The podcast is now also available in Chinese Mandarin on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts, so feel free to reshare! We're looking for a podcast co-host to help cover the Philippines’ tech market on a quarterly basis. Feel free to recommend someone!
Join the Singapore Growth & AI Summit with Sean Ellis!
BRAVE has partnered with Causality and Sean Ellis to bring you discounted tickets for this Singapore stop on Sean Ellis’ World Tour. Sean’s book, Hacking Growth, has sold over 750,000 copies and he’s sharing the latest insights on enabling breakout growth. Use code seanbrave7 today.
Regional News & Deep Dives
- Valerie Vu, Founding Partner of Ansible Ventures, discussed Vietnam's geopolitical “love triangle” with USA and China and 2023’s GDP growth underperformance.
- Gita Sjahrir, Head of Investment at BNI Ventures, discussed Indonesia’s young democracy transition since the Suharto era, and how 52% of the electorate are digitally-native millennials and Gen Z.
- Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, talked about TheAsianParent’s omnichannel acquisition, sovereign wealth fund investment shifts and founders’ anonymous reviews of VCs on TechinAsia’s Glasswall.
- Nir Eyal, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of “Hooked”, delved into saving your New Year resolutions and the misleading practices of the weight loss industry.
- Jeremy discussed how to navigate the midlife crisis (vs. the media portrayal), the psychological impact of job title and unemployment on self-identity, and society’s hunger for perfect heroes rather than flawed humans.
Popular Interviews
- Dmitry Levit: Overreaction, Dislocation & Confusion, 2023 vs. 2024 Investment Landscape and $9B Annual Capital Intake & Realistic Exit Expectations: Dmitry discussed how the region’s growth funding has retreated while the core early funding stack has remained stable, with a large investor mindset reset on the shape of actual realistic exit outcomes - thus changing appropriate fund strategies.
- Trasy Lou: Uber & Atome GM Launching Markets, Motherhood vs. Entrepreneurship, and Fintech Founder Learnings: Trasy dissected her leadership roles at Uber and Atome, emphasizing mission-driven cultures, data-driven decisions, and the nuances of market launching. She also explored the balance of motherhood with professional ambitions, highlighting the strength of women leaders and the importance of supportive ecosystems for success in both domains.
- Rachel Wong: Law ChatGPT AI Revolution, Bastardized YC SAFE & Founder Legal Templates with FD Lite: Rachel explored the generative AI revolution in law, its impact on legal document drafting, and the complexities of the YC SAFE agreement for founders. She also introduced FD Lite for accessible legal templates for the broader market.
- Aaron Fu: Africa Market Complexity, Terrorism Tragedy & Purpose and Venture Capital Mission: Aaron discussed why he chose to invest in the complex Africa markets and emphasized the nuanced impact of government regulations and telecommunications competition on startups. He also shared the personal loss of a friend in a terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya and highlighted the real-world risks behind fostering growth and stability in emerging markets like Africa.
- Ajay Bulusu: Google & Grab Mapping Challenges, Geospatial B2B API SaaS Insights and Layoff Resilience with Bold Steps: Ajay Bulusu discussed overcoming mapping challenges at Google and Grab and founding Nextbillion.ai to develop geospatial B2B API SaaS. He also explored transportation and logistics’ requirements for the mapping industry evolution, and his strategies for educating B2B customers.
- Sao Lonsdale: “Fish In The Water” Journey, Vietnam Gen Z Consumers & LIXIBOX Founder Pivots: Sao shared her journey from growing up in a military compound in Vietnam, working in corporate America and eventually returning to found LIXIBOX. She shared why she was inspired by Peter Thiel’s book “Zero to One,” the local Gen Z's preferences and the challenges of establishing a strong omni-channel presence for consumer products.
Community News
We’d like to congratulate Trasy Lou and the whole Fluid team for raising $5.2 million in a series A round led by Insignia Ventures Partners. Check out her episode on fintech founder learnings and balancing motherhood & entrepreneurship.
Congratulations to Tiang Lim Foo and Forge Ventures for leading a $2M seed funding for Singapore’s coffee startup Prefer. Read about his insights on capital investments as influenced by Haruki Murakami and maximizing founder potential.
Matt Abrahams, Stanford MBA Professor and author of “Think Faster, Work Smarter” was featured by CUInsights for offering leaders his insights on audience-centric and concise communication. Check out his episode on anxiety’s biological roots and a personalized approach to public speaking.
Janine Teo, CEO of Solve Education!, showcased how AI can enhance educational access without significant resources to increase student engagement and learning outcomes. Read about her insights on Indonesia education gamification and learning with insatiable curiosity
Alina Truhina, Managing Partner of The Radical Fund, was featured by e27 for steering climate-resilient ventures in Southeast Asia and focusing on sustainable development and local impact. Learn more about her perspective on Southeast Asia’s climate change realities and the entrepreneurial approaches to ESG.
Congratulations to Fengru Lin and TurtleTree for earning its vegan certification for its precision fermented lactoferrin, LF+, marking a pioneering step in animal-free dairy with ethical and sustainable food system goals. Check out her episode on balancing commercial and scientific decisions and TurtleTree's progress towards commercialization.
Press
- Elaine Ann on the Tiny Dragon podcast: The dynamic Southeast Asia startup landscape and the importance of cultural understanding in navigating product-market fit with founders
- The Guiding Voice with Naveen Samala: The significance of mentorship, strategic decision-making, and risk-taking within the Southeast Asian VC scene.
Best Read
Morgan Beller's 'AI Is Like Water' explores the generative AI landscape, likening its ubiquity and necessity to water, and underscoring the diminishing tech differentiation in AI as a protective moat for startups. She argues for a shift in focus towards distribution, branding, and user experience as key differentiators in a crowded market, drawing parallels to the bottled water industry's success through strategic marketing despite the fundamental sameness of the product.
Quote
“Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them. Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Do not expect anything in return, do not expect your efforts to be appreciated, your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood. Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, the one that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is only poisoning you, nothing else.
Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that are broken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date, decisions that are always put off waiting for the "ideal moment." Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back. Remember that there was a time when you could live without that thing or that person - nothing is irreplaceable, a habit is not a need. This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important.
Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.” – Paulo Coelho
Reflection
“Be prepared to make mistakes. You should not compare yourself to others because what you feel good about isn’t necessarily the same for them. Experiment as much as you can because by doing that, you will be able to figure out what kind of investor you want to be.” Anthony Tjajadi
Anthony Tjajadi, Founding Partner of Trihill Capital, has been part of a family that’s been in the agriculture sector for 30 years. His desire to explore new horizons drove him to leave the familiarity of his family’s business behind and into the unknown territory of venture capital to support innovation across the region.
Anthony's journey is a reminder that stepping into the unknown can be a powerful catalyst for personal growth. For anyone looking to expand their horizons, Anthony's journey illustrates the importance of embrace change, even if it means leaving behind comfort and certainty. Sometimes, the most rewarding paths are those not yet taken
How do you approach risk-taking in your professional life?
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Stay Brave!
Jeremy Au
English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts
Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts
Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts