something for themselves and the world.
If that’s you — we hope this gave you something. A bit of conviction, maybe. A spark of inspiration. Or even just a few lessons to help you navigate the day to day. To remind you we’re all figuring it out as we go.
Marking 10 years felt like the right time to pull back the curtain a little. To show the working out. The messiness. The behind-the-scenes conversations behind the highs we shared on social media… and the lowest lows we never posted about, but quietly carried.
Because starting something of your own — or standing at a new, uncertain juncture — can be scary. Especially when you feel like you have to live up to a version of success you once set for yourself. But if you choose to take that path, even when it feels daunting… the reward can be far greater than you imagined. And not always in the ways you expected.
For us, that reward has always been about the people. The ones we met. The ones we brought into the fold. The ones we learned from. The greatest gift has been creating something that might leave a mark — something that helps others start their own journeys, too. Something that endures.
Thanks for being here with us.
We’ll see you out there in the big, wide world. And we’re cheering you on. Always.
The world needs more fearless people.
Jeff & Angel
Part 3: The Reckoning (2022-2025) Angel Chen & Jeffrey Effendi from DrawHistory
Available Now (Aired July 29, 2025)
Annotations is a raw and reflective three-part audio series about building — and ultimately evolving and letting go of — one of Australia’s early purpose-led strategy and design studios, DrawHistory.
In the final chapter, the conversation turns inward. Jeff and Angel reflect on the decision to integrate DrawHistory into national impact agency Today, a step toward evolving their legacy alongside one of their earliest sources of inspiration. Set against a backdrop of pivotal milestones — including parenthood and layoffs — this episode carries both grief and grace. It ends not with finality, but with a passing of the baton, and hope that the work will continue to bloom in new hands.
Part 2: The Stretch (2018-2021) Angel Chen & Jeffrey Effendi from DrawHistory
Available Now (Aired July 29, 2025)
Annotations is a raw and reflective three-part audio series about building — and ultimately evolving and letting go of — one of Australia’s early purpose-led strategy and design studios, DrawHistory.
Following their public recognition, the studio is no longer a secret — and neither are its growing pains. This episode explores the ambitions and sacrifices behind DrawHistory’s expansion, from growing the business during the pandemic to expanding into APAC: the wins, the cultural tightropes, and the reckoning that comes when purpose starts to feel stretched. Jeff and Angel speak openly about leadership fatigue, transparency, and keeping the soul of the studio intact.
