In episode 55 of the Nomad Summit Podcast, we meet Kex – a German-born techie, digital nomad, and startup founder who has spent the last three years building companies while traveling around Southeast Asia.

After starting out in tech consulting, Kex made the leap into entrepreneurship, launching first THRIFTZ – a digital thrift marketplace for fashion lovers in Southeast Asia – and later Fanclip, a creator commerce platform designed to help trendsetters monetize their recommendations while giving brands better insights into creator-driven shopping behavior.

In this conversation, we dive into what it really takes to build a startup as a digital nomad. Kex shares why she intentionally went into corporate consulting to learn structure and processes before going all in on entrepreneurship, how she brainstormed a business idea in just two days after moving to Bali, and why she believes Southeast Asia is one of the most exciting places in the world to build tech businesses right now.

We also talk about founder mindset, the creator economy, digital nomad life in Bali and beyond, and how entrepreneurship is not just about building a company – but building yourself.

Key Takeaways

• Why Kex deliberately chose corporate consulting before becoming a founder
• The story behind THRIFTZ and Fanclip
• Why Southeast Asia is becoming a powerful market for startups and creator commerce
• The challenges of building marketplace businesses and reaching critical mass
• How creators can better monetize their content and recommendations
• Why founder success is deeply connected to personal growth and identity
• The impact of solo travel, confidence, and digital nomad life on entrepreneurship
• Bali vs. Network School – and finding the right community as a founder and digital nomad

Relevant Links

• THRIFTZ: https://www.thriftz.app
• Fanclip: https://www.fanclip.me
• Nomad Summit: https://nomadsummit.com
• Episode produced by RadioGuru: https://radioguru.co.uk