BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English)

Olzhas (Oz) Zhiyenkul, CEO and co-founder of Investbanq, joins Jeremy Au to share how his journey from post-Soviet Kazakhstan to launching a full-stack wealth operating system was shaped by hardship, global education, and the inefficiencies he witnessed firsthand across Asia’s financial sector. They discuss how legacy systems fail family offices, why most wealth managers still operate on Excel, and how Investbanq aims to empower rather than replace relationship managers. Olzhas also recounts building boats from garbage on reality TV, reflects on cultural shocks from the UK to Singapore, and maps out his long-term vision for a digital-native wealth future. 06:21 He originally planned to become a nuclear physicist: His passion for math and physics drove dreams of commercializing cold fusion, but advice from a successful uncle led him to pivot toward finance for greater career stability and impact. 09:55 He moved to Singapore to manage a proprietary trading desk: A job offer brought him to Singapore, where he was initially overwhelmed by the heat but impressed by the country’s legal, economic, and governance systems, eventually calling it home. 11:42 He rose to CIO of a fund before founding multiple ventures: After working across trading, fund management, and private banking, he identified widespread inefficiencies and started several businesses, including a software studio and wealth firm with co-founder Damir. 17:45 Investbanq was built after failed attempts to digitize wealth management: Disappointed by market solutions that only solved narrow problems, he built a modular operating system with BPMS, CRM, portfolio management, and client reporting, integrated across workflows. 26:50 On reality show Meet the Drapers, he chose discomfort over comfort: During a survival challenge with ex-military participants, Oz gave up the warm seat on a garbage-built boat to join his team in freezing water, valuing full effort over taking the easy role. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/olzhas-zhiyenkul-legacy-systems-broken Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Henry Motte-de la Motte, CEO of Edge Tutor, and Jeremy Au reconnect two years after their last conversation to discuss how global tutoring has evolved. They examine the rise of AI in education, differences in learner motivation, and how human connection and structure remain critical to learning. They explore Edge Tutor’s expansion into 30 countries, the decision to stay focused on English and math, and how demographic and economic shifts are transforming education into a premium service. Their conversation also touches on the societal role of parenting, immigration, and childcare policy as key levers to address falling birth rates and education equity. 02:03 AI expanded fast but motivation gaps remain: AI tools help motivated learners but most people, especially K-12 students, need structure and accountability that only human tutors provide. 03:11 Edge Tutor scaled to 30 countries to manage market risk: The company grew from 6 to 30 countries including North America, South America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific to avoid overdependence on any single market. 04:10 English and math make up 80 percent of tutoring demand: Despite requests for other subjects, Edge Tutor remains focused on English and math, which dominate global tutoring spend. 05:05 AI works better for adult learners than K-12 students: Adults often use AI tools effectively when motivated, while K-12 learners benefit more from a consistent human relationship for emotional and social learning. 06:29 Scheduled sessions with human teachers drive learning: Learners tend to skip self-paced AI tools but show up when sessions are fixed and prepaid with real tutors, just like gym or personal training. 13:42 Falling birth rates are driving premium education: With fewer children, parents concentrate resources, creating demand for small-group or 1-on-1 formats and AI-enabled human tutors, especially in wealthy families. 22:30 Immigration and childcare policies affect national birth rates: Countries like France maintain higher birth rates through subsidized early childcare while Spain increases immigration to balance aging populations and support their social systems. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/henry-motte-de-la-motte-tutors-or-technology Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Ilya Kravtsov, Co-Founder of Ringkas, joins Jeremy Au to unpack the rise and fall of Indonesia’s lending wave, the ripple effects of the eFishery scandal, and the hard lessons founders must absorb to build sustainable startups. They examine how early hype misaligned business models, how fraud damages more than just a company, and why radical transparency is key to long-term leadership. Ilya shares how Ringkas scaled without lending, why developer partnerships unlocked bank adoption, and how he carefully built a diversified cap table to preserve founder control. 03:00 Indonesia’s VC ecosystem matured: In 2012, only three VCs wrote 20,000 dollar checks and most people used BlackBerrys. By 2021, founders raised 5 million dollar pre-seeds with no product. 05:24 Lending distorted metrics: Startups wrongly recorded loan disbursements as revenue and used inflated valuation multiples on their loan books. 08:27 Growth hacks vs. fraud: Ilya draws the line at legality and disclosure. He says growth hacks are common and acceptable only if transparent. 13:32 Ecosystem fallout from eFishery: Ilya dismisses the defense that fraud was standard practice. He says many founders now face reputational damage, blocked financing, and collateral damage from one high-profile failure. 14:10 Ringkas avoided lending: Rather than lend directly, Ringkas built infrastructure between banks and developers. 17:38 Banks adopted due to volume: Traditional banks opened up to Ringkas under pressure from digital banks and low mortgage penetration. 20:41 Cap table strategy: Ilya capped investor ownership below 10 percent, preferring a wide base of angel and neutral investors. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/ilya-kravtsov-truth-over-hype Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Mohan Belani, Co-Founder of e27, and Jeremy Au reflect on what it means to be a tech leader, startup founder, and modern dad raising Generation Alpha. They explore how parenting rewires identity, the mental load of fatherhood, and how decision-making feels like startup building in a world flooded with information. They discuss the tension between being an attentive partner and a present parent, how childhood memories shape parenting choices, and how to raise children with curiosity and resilience in an AI-saturated future. 01:22 Becoming a father changed how they saw themselves: Both Mohan and Jeremy share how fatherhood wasn’t just a lifestyle change, it rewired how they viewed their purpose, relationships, and future selves. 04:03 Parenting choices are shaped by childhood memory: Disagreements on toys, schools, and routines often trace back to each parent’s own upbringing and unspoken childhood needs. 06:41 Too much parenting data creates anxiety: With Google, AI, and peer pressure, small decisions like which stroller to buy feel high stakes. They learned that many choices are symbolic, not essential. 18:14 Startup skills helped them approach parenting: They used frameworks, product-thinking, and planning cycles, treating the transition to parenthood like building a company. 24:27 They prioritized marriage over parenting perfection: Both couples intentionally put their relationships first, believing that strong partnerships make for better parenting despite outside judgment. 34:00 Preparing kids for an unpredictable future: Rather than fixate on grades or jobs, they aim to instill values like resilience and curiosity to navigate a world dominated by AI and shifting norms. 50:06 Curiosity is the most important trait to teach: They agree that teaching kids to ask questions and stay open-minded matters more than pushing achievement or obedience. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/mohan-belani-fatherhood-in-the-ai-era Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Dr. Gerald Tan, founder of Elite Dental Group and the first Singaporean dentist to graduate from Harvard Business School, joins Jeremy Au to share how dentistry blends science, art, and entrepreneurship. They explore his journey from being one of 30 students in NUS Dentistry to leading an AI-driven public health initiative and surviving a devastating fraud by trusted business partners. Gerald unpacks how AI is reshaping oral health diagnostics, how public and private dental sectors have evolved in Singapore, and why legal protections alone aren’t enough in business. His story is a powerful look into what it means to lead with resilience and foresight in healthcare. 01:25 He chose dentistry after a biology teacher’s influence and secured one of 30 spots at NUS Dentistry: entry was highly competitive with over 900 applicants 10:19 Singapore’s public dental sector has improved significantly: however, private clinics remain more agile in adopting cutting-edge technologies 11:53 Private dental practices leverage AI for 3D imaging, smile reconstruction, and robotics: public clinics face slower tech adoption due to red tape 15:10 Gerald leads a national AI project to screen elderly oral health via smartphone photos: the tool supports Singapore’s Healthier SG initiative and preventive care agenda 20:04 He bought a retiring dentist’s practice to found Elite Dental Group: the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted patient volumes and highlighted business model vulnerabilities 25:41 A joint venture with ex-bankers collapsed after they forged financial documents and fled to China: Gerald relied on contract clauses to unwind the deal but says trust is more important than paperwork Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/gerald-tan-tooth-tech-betrayal Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jiezhen Wu, leadership coach and community builder, joins Jeremy Au to explore how identity, leadership and parenting intersect in shaping purposeful careers. They trace her journey from nonprofit work and Harvard to coaching C-suite leaders across Asia. Together, they reflect on living by design rather than default, the trade-offs of relocating from the US to Singapore, and the internal clarity needed to define true success. Jiezhen unpacks how becoming a mother reshaped her professional lens, why Southeast Asia holds untapped potential for leadership development, and how frameworks can guide but not dictate growth. The episode blends candid stories, cultural nuance and practical reflection for anyone navigating career and life transitions. 01:29 Identity evolves across life stages: Jiezhen shares how becoming a parent, moving countries and shifting careers reshaped how she introduces herself and lives more intentionally. 04:28 Leadership coaching creates systemic impact: Coaching senior leaders unlocks broader ripple effects across organizations, communities and even family systems. 10:08 Parenting clarified her values and time choices: Her decision to integrate work she loves with being present for her children guided her career shift and focus. 14:10 Returning to Singapore aligned purpose and place: While the US offered development, Asia felt like home with stronger roots and a clearer sense of impact. 19:09 Flexible playbooks work better than fixed plans: She encourages leaders to replace rigid five-year plans with adaptive playbooks that evolve with life’s seasons. 20:42 Success requires clarity and courage: Coaching often helps people articulate what they truly want and take steps toward it instead of staying stuck or self-sabotaging. 28:31 Tools are useful when customized to the individual: Jiezhen uses coaching frameworks, leadership dialogues and self-designed models like the Possibly Playbook to support reflection and change. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jiezhen-wu-playbook-over-plan Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Vikram Sinha, CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, speaks with Jeremy Au about his personal journey, the power of distribution, and why AI is not just another wave of telecom innovation. They retrace his career from selling mobile plans to leading a successful merger, discuss why distribution is still the biggest driver of growth in emerging markets, and unpack how AI must be localized, inclusive, and protected from bad actors. Vikram explains why telcos should stop blaming regulators, focus on customer experience, and build sovereign infrastructure to stay competitive. He shares how his leadership is shaped by integrity, purpose, and prioritizing people over process even when facing fear and uncertainty. 01:33 Career pivot from engineering to business: Vikram switched paths after his mother's passing and landed his first job at Coca-Cola while selling mobile plans during a summer break. 09:16 Learning integrity through a mistake: A personal audit error at Coca-Cola taught him to separate mistakes from dishonesty and to lead with transparency. 13:56 Distribution is telecom’s real advantage: Vikram used FMCG distribution playbooks to build direct rural reach in India, Africa, and Indonesia. 19:01 4G fulfilled 3G’s promises, AI will fulfill 5G’s: He believes AI paired with low-latency 5G will unlock scalable breakthroughs in health, education, and productivity. 25:47 Early AI investment is essential: Vikram urges telcos to move beyond comfort zones and lead national infrastructure efforts to ensure sovereign digital capability. 26:57 Customer experience over excuses: Telcos must stop blaming regulators and instead deliver seamless service that earns long-term user trust. 44:06 Brave leadership in a merger turnaround: Despite industry odds, Vikram led a successful telco merger by focusing on mission, mindset, and team strength. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vikram-sinha-signal-to-scale Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Pav Gill, ex-APAC Head of Legal at Wirecard, joins Jeremy Au to share how he uncovered one of the largest financial frauds in Europe. They discuss Pav’s early career shift from traditional law to fintech, the moment red flags at Wirecard became undeniable, and how an internal whistleblower’s plea led him to launch a covert investigation. Pav reveals how management retaliation escalated into threats, fake HR cases, and even potential physical harm. With support from his mother, he connected with investigative journalists, leading to Financial Times exposés and Wirecard’s collapse. Pav reflects on the limits of legal privilege, the challenges of systemic fraud, and how founding his governance startup, Confide, helps companies act on misconduct before it spirals. 03:00 Pav joined Wirecard for Fintech exposure: He left a low-paid legal role at GoBear and was attracted by Wirecard’s billion-dollar scale and regional autonomy. 07:00 Subsidiary financials didn’t match reported earnings: Pav noticed Asia’s books were consistently late, loss-making, and inconsistent with group-level EBITDA claims. 08:15 A junior employee blew the whistle to Pav: She feared for her life and refused to carry out forged transaction requests, trusting him as a neutral legal party. 13:00 Pav found fake invoices and logos in inboxes: Wirecard staff had blatantly doctored client documents—indicating round-tripping and money laundering. 17:30 Management shut down the investigation and targeted him: Pav faced office intimidation, HR setups, and was asked to travel to Jakarta under suspicious pretext. 33:35 Pav’s mother connected him to journalists: She contacted Clare Rewcastle Brown, who referred them to the Financial Times and helped spark public investigations. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/pav-gill-exposing-the-lie Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeremy Au unpacks the real value add of venture capital beyond just funding. Using data and founder behavior patterns, he explains how investor type, timing, team building and university background shape outcomes. The conversation highlights what actually helps founders succeed, how top tier funds scout talent and where undervalued opportunities lie across Southeast Asia. 00:34 Research Insights on Angel Investments: Jeremy shares how angel backing increases startup survival by 14 percent, hiring by 40 percent and exits by 10 percent. The early investor effect is real and measurable. 01:36 Key Components of Successful Entrepreneurs: Success tends to repeat when founders launch at the right time, attract high quality resources and execute well. 02:28 Impact of Top Tier vs Lower Tier VCs: First time and failed founders see more benefit from top tier VCs. Successful founders already have momentum and get less marginal value. 05:39 University Influence on Startup Success: Southeast Asia's top unicorn founders often come from NUS and UI. Meanwhile, Ivy League founders get higher funding but often at higher valuations, limiting upside. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vc-impact-on-founders Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jackson Aw, founder of Mighty Jaxx, joins Jeremy Au after three years to reflect on his leadership journey, the evolution of the global collectibles industry, and how personal growth reshaped his business decisions. They discuss the shift from creative spontaneity to strategic discipline, the emotional psychology behind collectibles, and how AI and tariffs are changing how physical products are made and consumed. Jackson also shares how fatherhood made him more patient, why trust in the next generation is now a core business strategy, and what it takes to stay relevant in a fast-moving market driven by youth culture and fragmented IP. 01:29 Downturns forced a new leadership mindset: Jackson shifted from high-velocity experimentation to a more cautious, calculated approach to survive the macro climate. 04:20 Collectibles meet emotional and nostalgic needs: Consumers seek affordable joy and identity through physical items tied to their childhood and passions. 09:00 Young women are reshaping the collectibles market: 70% of Mighty Jaxx’s 18–25-year-old customer base are female, a reversal from the male-dominated past. 11:16 Parenthood created better discipline and empathy: Jackson became more intentional with his time and temperament after becoming a father of two. 14:15 The future of IP is fast, digital, and creator-led: New intellectual properties now emerge in weeks via community platforms, flipping the traditional studio-first model. 24:31 Operational agility gives Mighty Jaxx an edge: The company delivers products in as little as three months, unlike legacy players that plan years ahead. 35:25 Founder growth means delegation and resilience: Jackson now invests in mentoring lieutenants, separating personal identity from business outcomes, and accepting that scale requires letting go. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jackson-aw-built-to-collect Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jianggan Li, Founder of Momentum Works speaks with Jeremy Au to unpack how the US-China trade conflict is reshaping global manufacturing, trust in international trade, and Southeast Asia’s role in the crossfire. They explore why businesses are stuck in limbo, how Vietnam and Cambodia became unintended casualties, and what diversification looks like when no one trusts the rules anymore. The two dive into historical analogies, business strategy, and what Chinese multinationals might do next to weather the storm. 01:01 Tariffs surprised both sides and confused manufacturers: China and the US escalated their trade war with aggressive tariffs, leaving factories unsure whether to pause, relocate, or wait. 02:33 Vietnam and Cambodia were hit despite trying to stay neutral: US tariffs targeting Vietnam shocked businesses who had just begun shifting supply chains there, triggering rapid reassessments. 05:21 China prepared a response toolkit in advance: The central government had studied scenarios and released policies, stimulus packages, and papers to manage the impact without acting impulsively. 13:32 The bond market backlash exposed real risks: Rising interest rates from global uncertainty threaten America’s ability to maintain its debt-fueled spending, raising fears across both sides. 17:52 Diversification became a necessity, not a strategy: Both Chinese exporters and Southeast Asian governments are now exploring more trade partners, not relying solely on China or the US. 24:32 New markets are opening up for cross-border trade: With the US less predictable, Chinese firms are turning to Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia to grow exports and presence. 30:04 China’s domestic consumption still lags behind: Without boosting local confidence and spending, China’s manufacturing surplus will continue spilling into foreign markets and intensifying competition. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/jianggan-li-when-trade-trust-breaks Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeremy Au unpacks how startup failure patterns often begin with charisma unchecked by execution. He explores how founders can avoid false starts, the real reason repeat founders succeed, and why the value of VCs and angels depends on founder maturity. The episode draws parallels between entrepreneurship and professional disciplines like medicine, stressing the need for coaching, humility, and peer learning to improve success odds. 00:54 The Yin-Yang of Founding Teams: Jeremy emphasizes that founding success hinges on pairing sales charisma with product execution, using Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as archetypes. 04:14 Founder Failure Patterns: Founders fail early when they believe their own hype; trial-and-error has now been replaced by codified frameworks like Lean Startup and Zero to One. 10:13 Repeat Founder Advantage: Successful founders are more likely to succeed again due to better market timing and resource magnetism. 13:57 VC Value Hierarchy: Borrowing from Maslow, Jeremy outlines a VC value pyramid capital, reliability, reinvestment, governance, networks, and coaching. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/avoiding-founder-failure Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Elena Chow, Founder of ConnectOne and Jeremy Au reconnect after three years to examine how Southeast Asia’s hiring landscape evolved from rapid expansion to cautious, AI-aware decision-making. They explore how employer expectations have become more structured, why talent strategies now vary across the region, and what individuals must do to stay employable in the decade ahead. Their discussion covers the rise of Malaysia as a hiring hub, Vietnam’s growing edge despite language challenges, and how automation is reshaping job functions. Elena also shares her “skills, markets, and industries of the future” framework, helping professionals make better career moves through strategic alignment. 02:00 Hiring shifted from urgency to intentionality: Employers now plan roles more carefully, focusing on outcomes and cost rather than headcount. 04:30 Fractional and contract talent went mainstream: On-demand expertise has become more accepted as startups look to stay lean and agile. 06:43 Malaysia emerged as a sweet spot for tech hiring: Its talent pool is multilingual, well-educated, and more cost-effective than Singapore’s. 08:54 Indonesia's talent bubble burst post-unicorn boom: Average workers were overpaid during the boom and are now facing tough salary corrections. 22:02 AI adoption is redefining job replacement logic: Firms are evaluating AI tools before rehiring, making automation the first line of action. 12:00 Vietnam’s talent quality rises despite English gap: With strong work ethic and improving tools, Vietnam’s engineers are becoming regionally competitive. 29:34 Future-proof careers need 3-point alignment: Elena urges jobseekers to evaluate roles through the lens of future-ready skills, growth markets, and promising industries. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/elena-chow-hiring-vs-ai Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

David He, partner at Gunderson Dettmer sits down with Jeremy Au to dissect Southeast Asia’s shifting startup and legal terrain. From the fallout of the eFishery scandal to the rise of ESG compliance and convertible notes, they explore how investor behavior and founder strategies are evolving. The discussion highlights governance gaps, tougher diligence, and why regional funding optimism may have stalled again. 07:12 E-Fishery Scandal as a Southeast Asian Theranos: David compares eFishery’s collapse to Theranos—highlighting financial mismanagement, weak controls, and how one scandal can shake an entire region’s credibility. 10:25 Due Diligence Now Takes Months, Not Weeks: Term sheets are no longer quick investors stretch due diligence timelines, run legal and commercial checks in parallel, and uncover more issues late in the process. 12:38 Surge in Use of Convertible Notes: Investors increasingly prefer convertible notes for their downside protection and maturity leverage, especially during uncertain market conditions. 19:15 ESG & Compliance Burden Rising for Founders: Startups now face investor-mandated ESG, AML, and governance standards originally meant for large institutions—often without the internal capacity to manage them. 24:32 Tariffs Trigger Global Uncertainty, Slow Exits: Trump-era tariffs hit Indonesia and Vietnam, affecting investor confidence and delaying IPOs and M&A despite startups themselves not being directly impacted. 27:11 Philippines Up, Indonesia Down: The Philippines is gaining momentum with underexposure and English fluency, while Indonesia cools down from overinvestment and post-eFishery fallout. 30:05 Down Rounds Are Less Stigmatized: Founders and investors alike are more open to valuation markdowns, with flexible deal terms helping break the deadlock in difficult fundraising climates. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/david-he-scandal-shakes-trust Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeremy Au breaks down why most startups fail and why it’s rarely just one thing. Backed by funnel data and battle-tested case studies, he reveals six patterns that repeatedly kill ventures, no matter how visionary the founders are. From premature scaling to bad macro timing, this talk shows how failure is often structural, not personal. 00:05 Startup Funnel Reality: Out of 1,100 seed-funded U.S. startups, only 12 reached unicorn status. Failure happens at seed, Series A, Series B and beyond. 01:26 Case Study: Jibo’s $73M Fall: The world’s first social robot died from engineering overruns, leadership disruption, and Amazon’s cheaper, voice-only Echo. 03:53 Defining Failure: A startup fails when early investors don’t get their money back regardless of user love, media buzz, or product quality. 08:00 Six Killer Patterns: Startups fail from co-founder misalignment, building without validation, misreading early traction, scaling too fast, bad timing, or relying on too many risky bets—all seen in cases like Quincy Apparel, Triangulate, Baroo, Fab.com, and Iridium. 22:40 Rebound & Revenge: Failed founders often bounce back—some become professors, others launch billion-dollar revenge startups like Rippling and Anduril. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/anatomy-of-startup-failure Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Joanna Yeo, founder and CEO of Arukah and former institutional investor, speaks with Jeremy Au to explore how Southeast Asia’s agri-waste can be transformed into a global carbon credit engine. They unpack how her education at Harvard, Cambridge, and Stanford shaped a mission to connect vulnerable communities to opportunity, and how she learned from finance, blockchain, and rapid tech scaling to build a climate startup grounded in data, incentives, and farmer equity. Joanna shares why embedded finance failed to scale in agri, how she discovered the commercial viability of biochar and biogas, and why her company commits 50 percent of carbon revenue to participating farmers. The conversation highlights how Southeast Asia’s agriculture base, low-cost advantage, and digital infrastructure can lead the world in transparent, high-trust climate solutions if builders focus on real data, real problems, and real upside sharing. 05:05 The Impact of Education on Joanna's Career: Gratitude and exposure to global inequality led her to a clear goal to connect vulnerable people to markets at scale. 10:46 First Steps in Finance: Private Equity and Morgan Stanley: She learned how capital shapes the world, how sustainability can be measurable, and how investment logic is structured. 20:38 Reflecting on a Rapid Growth Journey: Joining a unicorn gave her a close look at how top tech firms manage speed, tracking, and execution discipline. 22:28 Addressing Poverty in Southeast Asia: Joanna links her mission back to the post-pandemic data showing up to 100 million people falling below $2/day. 23:16 Founding a Climate Tech and Agritech Startup: She founded Arukah to bring embedded financing and carbon monetization to underserved farming communities. 28:50 Building Sustainable Business Models: After embedded finance proved unreliable, she pivoted toward waste conversion with high verification standards. 36:49 Commitment to Farmers and Long-Term Vision: Bravery means holding the line on fairness Arukah gives farmers 50% of carbon revenue and builds with long-term trust. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/joanna-yeo-turning-farm-waste-to-wealth Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Felix Collins, founder of Full Circle Biotech, speaks with Jeremy Au about how biology, not machines, is transforming the future of food. Felix shares how his company turns agricultural waste into affordable, high-quality protein using insects, fungi, and bacteria. They unpack why SEA farmers care more about savings than slogans, how superstition meets pragmatism on shrimp farms, and how skipping big feed mills unlocked faster scale. Felix also opens up about building alone in a basement with buckets of waste, and why cost, not carbon credits, is the real key to decarbonizing food systems. It's a candid look at resilience, innovation, and why Southeast Asia may lead the next global food revolution. 02:22 Insect Farming as a Protein Solution: Early efforts to teach contract farmers in Kenya failed; he shifted to centralized operations to reduce complexity and improve scale. 05:11 Farmers Adopt Cost-Saving Tools, Not New Habits: Felix found that Southeast Asian farmers don’t chase productivity—they adopt tools that reduce cost and keep daily routines intact. 13:20 Scaling Without Feed Mill Support: With no guaranteed offtake from large feed companies, Full Circle started producing and selling its own pellets to collect farmer data and grow sales. 24:35 Southeast Asia is Agritech’s Edge: Fragmented supply chains and extreme price sensitivity make the region ideal for fast adoption of low-carbon, affordable feed solutions. 29:00 Carbon Credits Are Unreliable: Felix explains that while carbon credits are theoretically valuable, their volatility and complexity make them less effective than carbon taxes or direct market incentives for driving real change in food systems. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/felix-collins-feed-from-waste Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeremy Au pulls back the curtain on Southeast Asia’s high-stakes venture capital world where 5,000 startups fight through the jungle, but only 10 reach the expressway. It’s a ruthless game of asymmetric bets, power-law outcomes, and make-or-break timing. He reveals what really happens inside VC firms: how general partners juggle investor pressure with founder bets, why a single breakout startup matters more than dozens of average ones, and how the best founders move faster than anyone expects. You’ll hear about billion-dollar exits, internal prioritization dynamics, and why follow-on capital is often more political than rational. 01:11 GPs Must Master Dual Survival Skills: Jeremy explains that general partners in VC funds must do two high-cost, high-stakes things: invest in the right startups, and raise capital from limited partners like sovereign funds and endowments each with different return horizons and motivations. 03:57 Real Case Studies: 50x in 3 Years, 10x in 1: He shares two explosive examples: Sequoia’s $60M investment in WhatsApp returned $3B (a 50x return in 3 years), and a Danish startup acquired by Sonos returned 10x in one year without ever launching a product. 07:00 VC Funnel: Brutal Qualification from 5,000 to 10: A sample Southeast Asia VC sees ~5,000 startups a year. 3,500–4,000 are immediately disqualified. 300 are prioritized. 100 get diligence. 10 get funded. Most never get a meeting, let alone a check. 10:32 Exit Scenarios: Billion-Dollar Choices & Regret: Jeremy breaks down how VCs navigate exits via shutdowns, talent acquisitions, or full IPOs. He contrasts Instagram (sold early to Facebook) vs. Snapchat (held out), and shows how Sea Group, Goto, and Grab all exited differently. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/southeast-asias-startup-gauntlet Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeremy Au speaks with Raagulan Pathy, founder and CEO of Cast and former APAC head at Circle, to break down the structural shift underway in global finance. They explore how stablecoins, particularly USD-backed ones like USDC, offer a new digital foundation for cross-border banking, especially in economies plagued by inflation, capital controls, and financial instability. The conversation unpacks why traditional banks are failing globally mobile users, how dollarization is accelerating through crypto rails, and why sovereign currencies in smaller nations may not survive the next wave of financial decentralization. They also debate the long-term tension between U.S. crypto regulation and dollar dominance, and why Southeast Asia must build self-sustaining economies instead of relying on exports. Raagulan shares his vision for a flatter financial world where anyone, anywhere, can participate in a global economy without being constrained by local systems. 05:32 Stablecoins Enable Global Financial Access: Stablecoins like USDC give users a secure, borderless way to hold and move dollars especially valuable in countries facing inflation, devaluation, or banking instability. 11:41 Global Dollarization Is Accelerating: Raagulan forecasts that stablecoin-driven dollarization will peak around 2040 as smaller national currencies struggle to compete with the liquidity and reach of the U.S. dollar. 10:00 Traditional Banks Struggle with Global Customers: Even in advanced economies, traditional banks are ill-equipped to handle globally mobile users, leading to compliance headaches and service breakdowns. 25:05 Crypto Rails Will Power the Future of Finance: The conversation separates the role of crypto as currency from crypto as infrastructure, emphasizing that universal crypto rails will underpin all global financial transactions. 20:35 U.S. Crypto Policy Is Conflicted, but Will Evolve: The U.S. government's stance on crypto has swung between crackdown and support, but Raagulan sees a middle-ground policy emerging that balances innovation and control. 38:30 Southeast Asia Must Shift from Export-Led Growth: Countries like Vietnam and Indonesia can’t rely solely on exports to the U.S.; they must modernize governance, stimulate local demand, and grow service industries. 27:00 A Freer Financial World Is the Endgame: Raagulan envisions a financial system where opportunity isn’t tied to birthplace. Crypto and stablecoins could flatten the playing field for billions globally. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/stablecoins-vs-broken-banking Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Jeremy Au and Gita discussed the challenges of doing business in Indonesia, particularly the issue of "preman" (gangster) culture, its effects on businesses, and potential ways to mitigate this issue. They also addressed systemic corruption, the importance of legal reforms, and how emerging markets can better integrate informal sectors. 02:55 Understanding Preman Culture: Gita explains the origins and persistence of "preman" (gangster) culture in Indonesia, which has been affecting businesses since the colonial era. 06:25 Challenges in Emerging Markets: The conversation delves into the systemic challenges businesses face in emerging markets, focusing on rent-seeking behavior and law enforcement inefficiencies. 13:53 Public Sector and Corruption: Gita discusses the impact of low wages in Indonesia's public sector, which fosters rent-seeking behavior and creates a corrupt environment, affecting businesses of all sizes. 16:27 Taxation and Revenue Challenges: The difficulties of implementing effective tax systems in Indonesia are explored, highlighting inefficiencies in tracking citizens and businesses, further complicating the economic landscape. 18:50 Empowering Local Leaders: Gita proposes a solution to collaborate with local citizenry groups by offering them formal roles and contracts to integrate them into the formal economy. 20:29 Fragmented Organizations and Turf Wars: Gita explains how Indonesia's informal preman groups are fragmented, with turf wars between different factions and some being backed by political entities, making it hard to address the issue centrally. 24:13 Fraud Confession and Its Implications: The discussion touches on the eFishery founder's fraud confession and its wider implications for the Indonesian startup ecosystem, where systemic issues of dishonesty and lack of legal consequences persist. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/indonesia-gangsters-vs-byd-vinfast Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e 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 Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts