What We Do
Hosted By Jeremy Au
VC & serial founder (1x sale, 1x bootstrapped). Harvard MBA & UC Berkeley. Adjunct university lecturer on entrepreneurship. Angel investor in 24 startups. Former Bain consultant. Forbes 30 Under 30. Sci-fi nerd & dad of two daughters. The best feeling is coaching good humans to be great leaders.
Covering Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand & Beyond
Co-hosts: Shiyan Koh (Managing Partner, Hustle Fund), Gita Sjahrir (Head of Investments, BNI Ventures), Valerie Vu (Founding Partner, Ansible Ventures), Wing Vasiksiri (General Partner, WV) and Nir Eyal (WSJ Bestselling Author)
Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday
Monday: Weekly regional tech news with thought leaders. Wednesday: Changemaker interviews. Friday: Bite-sized insights and Q&As. Videos with transcripts released at 6am (Singapore Time) in English, Bahasa Indonesia and Mandarin.
Featured Guests
"Learned a lot from the journeys. Must-listen for anyone seeking advice to be a leader"
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"Refreshing to hear from distinguished founders what they learned, both the good & bad"
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"Incredibly useful in kickstarting my thought process around customers as an entrepreneur"
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"After tuning into a couple of episodes, this is now my weekly routine. Keep it up!!"
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Episode Library
Transcribed, highlighted and hyperlinked. Search by keyword or (desktop only) topics, roles, geography, gender & episode number
October 3, 2024Jeremy Au moderated a panel of venture capitalists to unpack the key trends shaping APAC’s investment landscape. Nruthya Madappa emphasized India's rapid recovery in early-stage VC, driven by second and third-time founders and $600 million deployed across 80+ companies at 3one4 Capital. She...October 1, 2024Borko Kovacevic, Cofounder of Poddster, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Serbia Childhood to Singapore: Borko reflected on his childhood in Serbia during the 1980s and 1990s, witnessing both Yugoslavia's prosperity and the hardships of the Bosnian and Kosovo wars. Economic instability and...September 30, 2024Gita Sjahrir, Head of Investment at BNI Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Pope Visit: They reflect on Pope Francis’ recent visit to Indonesia, emphasizing its significance as a beacon of positive media influence. The visit was part of a broader Asia Pacific tour and marked the first...September 29, 2024Valerie Vu, Founding Partner of Ansible Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. $3.3B Super Typhoon Disaster: Super Typhoon Yagi caused over $3.3 billion in damage and resulted in more than 300 deaths in northern Vietnam. The typhoon was one of the worst in 30 years, which significantly...September 26, 2024Audra Pakalnyte, Partner at First Move, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Lithuania To Malaysia: Growing up as the youngest of three daughters, Audra's childhood was shaped by Lithuania's national post-Soviet transformation. Her parents' dinner table conversations about multiple...September 24, 2024Joseph Mocanu, Managing Partner at Verge HealthTech Fund, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. PHD MedTech Founder: Joseph shared his educational journey from studying molecular genetics at the University of Toronto where he initially focused on aging and cancer research, to realizing the...September 19, 2024Sherry Jiang, CEO & Cofounder of Peek, and Jeremy Au explored three key topics: 1. Navigating Product-Market Fit Pivots: Crypto winter forced Sherry to pivot from her original idea—an algorithmic stablecoin protocol for Southeast Asian currencies. This shift led to the creation of Peek,...September 17, 2024Oscar Jesionek, CEO & Cofounder of Fonos, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Austria Digital Nomad to Vietnam Founder: Oscar traces his entrepreneurial path, starting from his academic background in economics in Austria to his diverse professional experiences in headhunting, healthcare, and...September 15, 2024Shiyan 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...September 12, 2024Rob Snyder, Founder of Reframe, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. McKinsey to Harvard MBA Founder: Rob detailed his initial career moves from political philosophy to starting at McKinsey, where he developed critical analytical skills and professional discipline. His time at Harvard Business...September 10, 2024Serena Lam, CEO & Cofounder of Fuzzy Sequence, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. IBM to SaaS Founder: Serena described her seven-year tenure at IBM, where she tackled diverse strategic roles across the U.S., China, and India. This experience provided her with a robust foundation in technology and...September 8, 2024Jianggan 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...September 5, 2024Jesse Choi, Cofounder of Reku, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Bain Capital & Stanford MBA: Jesse shared his journey from an operations research and economics student at Columbia University to an early career at Bain management consulting and Bain Capital private equity. His Stanford MBA...Raditya Wibowo: Gojek Chief Transportation Officer, Founder MAKA Motors & How Hard Can It Be? - E468September 3, 2024Raditya (Dito) Wibowo, CEO & Founder of MAKA Motors, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Gojek Chief Transportation Officer: Raditya describes his seven-year tenure rise from managing a nascent on-demand transportation service from the modest two-story home HQ with only 2 toilets to becoming...September 1, 2024Valerie Vu, Founding Partner of Ansible Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. New President Tô Lâm: The death and state-mandated mourning period for Vietnam's former Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong culminated in the swift elevation of Tô Lâm from the Ministry of Public...August 29, 2024Avik Ashar, Principal at Artha Venture Fund, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Zilingo Ethical Dilemmas: Avik reflected on his experiences at Zilingo where rapid expansion led to questionable practices such as buying and selling Apple watches on their fashion lifestyle platform just to meet...August 27, 2024Huiting Koh, Founding Managing Partner of Blueprint Ventures, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Solo General Partner (GP) Experience: Huiting discussed her journey as a solo GP, emphasizing the complexities of establishing Blueprint, her venture fund. She shared insights into the initial setup,...August 25, 2024Shiyan 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....