Mohan Belani, Cofounder & CEO of e27, and Jeremy Au talked about three main themes: 1. Founding e27 & Echelon: Mohan discussed his early career decisions as a computer engineering undergraduate with the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) program, failed founder and startup executive. He shared how he juggled his studies and his founding role in e27, often receiving warning letters for his grades. He and his co-founder Thaddeus faced significant challenges, including resetting the brand, cleaning up the cap table, and attracting investors from Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia between 2012 and 2013​​​​. Despite these challenges, e27 has developed into a leading player in the region’s tech ecosystem. 2. Media Business Myths: Mohan highlighted the profitability potential of media and events businesses, despite common misconceptions. He emphasized avoiding vanity metrics and focusing on real ROI. During the COVID-19 pandemic, e27 pivoted from physical events to online channels, resulting in significant growth in media and webinar revenues from 2021 to 2023. This strategic shift resulted in the three best years in the company’s history. He also discussed the tough decisions, such as canceling events instead of postponing them and making hard choices around salaries and compensation. He underscored the importance of navigating partnerships with government agencies, which often have different operating metrics and objectives compared to for-profit companies. 3. Angel & Orvel VC Investing Journey: Mohan recounted the lessons learned from his 30 angel investments that begun in 2013. He shared how founding Orvel Ventures with Milan Reinartz and Jeremy Au required a new systematic approach to evaluating companies, including analyzing gross margins and exit opportunities. His experience as an LP in funds like Golden Gate Ventures and Rebel Fund provided insights into the importance of localized GPs and focused investment strategies. He also stressed the need for funds to support local ecosystems and avoid overly ambitious scaling plans. Jeremy and Mohan also talked about effective onboarding practices, the evolution of the tech ecosystem in Southeast Asia and the use of OKRs to plan and assess personal and professional progress. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/mohan-belani Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/mohan-belani-id 观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/mohan-belani-cn Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde 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 Learn more about Evo Commerce at bback.co and stryv.co 

In this discussion, Tsun-Yan Hsieh, Founder & Chairman of LinHart Group, and Jeremy Au talk about three key themes:  1. Board Member Dynamics & Real Conversations: Tsun Yan emphasizes the importance of both strategic and tactical aspects as a board member, drawing from his experiences with companies like Sony, Airtel, Dyson, Singapore Airlines, SingHealth, and Manulife. He sheds light on the essence of real conversations and attributes of results, detailing the significance of pre-meeting dinners and side chats. He believes that being a board member isn't just about agreement, but also about bringing diverse viewpoints to the table. He recalls times when he voiced opinions that went against the grain and urged the board to revisit certain decisions, suggesting they were crucial in ensuring the company didn't overlook potential pitfalls or become complacent in its strategic direction. 2. Coaching, Consulting, and Positive Influence: Tsun Yan explores the art of coaching and consulting. Drawing from his extensive career and his journey in establishing a coaching business, he explains the nuances of providing advice and mentorship. He also discusses his co-authored book, "Positive Influence," and elaborates on the difference between being a leader who merely manages vs. one who truly inspires and drives transformational change. He underscores the distinct strategies required when mentoring fresh minds vs. seasoned professionals. For the former, the approach is more exploratory, given their potential to pivot in their career trajectories, and for the latter, it's about honing and refining skills, as senior executives often seek to perfect their craft or achieve specific leadership milestones. 3. Tsun Yan’s Personal Journey: Tsun Yan reflects on his curiosity from a young age, leading up to his days as a young executive. He narrates instances where he mustered the bravery to engage in lengthy discussions and shares an anecdote about entering a room and holding an engaging conversation for four hours. He shared that it wasn't just about the duration but the depth and quality of the discourse. He also discussed that negotiations and engagements often revolved around facilitating changes, requiring him to navigate the challenges of agreements with top-tier executives and always pushing for the necessary evolution. They also delve into the evolving leadership paradigms in Southeast Asia, authentic communication in the workplace and how it can foster trust and drive productivity, the significance of continuous learning and adaptation in today's dynamic business environment, and how genuine feedback can be instrumental in shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/tsun-yan-hsieh Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde 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

In this discussion, Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, and Jeremy Au, talked about three key topics: 1. Conglomerate Underperformance: Shiyan and Jeremy discuss the Southeast Asia report by Bain & Company, diving into the transformation of conglomerates – entities that once stood as beacons of success and now grapple with dwindling performances. They touch on potential causes of underperformance such as the challenges faced in managing diverse business units, rapid technological advancements, and the rise of competitors. They also talk about key success factors conglomerates need to focus on enhancing core competencies, leveraging synergies across business units, and maintaining a robust governance structure. They emphasized that conglomerates must realign their strategies with the changing business environment. 2. Super Apps and Conglomerate Parallels: Shiyan and Jeremy delve into the similarities between the growth strategies of super apps and traditional conglomerates, both aiming to be the go-to solution for a wide range of user needs. For super apps, this means integrating diverse services like e-commerce, ride-hailing, food delivery, and financial services into one seamless platform to drive user engagement, increase stickiness, and maximize transaction value. However, just as conglomerates faced challenges in managing diverse business units and ensuring consistent quality across all ventures, super apps also grapple with the complexities of offering multifaceted services while retaining user trust and ensuring optimal user experience.  3. Building Trust with Users: Shiyan spotlights Costso’s approach to cultivating and maintaining a loyal customer base. They underline that businesses should focus on curating offerings that genuinely align with users' needs and prioritizing their interests above all else, rather than pushing products and services. They discuss that organic alignment is the cornerstone of a long-lasting, trusted relationship and that adapting to shifts in user interests can sustain relevance in their markets, keeping them ahead of competitors. They also talk about biotech as an underexplored area in the region, the evolution of game distributors and publishers, the regulatory hurdles startups face across different countries, the gamification of e-commerce, and the behavioral economics behind app designs. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/conglomerate-underperformance Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde 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

Valerie Vu, Founding Partner of Ansible Ventures, and Jeremy Au took a deep dive into Vietnam’s tech and VC landscape. They discuss three main topics: 1. Vietnam’s VC Scene: Valerie shares that the primary driver for her initiative to build a Vietnam VC fund is the glaring funding gap in the country, particularly for early-stage companies that struggle to secure the capital needed for growth. The fund aims to bridge this gap and foster a more robust ecosystem for startups in Vietnam. 2. VNG and VinFast IPOs: They talk about the much-anticipated IPOs of tech giants VNG and VinFast. Valerie points out how VNG's super app, Zalo, brings a unique set of services to its users such as messaging, social networking, and e-commerce, setting it apart from similar apps like WeChat. They also discuss how VNG and VinFast aim to tap into international capital markets and how the U.S. stock market offers them a broader platform to raise significant capital and gain international recognition. Valerie also names companies that are poised for IPOs such as Momo, Tiki, and more. 3. Zalo and TikTok Shop UX: Valerie shares her hands-on experiences as a user of various tech products, such as Zalo and TikTok Shop. She’s impressed with the seamless in-app shopping experience on TikTok, contrasting it with other platforms that require users to leave the app to complete a purchase. She shares how Zalo has deeply localized content that recognizes and adapts to the local Vietnamese audience’s preferences. Jeremy and Valerie also talk about Vietnam's export-oriented economic model and its associated challenges, especially in light of reduced orders from major markets like the US and Europe, the diverse tech ecosystems across Southeast Asia, and the hurdles Vietnamese startups face in terms of profitability and listing regulations. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vietnam-ecosystem Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde 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

“A lot of social science research reinforces the idea that changing your context helps you change your behavior. Imagine if there was a bot that makes everyone more active. It can egg you on and make the passive dynamic a little bit more active to remind you where your goals are. These are not technically complex and you could see them becoming ubiquitous. These little voices are trying to nudge you in a specific direction.” - Shiyan Koh “Generative AI is really helpful because there's a trust component. If you have multiple accounts, you traditionally need an agent or representative to support you. There's also a privacy component. I can tell them everything. To some extent, you could trust an AI a little bit more because it's not talking to a human who could potentially talk about the topic over dinner, no matter their NDA. So yeah, that's a really interesting idea. I think that's a good idea. Especially because you know, you can do all the things right? It can be like a real wealth advisor.” - Jeremy Au “What’s interesting about the things people wish existed is that they weren't that crazy. There were a bunch of requests for things that are not that far off but the challenge is not the technical execution. We’ve seen various versions of these but they've never really taken off because of distribution or monetization challenges.” - Shiyan Koh In this insightful conversation between Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh, the Managing Partner of Hustle Fund, they talk about entrepreneurship and forward-thinking perspectives on innovative ventures. The discussion highlights three pivotal areas: Language Model Advancements: The conversation highlights the potential of exploring Large Language Model (LLM) technology for Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. The applications of LLM in these languages could revolutionize communication and accessibility, opening up new opportunities for businesses in diverse markets.Community Unbundling and AI: They introduce the concept of community unbundling, where AI-driven platforms can empower individuals to navigate personal finance and health decisions independently. The idea of a personal financial advisor powered by AI that analyzes individual spending patterns is particularly intriguing.AI Applications in Health and Wellness: The conversation delves into the possibilities of AI applications in the health and wellness space. Shiyan Koh and Jeremy Au discuss the potential of AI health assistants, capable of nudging individuals toward their fitness goals and providing personalized feedback on nutrition and exercise choices. The discussion provides a unique perspective on the intersection of AI and personal management systems, from finance to health, making it a must-listen for entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the future of AI applications. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/request-for-startups Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde 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 Esevel here: https://esevel.com/it-services-carepacks/

“I hope they invest in the local ecosystem and not just in financial assets. The benefit of being wealthy is you can do what you want. Instead of a Lamborghini, can you invest in public art and public education? Can you invest in sports and things that a lot of people can enjoy? That improves the quality of life in the city and the people around you. It’s not just for personal benefits. Hopefully, we build more robust and deep capital markets, which are things that New York and London have had a stranglehold on, and it would be great to be able to shift some of that center of gravity out to Asia.” - Shiyan Koh “In the short term, family offices will continue to go up. Singapore is working hard to attract wealth from Europe, the US, and China. I think more jobs will be created because more family offices will start to hit their two to three- year timeline to start hiring local professionals. That will start emerging as its own vertical.” - Jeremy Au “One of the concerns people have in working for a family office is how much decision-making authority they will have. Ultimately, is everything going to be decided by the principal, or will you have the latitude to build a more institutional investment process and committee? At the same time, there is an incredible opportunity in working with families that want to be aggressive, want to diversify, and build new platforms. I’ve seen friends come out from institutions to help bigger families build new verticals.” - Shiyan Koh Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh shared insights regarding family offices and their influence on Singapore's economy were discussed. They explored the motivations behind family offices seeking global investments, the unique characteristics of family office landscapes, and the challenges and opportunities they present. Key Topics Discussed: Global Investments: Family offices are increasingly diversifying their portfolios by seeking investments outside their home countries, driven by the desire for exposure to different geographies and asset classes.Role of Private Banks: While family offices typically receive advice from private banks, they seek additional opportunities beyond what traditional financial institutions can provide, particularly in terms of access to emerging managers or smaller funds.Allocation and Family Dynamics: Financial advice to family offices revolves around diversification, helping them move away from being solely exposed to their core operating businesses. Discussions around wealth transfer, familial decision-making, and philanthropy play a crucial role in shaping their strategies.Impact on Local Economy: Singapore has witnessed a rise in family offices, attracting talent and investments, which contribute to job creation and economic growth. Family offices are encouraged to invest locally and contribute to the development of capital markets.Societal Considerations: Balancing the influx of wealth with social cohesion is a challenge, and conversations around social support, inequality, and defining the notion of "local" are ongoing. The importance of avoiding conspicuous consumption and embracing community engagement is emphasized. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/family-office Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde 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 Esevel here: https://esevel.com/it-services-carepacks/

“Financial education and financial access are not the same. I get pitches on this all the time. They say they are democratizing access and teaching people. When I read the deck, I ask about what they teach. They teach about technical analysis and how to day trade, but I think that’s an incomplete lesson. You can teach them about the current practice of others, but in the context of what’s happening, that’s really hard because you don’t even talk about the fundamentals of capital formation.” - Shiyan Koh "There’s something you can do with a day-to-day sort of off-market, public markets investment, whether it’s good or bad, but you're not going to slide to zero straight away in a sense of off-private equity. We all know venture capital, as an asset class, is very risky. You have 1 out of 20 that's a home run if you are an above-average VC, and 19 out of 20 do right and effectively go to zero. Some are going to land the plane gracefully, some will lean the plane very roughly, and some of them will just crash." - Jeremy Au "The most interesting markets for crypto are emerging markets because that's where the rails are the worst and that's where people have a real need for alternatives that are not subject to the whims of their government per se. They really need to transact. In LATAM, you see a lot of use cases around inflation hedging and I'm interested to see some of those. People want to get their money out of the peso or the real and get into USDC. It's not even a speculative use case, it's literally just wanting my money to hold value." - Shiyan Koh In their discussion, Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh touched upon several key insights, with a particular focus on crypto and Temasek's independent review of FTX. They emphasized the risks and potential rewards associated with different investment strategies. Jeremy highlighted the contrasting nature of public markets and private equity investments, emphasizing that public market investments can fluctuate day-to-day but are unlikely to plummet to zero as quickly as off-private equity investments. He emphasized the inherent riskiness of venture capital as an asset class, where only one out of twenty investments may yield significant returns while the rest may result in zero or negative outcomes. Shiyan brought attention to the potential of emerging markets as the most intriguing areas for crypto adoption. She pointed out that these markets often face inadequate financial infrastructure, making them more open to alternative solutions that are not subject to government control. Use cases in Latin America, for example, demonstrate a demand for inflation hedging, where people seek to protect their money's value by exchanging it for stable cryptocurrencies like USDC. Furthermore, the discussion touched on the distinction between financial education and access. Shiyan expressed skepticism towards approaches that merely focus on democratizing access without providing comprehensive education. She cautioned against teaching individuals solely about technical analysis or day trading, emphasizing the importance of understanding the broader context of financial markets. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/temasek-ftx-pay-cut Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde 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 Pollen here: https://www.pollen.tech

“I invest because I believe in the founder, and I want to believe that the business will make a difference in the ecosystem and the economy in the future. There are many problems in the space, in life, business, economies, financial technology, and everything. If we don't support new ideas to disrupt, support, and improve, then we will never progress” - Shao-Ning Huang “I am not in favour of angels who invest solely because it's a hot space or because their friends are investing in it. The space you invest in should be something that you have a personal affinity for and that you feel is relevant to you. It's all about how you read the founder, decipher that part, and apply your personal understanding of the space or market. While a good founder is very reflective of themselves, an angel investor has to reflect on their own value system before choosing which space to invest in.” - Shao-Ning Huang In this episode of BRAVE, Shao-Ning Huang, an angel investor and co-founder of AngelCentral, shares her insights on angel investing, women representation in the industry, and personal experiences. She advises new investors to listen to at least 20 pitches before investing and to invest in spaces that they understand and feel personally relevant. She emphasizes the importance of analyzing the execution capability of founders beyond their charisma. She stresses that angel investing is time-consuming and can be a high-risk, high-reward activity, and encourages individuals to invest with the intention of making a difference to the ecosystem and economy. Regarding women representation in the industry, Shao-Ning acknowledges the challenges that women founders and investors face, including biases in business culture, masculine coding and communication, and limited access to networks and resources. She encourages women to adapt and evolve to raise capital or step up as investors, while also promoting a more inclusive and diverse industry. Shao-Ning shares her personal experience of cutting off toxic relationships in her life and the struggle she faced in the process. She emphasizes the importance of being aware of one's own emotional health and seeking professional help if needed. She suggests compartmentalizing one's life and feelings and addressing personal issues in a way that is authentic and relevant to oneself. Read the transcript at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/shao-ning-huang WhatsApp Weekday Insight: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CeL3ywi7yOWFd8HTo6yzde Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu/featured Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau Visit our community at: www.bravesea.com #bravesea #angelinvesting #startupinvesting #femalefounders #investorrepresentation #diversityandinclusion #entrepreneurship #investmentadvice #toxicrelationships #emotionalhealth #professionalgrowth #careeradvice #earlystageinvesting #investingstrategy #startupfunding

Welcome to Brave Dynamics. This is your host, Jeremy Au. Leadership is harder than it looks. As a proven founder and Harvard MBA, I interview courageous entrepreneurs, executives and investors every week. I also share my frontline experiences, coaching insights and own professional development journey. If you're stepping up as a new leader, founding a startup or venturing into the great unknown, this is the podcast for you. For show notes and transcripts, go to www.jeremyau.com