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BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capit
BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capit
Learn from Southeast Asia's best tech leaders. Build the future, learn from our past & stay human in between. No B.S on success. Southeast Asia's #1 startup & venture capital podcast with 80,000+ listeners. Hosted by Jeremy Au, a VC & serial founder with an MBA from Harvard and a degree from UC Berkeley. The podcast features weekly tech news debates, changemaker interviews, and listener Q&As, covering the startup ecosystems of Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Episodes
Turn Limiting Beliefs Into Liberating Beliefs | Nir Eyal - E706
Behavioral designer Nir Eyal sits down with Jeremy Au to unpack the ideas behind his New York Times bestseller Beyond Belief. He explains why information alone never changes behavior, why your limiting beliefs stay hidden like your own face, and how the motivation triangle of behavior, benefit, and belief decides whether you actually follow through. Nir breaks down the research showing why ma
Singapore Works Too Well To Be A Great Startup Hub? | Adriel Yong - E705
Is Singapore too efficient to ever become a great startup hub? After a single shower-thought tweet went viral and sparked a tech Twitter debate, Adriel Yong joins Jeremy Au to unpack the uncomfortable idea that Singapore works so well it dulls the hunger founders need to build. The conversation digs into whether a 5 million person market really caps your upside, why Grab out-earned Gojek desp
Singaporeans are willing to give you chance if you have "The Focus" | Jeremy Tan - E704
Jeremy Tan, independent candidate for Mountbatten SMC in Singapore's GE2025, joins Jeremy Au and Shiyan Koh to unpack why he ran, why he lost, and what he learned about Singapore's political meta. He explains why public scrutiny and small-town dynamics deter Singaporeans from entering politics, why negative campaigning backfires with voters, and why opposition parties should focus resources o
Invent the Category - E703
How do startups actually beat established incumbents? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au reframes the classic David vs Goliath story to explain why startups are not underdogs. They are operators who choose the right weapon, then go for the kill shot of category creation.
Break down the David vs Goliath Reframe, where the slingshot was equivalent to a pistol a
Ori Sasson: AI Job Replacement & The Future of Work - E702
Are AI agents and LLMs coming for your job? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Ori Sasson to uncover the harsh realities of AI job replacement, the "Hollywoodization" of the workforce, and the explosion of 10x productivity in startups. Discover how employers in Singapore and across Southeast Asia are redesigning roles, navigating "shadow AI", an
Southeast Asia is in its Golden Age - E701
Is Southeast Asia entering a golden age of technology? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au explores the booming venture capital landscape and what it actually takes to build a unicorn in highly fragmented markets like Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Dive deep into The Technology Stack & Leapfrogging, explaining why fundamental infrastructure, like wides
Become Incorruptible - The Truth Behind Successful Businesses | Eric Ries - E700
Join Jeremy Au on the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast for an exclusive masterclass with Eric Ries, legendary author of 'The Lean Startup' and the new book ‘Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad... and How Great Companies Stay Great’. They dive deep into the future of company building, how the AI boom is dramatically accelerating startup velocity, and why the standard venture capital play
Choosing Your Career Path and the Tradeoffs You Must Be Aware Of - E699
Most career advice is a lie. In this raw solo episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au breaks down why self-help advice from successful business leaders is often self-serving, and what young founders, operators, and professionals across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia should actually pay attention to.
Jeremy shares the hard-won lessons th
How Lasers Could Replace Undersea Cables & Reshape Global Internet | Rohit Jha - E698
Rohit Jha, Co-founder and CEO of Transcelestial, joins Jeremy Au to explain how his Singapore-based startup is using laser communications to transmit internet at speeds far beyond what Starlink currently offers, and why that matters for Southeast Asia, global telcos, and the future of deep space.
Rohit breaks down how Transcelestial went from building ground-to-ground laser links for 5G towe
Trump Xi Summit Decoded: Thucydides Trap, Boeing Deal & China AI Chip Strategy - E697
Jianggan Li, Founder of Momentum Works, joins Jeremy Au to unpack the Trump Xi Beijing summit, the first US presidential visit to China since 2017. They decode the optics of Zhongnanhai Garden and the Temple of Heaven, Xi Jinping's Thucydides Trap reference, the 200 plane Boeing deal, and why the absence of major deliverables is itself a strategic win.
The conversation dives deep into the AI
Wen-Szu Lin: Lessons learnt from Franchise Failure to Scaling Uber in Asia - E696
In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au is joined by Wen-Szu Lin who opens up about the brutal reality of entrepreneurship, from securing the master franchise for Auntie Anne's in China just before the 2008 Olympics, to navigating massive business failure, and eventually scaling Uber's Community Operations across Asia.
Wen-Szu shares the untaught lessons that prop
Find Your Unfair Advantage in Business and Use It - E695
Is the world fair? How do you find your true purpose in business? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au shares his deeply personal journey into the cancer diagnostics space following a tragic loss. He breaks down the crucial difference between "problem-market fit" and "founder-problem fit," the reality of life's unfairness, and why you must play to your unfair ad
Solo Founding at 58 and AI as a force multiplier for the medical industry | Jay Fajardo - E694
In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Jay Fajardo, serial entrepreneur and CEO of BetterClinic, straight from Manila, Philippines. Jay discusses his return to the founder’s seat at age 58, driven by the massive paradigm shift of the Artificial Intelligence supercycle.
We dive deep into how AI is completely transforming digital healthcare by elimin
How the Global Energy Crisis is rewiring Southeast Asia Tech | Kristie Neo - E693
How is the ongoing Middle East conflict reshaping the global economy, energy markets, and the tech sector? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Kristie Neo, PitchBook's newly appointed Asia Editor, to unpack the macroeconomic shockwaves hitting Southeast Asia and the Gulf.
From surging oil prices and the fuel emergency in the Philippines to the s
Dennis Velasco: The Reality of the Trust Gap and Building a Tech Startup in Southeast Asia - E692
Dennis Velasco, founder of Prosperna, provides a raw and definitive account of transitioning from Silicon Valley leadership roles at Salesforce and Xero to the front lines of the Philippine startup ecosystem. In this episode, you will learn the structural mechanics of the "Trust Factor Gap" in Southeast Asian B2B markets and how Velasco navigated a $300,000 personal investment across multiple
The 3 Phases of Startup Success: From the Jungle, through the Dirt Road & to the Highway - E691
Is Southeast Asia entering its Golden Age? Jeremy Au breaks down the "1 in 40" gamble of building a unicorn, the David vs. Goliath strategy for startups, and the brutal reality of the VC Power Law. Learn the three phases of startup growth—from the jungle to the highway—and how to identify the six clusters of failure before they kill your company. Essential viewing for founders, investors, and
Inside the Boardroom: How VCs Actually Deal with Fraud & "Bad Faith" Founders - E690
How do you build a multi-billion dollar company while navigating the complex regulatory landscapes of Southeast Asia?
In this episode, Jeremy Au sits down with Jecky Pelaez, Legal and Investment Partner at Kickstart Ventures, to pull back the curtain on the "unsexy" but critical side of venture capital: Governance and Compliance.
Jecky reveals the stark differences between incorporating in
VC Economics & Exit Strategies: Case Studies from Seed to IPO - E689
Ever wonder how venture capitalists actually judge your startup behind closed doors? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au breaks down the brutal reality of VC economics and the math that drives the tech industry.
We explore why just 5% of startups generate almost all of a fund's returns (The Power Law) and why struggling founders often get left behind. We also
How MK Bertulfo Built a 500K+ Community for Filipino Virtual Assistants - E688
In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with MK Bertulfo, the visionary founder of Filipina Homebased Moms (FHMoms). MK shares her raw and inspiring journey transitioning from an overworked, underpaid BPO call center agent in Manila to building the largest online community for work-at-home mothers in the Philippines, now boasting over 540,000 members glob
The Hidden Strategies of Venture Capital - E687
Ever wondered how venture capitalists actually pick winning startups? In this solo breakdown on the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au pulls back the curtain on the secretive world of venture capital. Whether you are building a stealth startup in Singapore or scaling across Indonesia and the Philippines, understanding the investor mindset is crucial for securing funding.
Jeremy bre
Eugene Cheah: Open-Source AI and the Future of Work - E686
Is open source the true future of Artificial Intelligence? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Eugene Cheah, CEO and Co-Founder of Featherless AI. They dive deep into the architecture of the RWKV model, the intense global competition between open source and closed source AI, and how China is aggressively pushing an open source strategy to bypass
Paulo Campos: Founding Philippines ZALORA & Kaya Founders Venture Capital Lessons - E685
Is the Philippines the next major tech hub in Southeast Asia?
In this episode of BRAVE, venture capitalist Jeremy Au sits down with Paulo Campos, Founding Managing Partner of Kaya Founders. From leaving a lucrative career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to pioneering cash-on-delivery (COD) as a co-founder of ZALORA Philippines, Paulo has been at the forefront of Southeast Asia's digital rev
Venture Capital 101: Why VCs are backing other startups and not yours - E684
What does it actually take for a venture capitalist to invest in your startup? In this masterclass episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au breaks down the hidden mechanics of venture capital, how VCs evaluate founders, and the brutal math behind finding the next billion-dollar unicorn.
Whether you are building the future in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, or beyond, unders
Franco Varona on the Philippines' Energy Emergency, and Investing in Solutions for Middle Class Filipinos - E683
The Philippines recently declared a national energy emergency. What does this massive oil and power crisis mean for the economy, local startups, and everyday consumers?
In this episode of the Brave Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Franco Varona, Managing Partner at Foxmont Capital Partners, to unpack the harsh realities of the region's energy vulnerability and how the co
How To Win A $1M Prize And Fixing The Global Education Crisis | Adam Huh Dam of Stick ‘Em - EP682
Is AI actually making our kids smarter, or just better at cheating? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Adam (Huh Dam), co-founder of Stick ‘Em, a Singapore-based startup bringing affordable STEAM education to the world.
From being rejected by his primary school robotics club to winning a $1 million prize in London, Adam shares his "rebel" journ
The New Era of Southeast Asia Tech: AI, Deep Tech, Global Scaling and the Future of Energy of Thailand - EP681
Is the "Uber for Southeast Asia" era officially over? In this episode, Jeremy Au sits down with Wing Vasiksiri of Analog Ventures to analyze the massive shift in the regional venture landscape. As immigration to the US tightens, Singapore has emerged as the global magnet for top-tier engineering talent from China, India, and across ASEAN.
They dive deep into why Wing transitioned from a Solo
Can Mushroom Farming Help Achieve Singapore's Food Security Goals? Ryan Ong of Fogo Fungi
Is farming in a skyscraper-filled city a genius move or a foolish one? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au talks with Ryan Ong, the founder of Fogo Fungi. Ryan moved from a comfortable path in his family’s hospitality business to the "dark, cool, and laborious" world of indoor mushroom farming.
Ryan pulls back the curtain on the Singapore agritech scene, expla
Global Energy Shock: Southeast Asia & China Effects & Countermeasures - E679
Is the era of cheap energy over for Southeast Asia? In this special three-person debate, Jeremy Au, Jianggan Li, and Valerie Vu break down the reality of the current energy crisis and its disproportionate impact on Vietnam, China, and Singapore.
As oil prices spike by 30-50% in some markets, the team explores the second and third-order consequences that most businesses are missing. From the
How Kelvin Teo Built Southeast Asia’s Largest SME FinTech Empire - E678
How do you scale a FinTech company across 5 countries while navigating global pandemics and regulatory shifts? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Kelvin Teo, Co-founder of Funding Societies | Modalku. Kelvin shares his incredible journey from being a "naive" Harvard MBA student to managing a platform that has disbursed over $5 Billion USD in SME
BRAVE: IPO Battles VS. Regulatory Giants, Boardroom Conflict & The Tech Lobby Game - E677
Jeremy Au explains the intense friction between startup growth and legal boundaries. He describes how founders and VCs negotiate high-stakes IPO prices while navigating the "Goliath" power of industry incumbents. The talk explores how startups use customer bases as political shields and why late-stage investors rely on liquidity preferences to survive messy market exits.
01:00 The IPO Pric
Anthony Chow: From Airbnb Hustle to Global Smart Locks, COVID Pivot & the Rise of the Rental Economy – E676
Anthony Chow, Co-founder and CEO of Igloo, joins Jeremy Au to discuss how a side hustle managing Airbnb properties turned into a global proptech company. Anthony explains how operational pain points like guest check-ins led him to build smart lock technology designed for short-term rentals. They explore how early hardware failures forced product redesign, why focusing on a narrow customer seg
BRAVE: Regulation VS. Startups, Monopoly Power, Regulatory Capture & Startup Strategy - E675
Jeremy Au explains how startups interact with regulation as they grow. He discusses how strong startups escape competition and gain monopoly-like advantages, which later trigger regulatory scrutiny. The conversation shows how incumbents shape regulation, how startups choose favorable jurisdictions, and why founders must decide whether to ask permission or ask for forgiveness. Examples from Ub
JX Lye: Execution Is the Moat, Fintech’s Reset & Why Speed Beats Strategy – E674
JX Lye, Founder and CEO of Acme, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how execution compounds advantage in Southeast Asia fintech. They explore Acme’s journey from solving delayed bank reconciliation to becoming a core bank connectivity layer serving fintech platforms, direct debit infrastructure, and ERP systems across Singapore and the region. The conversation covers the hard realities of going from z
AI Workforce Compression, SGX Liquidity Gaps & Singapore’s Startup Reckoning with Adriel Yong – E673
Adriel Yong joins Jeremy Au to examine how AI is compressing organizations, thinning entry-level roles, and reshaping Singapore’s startup and capital ecosystem. They discuss the shift from pyramid to lean diamond teams, why CEOs increasingly use AI to bypass middle layers, and why Gen Z faces the sharpest labor reset. The conversation expands to SGX liquidity gaps, slowing seed funding, and s
James Chai: Malaysia’s Chip Strategy, Rare Earth Leverage & The US–China AI Race – E672
James Chai, Visiting Fellow at ISEAS and former policy advisor to Malaysia’s Ministry of Economy, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how Malaysia is repositioning itself in an era defined by AI, semiconductors, and geopolitical rivalry. They explore the country’s shift from oil, gas, and plantations toward advanced manufacturing, examine how decades of semiconductor clustering built a quiet but durabl
Ziv Ragowsky: Corporate Venture Myths, Why Innovation Fails & How Startups Survive Inside Conglomerates – E671
Ziv Ragowsky, Co-Founder of Wright Partners, joins Jeremy Au to unpack why corporate venture building remains one of Southeast Asia’s hardest but most misunderstood innovation strategies. They explore how large corporations chase growth under pressure, why many internal ventures fail before traction, and how misaligned incentives quietly destroy promising ideas. The conversation covers when c
Hiroki Kato: Leaving Corporate Japan, Exposing Fraud in Vietnam & Building Asia’s Expert Knowledge Network – E670
Hiroki Kato, Founder of Arches and Jeremy Au discuss how leaving a safe Japanese corporate career pushed Hiroki into Southeast Asia’s faster markets, where exposure to fraud, cultural contrast, and insider truth reshaped his view of risk and opportunity. They explore how Vietnam’s optimism expanded his ambition, why public data often hides reality, and how expert conversations became the foun
Mike Mate: Philippine Startup Fog, Founder Grit & Betting on the Future – E669
Jeremy Au and Mike Mate connect personal career risk with the structural limits of the Philippine startup ecosystem. Mike explains how jumping from law into finance shaped his tolerance for uncertainty, why venture capital requires emotional endurance, and how AI mirrors past industrial shifts. They examine why Southeast Asia imports frontier technology, why Philippine consumer startups strug
Aik Chuan Goh: Uber Lessons, Search Funds & The Future of Southeast Asia SMEs – E668
Aik Chuan (A.C.) Goh, Founder of Singapore’s first traditional search fund, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how operators evolve from startup builders into long-term business stewards. They explore lessons from Uber’s Southeast Asia expansion, why localization determines platform winners, and how consulting shaped A.C.’s decision-making framework. The conversation covers the limits of venture capit
BRAVE: VC Ghosting, Portfolio Math & The Brutal Truth About Startup Survival - E667
Jeremy Au breaks down how venture capital really works after the check clears. He explains how VCs silently re-rank startups every year, why most companies get deprioritized, and how a tiny number of winners carry an entire fund. The discussion covers angel buyouts, secondaries, IPO strategy, and the tension between founders and boards during exits. It’s a candid look at portfolio math, hidde
Kamil Pabis: Why Health Hits a Ceiling, Longevity Needs Drugs & Science Moves Too Slowly - E666
Kamil Pabis, a longevity researcher based in Singapore, joins Jeremy Au to unpack why extending a healthy lifespan needs systems thinking, not quick hacks. They define longevity as targeting aging itself, explain why academia both enables and constrains progress, and show how Singapore’s policy choices support longer lives. They also discuss the biohacker pipeline, the promise of drugs like r
BRAVE: Founder Control VS. VC Governance, Exit Risk & Value Protection - E665
Jeremy Au discusses how value is created, preserved, and lost in Southeast Asian startups, focusing on governance, control rights, and exit risk. The conversation looks at real founder–investor breakdowns, regulatory shocks, and why weak structure often shows up only when things go wrong. It explains why growth alone is not enough, and how control, trust, and exit planning shape outcomes in e
BRAVE: Why Startups Fail: Power Laws, Failure Patterns & Being Too Early - E664
Jeremy Au breaks down why most startups fail even after raising capital and why failure is often misunderstood by founders, investors, and the media. Drawing from venture data and real startup case studies, the discussion unpacks common failure patterns, the role of timing and macro forces, and why economic failure does not always mean bad judgment. The episode reframes failure as part of inn
BRAVE: VC Term Sheets VS. Founder Control, Valuation Myths, Governance & Deal Failure - E663
Jeremy Au breaks down how venture capital deals really close, why many fail after the term sheet, and how financial and control rights shape outcomes for founders and investors over a 10-year relationship. Drawing from real cases across Southeast Asia, he explains the hidden trade-offs behind valuation, governance, and trust, and why “good economics” can still destroy long-term value if handl
Beatrice Lion: From No-Pay Intern to Global VC, Betting Early on AI & Blockchain – E662
Beatrice Lion, General Partner and CEO of True Global Ventures, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how early conviction, long cycles, and hands-on learning shaped her path from finance student to venture capital leader. They explore why blockchain and AI only look obvious in hindsight, how decentralization solves real risks created by centralized platforms, and why hype often masks weak demand rather
Rocky Yu: Inside AGI House, Talent Density & Why AI Is Built by Communities – E661
Rocky Yu, Founder and CEO of AGI House, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how early curiosity in computer graphics led him from engineering and startups to building one of the world’s most influential AI communities. They explore why talent density matters more than scale, how AGI House emerged during the pandemic as a mission-first experiment, and what it takes to turn deep technical conversations i
Eldred Wee: Inside Southeast Asia’s SME Gold Rush, Double Books & the Roll-Up Playbook – E660
Eldred Wee, Founder of Edenity, joins Jeremy Au to unpack why corporate services and accounting firms sit at the center of Southeast Asia’s next wave of SME acquisitions. They explore how Eldred’s early career in Big Four audit shaped his ability to spot incentives, fraud, and double or triple books, and why these realities define investing in the region. The conversation covers the rise of r
Florian Hoppe: Southeast Asia’s Digital Resilience, AI Infrastructure & the Next Growth Wave - E659
Florian Hoppe, Partner at Bain, joins Jeremy Au to unpack insights from the Bain Southeast Asia Digital Economy Report 2025 and explain why the region’s digital economy keeps growing despite global uncertainty and negative headlines. They explore the long-term forces behind this resilience, including consumer adoption, payments and logistics infrastructure, and sustained middle-class demand.
BRAVE: How VCs Actually Think About Founders, Unicorns & Growth - E658
Jeremy Au breaks down how venture capitalists actually think about startups, founder selection, and long-term value creation. Drawing from real VC decisions, classroom debates, and emerging technologies, he explains why learning speed beats polish, why most “obvious” winners only look obvious in hindsight, and how founders navigate pivots, problem selection, and 10× breakthroughs. The convers
Kelvin Chan: From Math to Google AI, Nano Banana, How It’s Built & Where It’s Headed – E657
Kelvin Chan, an AI researcher at Google, joins Jeremy Au to unpack his unconventional path from mathematics in Hong Kong to applied AI research across Singapore and the United States. They explore how AI research differs from traditional academic work, why iteration and results often matter more than theory, and how scale has transformed research culture from small experiments to highly colla
Jianggan Li: China vs. USA Tactical Pause, Moves vs. Countermoves & Rare Earths Leverage – E656
China analyst and Momentum Works founder Jianggan joins Jeremy Au to break down how US–China tensions evolved through a year of tariffs, rare earth leverage, supply chain shocks, and fast-moving geopolitical swings. They examine why both sides misread each other, how Chinese companies adapted faster than expected, and why the global system settled into a tactical pause instead of a decisive s
Lance Katigbak: BCG Filipino Family Report, Overseas Foreign Workers & Health Shocks – E655
Lance Katigbak, Principal at BCG Manila, joins Jeremy Au to break down why Filipino households, not individuals, are the true drivers of economic decisions in the Philippines. Drawing from BCG’s large scale research on the Filipino family, they explore how family structures shape spending, saving, and borrowing behavior, and why health risk sits at the center of financial anxiety. The convers
Annie Huang: Taiwan’s Succession Crisis, Search Funds & Returning to Win Locally – E654
Annie Huang, Harvard MBA and founder of Taiwan’s first traditional search fund, joins Jeremy Au to share how global exposure shaped her decision to return home and build in a market others overlook. She traces her journey from growing up outside Taiwan’s major cities to working across Southeast Asia, then studying at Harvard Business School before choosing entrepreneurship over a conventional
Violet Lim: Founding Asia’s Largest Matchmaker, Dating Stigma vs. Coaching and AI Romance Companions - E653
Violet Lim, Co-Founder & CEO of Lunch Actually Paktor Group, and Jeremy Au explore how dating, expectations, and technology have evolved across Southeast Asia over the past two decades. Violet traces her path from studying law in the UK to banking in Singapore, before leaving a stable career at 24 to start Lunch Actually, now one of Asia’s longest-running matchmaking groups. They discuss
Caylee Chua: Singapore’s First Renaissance Fair, Creative Grit and How a 24-Year-Old Built a New Festival Culture – E652
Caylee Chua, multidisciplinary artist and founder of Strawberry Champagne Sparkles, joins Jeremy Au to share how she built Ren Faire SG: The Origin from a niche idea into Singapore’s first Renaissance Fair. She traces her journey from crafting fairycore jewelry to designing an immersive festival that blends artistry, performance, and community play. Caylee explains how early inspiration from
Paul Blackstone: Global EdTech Lessons, China’s Hypergrowth Era and Why Mindset Beats Curriculum – E651
Paul Blackstone, longtime education operator and founder of SummitLearn, joins Jeremy Au to unpack his path from running a small health-food shop in Australia to leading one of China’s largest English-learning organizations and advising education companies worldwide. He shares how early failures taught him to learn fast, why teaching adults unlocked his passion for human development, and how
Maged Harby: Inside Middle East EdTech, Egypt’s Talent Engine and How Localization Decides Startup Success – E650
Maged Harby, General Partner at VMS, joins Jeremy Au to share his journey from publishing to building one of the Middle East’s earliest EdTech venture programs, explain how Egypt and Saudi Arabia differ as innovation ecosystems, and guide founders on how to enter the region with cultural fit and strong partnerships. They discuss how EdTech adoption accelerated during COVID, why parents still
Chong Ing Kai: Chopstick Robots, ADHD Grit and Why Tinkering Beats Traditional STEAM – E649
Chong Ing Kai Founder and CEO of Stick’Em joins Jeremy Au to unpack how tinkering shaped his early years, how ADHD influenced his learning journey, and why he built a chopstick robotics kit to make STEAM education affordable for all. They explore how schools struggle with hands-on learning, why teachers need flexible tools rather than rigid kits, and how students learn better when they build
Shan Han: Crypto Lessons, Boom Bust Belief and Funding Students the Web3 Way – E648
Portfolio Manager at Animoca Brands and former Chief Investment Officer at Node Capital, Shan Han joins Jeremy Au to trace his path from Hong Kong trading to fintech and Web3, discuss how early crypto grew from ideology, and explain why tokenizing assets like student loans can unlock education across Southeast Asia. They explore how customer urgency validates real problems, how global liquidi
Jianggan Li: China vs. USA Tactical Pause, Moves vs. Countermoves & Rare Earths Leverage – E647
China analyst and Momentum Works founder Jianggan joins Jeremy Au to break down how US–China tensions evolved through a year of tariffs, rare earth leverage, supply chain shocks, and fast-moving geopolitical swings. They examine why both sides misread each other, how Chinese companies adapted faster than expected, and why the global system settled into a tactical pause instead of a decisive s
Kristie Neo: Middle East & China Partnership Acceleration, Secret Power Corridors Reshaping Global Markets & AI Megaprojects – E646
Jeremy Au and Kristie Neo break down how China, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are forming new economic corridors that reshape trade, capital movement, and technology strategy. They describe how China and the Gulf now work together at a scale that surpasses Gulf–West flows, how the UAE and Saudi Arabia use bold planning to diversify their economies, and why Western reporting still misses
BRAVE: The Startup 10x Strategy and the Moats That Keep You Winning - E645
Jeremy Au outlines why founders must choose a single 10x advantage and commit to it. He explains how products win by being better or faster or cheaper than the status quo and why unfair advantages are required to defend that lead. He also highlights the Southeast Asian invention of the USB thumb drive as a case where a first mover delivered a better experience but still lost when fast followe
Joe Lu: From Meta Layoff to HeyMax, Rebuilding Value, Miles & the Future of Consumer AI – E644
Joe Lu, Co-Founder of HeyMax, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how layoffs, timing, and conviction turned a setback into a startup opportunity. They trace Joe’s journey from Shanghai to Michigan to Facebook Singapore, and how getting laid off in 2022 pushed him to co-found HeyMax. The conversation explores his reflections on building a consumer-first fintech, understanding mindshare arbitrage, and p
BRAVE: AI Jobs, Unicorn Math & Southeast Asia’s 45-Year Gap - E643
Jeremy Au explores how technology, economics, and startups shape Southeast Asia’s future. He shares why young founders should take early risks, how AI is changing entry-level jobs, why GDP growth reflects centuries of human progress, and how unicorns are built across different customer and revenue models.
02:00 Taking Early Risks: Jeremy encourages young people to take risks early in their c
Larry Susanto: From Berkeley to Jakarta, Climate Tech’s Next Frontier & Indonesia’s Green Opportunity – E642
AVP of Investments at ACV Larry Susanto and Jeremy Au discuss Larry’s journey from a Berkeley-trained engineer to a climate-tech investor shaping Indonesia’s sustainability future. They trace how his career evolved across research, product management, and consulting, and how Southeast Asia’s climate ecosystem compares to Silicon Valley’s innovation-driven model. Their conversation explores In
Franco Varona: Philippines’ Startup Boom, Global Diaspora Power & Why First Movers Win – E641
Franco Varona, Managing Partner of Foxmont Capital Partners and returning guest from episodes 357 and 516, joins Jeremy Au to unpack why the Philippines is fast becoming Southeast Asia’s next big investment and startup hub. They explore the country’s rapid digitization, growing middle class, and unique strengths like its global diaspora and English fluency. The conversation covers how Foxmont
Shao Ning: Southeast Asia’s Startup Winter, Founder Discipline & How Angels Are Shaping the Next Wave – E640
Shao Ning, Cofounder of AngelCentral and returning guest from Episode 267, joins Jeremy Au to reflect on Southeast Asia’s startup evolution from the fundraising highs of 2021–2023 to today’s disciplined recalibration. They unpack how founders, investors, and angels are adapting to longer fundraising cycles, stricter due diligence, and a renewed focus on cashflow and execution. Shao Ning share
Nathaniel Yim: From Broke Founder to B2B Builder, Logistics Lessons & Why Human Creativity Still Wins – E639
Nathaniel Yim, Founder of Nila Studios and former Co-Founder of Janio, joins Jeremy Au to share how he went from a fresh graduate to leading one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing logistics startups and later building a B2B marketing agency. They discuss how to earn trust in a mature industry, why human creativity remains vital in the AI era, and what resilience looks like when founders face
Li Hongyi: Defining Real Performance, Avoiding Burnout & Building Accountable Teams – E638
Li Hongyi, Director of Open Government Products, and Jeremy Au discuss how leaders can define, measure, and sustain real performance within organizations. They unpack why clarity of purpose matters more than ambition, how to design fair and motivating systems, and how to prevent burnout in high-performing teams. Their conversation bridges lessons from public service and startups, showing how
Dominic Law: Reviving Neopets, Nostalgia Economics & How Community Keeps Games Alive – E637
Dominic Law, CEO of Neopets and Jeremy Au dive into how a beloved millennial-era game evolved from early internet nostalgia into a modern revival story. They discuss the courage it took to spin Neopets out of its parent company, rebuild trust with long-time fans, and adapt a 25-year-old IP for new generations. Their conversation explores the challenges of updating old technology, the role of
BRAVE: Three Generations, Three Revolutions: Walkman, Nokia, and ChatGPT - E636
Jeremy Au explains how human civilization remained mostly unchanged for nearly a million years before experiencing rapid economic and technological growth in just the last few centuries. He traces this transformation from basic survival to modern innovation, reflecting on how technology, trade, and governance reshaped human life and why Southeast Asia’s development tells a unique story.
00:4
BRAVE: David’s Slingshot VS. Goliath, Oatly’s Rise & Southeast Asia’s VC Jungle - E635
Jeremy Au explained how startups evolve from chaos to clarity and how fragmentation in Southeast Asia creates both problems and opportunities. He used the jungle-to-highway model to describe startup growth, compared founders to David facing Goliath, and showed how innovation, like oat milk or vaping turns small experiments into billion-dollar revolutions. Jeremy also reflected on how VCs spot
Jordan Dea-Mattson: Sci-Fi Futures, Rogue AI, and Why Meta-Skills Will Decide Who Thrives – E634
Jeremy Au and Jordan Dea-Mattson reconnect to explore how Vernor Vinge’s Rainbows End anticipated today’s world of accelerating technology, reskilling challenges, and demographic shifts. They examine which predictions came true, which fell short, and how these lessons apply to AI adoption, fragile digital systems, and the need for lifelong learning. Their conversation highlights why individua
Indonesia Protests, TikTok Suspensions & What Happens When Trust Breaks w/ Gita Sjahrir - E633
Gita Sjahrir and Jeremy Au analyze Indonesia’s nationwide protests to uncover how economic frustration, political tone-deafness, and social media reshaped the country’s trust in government. They discuss how widening income gaps and stalled reforms triggered anger across generations, how empathy and governance broke down, and how technology became both a rallying force and a regulatory battleg
Persevere or Pivot, Netflix Lessons & Sports Team Culture - E632
Jeremy Au discussed the founder’s dilemma of when to persevere or when to pivot, and why company culture works better when treated as a sports team rather than a family. He illustrated the points with startup case studies like Instagram, Netflix, YouTube, and Rippling, showing how companies evolved by changing either product or customer. He also emphasized professionalism in managing team cha
Philipp Renner: From McKinsey’s Golden Cage to Building Dr. Shiba, an Eight-Figure Pet Wellness Brand – E631
Philipp Renner, Founder & CEO of Dr. Shiba, joins Jeremy Au to share his journey from a global childhood to building one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing pet wellness companies. He reflects on how eight years at McKinsey, the personal challenges of long COVID, and the limits of corporate consulting led him to take the leap into entrepreneurship. They discuss the realities of product ma
Kaizen VS. Boeing Failures, Lean Loops & Startup Learning - E630
Jeremy Au shared lessons from Toyota’s Kaizen model, Boeing’s safety lapses, and lean startup methods. He explained why small improvements, frontline empowerment, and rapid iteration matter for both manufacturing and startups. The discussion connected MVP thinking with divergence/convergence cycles and how faster learning beats the competition.
00:46 Kaizen as Learning Flywheel: Jeremy int
Valerie Vu: Vietnam’s Tech Reforms, Energy Battles & Surviving Trump’s Tariff Shock – E629
Jeremy Au and Valerie Vu sit down in Singapore to examine how Southeast Asia’s private capital markets, Vietnam’s reforms, and regional politics are shaping investor sentiment and startup opportunities. They explore slower fundraising cycles, Vietnam’s push toward technology-driven growth, and how energy shortages and tariff shocks impact manufacturing. Their discussion also covers foreign in
Joshua Wang: Reprogramming Cancer, Biotech’s Funding Shift & Why AI Will Rewrite Biology – E628
Jeremy Au and Joshua Wang reunite after three years to explore how biotech startups navigate scientific breakthroughs, funding challenges, and leadership growth. They discuss Joshua’s work at VerImmune on repurposing the immune system to treat cancer, the shift in early-stage global biotech financing from founder-led ventures to the “professionalization of entrepreneurship” via venture studio
Dmitry Levit & Shiyan Koh: eFishery Fallout, Indonesia’s Growth Reset & Agritech’s Future - E627
Jeremy Au, Shiyan Koh, and Dmitry Levit dissect the collapse of eFishery, the breakdown of Indonesia’s growth narrative, and the systemic risks that resurface in Southeast Asia’s venture ecosystem. They explore how IPO failures and inequality capped consumer demand, why bad faith actors gained visibility, and how boom-era fads like embedded lending and play to earn unraveled. Their discussion
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