BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English) (Jeremy Au)

Nicole is the CEO and co-founder of Tiger New Energy. Prior to starting her own venture, she worked as a management consultant at BCG. After graduating from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School in 2021, Nicole chose to pursue her vision of helping emerging countries transition to renewable energy solutions by building her company in Bangladesh, a country with a population of 160 million and one of the fastest-growing economies. To address the issue of the supply chain, Nicole's company offers a combination of hardware and software solutions. The hardware component includes manufacturing high-quality green products, while the software and business model innovation component helps low-income communities afford and adapt to these products.

Show notes at: www.jeremyau.com/blog/nicole-mao

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Scott Hartley, Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures, and Jeremy Au discuss three main themes:

1. Global Pre-Seed VC Investing: Scott presented a contrarian view against the conventional wisdom that pre-seed and seed-stage investing must be localized. He argued that with modern communication tools and the evolving VC landscape, it’s feasible to be a global pre-seed investor. He discussed how Everywhere Ventures adopts this approach and shared that they’re relatively price insensitive, typically entering investments with valuations between $6 and $8 million. He talked about how they emphasize team evaluation and leverage a network of trusted founders and operators to access global deals, focusing on the right timing and market relevance for business ideas.

2. Regional Investment Insights: Scott shared his experiences and insights from investing in Southeast Asian companies like Kumu, Lomotif, and Booky, and described the process of engaging with these companies from their early stages and aiding them in finding product-market fit. He also highlighted that while valuations in Southeast Asia have traditionally been lower, there's a shift towards market-clearing rounds, making these markets increasingly attractive to global investors.

3. Valuation and Pricing Risk: Jeremy and Scott touched on the dynamics of valuation and pricing risk in VC. Scott explained that while early-stage investments carry less pricing risk, later-stage investments present a significant challenge. They discussed the varying opportunities in global markets such as lending to Indian-based SaaS companies against US dollar-denominated accounts. He also talked about the Philippine SaaS market where valuations were approximately half of the typical US valuations, reflecting the diverse supply and demand dynamics of capital and highlighting the need for investors to be astute in understanding and leveraging these differences.

They also talked about identifying and nurturing early-stage startups with a global potential, the nuances of market adaptation, the role of trusted networks in deal flow and investment decisions, and the importance of aligning investment strategies with technological trends.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/scott-hartley

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Learn more about Acme Technology here: https://www.tryacme.com

"This is the profile paradox that sums up the life of a founder. To be a brave captain setting sail on the vast sea of the unknown, to build a ship armed with nothing but a vision. The journey is filled with seas that are treacherous, the winds that are fickle, and the ever-present threat of foundering, of sinking beneath the waves. Yet every founder knows that to reach new horizons, they have to take this risk. Failure isn't as possible. It's probable. It's likely. Yet it's only true in the prospect of foundering that true resilience emerges as the strength to rise from the depths of failure." - Jeremy Au, Host of BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast 

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/founder-etymology

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Learn more about Baskit here: https://baskit.app/

“So much transition is happening. Southeast Asia needs many people to solve as meaningful problems as possible. It’s not just chasing the highest ROI problem, but chasing the hardest problems to solve. My hope is for us to solve meaningful problems because they’re incredibly hard but they’re not just about gaining profits. They’re also about serving the specific needs of people who are marginalized, underserved, and those who are on the fringes.” - Wai Hong Fong

“A lot of founders underappreciate the value of execution. I still see a lot of founders overstating the idea and the value of the idea. The appreciation is around the journey itself. Some founders only see the outcome. If your goal or outcome is to make money, don't be a founder. You can be an IB or something else with a more secure way to get there. Being a founder is about the journey. It is the most valuable thing about being a founder and I don't think that’s appreciated enough.” - Wai Hong Fong

“In every genre of games, there is an element that is incredibly meaningful toward understanding and making decisions as an entrepreneur. If you think about StarCraft, it’s all about timing and knowing your power spikes and when to and not to expand. If I had taken out the original phrase, you have thought I would be talking about business. It's really quite interesting that these things we practice so heavily in games influence our decision-making.” - Wai Hong Fong

In this engaging conversation between Jeremy Au and Wai Hong Fong, the founder of StoreHub, listeners gain valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship and the complexities of building a successful business. The discussion covers three key topics:

1. The Accidental Journey to Entrepreneurship: Wai Hong shares his unexpected path to becoming a founder, starting a business in his uncle's garage, and the challenges he faced in scaling StoreHub.

2. Deep Dive into the Point of Sale (POS) Industry: Wai Hong provides a comprehensive analysis of the POS industry's evolution, discussing different waves and common mistakes made by others in the field.

3. The Intersection of Gaming and Business Strategy: The conversation delves into how Wai Hong's gaming experiences influenced his decision-making as an entrepreneur and how gaming strategies can be translated into effective business strategies.

Throughout the dialogue, Wai Hong emphasizes the importance of open and honest conversations, especially during challenging times, to shape the company's future and make meaningful decisions. This candid and informative discussion offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and those interested in the dynamics of the tech industry.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/wai-hong-fong

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Jeremy discusses the stories that we tell ourselves, we tell others, and others tell about us. He contrasts Anthony Bourdain's self-descriptions in the travelogue "Parts Unknown," the posthumous Netflix documentary "Roadrunner" and the unauthorized biography "Down and Out in Paradise," ("I hate my fans. I hate being famous. I hate my job. I am lonely and living in constant uncertainty.") as well as the comedian Ali Wong's "Dear Girls" autobiography on family and her eventual divorce. He explained what consumers would gain from becoming more aware of the incentives behind self-representation vs. external narratives, the process of media gatekeeping, and society's hunger for heroes rather than imperfect humans. 

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/hunger-for-heroes

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Learn more about HDMall here: 

htps://www.hdmall.co.th

https://www.hdmall.id

Poesy Liang is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in architecture, luxury design & media. She is an innovator on the social front, founding 2 Facebook movements – Helping Angels & Bald Empathy Movement, and has won numerous media awards in South East Asia for her humanitarian projects. An early adopter of technology since 1999, long before the terms ‘blogs’ and ‘cloud storage’ even existed. Poesy recently implemented a blockchain system with her collection of physical works for authentication & provenance, and receiving bitcoins as a mode of payment since late 2015. Her famous cat Harry Putter appears on Telegram as emoji stickers.

Poesy is occasionally invited to speak on leadership platforms to share her remarkable energy that defeated paralysis twice caused by spinal tumours, and her survivor story is often retold in the media. While Poesy continues to produce paintings, sculptures, objects, museum installations, gemstone jewelry, lifestyle spaces, fashion, etc – she also create music and movements, and actively experiment with technology to widen her portfolio around her signature works – she finds it important to bridge the gap between the realms in order to achieve her calling to affect media reform and engage her skills for social good.

Poesy started out in the world when she was aged 14 as the Levi’s 501 girl for South East Asia and became a familiar face in Asian television commercials before she reinvented herself into this current form.

Jeremy Au delved into startup founders’ decision to choose between bootstrapping and venture capital funding. He shared his dual experiences as both a founder (who had done both routes) and a venture capitalist (who had to judge startups). He reset the framing that bootstrapping has historically been the norm and the default financing pathway for startups even today, whereas VC funding has only 50 years of history and is aimed at high-growth potential businesses. He explained the VC fund model’s expectation of $1B returns within a decade creates both a judgment yardstick and pressure-cooker board pressure for businesses to rapidly scale, regardless of unit economics or profitability. He also touched on the dangers of mismanaging large capital inflows, where excessive funding can lead to inefficient spending which can hasten a company’s failure. He suggested using a 2x2 matrix to think through their company’s fit for VC funding.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/bootstrap-vs-vc

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Learn more about Grain here: https://www.grain.com.sg

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast: Indonesia eFishery Unicorn Scandal Q&A, Fraud, Due Diligence & Governance Failures & Toxic Founder Pressure & Temptations - E534

Jeremy Au and Gita Sjahrir discussed:

1. Indonesia eFishery Unicorn Scandal Q&A: Jeremy and Gita analyzed the fraud involving eFishery’s co-founders, including Gibran Chuzaefah, who allegedly falsified financial statements to show $750 million in revenue for the first nine months of 2024, when actual revenue was only $157 million. They also fabricated metrics, such as reporting 400,000 active fish feeders, though only 25,000 were verified. The fraud hid over $35 million in losses, falsely portraying profitability and attracting high-profile investors like Temasek and SoftBank. Gita highlighted that the damage was not limited to eFishery, as the scandal undermined investor confidence in Indonesia’s agritech and broader startup ecosystem. A listener argued that many investors lacked an understanding of agritech’s technical and hyper-local challenges, leading them to misjudge risks. Jeremy agreed, pointing out that the scandal is reshaping how international investors view the region, with many pausing future investments.

2. Fraud, Due Diligence & Governance Failures: The discussion explored how due diligence failures allowed the fraud to go undetected through several funding rounds, despite the involvement of seasoned investors. Gita noted that the lack of on-the-ground validation—such as direct visits to rural fish farms and checks on vendors—created blind spots. Fraudulent activities, including round-tripping funds through multiple shell companies, could have been caught with stronger local diligence. Jeremy dismissed this as unlikely, explaining that the inflated metrics were so extreme that many investors were likely unaware until whistleblowers raised the alarm. Both agreed that hiring and training local talent, along with a focus on hyper-local checks, are critical to preventing future scandals.

3. Toxic Founder Pressure & Temptations: Jeremy and Gita discussed how the pressure to achieve unicorn status creates dangerous incentives for founders. The inflated valuation of eFishery, which had raised hundreds of millions of dollars, pushed its founders into unsustainable growth strategies and ultimately fraudulent behavior. Gita explained that many founders, particularly younger ones, struggle to handle large amounts of funding and the accompanying expectations. Jeremy reflected on his own early startup experiences and how founders often conflate their personal worth with their company’s success. He emphasized the need for emotional resilience, disciplined governance, and mentorship to help founders navigate the pressures of high-growth environments.

Gita and Jeremy also discussed the role of whistleblowers and internal audits in uncovering the fraud, media investigations led by DealStreetAsia that brought the scandal to light, the failures of Series A and B investors to identify risks during early funding rounds, Indonesia’s evolving legal framework and how it could impact future cases, and advice for agritech founders to prioritize profitability and operational transparency to rebuild trust with investors. 

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/efishery-scandal-qa

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Ron Baetiong, Founder of Podcast Network Asia, and Jeremy Au discussed:

Philippines Basketball Jock to Founder Exit:

Ron shared his early life as a basketball jock raised in a lower-middle-class Filipino household by his single mother. Determined to achieve the Filipino dream of owning a house, Ron worked in a call center at 18 while studying at the University of Santo Tomas. Ron’s time at Groupon (2011) taught him foundational sales skills that later became pivotal. He launched his first startup, a nightlife app called Partyphile, inspired by his personal pain points as a clubgoer. Despite initial traction with 50,000 users, the business struggled with monetization. By 2016, Ron pivoted to Chatbot.ph, leveraging the emerging chatbot market. Within a year, the company was acquired by Sterling Paper Group, allowing Ron to fulfill his dream of buying his mother a house.

2. Startup Failure Lessons:

His journey revealed key lessons about being a solo founder and the importance of monetization strategies. Ron shared how missing opportunities to sell club tables—a lucrative revenue stream—hindered growth. The business faced a turning point in 2016, following a tragic incident at a major rave event and political shifts under Duterte’s presidency that dampened the nightlife scene. Transitioning to Chatbot.ph, Ron capitalized on timing and his ability to build quick MVPs. By mid-2017, the company generated over $10,000 in monthly revenue and attracted investors, leading to its acquisition. Ron highlighted how this pivot taught him to prioritize building strong teams and focusing on cash flow.

3. Podcast Network Asia & Serye FM

In 2019, Ron founded the podcast HustleShare to document startup journeys and give back to the Philippine ecosystem. He expanded this passion into Podcast Network Asia (PNA), which grew to manage 320 shows, including exclusive collaborations with Spotify, paying $20,000 per show annually. However, Spotify’s strategic pivot in 2023—ending exclusivity deals—led to significant financial strain for PNA. In response, Ron launched Serye FM to address the growing demand for localized audio content. Serye FM adopted a paywall model within Spotify, enabling Filipino listeners to access serialized audio series. With 100% month-on-month growth over five months, Serye FM has emerged as a rising star. Ron’s teaming with co-founder Rexy Dorado, formerly of Kumu, reinforced the platform’s potential to replicate its success.

Jeremy and Ron also talks about the grief of losing his co-founder in 2023, managing platform risks with Spotify, and his plans to scale Serye FM from the Philippines to the U.S.

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ph-founder-podcast-lesson

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ph-founder-podcast-lesson

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ph-founder-podcast-lesson

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Spotify

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YouTube

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Apple Podcast

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Jeremy Tan, Managing Partner and Cofounder of Tin Men Capital, and Jeremy Au talked about three main points:

1. Cambridge Engineer & Harvard MBA: Jeremy Tan shared his journey from a playful student to getting into a life-changing education at Cambridge. His early life goal of becoming a refinery chemical engineer shifted after a pivotal internship, which propelled him into finance with Morgan Stanley investment banking and later private equity. Getting an MBA at Harvard Business School opened up many doors for him, especially in building a global alumni network that later allowed him to secure essential early LP funding for his VC fund.

2. Founding Tin Men Capital: Jeremy shared what catalyzed his inspiration to finally make a leap of faith and launch a VC fund focused on B2B technology startups in Southeast Asia. Raising the first fund in a nascent VC market was challenging, and he shared his perspective on how to be successful as an emerging manager. He also shared the importance of understanding local industries and maintaining a tight, selective portfolio.

3. Fatherhood Insights: Jeremy reflected on how becoming a parent influenced how he now manages partnerships in business. He noted the importance of communication and empathy, and advocates for a balance between personal and professional aspirations. Just as it did in his own personal transformation journey and relationship with his children, directive approaches often fail when collaborating with founders.

They also discussed his initial challenges of settling in at Cambridge, the influence of childhood experiences on leadership styles, and his personal coping mechanisms for stress.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jeremy-tan

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Learn more about Evo Commerce at bback.co and stryv.co 

Jeraldine Phneah (彭嘉琳) is a Millennial Content Creator who cares about the challenges and aspirations of her generation. To empower them, she creates content around how Millennials can cope with the high cost of living, build rewarding careers, strive for the best for their families, and lead meaningful lives. She also pushes for policies to uplift her generation. 

When Jeraldine first graduated, she quickly realized that the job market, economy, and the world we live in today are just radically different from that of the previous generation. Jobs were being displaced due to technology, there were cases of discrimination against Singaporeans in our own country; and our starting salaries have not grown as fast as our cost of living. 

From talking to her peers, she learnt that many were dealing with similar challenges. They were anxious about falling behind and not being their ideal self; fearful of not being able to find a career which they could thrive in and overwhelmed with the steep learning curve of adulting.  Through her content, she hopes to share her experiences, learnings and advocate for her generation. 

Ultimately, she believes that all hard working Singaporeans should be given the right tools and support to pursue their dreams, to strive for the best for themselves and their families.

Jeraldine Phneah was listed as the youngest honoree on LinkedIn Top Voices 2020. She was also profiled by Her World Magazine as part of their 60th Anniversary. She is also a recipient of the Women Leading Change Award (Rising Star) by CampaignAsia. She has been featured on Forbes, Channel News Asia, The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, and Cleo Magazine. 

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/jeraldine-phneah

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/jeraldine-phneah

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Jeremy Au reconnects with Kwok Jiachuan, his first-ever podcast guest, to reflect on their journey from school friends to army roommates to co-founders of Conjunct Consulting. They talked about the challenges of starting and scaling a social impact consultancy, from early skepticism to securing funding and navigating the evolving nonprofit landscape. They also discuss leadership lessons, the importance of sustainability, and how their work has shaped the next generation of social impact leaders. The conversation is a candid look at what it takes to build something meaningful and why community matters.

1. From friends to co-founders: Jeremy and Kwok first met at 15 in a creative arts camp, later became army roommates, and eventually teamed up to build a pioneering social impact consultancy.

2. Solving a gap no one else saw: They realized nonprofits lacked strategic help while young professionals wanted to contribute, so they created a platform that connected both.

3. Facing doubt and rejection: People dismissed their idea, fundraising was tough, and they had to figure out everything from legal structures to convincing nonprofits to trust them.

4. Turning a passion project into a real business: What started as a volunteer effort had to evolve into a structured, financially sustainable social enterprise to survive long-term.

5. Adapting to a changing landscape: The social sector professionalized with more government funding and consulting firms entering the space, forcing Conjunct to evolve its role.

6. A legacy that lives on through people: Alumni have gone on to lead impact-driven initiatives, and Tribe Consulting, founded by former members, continues the work they started.

7. Lessons for future changemakers: Passion alone isn’t enough—build for sustainability, find allies in the ecosystem, and focus on long-term impact.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/social-entrepreneur-wisdom

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Franco Verona, Managing Partner of Foxmont Capital Partners and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Foxmont Capital VC & BCG Report:

Franco recounted Foxmont Capital Partners’ journey since its founding in 2018, highlighting 40 investments across fintech, deep tech, and consumer goods. Their Philippine Venture Capital Report in collaboration with BCG has been instrumental in attracting global attention to the Philippines’ potential as an emerging market. Analysis includes the rise of the middle class, which grew from 12% to 48% of the population within a decade, alongside consistent 6% GDP growth. This economic momentum has driven demand for local consumer brands like Pickup Coffee and Colourette.

2. Philippines Startup Opportunities:

They explored how startups can address gaps between generational low-cost products and premium U.S. imports by targeting the young, experimental population with an average age of 25. Franco emphasized prioritizing profitability and creating Filipino solutions for Filipino problems. Examples included TPG’s investment in BillEase, IFC’s funding of Salmon, and the rise of B2B solutions like Sprout Solutions addressing HR and payroll inefficiencies.

3. 10 Year Predictions:

Franco forecasted that the Philippines would mirror Indonesia’s growth trajectory from a decade ago, with fintech, e-commerce, and logistics driving the next wave of investments. While trends like AI and crypto dominate globally, foundational sectors where the Philippines lags 5–10 years behind peers present the most immediate opportunity. Key investments such as General Atlantic’s involvement in Kumu and MUFG’s funding of GCash signal ecosystem maturity. They also discussed how geopolitical tensions with the U.S. and China could shape future growth and relations. The influx of Chinese goods and EVs was also noted as shaping competition and local demand.

Additionally, they touched on the Philippines’ dual colonial history and its cultural impact on business, the economic implications of the recent POGO ban, and the rise of tech-driven business models replacing BPO-led operations

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

Spotify

English: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T

Bahasa Indonesia: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vs8t6qPo0eFb4o6zOmiVZ

Chinese: https://open.spotify.com/show/20AGbzHhzFDWyRTbHTVDJR

Vietnamese: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yqd3Jj0I19NhN0h8lWrK1

YouTube

English: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu?sub_confirmation=1

Apple Podcast

English: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464

Learn more about Nika.eco! Reach out to info@nika.eco if you are a geospatial data scientist or climate researcher who is interested to partner on a pilot or research opportunities

Caela Tanjangco is a Director for Asia at Endeavor Catalyst. She started with Medical School but later pursued a business career, including founding a healthcare startup. She is also Co-Chair of the Impact Council at the Global Shapers Community and holds a Master's Degree in International Management and a BS in Psychology.

"We have companies that have raised Series B, had the first female founder raise the highest amount of Series A funding, and have CBCs, which is the biggest ever in the Philippines. I'm cautiously optimistic about the country in terms of the next stage of funding because of what's happening in the market. We have a lot of good founders and strong fundamentals, but because of what's happening in the public and private markets, we’re affected in terms of the succeeding funding in Series C, pre-IPO, and Series B. We lack investors in that area for all the companies that have just raised their Series B."- Caela Tanjangco

"There are disadvantages to being founders who don't speak English or who might have problems communicating about their startup when pitching to global funds. I won’t say that's a shortfall, but it's an issue that entrepreneurs need support with. It’s a gap that we need to address so that they're better acknowledged and understood by global investors." - Caela Tanjangco

Read the transcript here at: www.bravesea.com/blog/caela-tanjangco

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Mao Ching Foo is the Co-Founder at RealVantage, a property co-investment platform bringing access and enables users to easily own investment grade properties without the traditional hassles of being a landlord.

Previously Mao was the CTO & Chief Data Scientist of Funding Societies | Modalku, leading and growing the technology and data teams while working closely with the business teams to scale the platform for users. Prior to Funding Societies, Mao founded QVantage, a startup empowering equity traders to make smarter decisions using professional quantitative insights. He has also served as Chief Data Scientist of Paktor, a technology startup with presence in 8 countries in the region, and over 5 million users. In this role, he set up the full data science infrastructure and pipelines, built up a team of data analysts, scientists and conducted various studies / models to advance Product & Marketing metrics lift.

Before the world of startups, Mao was a quantitative equities trader / portfolio manager in Barclays Global Investors in San Francisco, and subsequently at Ronin Capital, a proprietary trading firm in Chicago. In these roles, he managed all aspects of a market neutral quantitative equities long-short global portfolio. This included researching alpha signals, constructing country specific Barra-type daily risk models, automatic sub-hourly portfolio optimizations, automatic trade execution algos & T-Cost analysis. Trade execution was through a Java OMS on FIX connectivity to DMA destinations. Market exposure was 100 x 100 mio long short with consistent after cost IR performance of 2+ on the overall global portfolio.

Mao graduated from Stanford with a MSc. and a MComp, BComp Hons in Computer Science from National University of Singapore. He has publications in top ranked journals, refereed conferences and book chapters. He is a strong believer of building technology startup ecosystems and is an angel investor and mentor to several startups in the region.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/mao-ching-foo

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/mao-ching-foo

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Raunak Mehta is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience in consumer internet and insurtech startups in Asia. He currently serves as the Cofounder & CEO of Igloo. Previously, he worked with Flipkart and Zalora. Raunak is knowledgeable about the first principles mindset, building companies from scratch, and new technologies.

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Rachit Dayal is the Founder of Happy Marketer. Born in India, educated in NUS Singapore and based in Singapore. Rachit Dayal started his marketing agency out of the gate of University with minimal funding before growing it to $10 million in sales in 9 years and later acquisition by Japanese media conglomerate Dentsu. Happy Marketer is Singapore’s most awarded digital agency, clients and partners including Google, Singtel, ING, Grab and BCG. He now serves as APAC CMO of Dentsu’s interactive division Merkle.

Rachit is Singapore's first Google certified advertising and analytics professional, he help brands in Asia drive significant results from their digital marketing by using the latest technology and creativity. At Happy Marketer’s Consulting Practice, he handles all business relating to Search Engine Marketing, Web Analytics, Website Usability and Online Marketing Strategy. Rachit is also a Master Practitioner of NLP certified by Dr Richard Bandler, the founder of NLP. He is also an Advanced Communicator in the Toastmasters International Public Speaking program.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/rachit-dayal

Yann Schuermans, Founder & CEO of Baskit, and Jeremy Au, talked about three key topics: 

1. Career Transitions and Entrepreneurship: Yann recounted his journey to join AB InBev and reflected on the valuable experiences and insights he gained, which equipped him with a broad perspective on supply chain complexities and industry nuances. He shared his decision to leave his secure role at AB InBev, joining Circles.Life, and later starting his own venture, Baskit. He explained the different considerations behind every career move, including factors like access to capital, geographic location, and even the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He advised aspiring entrepreneurs to gain experience and build a strong foundation in their chosen domain before embarking on entrepreneurial endeavors.

2. 400 Years Family Legacy: Yann shared his background of growing up with a family history deeply rooted in supply chain expertise spanning 400 years. He discussed how he witnessed his father navigating various supply chain crises and how this upbringing ignited his own passion for the industry. Unlike conventional career paths, where individuals often pursue professions like law or finance, his family legacy exposed him to the world of supply chain management from a young age, which not only provided him with valuable insights but also fueled his passion for the field.

3. Indonesia's Supply Chain: Yann provided his insights on the supply chain from his time at the global beverage company, AB InBev. He talked about Indonesia's vast and multi-faceted supply chain, highlighting the country’s market, geographic challenges, and diverse topography. He also provided a tiered structure of the supply chain, distinguishing between various layers, including wholesalers, distributors, and brands. He also shared his insights on monetization strategies, and unit economics, and to carefully assess whether it’s better to disrupt or complement an existing supply chain model.

They also discussed Yann’s vision for Baskit as a software-defined supply chain platform, the importance of staying light and flexible in the industry, various monetization strategies within the supply chain space, and the significance of multi-category approaches.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/yann-schuermans

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZC5jby9icmF2ZWR5bmFtaWNz

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

Learn more about Ringkas here: https://www.ringkas.co.id

Amir Salihefendić is the founder and CEO of Doist, the remote-first company behind the productivity app Todoist and Twist, a team communication app. Todoist keeps track of all your tasks, projects, and goals in one beautifully simple place. It syncs across all your devices and integrates with all your favorite apps. This app is for people who need less chaos and more peace-of-mind. Todoist has helped millions of people complete over 1.5 billion tasks in 150+ million projects.  

Todoist is the top-ranked productivity app. It is Google Play’s “Editor’s Choice” with 4.7 stars across 187K+ reviews. It is on the Apple store as a featured app with 4.8 stars across 30K+ reviews. The Verge reviewed Todoist as 9/10 and “The best to-do list app right now”.

Doist is a remote-first team with 75 employees collaborating across 18 timezones and over 20 different countries. Doist has published the leading guides and best practices for starting, managing, and scaling a remote team from the world’s most successful distributed companies.

He graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science at Aarhus University. He was born in Bosnia, grew up in Denmark and is currently splitting his time across Barcelona, Spain and Santiago, Chile. He is a dad of two and enjoys football and surfing. He speaks Bosnian, Danish, English and Spanish.

Find the show transcript at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/amir-salihefendic

You can find our community discussions for this episode at https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/7-amir-salihefendic-founder-and-ceo-of-doist

Blue Orca Capital’s allegations against BetterHelp and highlights growing tensions in tech-enabled labor platforms. BetterHelp is accused of using AI to replace human therapists, driven by cost pressures and incentive structures. The case reflects broader risks as AI begins to reshape trust, quality, and business models in two-sided marketplaces.

1. Therapists allegedly use AI to engage patients: Customers reported robotic replies and confirmed AI usage through detection tools, raising concerns about trust and ethics in mental healthcare.
2. Incentives and burnout drive AI reliance: Therapists are paid by word count and overloaded with 60+ patients per week, making AI an easy shortcut to meet performance targets.
3. Business slowdown exposes deeper cracks: BetterHelp’s user base, revenue growth, and profit margins are all declining, while Teladoc faces accounting scrutiny and leadership turnover.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/ai-therapist-problem

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeff Lonsdale, Partner of Starstorm Ventures, and Jeremy Au embark on a comprehensive exploration of how Y Combinator's 20 startup requests flies (or flunks) within the Southeast Asian (SEA) entrepreneurial landscape. They debate sectors poised for regional adaptation and growth, such as robotics (per capita deployment), defense technology and the strategic repositioning of manufacturing away from China. They discuss SEA's inherent benefits, like cost-efficient engineering resources and burgeoning markets, juxtaposed against the challenges of market fragmentation and complex regulations. They also explore whether the economics of climate tech could work in the region, space exploration viability, how healthcare is actually built in the region. They also touch on how to actually capture value in Southeast Asia from productivity-improving AI, in a region with low cost of labor as a substitute for automation vs. global market opportunities. We encourage listeners to review Jeff's original blog review and the base YC Request for Startups in parallel with the episode, due to the in-depth discussion.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jeff-lonsdale

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jeff-lonsdale-in

观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jeff-lonsdale-cn

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Join the Singapore Growth & AI Summit with Sean Ellis! Use code seanbrave7 today.

Gorick Ng is author of THE UNSPOKEN RULES: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right (Harvard Business Review Press), a guide on how to become a top-performing employee, based on 500+ interviews with professionals across geographies, industries, and job types. Gorick's book is quickly becoming required reading for new grads and new hires across universities, Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, and non-profits around the world.

Gorick's book has been endorsed by Arianna Huffington (Founder of Huffington Post), Cal Newport (Author of Deep Work), David Carey (Former Global President of Hearst Magazines), Edith Cooper (Board Director of Slack and Etsy and Former Global Head of Human Capital Management of Goldman Sachs), Ginni Rometty (Executive Chairman of IBM), Julie Zhuo (Former VP of Product Design of Facebook), Rich Lesser (CEO of BCG), and Ratan Tata (Former Chairman of Tata Group).

Gorick is a career adviser at Harvard College, specializing in coaching first-generation, low-income students. He has managed new employees at Boston Consulting Group, worked in investment banking at Credit Suisse, and is also a researcher with the Managing the Future of Work project at Harvard Business School. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Fast Company, CNBC, and more. Gorick, a first-generation college student, is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School. Find him at gorick.com.

Shownotes: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/gorick-ng

In this discussion, Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:

1. Bad Conferences: Jeremy and Shiyan highlight the aspects they find frustrating, e.g. low-value, low-density conversations. Shiyan discusses her disappointment with unnecessary pre-panel preparation calls and panels with too many participants, which inevitably dilutes the quality of conversations.

2. Speakers & Moderators Hacks: Jeremy advises speakers to focus on nailing at least 2 out of these three key elements: factual descriptiveness, a fresh/ contrarian point of view, and charm. He shares a trick he frequently uses as a moderator, which involves encouraging panel members to intentionally speak at an expert level.

3. Democracy vs. Republic vs. Serendipity: Jeremy and Shiyan disclose their approach to conference participation, emphasizing the importance of serendipity as key to an enriching experience. They also debate the democratic vs. republic approach in audience engagement.

They also discussed founder 1-minute pitches, great attendee experiences, and their personal conference approaches.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/bad-vs-great-conferences

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZC5jby9icmF2ZWR5bmFtaWNz

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

Learn more about Fluid! Get in touch with Trasy, Fluid’s cofounder at trasy@gofluid.io

Jeremy reflects on his journey from personal loss in high school, studying SATs in the army, to securing a spot at UC Berkeley and the experiences there that culminated in his decision to attend Harvard Business School.

He also shares his most formative lessons such as meeting Clayton Christensen, the professor who developed the theory of disruptive innovation, consulting for a large Turkish retail brand as part of his FIELD program and on-campus life.

You can find the show notes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/jeremy-mba-pt1

You can find our community discussions for this episode at https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/13-jeremy-au-harvard-mba-class-of-2017

“The world is going to be more generalist. It’s tough to pick one thing. I find that I can let myself off the hook by not picking one thing and doing lots of things and learning. Fortunately, in tech careers, that can work. A lot of papers call it deep generalism. People that you think are specialists have a background in being more of a generalist until they found something they loved and excelled at.” - Michael Smith Jr. 

“​I don't think the Southeast Asia ecosystem is bad. We’re seeing the first true downturn. This is the most layoffs we have ever seen in big tech in our own backyard. I'm fortunate that I'm okay, but I know people that are not and I totally get that, but I don't think you can put a stamp on the whole thing and say it is messed up.” - Michael Smith Jr. 

“This idea of unfettered access to a supercomputer for an 11-year-old is not a good thing. I'm glad I didn't experience that, but I do think computers are a part of our life and AI is real. I'm in the camp that says this is going to be like a superpower that will allow us to do more things, but there will always be people that are bad actors. I do think it will help more often than not. It's an interesting time because it's moving faster at a speed that we're not used to and there's still a lot of figuring out to do.” - Michael Smith Jr. 

During the discussion between Jeremy Au and Michael Smith Jr., APAC GM of Microsoft for Startups, several key insights were shared. Firstly, Michael emphasized the value of being a generalist in the startup ecosystem, having experience as an investor, builder, and potentially exploring new avenues in the future. He highlighted the importance of adaptability and learning from diverse experiences.

Secondly, Michael discussed his parenting philosophy, sharing how he raised his children differently by limiting their exposure to smartphones and social media. He emphasized the importance of fostering independence and creativity in children, allowing them to have a childhood free from excessive technology use.

Lastly, the conversation delved into the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on startups. Michael expressed his belief that AI can be a powerful tool for startups to enhance productivity and reach broader markets. However, he also cautioned against blindly investing in pure AI ventures, noting the need for further development and infrastructure before such investments become more viable.

Overall, the discussion showcased Michael's experiences as a generalist, his thoughtful approach to parenting, and his insights on the role of AI in the startup ecosystem.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at www.bravesea.com/blog/michael-smith-jr

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZC5jby9icmF2ZWR5bmFtaWNz

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

Learn more about NodeFlair here: https://www.nodeflair.com/

Hsiang Low is Head of Asia-Pacific at SeedLegals, one of the hottest legaltech offerings which provides the legals for creating, funding and running startups. Hsiang oversees SeedLegals' operations and strategy across Hong Kong and Singapore. He is also a qualified solicitor in England & Wales, having trained and practiced for over a decade at magic circle lawfirm Linklaters.

 Previously, Hsiang was a founding member and Co-Head of Asia at Nakhoda, an in-house legal tech startup at Linklaters. He led the roll-out of ISDA Create (now CreateIQ) across the Asia Pacific region, an industry-leading and award winning online negotiation platform built in partnership with the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA). He also serves as a steering committee member of the Asia-Pacific Legal Innovation and Technology Association (ALITA).

 With over a decade of a unique combination of international legal practising experience and technological product expertise, Hsiang has helped to deliver cutting-edge and game-changing products In London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and across Asia.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/hsiang-low

Jeremy presents a question and answer session at the Singapore University of Technology & Design about the fundamentals of pitching.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/sutd-qna

An avid triathlete, Bernard is the co-founder of Hatio Group - a technology business based in South Korea specialising in digital warehousing & network distribution. Since 2012, Hatio has a proven track record of envisioning and delivering major transformational change, cost reduction and operational improvement programs in a KRX top 5 blue chip organization.

As the group COO, Bernard plays an instrumental role in expanding the Hatio brand across Southeast Asia with a mission to help local SMEs digitise. He currently leads a strong team of software engineers, project managers, designers on large scale digital transformation projects in the telecommunications, healthcare, supply chain & logistics industry.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/bernard-hor

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/bernard-hor

Chia is a Principal at Saison Capital, a leading FinTech-focused venture capital fund, who has done especially well in emerging markets like Southeast Asia and India. Their direct investments include Grab, Southeast Asia's largest startup and super-app, as well as ShopBack, Southeast Asia's largest shopping and cashback rewards platform. Their limited partner investments include some of the top- performing funds in Southeast Asia, like East Ventures and Beenext, as well as global funds like Quona Capital and Antler.

Previously he was the fifth employee for Antler, the leading global pre-team venture builder. He also both invested and launched markets for them in Europe. He was also at Rocket Internet where he helped build out an eCommerce company in Pakistan and Sri Lanka that was bought by Alibaba.

On the side, he is cofounder of Shaper Impact Capital, a 60-person platform that helps early stage startups with an impact connect with resources they need for the next stage of growth.

He runs good-admissions, a Harvard Business School admissions advice platform where all proceeds go to charity. He also angel invests in marketplace and consumer startups in emerging markets like Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Egypt. His educational background includes a law undergraduate degree from Cambridge and will be doing his Harvard MBA in the future. He likes indie music, hiking and writes about venture capital at his website, which can be found at www.chiajy.com.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/local-foreign-vc

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/local-foreign-vc

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Michael Kosic is a Managing Partner of the Loyal VC, founded in 2018. Loyal runs a global venture fund with flexible redemptions and a proprietary gate-stage process, reducing investment bias and unlocking greater returns. Loyal draws on Michael's lifelong experience as a technology entrepreneur, professional Industrial Engineer, and Angel Investor, while heavily leveraging his INSEAD network, where he earned his MBA, and the Founder Institute accelerator.

Read the transcript here at: www.bravesea.com/blog/michael-kosic

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Todd Schweitzer is co-founder and CEO at Brankas, the leading Open Finance technology provider in Southeast Asia. Todd has held senior roles in private equity and management consulting, spanning technology, the public sector, and financial services. Todd and co-founder Kenneth Shaw launched Brankas in 2016 to address the technology gaps that hindered fintech-bank partnerships. Brankas provides Open Finance technology to banks, insurers, mobile wallets, alternative lenders, and other suppliers and users of financial services APIs. He holds dual Bachelor's degrees with honours in Economics and International Studies from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/todd-d-schweitzer

In this episode of BRAVE, Jeremy Au reflects on deep learning breakthroughs’ timeline, AI’s impact on military technology and the increased incentives for more AI engineer training, funding and integration, based on a ChinAI article written by Jeffrey Ding.

“AI is going to accelerate the military-industrial complex. It’s not just good for the economy or academics, but also for national security. That's going to be a very interesting fusion. There may also be multiple attempts by states to build out those AI hubs over a 20 to 30-year timeframe, so we might see more subsidies, education, advocacy and championing for folks to learn AI.” - Jeremy Au

Read the transcript here at Read the transcript here at www.bravesea.com/blog/ai-electricity-adoption

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Hannah is the author of Founder to PM and the CEO and Founder of TheShareWay. Founder to PM is the first detailed guide on how ex-founders can land their first product management jobs. TheShareWay is a directory of companies that donate food and raffle items to nonprofits. Previously, she worked in Product at Oscar Health and started her career as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/hannah-yang

In this bonus episode, Jeremy answers Q&A from his four interns, Adriel Yong, Tan Yong Quan, Lyndon Lee & Pooja Sinha on Clubhouse and the future of Audio storytelling.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/clubhousevspodcasts

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/clubhousevspodcasts

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Wing Vasiksiri, General Partner & Founder of WV Fund, and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Founder Failure Stigma: They compared how failure is perceived by founders and society in Southeast Asia versus the US, focusing on Thailand and Singapore. In Thailand, failure carries a strong stigma, making it harder for failed founders to reintegrate into the ecosystem, while in the US, failure is seen as part of the entrepreneurial journey, with founders often wearing it as a badge of honor. They noted that the lack of a talent recycling system in Southeast Asia makes it riskier for founders to fail, as there are fewer opportunities for them to be absorbed back into other startups, VC firms, or incubators. In contrast, Silicon Valley provides a more robust safety net for failed founders, who are quickly reabsorbed into the ecosystem.

2. New Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra: They discussed the recent political shift in Thailand with the appointment of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Prime Minister, replacing Srettha Thavisin. Srettha, a former business executive, was removed from office after appointing a convicted cabinet member, which violated the Thai constitution. Paetongtarn, the daughter of former pro-business Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is expected to maintain many of the previous administration’s policies, including the digital wallet program, which offers financial handouts of 10,000 baht (USD 300) to 50 million citizens to stimulate economic growth. While the stock exchange of Thailand reacted positively, with a sharp rise of over 11%, the long-term fiscal impact of such handouts remains a concern, particularly with potential inflationary pressures.

3. Electric Vehicle (EV) Manufacturing: They explored Thailand’s rapid adoption of electric vehicles, supported by strong government subsidies ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 baht per vehicle. In 2023, EVs accounted for nearly 10% of new car sales, and the government aims for 30% of vehicle production to be electric by 2030. This shift is largely driven by partnerships with Chinese manufacturers, positioning Thailand as a key player in the regional EV market. They contrasted this with Singapore, where the government’s reliance on gas tax revenues limits its incentive to push for EV adoption, despite favorable infrastructure conditions. Indonesia was also mentioned as a key player in the EV sector, particularly due to its rich nickel reserves essential for battery production.

Jeremy and Wing also discussed the rise of the cannabis industry in Thailand, the minimum wage increase, and the lack of B2B SaaS success stories in the region.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/thailand-new-prime-minister

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Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại https://www.bravesea.com/blog/thailand-new-prime-minister-vn

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Amra is Co-Founder of Accelerating Asia and General Partner at Accelerating Asia Ventures, an award-winning startup accelerator that scouts and propels the best founders in the region and provides pre-Series A startups with the resources and investment to scale their growth.

Amra is passionate about working to close the gap between commercial and social sectors and supporting for profit businesses to exceed commercial KPIs while driving social impact. She is the Asia Pacific lead for Shaper Impact Capital, a Singapore Global Shaper, an initiative of the World Economic Forum and is the host and creator of the Doing Good Podcast. For close to a decade this passion has driven Amra’s innovative approach to program execution and partnerships that intersect both business and social objectives.

Amra has spearheaded high-impact partnerships local, regional and globally. Her successful campaign and project outcomes consistently achieve results. Previously Amra led the award-winning UN Women Singapore global social entrepreneurship program, Project Inspire and was a key contributor to muru-D’s wide recognition as one of the top startup accelerator programs in Asia.

She has been interviewed and featured as a guest author on industry blogs, including The Straits Times, Techcrunch, Reuters and named as one of Harpers Bazaar’s Women Who Inspire Others. She also is a regular guest on 938Now’s drive-time show – Singapore’s national English news radio station. Amra regularly speaks about the intersection of business and impact, including at global events such as Money 20/20 (Singapore), Singularity University Impact Challenge (Poland) and the Asia Corporate Sustainability Summit (Philippines).

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/amra-naidoo

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/amra-naidoo

Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund and Jeremy Au discuss three main topics:

1. Down Rounds, Recaps, & the Psychological Implications: Jeremy and Shiyan talk about the complex dynamics startups face when fundraising expectations aren't met. Shiyan shares that startups consider accepting down rounds, which might come as an ego blow, or considering recap, rewriting the cap table to accommodate new investors and ensure the incentive for existing stakeholders. Jeremy explains that it’s pivotal for management teams to exhibit their adaptability and lessons learned, both at a company and personal level, while making actionable changes, such as cost-cutting or strategic shifts, that validate their readiness for the next phase.

2. Failure Patterns in Southeast Asia: They explore common failure patterns that often result in down rounds and recapitalizations, such as market saturation, lack of product differentiation, and rapid, uncontrolled expansion. Shiyan notes that many startups in Southeast Asia share these failure patterns due to a mix of hyper-competition, immature ecosystems, and differences in consumer behavior across countries in the region. Jeremy adds that external economic factors and regulatory changes, especially in diverse markets like Southeast Asia, can also lead to such scenarios. They advise founders to keep a close watch on market trends and be agile in their strategies.

3. The Role of the Founder and Investors on the Board: They stress the pivotal roles that both founders and investors play during challenging times and highlight the necessity for founders to maintain open lines of communication with their investors, sharing both good and bad news. Investors should also offer guidance and support. They share that effective boards can facilitate difficult but necessary conversations about layoffs and pivoting and that the founder's role also shifts from being a visionary to being a crisis manager, which is crucial for the survival of the startup.

They also discuss the significance of customer segmentation for maximum business impact, mental resilience, and emotional intelligence for founders during tumultuous times, strategies to generate revenue such as lending and SaaS models, and the importance of concentrating on a single product or offering before expanding.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/downturns-and-recaps

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Learn more about Ringkas here: https://www.ringkas.co.id

Adriel Yong, Head of Investments at Ascend Network, and Jeremy Au assessed Southeast Asia's low VC fund performance (median 0.4X returns vs. USA (1X) and India (1.3x). They discussed VCs shifting towards more realistic and localized investment strategies, while also taking into account growing geopolitical USA vs. China tensions with their resulting trade and economic impacts on countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. They explored a range of strategies: shift towards earlier-stage investments, private debt, exploring less saturated/ underpriced markets like Malaysia, increased focus on consumer categories, "rightsizing" towards smaller fund sizes, pushing for complex yet needed secondary transactions, instituting more disciplined investment practices and managing capital better.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/darwinian-vc-evolution

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Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Reach out to joe@heymax.ai to learn more about Heymax

Jimmy Ku is the COO of MixerBox , the premier provider of mobile media applications with over 300 million downloads and users who have spent over 120 billion minutes. MixerBox is backed by investors such as Y Combinator, Initialized Capital, Infinity Ventures, and more.

Previously, Jimmy was the General Manager of Fundraise Concierge at Atrium where he helped startup founders with the process of fundraising. He spoke to over a thousand startups during 2019 and helped his clients raise over $200M in funding. Jimmy also has experience as a venture scout at 10X Capital and Grishin Robotics. 

Jimmy graduated with honours from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business with degrees in Business Administration and Economics and started his career as a management consultant.

You can connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmyku/

Shownotes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/jimmy-ku

Jenna Hua is the founder and CEO of Million Marker, a health-tech company that empowers people to detox their lives through mail-in test kits, lifestyle audits, and counseling. Harmful chemicals are present in food and drinks, plastics, and everyday products. These chemicals have been linked to infertility, IVF failure, child development, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Million Marker is the first and only company that makes it easy for everyday consumers to learn about their toxic chemical exposure, and provides scientific and actionable solutions to minimize future exposure.

A registered dietitian and environmental health scientist by training, Jenna completed her Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition, Master of Public Health and PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at UC Berkeley, and postdoctoral fellowship in chronic disease prevention at Stanford Medicine. Jenna's past research has focused on how our surrounding environment impacts our behaviros and health. An ardent believer in disease prevention, Jenna wants to provide personalized preventive strategies to everyone to lead a healthier life.

Show notes at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/dalia-katan

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/dalia-katan

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Projjal Ghatak, Cofounder & CEO of OnLoop, and Jeremy Au, talk about leadership and coaching dynamics. They discuss three key themes: 

1. The Power of Leadership: Projjal and Jeremy talked about how they initially hesitated to invest in executive coaching due to its perceived high cost but they stressed the invaluable returns it brings. They underlined the significance of a structured coaching approach, emphasizing that leaders must be intentional about it as it enhances decision-making. They noted that leadership involves making choices that profoundly impact a company's future, and highlighted that its value lies in mastering well-informed decision-making.

2. Venture Capital vs. Private Equity: Projjal explained the prevalence of entities in Southeast Asia that label themselves as VCs but function more like small to mid-sized enterprise private equity firms (SME PE), aiming for 2 to 3X returns on investments within a short time frame. This contrasted with the VC model, which embraces asymmetric outcomes and rapid growth. They explained that understanding the differences is crucial for founders and investors alike, as it greatly impacts the leadership dynamics and decision-making processes within a company. They also talked about the significance of a harmonious board of directors in guiding a company's direction, and that it should be comprised of individuals who not only bring diverse expertise but also foster healthy debates and discussions.

3. Effective Coaching Dynamics: Projjal highlighted that for coaches to be truly effective, they need personal empathy and experience in the domain of the individual being coached, similar to having a deep understanding of the "sport" or field they are coaching in, even if it's not identical. He also distinguished between coaches and mentors or advisors, emphasizing that coaches must prioritize listening and asking questions over telling individuals what to do. He suggested that formal training, such as the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program, can provide a solid foundation for coaching. 

They also explored the significance of aligning founder-investor perspectives, Projjal's unique perspectives on narcissism, the depth of trust required in such relationships, and the importance of critical thinking in the current instant gratification era. 

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/projjal-ghatak2

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Learn more about Ringkas here: https://www.ringkas.co.id

“For me, the purpose is very important. Everyone deserves to be helped. Some moments of conscientious crisis are situations when assessing if the leaders are being purposeful. Are they being selfless or self-interested? Sometimes, things can get a little bit political. Most leaders give their best, do things for the right reasons, try to rise to the occasion, and uncover something very powerful within themselves. I could continue every day to do what I do, and I love the privilege of witnessing these light bulb moments. I have a lifetime goal of helping at least a million people to uncover their true selves and channel that toward better decisions and more positive influence.” - Huijin Kong

“The principle I learned from reading a lot of books during my soul-searching era is awareness. It’s the process of metamorphosis. Something in you is dying and then your true self is emerging. Awareness means not being afraid to face it. It makes you mobilize different parts of your brain and your heart to guide you to what to do with it. It’s not practical to repress it.” - Huijin Kong 

“I quit McKinsey and knew that the road had come to an end. I was learning some things, but not at the rate that I wanted to, and I was afraid I’d get stuck in the exploration. I quit without having any alternatives. I went through three to four years in my own pursuit of trying to find myself and be a person that I could only vaguely, intuitively feel. People felt sorry for me saying I’ve really lost it. They said I had so much potential, but they didn’t know what's going become of me. Some people thought I was depressed. The whole process of letting go of an old self and birthing the true self is a very tumultuous, emotional one. It's almost like dying and renewing yourself.” - Huijin Kong

In this conversation between Jeremy Au and Huijin Kong, Principal at LinHart Group and co-author of Positive Influence: The First and Last Mile of Leadership, they discussed personal evolution, leadership, and positive influence. The discussion illuminates three primary themes:

1. The Unveiling of Self-Identity: Huijin opens up about her dynamic personality, portraying herself as an energizer bunny, compass, and challenger. From her academic star student beginnings to her time at McKinsey, she candidly shares her evolution and passion for helping others become better leaders and influencers.

2. The Metamorphosis of Identity: Huijin delves into the complexities of identity transformation, sharing her own shift from old identity death to new identity rebirth. She offers poignant advice for those undergoing similar shifts, emphasizing the importance of confronting uncomfortable feelings.

3. Positive Influence and Purposeful Leadership: Huijin discusses her co-authored book 'Positive Influence.' She fervently articulates the need for more positive influences in our society, particularly in leadership roles, despite the prevalence of negative influences.

Throughout the conversation, they also talked about Huijin’s learnings from her soul-searching journey, the significance of self-awareness in personal growth, and balancing productivity and caring for other people’s well-being. 

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/huijin-kong

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

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Learn more about Baskit here: https://baskit.app/

Mark Shmulevich is a senior executive in technology business and early-stage investor. He is an avid supporter of education, talent development, science and technology as key drivers of societal progress.

Mark’s professional track record includes both public and private sector experience, while the industry domains he has worked in range from space and quantum technologies to artificial intelligence (AI).

Dr. Mark Shmulevich has been COO and SVP at TAIGER, an NLP AI software company, since 2018. Headquartered in Singapore, TAIGER pioneers AI products that use human-like logic to automatically read, understand and extract information.

Previously, Mark was Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at Acronis, a global software and services company working on efficient data storage, protection and security. Acronis achieved the $2B+ valuation and serves over 500,000 customers worldwide.

In 2012, at the age of 29, Dr. Shmulevich was appointed Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) of Russia, responsible for policy making in IT and IT industry support. He suggested and implemented changes to legislation allowing small and medium IT companies to enjoy a tax regime more beneficial for innovation, as well as simpler employment schemes for highly qualified foreign talent.

Dr. Shmulevich is an advisory board member of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Innovation Centre (ICT branch). SMART supports entrepreneurship in Singapore, providing grant support and mentoring to the project teams.

He is also a board member of SGTech, the largest technology business federation in Singapore. In 2020, Dr. Shmulevich was appointed Chairman of its Digital Transformation Chapter.

He is married and has two daughters. Mark resides in Singapore with his family since 2016.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/mark-shmulevich

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/mark-shmulevich

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Ren Yi Hooi is the Founder and CEO of Lightning Social Ventures, a Fintech for Good startup which enables charities and public sector institutions to verify and accelerate support for people in financial hardship. A globally recognised impact award winner, Lightning launched in Feb 2021 and is now revenue generating with multiple national partners in the UK.

Prior to this, Ren was the Product Director and Director of Financial Inclusion at Railsbank, a leading FinTech platform. Ren has also held a number of different roles at companies and social sector organisations across four continents, including Bain & Company, BIMA (a global InsurTech provider) and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Ren graduated with an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from UC Berkeley. She is a recipient of the UK’s Tech Nation Exceptional Talent Visa.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/ren-yi-hooi

For the 400th BRAVE episode, Jeremy discussed the hard 4-year journey of founding the podcast during the global pandemic to becoming Southeast Asia's #1 tech podcast. He shared why he decided to spotlight local tech stories and how he almost quit due to burnout multiple times. He learned to value "oyakodon" craftsmanship over maximalism, continue "kaizen" continual improvement and prioritize authentic conversations. Jeremy's vision for BRAVE is fostering a stronger community with more features for premium membership, writing his second in-depth book and being more honest (yet growth-oriented) about the region's true tech ecosystem while bringing in more of his personal humor and interests.

Watch, listen or read the full insight in English at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/400-podcast-episodes

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/400-podcast-episodes-id

观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/400-podcast-episodes-cn

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Join the Singapore Growth & AI Summit with Sean Ellis! Use code seanbrave7 today.

Mark is a software entrepreneur, business development expert, startup advisor, community builder, and author of Community-in-a-Box.

He currently works at AWS as a Principal Startup Advocate advising founders and technical teams on how startups across Asia-Pacific successfully build and scale their startups on AWS.

As a community builder, Mark founded DEVBIZOPS, a long standing newsletter and blog about innovation, technology transformation, and developer culture. Mark also is the founder of the Enterprise Sales Forum, a global community of 25,000 B2B sales professionals that meet in-person and virtually to share ideas, network with peers, and learn new skills.

Previously, Mark was with Stack Overflow to help launch their SaaS Q&A platform and then led efforts to expand business in APAC working with C-level executives to help them understand how to build internal tech communities in order to improve software delivery performance.

Before that he launched an HR tech startup, invested in numerous B2B tech companies and worked at a diverse group of leading technology companies including Oracle, E.piphany, and Siebel.

Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Boston University. In his non-working hours, he likes to search cities for the best local foods, and he can be seen rocking out to extreme metal on occasion.

“Trust makes teams efficient because you don't have to fact-check and feel anxious about what someone else is doing. Everyone knows what’s going on so the flow of information is hyper-fast. We’re not like separate brains trying to figure out what each other knows at certain points in time. We're operating with a hive mind and are all collectively in the same context. This is not always perfect, so it's something that we really strive for because execution is not just about yourself but the team as well.” - Sherry Jiang 

“Most of the time, what you think is a brilliant idea for your company isn't what comes out. When you start executing it, meeting real potential users, and building the product, it evolves and changes to something that you may have not even imagined in the beginning. A startup should figure out a way to experiment and test what can work in the cheapest way possible. You should be hypotheses-driven and find a way to test and validate the idea. Once you have the inkling that you’re potentially right, narrow down your space, double down in that area, and soon, you will realize that there are a million more ideas related to what you're doing that you have to solve.” - Sherry Jiang

“The idea of things going well feels so foreign because we’re used to the bear market right now. You always have to manage risks. When cataclysmic events happen, you don’t want to be caught on the wrong end of things. We are a company born out of a market where being prudent and cautious is better than being aggressively growth-oriented. We are able to learn the lessons about risk management without suffering as many consequences.” - Sherry Jiang

In this engaging conversation between Jeremy Au and Sherry Jiang, the cofounder of Bluejay Finance, they delve into the world of cryptocurrency entrepreneurship and the challenges faced in the Web 3.0 era. Sherry shares her journey from tech leadership roles at Google and Amazon to founding her own crypto startup, providing practical lessons on risk management and asset diversification. She emphasizes the significance of execution and teamwork in the startup landscape, and how her company fosters efficient communication and builds trust within the team. Sherry's personal growth as a founder shines through as she discusses overcoming stage fright and embracing vulnerability to thrive in entrepreneurship.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The evolution of Sherry's career from tech giants to founding Bluejay Finance

• Challenges and lessons learned during the collapse of FTX and the importance of risk management and diversification

• The value of efficient execution and teamwork in startup success

• Balancing strategic planning with rapid execution in the fast-paced crypto space

• Sherry's personal journey and growth as a founder, embracing vulnerability and bravery

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/sherry-jiang

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

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Learn more about Pollen here: https://www.pollen.tech

In this discussion, Matt Abrahams, Stanford MBA Professor and author of Think Faster, Work Smarter, and Jeremy Au, talk about three main themes:

1. Journey to Mastering Public Speaking: Matt shared what inspired his journey to research public speaking. At his first-ever speech competition, he demonstrated a karate kick on stage and ripped his pants in front of the entire audience. This event catalyzed his deep dive into understanding and mastering the art of public speaking. He shared how this taught him the importance of staying composed under pressure and maintaining a sense of humor, even when things don’t go as planned. He also recounted a lesson he learned from his mother about how a person's communication style can influence others, shape their perceptions, or guide reactions in a desired direction.

2. Understanding Anxiety’s Biological Roots: Matt opened up about the inherent nature of anxiety, particularly when it comes to public speaking and establishing one's place in social hierarchies. He explained that feeling anxious in such situations is a natural biological response that has been a part of human evolution for centuries as our bodies are programmed to be alert and responsive to potential threats. With the modern world offering different speaking opportunities to larger, diverse audiences and the additional pressure brought by the permanency of video recordings, Matt highlighted the need to understand and adapt to the evolving challenges of public speaking anxiety.

3. Personalized Approach to Public Speaking: Matt stressed the essence of individuality in public speaking. He encourages people to learn from both successes and failures and integrate these lessons to develop a better approach suited to today’s world. He shared that Martin Luther King Jr. got a C- in Public Speaking in his early days, reminding everyone that even the most prolific orators faced challenges early on. He highlighted that people should set realistic and achievable expectations and understand that mastery is a continuous journey.

They also discussed the impact of cultural differences on communication styles, strategies for effective storytelling in presentations, how effective communication and public speaking are crucial for leaders in the tech industry, the value of observational learning, and the necessity of critical thinking and community support when seeking advice.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/matt-abrahams

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T

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Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZC5jby9icmF2ZWR5bmFtaWNz

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

Learn more about Ringkas here: https://www.ringkas.co.id

Mo is a serial entrepreneur, Goldman Sachs alumni and a guest lecturer at Monash University department of computer science discussing AI & entrepreneurship.

Mo holds several degrees and is an alumnus of London School of Economics, UCL and King College London. His work has been featured in Forbes, Billboard, Adage and Mindshare and has won awards at Cannes Lion.

He is currently the co-founder of Metapair and has spent the last decade running startups across Europe, the US and Asia, in addition to being an advocate and conference speaker on the practical applications of NLP.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/mo-jalil

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/mo-jalil

Jonathan Ng is the CEO and Founder of Iterative Scopes, a pioneer in the application of artificial intelligence-based precision medicine to gastroenterology with the aim of establishing a new standard of care for the detection, and ultimately, treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Iterative Scopes is a startup that spun out of MIT, recently raised $150 million in Series B financing to accelerate development of its core algorithmic innovations. 

Jon has spent over 10 years working in various healthcare systems around the world and training at top healthcare institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital. Through his work and experiences, he has been inspired to bring an appropriately focused application that could potentially eliminate the barriers within healthcare around the world. Prior to his work at Iterative Scopes, Jon has established two large pediatric facilities in Cambodia, as chairman and founder of Children of Cambodia. Children of Cambodia is a philanthropic organization that provides valuable healthcare training programs and establishes advanced pediatric facilities throughout southeast Asia. The foundation has helped establish Cambodia's first neonatal ICUs, pediatric burns units, and pediatric cardiothoracic surgery units at Angkor Hospital for Children.

Jon is the Strategic Director and Founder of Optimimed, a medical services startup in Singapore which works in partnership with large public hospitals to deliver optimized healthcare solutions through technological advancements. Jon also serves as a Medical officer in the Ministry of Health Singapore in hopes to transform healthcare delivery in Southeast Asia.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/jonathan-ng

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/jonathan-ng

Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of  Hustle Fund, and ​​Jeremy Au talked about three main points:

1. Allianz Insurance Acquiring NTUC Income: Jeremy and Shiyan dissected the business logic and new facts that have emerged, especially regarding the current competition and performance challenges facing NTUC Income. They addressed the confusing public communications, emphasizing the need for transparent messaging to maintain stakeholder trust and societal confidence. They also reflected on the lessons for nonprofits and social enterprises regarding the importance of the constitution to safeguard social objectives.

2. USA Civilian Nuclear Deal: Singapore signed a thirty-years long “123” agreement to access US nuclear energy technologies and expertise that are under export controls. 95% of Singapore’s electricity is powered by fossil fuels, with low opportunities for solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable sources. Nuclear modular reactors would be one of the few ways to achieve Singapore’s ambitious 2050 net zero carbon emissions pledge. America signed similar deals with Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam - with implications for energy security, diplomatic alliances and optionality for national defense.

3. Politicians vs. Technocrats: They explored the contrasting leadership styles and political approach of Tim Walz, JD Vance, and Mitt Romney. With different experiences as teacher, veteran, venture capitalist, management consultant and community organizer, they exhibit the difference in skillsets between governance and winning votes. They compare this to Singapore’s policy and political landscape, and whether technocrats or retail politicians better serve their communities.

Jeremy and Shiyan also discussed the role of regulatory oversight in corporate transitions, the influence of legal structures on organizational missions, and the cultural implications of business practices across different regions.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/singapore-usa-nuclear-deal

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Learn more about Evo Commerce at bback.co and stryv.co 

Maaike Doyer, Founder and Managing Partner of Epic Angels, and Jeremy Au discuss three main points:

1. Diversifying Investments with Female Representation: Maaike shares her journey in building Epic Angels, a female investor syndicate focused on diversifying investments in the Asia-Pacific region. They invest not only in female founders but also in teams that have female representation. She also shares how Epic Angels educates and onboards new female investors, helping them understand the region, optimizing asset allocation, and fostering an appreciation for diverse investment opportunities

2. Risk Awareness and Mindset: They underscore the critical importance of risk awareness in angel investing. Maaike highlights that the first step in managing risk is recognizing it. She emphasizes the need for investors, regardless of gender, to be acutely aware of the risks associated with their investments. She explains that acceptance of uncertainty, embracing a long-term perspective, emotional resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning are important in derisking in investing. They also talk about how investors should prioritize diversification, align decisions with their risk tolerance, and have contingency plans for unexpected events.

3. Personal Moments of Bravery and Optimism: Maaike shares her journey from her move to Southeast Asia from Europe. She talks about her experiences and learnings, underlining the significant differences between countries and regions and the unique challenges and opportunities they present. She also discusses her optimism and hope for Southeast Asia's growth compared to Europe's slower prospects. 

They also touch on founder-investor dynamics, transparency, and the challenges and opportunities presented by the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, the role of mentorship in startups, importance of exit strategies, and the increasing accessibility and democratization of angel investing due to technological advancements.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/maaike-doyer

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Learn more about Ringkas here: https://www.ringkas.co.id

"To build, sell, and lead. Those are three essential roles for the future, and learning to do all three simultaneously or being ambidextrous is incredibly challenging but valuable. Building is key - can you code or understand code and leverage technology to construct and organize effectively? Selling is about understanding human needs and identifying problems to solve." - Jeremy Au

"I think values are important for leadership because people need to connect with you and understand what you stand for. It's about creating a just environment and treating others fairly, not just in a transactional way. Values are connected to your sense of self and confidence in knowing what you believe in, even if it goes against what others think. It's important to have a sense of right and wrong and a sense of self in those things." - Shiyan Koh

In this episode of BRAVE, Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh discuss the current state of the job market and provide advice for individuals navigating this challenging time. They predict that the pain caused by the pandemic is likely to drag on for another two years and that layoffs will continue to be a reality for many companies. They caution against shallow cuts, which can negatively impact morale and create uncertainty among remaining employees. When it comes to preparing for the future, they highlight the importance of building skills in communication, technology, and statistics. Rather than training for specific jobs, they emphasize the need to develop these core skills, which can be applied to a range of positions. In addition to technical skills, they stress the importance of values and the ability to lead, sell, and build.

They also discuss the need to maintain a sense of self and confidence in the face of uncertainty. They emphasize the importance of having values and being able to communicate them effectively, as well as the need to build resilience and develop the ability to thrive in challenging situations. Overall, they provide practical advice for individuals looking to navigate the job market during a time of great uncertainty and change.

Read the transcript at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/startup-tech-talents

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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#bravesea #startup #founder #southeastasia #singapore #entrepreneurship #futureproof #skills #coding #stats #values #communication #jobmarket

Jeremy Au explored the strategic dynamics of venture capital, network effects, and first-mover risks in technology markets. He illustrated how Uber outmaneuvered Lyft by aggressively raising capital to fuel network effects, while Airbnb achieved superior capital efficiency through globally pooled inventory. Using the case of Henn Tan, the Singaporean inventor of the USB thumb drive, he highlighted the vulnerabilities of weak patent enforcement and the unintended benefits of fast followers in driving mass adoption. He also examined how VCs allocate capital, using Instacart’s funding history to demonstrate the high returns of early investors versus the diminishing gains of late-stage backers. Through the lens of blitzscaling, he emphasized the importance of understanding unit economics—where strategic capital deployment can lead to market dominance, while miscalculations, as seen in the failed bike-sharing boom, can result in rapid collapse.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/blitzscaling-strategic-capital-deployment

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Pranjal Kanwar headed international growth at Xto10X, a company founded by prominent entrepreneurs, Binny Bansal, former cofounder and CEO of the unicorn Flipkart, and Saikiran Krishnamurthy, former McKinsey senior partner and Ekart executive.

Xto10X helps startups transform initial business momentum into at-scale impact and turns them into world class organizations. Previously, Pranjal co-founded Secret Wish, an enterprise providing women in India's Tier 2 and 3 cities with quality intimate-wear. She also served as CEO of Carmudi, one of Asia's largest auto portals focused primarily on Indonesia, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

 In the span of several years, Pranjal turned a stagnating company into a flourishing venture by doubling its initial revenue and raising significant capital and sold the business in early 2020. Her educational background includes an MBA from INSEAD and an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Delhi.

You can follow her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranjal-kanwar-06153043

Shownotes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/pranjal-kanwar

In this episode of BRAVE, Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh discuss tech layoffs, other opportunities during the recession period, advice on finding a job, and maintaining managerial humanity when conducting layoffs.

Show notes at: https://www.bravesea.com/blog/tech-layoff

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund and Jeremy Au answer some listeners’ questions. They discuss three major themes:

1. Founder-Investor Trust Dynamics & Reality Checks: Shiyan and Jeremy underscore the importance of cultivating transparent relationships between founders and investors. Founders often hesitate to reveal business setbacks to investors, but transparency is vital and investors can assist better when they're kept in the loop. They discuss that perfection is unattainable and not believable, and it’s more credible for founders to admit when they don't have answers and share their approach to resolving uncertainties. They also advise founders to confront the reality of their business, whether to pivot to a small business model, return the remaining capital to investors, or pursue an alternative route.

2. Buy Now, Pay Later Credit Policies: Shiyan highlights that successful BNPL models extend credit at the point of sale based on quality underwriting, especially in emerging markets with underdeveloped credit scoring systems. Jeremy also talks about how certain products, like Peloton in the US, are well-suited for BNPL due to the high price point and the creditworthiness of its typical consumers, but there’s a challenge in finding products that align with the BNPL model in markets where transaction volumes may be low, and the costs of underwriting could outweigh the benefits.

3. US SEC Impact on SEA VC Landscape: They discuss how SEC guidelines, particularly those affecting investments in China, pose challenges for US LPs looking to diversify into Asia. They highlight the significant shift of Chinese founders and global investment teams and their consideration to move to Singapore as a reaction to the current investment climate. They also share that the trend of decoupling between the U.S. and China is unlikely to improve in the near future, prompting both investors and founders to strategize accordingly for the long term.

They also talk about venture debt as a financing option, how founders can deal with emotional ups and downs and the value of seeking advice, and the significance of devising a contingency plan.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/listener-qna

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Learn more about Baskit here: https://baskit.app/

"In the first year from May 2019 until the start of Covid, it was tough since I had to juggle school and didn't do well at the beginning. So, I decided to take a leave of absence and go all-in 100%. That first year of difficulties laid the foundation for the company today, in terms of how everything is run. Although it was challenging, looking back, I enjoyed it. I consider myself process-driven rather than outcome-driven, as I enjoy the process more than achieving the outcome." - Evan Heng

“Education is powerful. By providing opportunities for the next generation to receive a good education, we're not just shaping their future, but we're also paving the way for future generations. Without these opportunities, they won't be able to achieve their full potential. For me, the impact of education goes beyond just helping the current generation secure good jobs and create a better future. It has a multiplying effect, and that's why I find it hard to consider any other industry. I've experienced firsthand how impactful education can be, and I want to continue to be a part of that impact.” - Evan Heng

"Don't be afraid to reach out. People are very willing to help, even if they don't get anything in return. It's very important that if you are a founder, you better start networking. You better start talking to as many people as you can because of the sheer amount of knowledge and information that you are able to gain from all these different opportunities." - Evan Heng

In a recent discussion with Evan Heng, founder of the education tech startup Zenith Education, we learned about his journey to becoming a founder and the challenges he faced along the way. Evan's passion for education led him to start Zenith. One of the most significant challenges Evan faced was building a team with diverse skill sets and aligned values. He overcame this by focusing on recruiting individuals with complementary skill sets and a shared vision for the company. Another challenge was obtaining funding for the startup. Evan managed to secure funding from various sources, including angel investors and grants, by creating a compelling business plan and demonstrating the potential impact of Zenith.

Evan also highlighted the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and continuous learning in building a successful startup. He advised other founders to stay committed to their vision, be open to feedback and criticism, and stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices. In conclusion, Evan Heng's journey to becoming a founder and building a successful education tech startup is inspiring. By overcoming significant challenges and staying committed to his vision, Evan has shown other founders the importance of building a strong team, securing funding, and embracing perseverance, adaptability, and continuous learning.

Read the transcript at www.bravesea.com/blog/evan-heng

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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#bravesea #startuplife #entrepreneurship #edtech #innovation #education #studentfounder #founderjourney #scaling #venturecapital #networking #mentoring #collaboration #teamwork #learningcurve #perseverance #resilience #problem-solving #futureofwork #technology

In this lighthearted episode, Jeremy Au sits down with fellow podcaster Edric Poon, host of Podcaster’s Playground, for a unique twist on the usual format. Armed with a deck of “Truth or Drink” cards, the duo tackles unexpected and hilarious questions that reveal surprising insights about their lives and quirks. Highlights include:

- Edric sharing his passion for the iconic Elvis-inspired Super 55 microphone and how it became a symbol of his podcasting journey.

- Jeremy confessing his love for the bizarrely catchy jingle, Baby Monkey Riding on a Pig, as his undergrad alarm clock anthem.

- A debate on tights, "mantyhose," and how functional fashion changed Edric’s perspective on masculinity.

- Reflections on dogs and personalities, where Jeremy introduces his Shiba Inu, Keiko, as his perfect companion.

- A heartfelt moment as Edric recounts the best compliment he's received from his wife, inspiring a deep dive into self-acceptance.

- Jeremy’s journey of overcoming procrastination and the personal growth sparked by understanding the science behind habits.

The conversation takes poignant turns as the duo reflects on love, loss, and resilience, including Jeremy’s emotional story of grieving a past relationship and finding healing in love. With humor, vulnerability, and unexpected wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration, a good laugh, or an inside look at the personal lives of two seasoned podcasters.

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Watch, listen or read the full insight at www.bravesea.com/blog/podcaster-buddy-truths

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Learn more about Nika.eco! Reach out to info@nika.eco if you are a geospatial data scientist or climate researcher who is interested to partner on a pilot or research opportunities

A serial entrepreneur and CEO operator with a track record of 0 to 1 growth and a strong focus on building healthy unit economics early on in a venture's life-cycle.

He founded Postr, a leading lock screen advertising SDK in 2014 (exited to Play2Pay in 2021). He currently works with MonksHill Ventures and Kickstart Ventures, building out ivs.tv, SEA's largest B2B video player and advertising delivery platform, serving over 120 million unique users, across over 1.2bn pages per month.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/milan-reinartz

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/milan-reinartz

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Raimie is the Co-Founder and CEO of dateideas , a mobile app that provides couples with unique date experiences for their every date. Today, Raimie runs the largest community of couples in Singapore.

Raimie graduated with a double degree in Engineering and Business from the National University of Singapore. As an NUS Overseas Colleges Scholar, he spent one year in Silicon Valley working with the brightest minds while taking classes in Stanford University.

Passionate about disruption, Raimie dedicates his life towards solving extremely challenging problems which uniquely sit on the crossroads between deeply-entrenched social problems and technological innovation.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/raimie-tang

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/raimie-tang

Jianggan Li, Founder & CEO of Momentum Works, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:

1. China Diaspora Waves: Jeremy and Jianggan discussed the long-standing historical connections between China and Southeast Asia, dating back to the era of Admiral Zheng He's voyages during the Ming Dynasty. They touched on the various dialect groups Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainanese & Peranakan and event drivers across trade, piracy, civil war, invasions and re-opening. 

2. Bamboo Network Economic Interdependence: Jianggan highlighted how Southeast Asian companies benefited from China's manufacturing boom in the 1980s. They also touched on China's tax reforms in the 1990s, which spurred local governments to develop real estate and industrial parks, ultimately boosting China's manufacturing leadership. They cited billionaire Robert Kuok's Kerry Group, intertwining the stories of Fuzhou, Malaysia, Singapore and Hongkong.

3. 996 MNC Culture: Jeremy and Jianggan covered the intense work schedule advocated by Jack Ma of Alibaba, which involves working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week. This is driven by the intense competition and high productivity expectations within Chinese companies. They also discussed the differences in labor regulations and productivity across various countries where Chinese companies have set up operations, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, and Mexico, and highlighted the motivation of migrant workers compared to local hires.

Jeremy and Jianggan also talked about the below-the-radar influence on South American food culture, challenges for Chinese tech companies hiring in international markets and the resumption of Chinese emigration. 

Jianggan Li is the Founder & CEO of Momentum Works, a Singapore-headquartered venture outfit.

Prior to founding Momentum Works, he co-founded Easy Taxi in Asia, and served as Managing Director of Foodpanda. He is also the co-author of the book Seeing the Unseen: Behind Chinese Tech Giants' Global Venturing.

He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a degree in Computer Engineering from Nanyang Technological University. Apart from English and his native Mandarin, he is also fluent in French and conversational in Cantonese & Spanish.

Momentum Works is a Singapore headquartered venture outfit. Over the years, we have become a strong brand for insights, community and ventures in tech, ecommerce and digital economy across emerging markets. Our main business areas include insights/research, advisory, corporate education (Momentum Academy) and venture building.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/china-migration-waves

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Join us at the startup conference Echelon X! We have 30 exclusive complimentary tickets for our podcast listeners. Sign up and use the promo codes BRAVEPOD or ECXJEREMY to claim your free tickets now!

Kathryn Cross is the founder of Anja Health, which she founded in memory of her brother, Andrew, who had cerebral palsy. Kathryn has cultivated a pregnancy and cord blood banking community on TikTok as @kathrynanja, where she raises awareness about the importance of cord blood banking and other issues related to pregnancy. Originally from Los Angeles, Kathryn graduated from Wellesley, where she received a B.A. in Media Arts & Sciences and Economics.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/kathryn-cross

"There's a gap between men and women, but an even bigger gap between white women and Asian women. What is an Asian woman supposed to be like? A lot of reports in Western society show that women fulfill more emotional needs for their colleagues and are expected to get involved in diversity and inclusion efforts, which can sometimes turn into additional unpaid roles resembling human resources. It's fascinating to learn about these issues faced by women, especially those who belong to double minority groups." - Winnie Wong

"Initially, my book centred around the stories of East Asian female founders and the lessons we learned from them. I did a pre-order campaign and shared the first drafts with my friends. They said it’s great, but they didn’t understand why I’m writing it and there wasn’t enough of myself in the book. It was scary to open up about my past experiences. The tough part is that I didn't want to portray myself as a victim, point fingers or blame anyone, and I wanted to maintain a positive perspective. It helped me reflect and share my experiences as objectively as possible." - Winnie Wong

“In some ways, Southeast Asia can be ahead than the western world in supporting women in their careers. The future diversity in the region is still uncertain because visas have been declining, Singaporean population is becoming a lot more educated over time, and the middle income is growing. It's great that region is growing and I hope that representation will also grow eventually.” - Winnie Wong

In this discussion between Jeremy Au and Winnie Wong, significant insights emerged including women's challenges in the workforce, the glass ceiling versus the bamboo ceiling, sponsorship and mentorship, and the role of diversity and inclusion. Winnie’s book, “You Don't Have To Look The Part”, played a prominent role in the conversation, blending personal narratives with research findings.

One significant aspect explored was the apprehension and vulnerability associated with sharing personal stories. Winnie expressed her concerns about potential backlash and cancel culture. However, she emphasized the importance of authenticity and acknowledging the challenges faced, while maintaining a positive and constructive outlook.

The conversation also highlighted the issue of representation, extending beyond gender diversity to encompass race, ethnicity, and disabilities. Winnie stressed the need for organizations to actively include underrepresented voices at all levels and explore diversity metrics. By doing so, companies can develop improved products and services that cater to a broader population.

Feedback received led her to include more of her own experiences in the book, striking a balance between objectivity and subjectivity. She aimed to avoid victimhood narratives and instead presented her reflections and the realities encountered throughout her life.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at www.bravesea.com/blog/winnie-wong

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Jeremy Au discussed key aspects of venture capital decision-making and tech regulation including how VCs make sequential investment choices, navigate acquisition offers and public listing routes, and address regulatory challenges. He also examined how customer advocacy and jurisdictional differences shape tech policy, while debating the trade-offs between asking for permission versus seeking forgiveness.

1. Sequential Investment & Timing: VCs re-evaluate decisions over time, balancing past rejections with new opportunities.

2. Acquisition Offers & Public Listings: Companies with similar acquisition terms can choose different paths, and public offering routes vary widely.

3. Regulatory Environment & Legal Lag: Laws only regulate what exists, leaving tech companies to navigate gaps in regulation.

4. Permission vs. Forgiveness: Startups must choose between seeking approval or risking later consequences based on local rules.

5. Customer Advocacy & Jurisdictional Impact: Mobilizing customers can influence regulators, and success depends on local political and legal climates.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vc-decision-making-playbook

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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A digital transformation evangelist that loves to build platforms that would enrich people's lives and enhance corporate efficiency. He helped organizations large and small in several countries with their digital transformation. Received numerous awards most notably the prestigious 100 Most Influential Young Entrepreneur Award. Currently, the CEO of Nexible Solutions, a technology company based in Malaysia that helps companies automate their sales and marketing via a cloud leads management platform called Outperform.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/anan-saminathen

Gita Sjahrir, Head of Investment at BNI Ventures, and Jeremy Au, talked about three main themes:

1. Jakarta City Master Plan: Gita highlighted Jakarta's urgent urban planning needs to address rising sea levels, land subsidence, air pollution, traffic congestion, sanitation upgrades and education requirements. Miscommunications, fragmented stakeholders and the recurring blame game in political discourse have contributed to this impasse. They discussed the new Jakarta Agglomeration Area Council, led by Indonesia’s incoming Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (Joko Widodo's son), which aims to coordinate two governors, four mayors and four regents to create a new master plan for 6,700-square-kilometers.

2. Prabowo on Western "Double Standards": Jeremy and Gita discussed Prabowo's strongly-worded The Economist op-ed which said that the West had "double standards" on Gaza and Eastern Europe and that valuing the lives of civilians in Palestine less than in Ukraine is morally indefensible. Prabowo has long advocated for cease-fires in both countries, signaling a more public foreign policy than the outgoing President Joko Widodo - while maintaining continuity on domestic and economic policy. Gita noted that Indonesia's population size and economic growth strengthen its voice in international affairs, vs. other ASEAN neighbors that have voted similarly for peace deals in both conflicts.

3. Microsoft $1.7B Investment: Jeremy and Gita discussed Microsoft's $1.7 billion investment to enhance Indonesia's digital infrastructure and workforce capabilities. This investment highlights Indonesia's potential to become a key player in the global tech market. They also addressed the challenges of brain drain and debated on dual citizenship as a solution to retain talent by allowing Indonesians to work abroad while maintaining ties to their home country, in contrast to Singapore's immigration policy. They emphasized the importance of upskilling and continuous education to keep the talent pool relevant and competitive,

Jeremy and Gita also talked about the similarities in urban planning in Jakarta vs. San Francisco, the debate on national security concerns related to dual citizenship, and the impact of political stabilization and economic continuity post-election.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/western-double-standards

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Join us at the startup conference Echelon X! We have 30 exclusive complimentary tickets for our podcast listeners. Sign up and use the promo codes BRAVEPOD or ECXJEREMY to claim your free tickets now!

Projjal Ghatak is the CEO & Co-Founder of OnLoop, a pre-launch VC-backed seed stage SaaS start-up in a new category called Collaborative Team Development (CTD) to reinvent how individuals and teams of knowledge workers develop in a new hybrid future.

Prior to founding OnLoop in 2020, Projjal spent three and a half years at Uber in a variety of roles including leading Strategy for Business Development globally, leading Strategy for the APAC rides business, and GM of the Philippines rides business. A lot of his personal pain as a leader in high-growth, high-functioning orgs led to the founding of OnLoop.

Projjal has also spent time in finance raising debt and equity from New York hedge funds for an industrials conglomerate, in strategy consulting in South East Asia, and in early stage companies in Latin America.

He has an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and a Bachelor of Business Management from the Singapore Management University.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/projjal -ghatak

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/projjal-ghatak

In this episode of BRAVE, Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh discuss the ongoing conflict between TikTok and Congress, examining both the pro and anti-ban arguments. They also dive into the role of Gen Z in lobbying for TikTok, the Darwinian content curation of the platform, and historical parallels to similar conflicts in the past.

“I believe the argument is valid and relevant to the need for broader social media regulation. I support the idea of equal rules for all. Similar to the implementation of seat belts in cars, initially, there was resistance to the idea until the government intervened to address the high number of injuries and deaths caused by car accidents. The mandate led to the creation of safer steering wheels and airbags. In the same way, there should be a minimum requirement for social media platforms to adhere to safety standards, and the government should create fair rules for everyone.” - Jeremy Au

“I worry that this is the world our children will grow up in. They would have to sort through what is true, what story is being told, what they really believe, or what other people’s motivations are in pushing these narratives. There’s a lot of media awareness that has to be taught these days that we didn’t have to face when we were kids.“ - Shiyan Koh

Read the transcript here at: https://www.bravesea.com/blog/tiktok-vs-congress

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Michael Lints has over 20 years of experience helping innovative businesses obtain the resources, insights, and expertise they need in order to be successful. Michael has been a startup operator, investor, and mentor, and is currently a Partner at the Singapore-based venture capital firm Golden Gate Ventures. He joined the firm in 2013 and is currently leading growth venture efforts, which include LP fundraising and portfolio management for Golden Gate Venture's investments at Series B and beyond.

 Michael’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2000 when he co-founded an IT managed services startup in Europe that was acquired by a large data and telecom company six years later. In 2007, Michael founded a venture fund focused on Dutch small- and medium-sized enterprises to help them with capital financing, business development, and strategy. During the same period, he was invited to join the Economic Development Board Rotterdam as Vice Chairman. In that role, he launched the Young Economic Development Board where he brought together a highly influential Dutch network to develop a sustainable framework for public-private relationships that increased local business investment while leveraging the public infrastructure.

 Outside of work, sport is an essential part of Michael’s life. He is a former member of the Dutch karate team and the former ambassador for Treknology (Trek bikes distributor in Singapore). Michael actively participates in Ironman 70.3 races and marathons. He is also passionate about social justice and uses sport as a vehicle to raise awareness for important issues such as civil rights, economic opportunity, and education. Besides sport, Michael is an active writer and writes articles regarding life, balance, and venture capital on michaellints.com.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/michael-lints

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/michael-lints

Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of  Hustle Fund, and ​​Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Johor Special Economic Zone (SEZ): They explored the potential impact of the upcoming Johor-Singapore SEZ agreement, scheduled for signing in November. The SEZ, which is more than 4 times the size of Singapore, is seen as an opportunity to deepen economic ties between the two regions by leveraging Singapore’s capital, technology, and skilled workforce alongside Johor’s land and infrastructure. They noted regulatory challenges such as Johor’s year-long permit approval process, which contrasts with quicker timelines in other Malaysian states like Selangor. Both emphasized that political cooperation across Malaysia's federal government, Singapore and Johor's state government & king would be essential to the SEZ’s success, particularly in attracting multinational corporations (MNCs) and improving labor mobility across the border.

2. US Anti-China "Reverse CFIUS": The discussion covered the upcoming introduction of America's "reverse Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)" legislation, which restricts US citizens, entities and LPs from investing in Chinese funds or companies involved in sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and microchips. These measures are expected to reduce China VC investments as US LPs steer clear of the compliance risks associated any funds that invest into China-linked companies. Reverse CFIUS reflects a broader change in global capital flows, signaling the end of the globalization era that had previously driven much of the world's economic integration. This shift could redirect capital towards Southeast Asia, offering opportunities for local investors but also presenting serious challenges.

3. Regional Trade Diversification: They examined Southeast Asia’s growing significance as part of the “China Plus One” strategy, where MNCs diversify operations beyond China due to rising trade tensions. The SEZ’s strategic location and proximity to Singapore’s financial and skilled labor markets could become a key hub for industries such as electronics and automotive manufacturing. They noted that improved infrastructure like direct international flights would enhance the region’s connectivity and attractiveness for global businesses. They also underscored that seamless collaboration and regulatory improvements to streamline bureaucratic processes are critical to fully capitalizing on these emerging opportunities.

Jeremy and Shiyan discussed several emerging topics including diabetic horses healthcare, Singapore's longevity, crypto and VC conferences and the challenges of maintaining balanced diplomatic and economic strategies amidst global policy shifts.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/johor-singapore-sez

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观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/johor-singapore-sez-cn

Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại https://www.bravesea.com/blog/johor-singapore-sez-vn

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Jeremy presents a Question and Answer session at Singapore Institute of Technology

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/sit-qna

Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of  Hustle Fund, and ​​Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:

1. USA VC vs. Southeast Asia Fund Performance: Bain’s 2023 private equity report shows that Southeast Asia's VC returns have been lower over the past decade, with median LP distributions of 0.4X for Southeast Asia, China 0.6X, Europe 0.7X, USA 1X and India 1.3X. Shiyan attributed this due to the oversupply of capital - despite an order of magnitude increase in venture capital into Southeast Asia, this influx has not led to a proportional increase in scalable, successful companies, thus leading to inflated valuations and reduced returns​​.

2. SGX & IDX Capital Market Challenges: Jeremy and Shiyan examined the hurdles faced by Southeast Asian companies in accessing capital markets. Jeremy noted the low liquidity on local exchanges, with turnover rates at 32% in Singapore, 19% in Indonesia, and 73% in the Philippines, compared to the New York Stock Exchange's 103%​​. Shiyan emphasized that local regulatory constraints, such as the Singapore Stock Exchange’s requirement for profitability (to protect retail investors), deter many tech startups, prompting them to seek international listings, particularly in the US, where they can list at higher valuations despite ongoing losses​​. They also discussed the role of capital controls in limiting retail investors' access to offshore equities in China and India, driving demand for domestic listings​​.

3. Post-AI "Good Jobs": Jeremy and Shiyan examined the impact of AI on Southeast Asia's labor markets, focusing on how integrating AI with lower-cost labor could create a competitive advantage against purely AI-driven models in the US​​. Shiyan suggested that developing AI-native companies could drive innovation in service sectors like call centers and business process outsourcing (BPO). They also touched on the concept of the “iron rice bowl”—a metaphor for job security and stability in traditional sectors, such as government-related roles, which might be less affected by AI​​. They noted that while AI could make some roles obsolete, particularly those involving repetitive tasks, it might also open new opportunities by automating routine aspects of jobs, thus enhancing overall productivity.

Jeremy and Shiyan also talked about the importance of mid-sized companies for talent recycling, AI’s role in the creative fields, and how global economic trends impact founder fundraising in the region.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/post-ai-good-jobs

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Reach out to joe@heymax.ai to learn more about Heymax

Nellie Wartoft is the CEO and founder of Tigerhall, a social learning platform that helps professionals — regardless of their backgrounds and circumstances — achieve their career and life goals by learning directly from Asia’s most successful people.

As CEO, Nellie is responsible for planning and executing the overall strategic direction, growth and expansion, leadership and future vision for Tigerhall. She also works closely with C-suite executives and people leaders to develop their leaders and propel their teams to new heights.

Tigerhall is currently supporting organisations such as HP, Cisco, P&G, IDEMIA, Bank of Singapore and more in their leadership development and digital transformation efforts.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/nellie- wartoft

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/nellie-wartoft

Jeremy discusses the rise of "Misery Poker" where people are increasingly incentivized to competitively share personal hardships. The natural human desire for social validation and the cultural shift towards authenticity intersects with declining community support structures, social media engagement algorithms and the commercialization of para-social relationships. He addresses the societal implications and how genuine empathy, intentional community building, and mindful social media engagement can be a path forward.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/misery-poker

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Learn more about Hive Health here: https://www.ourhivehealth.com

Valerie Vu, Founding Partner of Ansible Ventures, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:

1. $12B Fraud Death Penalty: Jeremy and Valerie discussed Vietnam's largest-ever fraud trial regarding Vietnamese tycoon Truong My Lan and the Van Thinh Phat group. The $12B case impacted 6% of Vietnam's GDP and has led to real estate distress, economic uncertainty and regulatory upheaval. They elaborated on Truong’s moves to control Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB), far beyond legal limits (90% control versus the regulatory cap of 5% for individuals). They also talked about Vietnamese regulators’ harsh response by tightening financial controls, mandating bank ownership disclosures, and proposing to reduce the maximum ownership stake an individual can hold in a bank from 5% to 3%. They touched on the similarities between China and Vietnam for the intertwining of real estate and banking.

2. "Blazing Furnace" Anti-Corruption Campaign: Jeremy and Valerie discussed the campaign by Nguyễn Phú Trọng, general secretary of the Communist Party that has arrested or forced resignations of key political figures, including ministers and deputy prime ministers. They drew parallels between Vietnam and China’s anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping, where both aim at purging the system of corruption yet lead to power vacuums that will be filled by individuals loyal to the new leadership.

3. Cambodia China 180km Canal Tensions: The planned $1.7B Funan Techo Canal project allows Cambodia's imports and exports to bypass Vietnam's Mekong River ports and directly access the South China Sea. China's financing and development partnership is tied to its Belt and Road Initiative, investments to escape US military containment of key trade routes, and rebalancing with Vietnam. They discussed the negative environmental impact on downstream Vietnamese farmers already struggling with saltwater intrusion and climate change.

Jeremy and Valerie also talked about the psychological impact of fluctuating property values on Vietnamese consumers, ongoing economic reforms to diversify away from real estate dependency, and parallels with Singapore's concern regarding the Thai Kra Canal. 

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vietnam-fraud

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Learn more about Grain here: https://www.grain.com.sg

​​Gita Sjahrir, Head of Investment at BNI Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed three main topics:

1. 2023 Bear Market Reflections: Jeremy and Gita touched on the local startup market downturn, the importance of sticking to business fundamentals and good corporate governance to navigate economic headwinds, and how VCs have to build trust with founders.

2. Indonesia Young Democracy: Gita walked through Indonesia’s relatively new electoral system, the negotiations process post the election, and the significance in shaping policy. She also touched on the young age of political parties and emphasized the increasing cooperation between the public and private sectors post-1998.

3. Gen Z & Millennial Electorate Majority: Gita shared her observations about Gen Z in Indonesia, noting their active involvement in politics and public service, idealism, and significant role in addressing environmental and inequality issues. She highlighted the differences and similarities between Indonesian Gen Z and their global counterparts, emphasizing their active engagement in the political discourse through modern communication mediums like short-form video like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Jeremy and Gita also reviewed the evolution of democracies in Southeast Asia, the nuances of Indonesian politics, and the significance of party affiliations.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/indonesia-young-democracy

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Learn more about HDMall here: 

htps://www.hdmall.co.th

https://www.hdmall.id

Aditya Mehta is the Founder CEO of Art&Found™ — a curated marketplace for South Asian artists making art accessible to global buyers and brands like WeWork, Levi's and Starbucks: www.artandfound.co Prior to Art&Found, Aditya worked as a Senior Art Director at Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai driving creative and social impact campaigns for Mondelez International (Cadbury), Castrol Asia-Pac and Cancer Patients Aid Association. If this solo founder gets any time off work, it goes into CrossFit, graphic novels, memoirs, mountains, films, craft beer.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/aditya-mehta

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/aditya-mehta

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

In this episode of BRAVE, Jeremy Au discusses the dynamics of the metaverse. He explains the parallels between the development of AI and VR in terms of generational adoption, the bullish market of VR in the long run, and the rise of whales in the next generation.

"At the end of the day, is virtual reality dead? The answer is no. It's alive in the hearts of Generation Alpha who will really drive it to peak usage. The ones who are going to build and monetize it are the millennials and Generation Z.” - Jeremy Au

Read the transcript at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/future-of-vr

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Wally is an award winning filmmaker and runs a brand content company www.bigredbutton.com.sg

As an ontological coach and organisational development practitioner, Wally uses storytelling to help people/corporations/government agencies tackle emergent and persistent issues in Singapore.

Wally also leads a ground up initiative: https://m.facebook.com/StandUpForSG/, to find ways to contribute to Singapore’s narrative on what kind of country she could be and how are the best ways to contribute to one another.

In his spare time, Wally likes to look at global problems and help out in his own little way. He has built Indonesia’s first Haze Clean Air Shelters, crowdfunded aid in Sri Lanka after the bombings in 2018, crowdfunded 20 tonnes of rice to the Smokey Mountain community in the Philippines.

See the projects here: https://fb.watch/6f1jAW29xV/

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/wally-tham-3

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/wally-tham

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

Jeremy Au discussed common startup failure patterns, and emphasized that failure is frequent and often inevitable even for companies that make it to later funding stages. Many startups fail to deliver financial returns for investors, regardless of how innovative or pioneering they might be. He also talked about various reasons for failure, from team issues to premature scaling, providing real-world examples to illustrate these patterns:

1. Good Idea, Bad Bedfellows: A strong idea can fail due to poor team dynamics, such as co-founders unable to agree on leadership or lacking the right expertise.

2. False Starts: Startups that build products without understanding customer needs often fail.

3. False Positives: Early customer success can mislead founders into scaling too quickly, leading to failure when they target the wrong market.

4. Speed Trap: Startups that achieve product-market fit but expand too quickly into new products or markets can burn through capital unsustainably.

5. Help Wanted: Sometimes external factors like market shifts or bad luck cause failure, even when product-market fit is achieved.

6.Cascading Miracles: Some startups that fail despite raising large sums of money or low customer traction later spark similar successful ventures.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/startup-failure-patterns

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Nir Eyal, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of “Hooked” and "Indistractable”, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:

1. Save Your New Year Resolutions: Nir discussed the nature of January 1 resolutions and the high rate of people abandoning their goals. He attributed this to a warped ecosystem of advice that fails to address the root causes of behavioral stagnation. He emphasized the importance of reconstructing routines to foster consistency, which is essential for rejuvenating lost aspirations. He advised to be thoughtful about the systemic approach to personal growth, rather than relying on transient motivations or flawed self-help strategies.

2. Misleading Weight Loss Industry: Nir took a critical look at the health and fitness industry, highlighting the ambiguity and often misleading information surrounding weight loss and exercise. He pointed out the vested interests in maintaining a level of confusion among consumers, with examples ranging from meal bars to dietary supplements. He advocated for debunking the quick-fix myths propagated by the fitness industry and a focus on the fundamentals: nutrition, regular exercise, and the importance of social connections.

3. Personal Health Transformation: Nir shared his personal transformation from being clinically obese to achieving fitness at the age of 46, highlighting his passions for surfing and running barefoot as key elements of his fitness regime. He also discussed his experiments with different activities, including the reasons why swimming and trampolining did not work for him and offered a personal perspective on finding joy in exercise and the trial-and-error process of discovering what works for individual fitness goals.

Jeremy and Nir also touched upon the broader implications of technology in facilitating behavioral change, the psychological challenges associated with dieting and exercise, and the role of community and social support in sustaining healthful habits.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/sustainable-health-habits

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Over 90% of VC-funded startup founders fail. In other words, the default scenario for a founder is moving on from their startup and figuring out their next career chapter. Most founders will naturally consider launching another startup vs. other employment opportunities. Learn more about Harvard research about what types of second-time founders succeed on their next venture. Jeremy then shares about the three patterns of sequel startups: revenge, rebound and rebirth startups. Examples include Adam Neumann (Flow vs. WeWork), Travis Kalanick (Cloud Kitchens vs. Uber), Kevin Systrom (Artifact vs. Instagram), Conrad Parker (Rippling vs. Zenefits) and Palmer Luckey (Anduril vs. Oculus). Jeremy then goes into how to gain personal closure, maintain professional integrity and explore what it takes to succeed in a new venture. 

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/paths-forward

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

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Learn more about Hive Health here: https://www.ourhivehealth.com

In this episode, founders and VCs shared their predictions for Southeast Asia’s fintech scene for 2021 such as the hype around Fintech in Asia and the up-and-coming models in the industry. If you are interested in joining us on our next episode of SEA Tech Clubhouse, sign up now at https://www.jeremyau.com. Nominations are limited and approved on a rolling basis. You can self-nominate or nominate someone who you think would fit the bill. You can find the episode's transcript in the podcast description. Let's dive right into it.

Shownotes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/sea-tech-fintech

In this engaging conversation between two seasoned venture capitalists, Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh, they discuss the challenges that can arise due to "lost in translation" moments in the world of start-up investment. From cultural differences to communication breakdowns, the duo explore the importance of building a trusted and respectful relationship between founders and investors, as well as the need for transparency and honesty throughout the process. Ultimately, they conclude that it's crucial to work with people of high integrity who are committed to creating a positive-sum world, where entrepreneurs can succeed and create value that didn't exist before.

"The deck is a demonstration of your thinking, and its goal is to get the meeting. The goal of the meeting is to get another meeting. There's a process, but it's a progressive learning and trust-building exercise, so a conversation is really important. Recently, I was at an interesting pitch where the founder sent over an FAQ page on top of the deck. When we started the meeting, I was already advanced in the conversation, which is a great way to build trust and move the ball forward effectively."- Shiyan Koh

"A lot of founders are very focused on the pitch deck, but it's really about the relationship and evaluation of the founder as a business leader of the new technology. Having a deck that indicates expansion plans is not really a problem per se, but it's about why it exhibits a certain judgment. It’s about the realism of the traction and how hard it is when the rubber hits the road. Any startup that's being decided today is a giant experiment being done in the process." - Jeremy Au

Read the transcript here at: https://www.bravesea.com/blog/lost-in-translation

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Anita Hossain is Co-founder and CEO of The Grand, a learning and development platform to help people navigate transitions at the intersection of work and life through the support of group coaching and community. Anita has extensive experience as an executive coach and group facilitator, supporting clients on their journeys to become the most effective and intentional leaders they can be.

She previously was The Head of Knowledge at First Round, where she designed and launched hundreds of learning initiatives – from summits to unconferences to masterclasses and more – providing entrepreneurs and tech operators resources to stay motivated, accelerate their businesses and build community. Before joining First Round, Anita was an Assistant Vice President at Deutsche Bank and managed over $400MM in investment portfolios for Latin American clients. She also worked for MTV and Nickelodeon to create integrated marketing strategies and amplify their social impact initiatives.

Anita graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where she studied Marketing and International Business with a minor in Spanish. She is also an MBA graduate from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/anita-hossain

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/anita-hossain

Jianggan Li, Founder & CEO of Momentum Works, and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Black Myth Wukong $1B AAA Game: Jianggan and Jeremy examined the reinterpretation of 'Journey to the West' in the gaming blockbuster 'Black Myth: Wukong'. The developers overcame huge skepticism, incorporated complex cultural narratives into gameplay and overcame technical challenges to balance traditional storytelling with modern gaming technology. They also discussed the parallels with Indian and Southeast Asia mythology.

2. $86B Tencent Publisher (League of Legends, SEA Group & VNG): Tencent owns League of Legends (Riot Games), PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, as well as WeChat. They also inspired and invested in the game, chat, ecommerce & payments structure of Sea Group (Shopee, Garena Free Fire) and Vietnam’s VNG (Zalo, Zalopay).

3. Real Estate Bubble Burst: They analyzed the causes of property price inflation and subsequent market corrections with Evergrande & Country Garden debt. The confidence crisis has had ripple effects into the consumer and adjacent markets, spurring outflows of talent, capital and companies.

They also discussed the importance of cultural understanding in global business strategies, how multinational companies leverage local consumer insights, and the complexities of managing large-scale economic shifts in the Southeast Asia tech scene.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/wukong-aaa-game

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Join us at Geeks on a Beach! Use the code "BRAVESEA" for a 45% discount for the first 10 registrations, and 35% off for the next ones.

Robbie Crabtree started his career working inside of the courtroom where he developed and refined his speaking, strategy, and storytelling as a trial lawyer. In 102 jury trials he tested and validated his system in murders and child abuse cases. As these skills grew, he was asked to coach the national mock trial team at SMU Law School in Dallas, TX which he has done for the past 4 years. Robbie called his system Performative Speaking and began working with founders, entreprenuers, and executives when they reached out to him after seeing him in the courtroom. Over the past 2 years he has worked with founders to successfully fundraise at the pre-seed through series B levels and advised others around leadership development, strategic communication, and best sales techniques. Robbie's role as a consultant and coach to startups and founders has put him in front of large audiences around pitching and pitch decks in both On Deck and with Jason Yeh's Fundraising for Founders. He has also taught his own Performative Speaking online program where he has worked with over 150 people in the last 9 months to turn speaking into a superpower. Robbie's big question is how can he help people with world changing ideas to effectively communicate those ideas to actually change the world.

Roy Ang, CEO & Cofounder of Evo Commerce, and Jeremy Au talked about three main points:

1. Grab Executive to D2C Founder: Roy began his professional journey in banking but soon realized it wasn't his calling. After a year, he shifted to the tech media industry, landing a job at E27 through a bold cold call to Mohan Balani, E27’s founder. Roy thrived at E27, organizing tech conferences across Asia. This experience ignited his passion for tech and startups, leading him to Grab in 2016. He also helped build Grab’s financial services division which scaled from a team of five to a 2000-person operation and created payments and rewards programs for millions.

2. Evo Commerce Consumer Secrets: Roy's entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found Evo Commerce in 2020, just as COVID-19 began. He and his co-founder initially started a live-streaming software for celebrities and influencers. However, they found the market for live streaming limited and non-recurring, prompting a pivot to direct-to-consumer (D2C) products. He launched Evo Commerce with a hangover supplement called bback, capitalizing on his personal experience and market demand. He transitioned to personal care products like hairdryers and curlers, leveraging their digital marketing expertise to achieve rapid growth.

3. Overcoming Pivot Challenges: Roy openly discussed the personal and professional challenges of entrepreneurship. He explained that the initial pivot from live streaming to direct-to-consumer(DTC) met with skepticism from investors and his team. However, Roy’s strong conviction and adaptability were key to navigating this transition. He highlighted the loneliness and mental strain of being a founder, emphasizing the importance of support systems, including family and a network of fellow entrepreneurs. He stressed the significance of maintaining a work-life balance, time-blocking for family, and seeking positive energy from the community.

Jeremy and Roy also touched on the contrasting experiences of working in startup ecosystems vs. large tech companies, the personal challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, and maintaining a balanced family life.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang-id

观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang-cn

Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang-vn

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Learn more about Evo Commerce at bback.co and stryv.co 

Dmitry Levit, General Partner of Cento Ventures, Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:

1. 2023 vs. 2024 Investment Landscape: Dmitry, Shiyan and Jeremy discussed the Cento Southeast Asia Tech 2023H1 report and noted the discrepancy between the economic doom perception in the media and the reality of Southeast Asia’s funding numbers. Dmitry pointed out a "reset" in investment activity, with stable "core early funding stack" (Seed to Series A/B) maintaining momentum while later-stage growth deals significantly decreased. This bifurcation reflects a broader trend of cautious optimism among early-stage investors and a recalibration of expectations among late-stage financiers. They also underscored the importance of understanding these two parallel ecosystems for founders and investors alike, suggesting that strategies need to be adjusted depending on the stage of investment.

2. $9B Annual Capital Intake & Realistic Exit Expectations: Dmitry Levit observed that the long-term average capital intake for the region averages around $9 billion. He highlighted that prudent exit expectations in Southeast Asia should consider $100 million exits as very good, with exceptional cases potentially exceeding $250 million, and added further details on the growth rate. He emphasized the importance of disciplined fund strategies across IPO, trade sales, and secondaries.

3. Overreaction, Dislocation & Confusion: They discussed the fog of war in the region’s tech ecosystem driven by global economic pressures, media hype and doom cycles, and changing investment flows. Missed opportunities, strategy-market misalignments, and pressure on value-creation teams are currently being sorted out. They discussed how founders and investors need to urgently align their growth and exit strategies with the region’s market's realities. They also talked about the time lag of news absorption across the Vietnam ecosystem and how the search for the next "Indonesia" story is on pause.

Dmitry, Shiyan and Jeremy also talked about the role of perception vs. reality in shaping investment strategies, the challenges for the multi-country expansion narrative, and the "small-cap private equity without leverage" VC theme in play.

Watch, listen or read the full insight in English at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/overreaction-dislocation-confusion

Saksikan, dengarkan atau baca wawasan lengkapnya dalam Bahasa Indonesia di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/overreaction-dislocation-confusion-id

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Gita Sjahrir is the Co-Founder and CEO of RFitness, Indonesia’s largest online and offline boutique fitness brand. She started her journey into wellness when she was diagnosed with Still’s disease, an autoimmune condition that affected her joints and lungs. She began a fitness community in 2015 after wanting an inclusive, equitable and non-judgmental space for those who exercise for the joy of movement, and not to achieve a societal standard of beauty. In 2017 it became the first boutique fitness company in Southeast Asia to ever raise venture capital funding.

Gita has been in the startup space for 11 years, and has previously held positions in finance and business development. She is a graduate of the Wharton School (MBA) and the University of Chicago (BA).

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/gita-sjahrir

Ashwin Purushottam was an Entrepreneur in Residence with Entrepreneur First, the world’s leading talent investor. His role ended in October 2020.

As General Manager of Lime and Deliveroo Special Projects, Ashwin oversaw operations, government relations, marketing, business development, and recruiting. He previously also led the Business Insights team at Shopee. Having built cloud kitchens in Singapore and set up warehouses in Germany, his role is constantly evolving.

Ashwin holds a BSc with Honours in Biotechnology from the University of Windsor and a MBA at INSEAD. He enjoys working on awesome quick-adoption products to create meaningful work for Indian women from underprivileged backgrounds.

Show notes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/ashwin-purushottam

You can find our community discussions on the podcast episode at

https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/ashwin-purushottam-on-market-launches-vs-general-managers-launch-to-profitability-and-collaborating-with-regulators

Gita Sjahrir, Head of Investment at BNI Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed three main themes:

1. Prabowo Victory & Jokowi Legacy: Gita underscored Prabowo's dedication to further Jokowi's economic initiatives, notably the ambitious relocation of the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara to stimulate balanced development across the archipelago. A key focus was on mobilizing Gen Z voters, whose significant influence in the election underscores the necessity for clear political messaging tailored for this digitally savvy cohort accustomed to prolific social media engagement.

2. "Golden Indonesia 2045" GDP Vision: The discussion extended to the campaign goal of aiming to position Indonesia as a beacon of economic prosperity, with substantial enhancements in GDP per capita, human capital, and global competitiveness. Gita highlighted this vision as part of a larger ambition to elevate Indonesians' quality of life through superior education and self-fulfillment opportunities.

3. Middle-Income Trap & Societal Challenges: Addressing Indonesia's societal hurdles, including poverty and child stunting, was central to their conversation. Gita and Jeremy emphasized the imperative for growth strategies that not only extricate Indonesia from the middle-income quagmire but also champion equitable progress. The importance of nurturing an informed citizenry was also stressed, to ensure a populace that recognizes its civic responsibilities and the consequential nature of their voting actions.

Jeremy and Gita also talked about the significance of legislative checks and balances, the role of foreign policy in shaping the country’s international relations, Singapore's view of the Indonesia electoral outcome and the importance of comprehensive educational reforms.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/golden-indonesia-2045

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/golden-indonesia-2045-in

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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In this episode, Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, and Jeremy Au talked about three main topics:

1. $1.5B Bytedance Tokopedia GoTo Deal Analysis: They discussed ByteDance's $500 million payment to acquire a 75% stake in the merged entity of Tokopedia and TikTok Shop Indonesia. This would create the new Indonesia e-commerce market leader with 40% market share. ByteDance committed to investing a future $1 billion into the operations of the new entity, which will contractually not dilute GoTo's 25% minority stake. The deal was motivated by TikTok's need to resume its Indonesia operations after a ban by the Indonesia government, Tokopedia's -0.4% adjusted EBITDA as % of GTV (Q3 2023), and the opportunity to create the #1 Indonesia e-commerce platform with larger economies of scale, a new media-led growth engine and a wider seller base.

2. Indonesia E-Commerce War: They discussed Indonesia's $52B e-commerce market: Shopee (36% market share), Tokopedia (35%), Lazada (10%), Bukalapak (10%), TikTok Shop (5%), and Blibli (4%). They explained how this consolidation reflects the regional trend of increasing focus on efficiency, logistics, and leveraging technological synergies to gain dominance, similar to Uber Southeast Asia's strategic sale to Grab to concentrate on core markets. Credit goes to Momentum Works and Freeman Ding for their analysis.

3. Winners, Losers, and Future Moves: They identified Indonesian consumers as clear winners due to continued intensive competition on lower prices and innovation in services, similar to the Uber vs. Grab vs. Gojek rivalry. They also discussed other beneficiaries, how this reflected the growing maturation of the region for M&A activity, and how competitors like Grab and Sea Group would react to this market development.

Shiyan and Jeremy also talked about the challenges of founders fundraising during the holiday season and their own upcoming family vacation plans.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/bytedance-tokopedia-investment

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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Learn more about Acme Technology here: https://www.tryacme.com

Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of  Hustle Fund, and ​​Jeremy Au talked about three main points:

1. Disney+ Arbitration PR Crisis: A woman died from an allergic reaction after eating at a Disney-affiliated restaurant. The husband sued Disney for "wrongful death" and $50,000+ of damages. Disney in May 2024 alleged that the husband accepted a forced arbitration agreement when signing up for Disney Plus in 2019. This caused a firestorm of public criticism about the company's accountability. The hosts discuss the broader implications of such legal strategies on public trust and branding, and Disney's withdrawal of this legal case serves as a cautionary tale about balancing tactical legal defenses with keeping a broader strategic eye.

2. Good vs. Bad Startup Sci-Fi Ideas: Shiyan stressed the importance of personal dedication to a business idea, given the substantial time commitment involved. They also explored how sci-fi plays a role with simultaneous innovation, the concept of "founder-problem fit" and the critical need to align personal interests with the entrepreneurial venture. They also discussed the suitability of ideas for venture capital investment, distinguishing between good business ideas and those that are venture-backable.

3. Defence Tech Rise: Jeremy discussed the role of startups like Anduril and Palantir in transforming defense technologies. YC-backed startup Ares Industries is producing cruise missiles that are 10X cheaper and more effective than existing models. Private sector innovation is increasingly crucial to government budgets looking to buy large volumes more cost-effectively.

Jeremy and Shiyan also touched on topics like longevity and sleep quality, biohacking amongst tech enthusiasts, and the importance of market validation.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/good-vs-bad-startup-ideas

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Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại https://www.bravesea.com/blog/good-vs-bad-startup-ideas-vn

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

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Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Join us at Geeks on a Beach! Use the code "BRAVESEA" for a 45% discount for the first 10 registrations, and 35% off for the next ones.

Mark Johnson is Co-Founder of SEED Strategies, a communications and public relations consultancy for startups and companies that are scaling. Founded in 2019, since its inception, SEED Strategies has worked with a range of companies seeking to deliver a positive impact across a multitude of industries and geographies.

Prior to establishing SEED Strategies, Mark worked as Head of Customer Experience at INSEAD, where he helped drive digital transformation in the degree programmes and implemented structures that helped embed the need to focus on the customer in all levels of decision-making.

From 2011 to 2017, Mark worked across Asia within the public affairs and communications space. He helped drive the global communications strategy for Masdar and the Zayed Sustainability Prize whilst working in the UAE, formulate strategy and advise clients such as Mars and RB in Indonesia on the opportunities and challenges of the forthcoming government, and led the communications for clients such as Audi during his time working in China.

Mark started his career as a communication adviser and political strategist in the United Kingdom and European Parliament. During his 6 year's in politics he helped devise and implement comprehensive grassroots communications strategies to ensure electoral success for the Labour Party.

Show notes at: https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/mark-johnson

You can find the community discussion for this episode at: https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/mark-johnson

This episode is produced by Kyle Ong.

On 29 November, we talked to founders and venture capitalists on emerging technology trends in Southeast Asia. We learnt about which startups to join, emerging country and regional trends, and fresh takes on the latest founder, VC and investment news. Interested in joining us on our next episode of SEA Tech Clubhouse? Sign up on jeremyau.com. Nominations are limited and approved on a rolling basis. You can self-nominate or nominate someone who you think would fit the bill. You can find the episode's transcript in the podcast description. The audio quality for future episodes will be improved. Let’s dive right into it.

Shownotes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/sea-tech-clubhouse-one

You can find our community discussions on the podcast episode at

https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/31-southeast-asia-tech-emerging-trends-china-vs-us-as-north-star-startup-building-first-principles

Gita Sjahrir, Head of Investment at BNI Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed three main themes:

1. Prabowo & Gibran 59% Electoral Win: Gita shared the aftermath of Indonesia's election, highlighting Prabowo’s landslide victory in a 3-way contest. She delved into opposition voters' dismay and demonstrations in Jakarta, tempered by the fasting month which limited the extent of public protests. She also revealed that despite Gerindra's presidential candidates' landslide victory, the winning party's failure to secure a leading position in the legislature forecasts a complex political landscape and potential governance challenges. The percentage of voter blocks, Jokowi's moves on the Golkar party and division among major candidates underscored the evolving debate within the country’s electorate on the influence of political personas vs. party ideologies. She also highlighted Indonesia’s increased freedom of expression allowing for political discourse across social and mainstream media, in contrast with the Suharto era.

2. Quick Commerce Viability Debate: Gita discussed the sustainability and profitability challenges in quick commerce within markets like Indonesia, where lower GDP per capita and high capital burn rates demand significant model adjustments for viability. She noted that market size and consumer behavior emphasized the critical need for adapting quick commerce to align with the local population’s purchasing power and real needs, rather than replicating models from India and more affluent economies like USA and Europe. She also talked about the potential integration of quick commerce with traditional commerce, leveraging infrastructure to blend digital speed with physical market realities and focusing on areas like private label products for sustainability.

3. VC Accountability & Founder Dynamics: Jeremy and Gita delved into the accountability of VCs and the crucial role of frank discussions between VCs and founders. They underscored the importance of VCs being more than just financial backers by becoming genuine thought partners for founders. They critiqued the "negative blitzscaling" model in Southeast Asia, cautioning against scaling businesses with negative unit economics. They also emphasized that founders should scrutinize their growth strategies and prioritize sustainability over rapid expansion, highlighting the risks of scaling inefficiencies rather than solutions. They need to retain decision-making authority and evolve towards prioritizing long-term business viability and market relevance.

Jeremy and Gita also talked about the importance of political party financing transparency, the role of media in shaping public opinion post-election, the significance of recalibrating growth and scaling expectations for startups, and the evolution of e-commerce models in response to market demands.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/indonesia-electoral-win

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/indonesia-electoral-win-in

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Join the Singapore Growth & AI Summit with Sean Ellis! Use code seanbrave7 today.

In this episode, founders and VCs shared their predictions for Southeast Asia’s tech scene for 2021 such as what investor sentiment would be like, as well as the industries to watch in their recovery phase. If you are interested in joining us on our next episode of SEA Tech Clubhouse, sign up now at jeremyau.com. Nominations are limited and approved on a rolling basis. You can self-nominate or nominate someone who you think would fit the bill. You can find the episode's transcript in the podcast description. Let's dive right into it.

Shownotes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/sea-tech-clubhouse-two

Stefano Virgilli is the Marketing Director of Mitigram, the world’s largest marketplace for Trade Finance. Founded in 2015 in Sweden, Mitigram supports network creation and expansion for corporates and financial institutions; comprehensive automated quotation workflows; audit trail, analytics on asset pricing and activity data across multiple trade finance instruments. It currently facilitates more than $2.5Bn worth of transactions per month and has spearheaded over $55Bn transactions, across over 1,000 issuers and more than 100 countries.

Before Mitigram, Stefano was the CEO of Pocket Money, a credit startup that aimed to bring innovation in the Lending Industry by creating a global marketplace for lenders and borrowers. He built an online community with members in 25 countries, and managed an investment of US$750,000. He was also the CEO of VOX.sg, a podcast startup that interviews startup Founders and CEOs globally and asks them about the origins of their ventures, achievements, pain points, challenges with fundraising, competition and technology.

Stefano has had 20 years of experience as a veteran public speaker and strategic consultant, and specialises in empowering progressive business leaders to maximise their performance and potential of their teams through speaking, mentoring and consulting. He is a six times TEDx speaker and a keynote speaker at over 90 conferences. He has ventured in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia, leading and/or participating close to 30 businesses and startups.

Stefano graduated from the Università del Progetto with a Diploma in Communications and Design. He holds over 80 certifications and is the most certified Adobe trainer in the global arena, having trained 14,000 participants in his career.

Shownotes at https://www.jeremyau.com/blog/stefano-virgilli

You can find our community discussions on the podcast episode at

https://club.jeremyau.com/c/podcasts/36-stefano-virgilli-on-southeast-asia-vs-europe-culture-cross-border-communication-and-surprisingly-common-touch-points