🎙️ EPISODE 2: The Road Less Funded – Seed-Strapping with Strategy

Welcome back to SEA of Startups — where Southeast Asia’s startup game gets real. No hype. No fluff. Just raw conversations with the people building and backing what’s next.

If Episode 1 was our reset, Episode 2 is the reframe — and we’re calling it: Seed-Strapping. That gritty middle ground between bootstrapping till burnout and fundraising your way into a diluted cap table (or a derailed vision).

This week, Kevin takes the hot seat as we unpack:

💡 What is Seed-Strapping?Not bootstrapping, not blitzscaling — it’s raising just enough to move fast without losing your soul (or equity).

🌏 Why it matters more in Southeast AsiaLess capital, more constraint = sharper strategy. Tools like AI are leveling the playing field.

📉 The risk of raising too much too soonIndigestion kills more startups than starvation. Go big only if the market demands it.

You’ll also hear Kevin’s story — from Wall Street to launching Indelible Ventures in Malaysia — and his deeper take on capital efficiency in his Tech in Asia article: “How seed-strapping is killing endless funding rounds" a must-read companion to this episode.

Cheat Sheet for Seed-Strappers:

Be ruthless with capital.

Hire with intent, not ego.

Just say no — especially to dumb money.

Default alive > Growth theater.

Build fast. Don’t fall down the mountain.

👀 Next up: What happens when your co-founder isn’t even human? We deep dive into Agentic AI with Chris Birrell. Think founder energy… made of code.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seaofstartups.substack.com