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

1. Indonesia 39% Debt to GDP Ratio vs. Singapore: Jeremy and Gita delved into the policy debate behind Prabowo's decision to increase Indonesia's debt-to-GDP ratio from 39% to 50%, and invest towards achieving an aggressive growth rate of 8% through a nickel-led industrial strategy coupled with expansive public spending. They tackled the broader implications of borrowing for a developing nation and the importance of maintaining fiscal credibility. Gita critiqued common misconceptions about national vs. personal debt and highlighted the international double standards in debt perception. They also compared Indonesia's fiscal strategy against USA, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Jingjing Zhong, CEO & Cofounder of Superbench, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes:

1. UC Berkeley to Investment Banking: Jingjing reflected on her time at UC Berkeley where the competitive environment introduced her to the high-stakes world of investment banking. She shared her initial motivation for joining Houlihan Lokey, which was to make money (influenced by societal expectations from her upbringing in China). Her experience in the financial sector led to a significant reevaluation of her definition of success and steered her away from banking despite its financial allure.

Huiting 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, overcoming challenges, and the decision-making processes involved. She also highlighted the critical learning curve she navigated, making strategic choices without complete information and trusting her instincts.

Serena 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 business strategy, crucial for her later ventures. She emphasized the comfort and security of a well-structured corporate environment, noting how it fostered her ability to save and enjoy a reliable income, which contrasted with the uncertainties of startup life.

Sherry 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, an AI-powered platform for managing net worth. She highlighted the challenges of gaining traction, facing ambiguous customer demand, and maintaining deep customer engagement. Sherry emphasized how adaptability is essential when an original business model fails to fit the market. She candidly discussed the emotional and logistical hurdles of steering a company through such changes, underscoring the need for transparent communication with both internal teams and external stakeholders, especially investors.

Audra 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 entrepreneurial ventures taught her first lessons in business dynamics and the necessity for adaptability. These early experiences instilled a deep understanding of market dynamics and the entrepreneurial resilience required to navigate them. With serendipity and seeing the right opportunity, she moved to Malaysia and begun her startup journey with Khailee Ng and Joel Neoh at the first generation of local startups.

Valerie 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 disrupted Vietnam’s economy with power outages in factories and offices for over a week. As a result, the country's GDP growth forecast was reduced by 0.15%. They also highlighted Southeast Asia's susceptibility to natural disasters which are often underappreciated by global investors.

Gita 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 extensive travel of the Pope to the region. Gita noted the massive turnout, with events drawing large crowds, celebrating Indonesia's commitment to diversity and religious tolerance.

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

1. 109 Member 48 Ministry Cabinet Coalition: With the inauguration on October 20, 2024, President Prabowo Subianto expanded the cabinet from 34 to 48 ministries, the largest since 1966. Prabowo's coalition-building strategy is to accommodate political allies and unify the seven-party coalition behind him. They drew comparisons to Germany’s coalition politics, emphasizing the importance of coordination between Indonesia’s national and regional leaders for effective governance.

Tina Amper, Strategic Director of Geeks on a Beach, and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Burnout to Community Leader: Tina shared her experience of migrating from the Philippines with an engineering degree from the University of San Carlos to California’s booming tech industry in the 1990s. She excelled in product marketing and business development roles, but ultimately burned out after years of travel and high-intensity work. By 2010, her mother's declining health prompted her take a sabbatical and return to her hometown Cebu, which was being transformed by the growing business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. This proved to be fertile ground for her exploration and cultivation of a thriving local tech community.