SEA of Startups

This week we are joined by Jeremy Au. You may know him from the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast or from Monk’s Hill Ventures. We cover a lot of ground chatting about the VC ecosystem.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Jeremy Au. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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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

This week we are joined by Hanif Wahid the Founder of Delyva, which is is a multi-courier delivery platform recommends the best-performing courier service for every delivery.

This was a great conversation with Hanif as we talked about the founding story and how they have grown.  We talk about the importance of customer feedback in building the product and scaling the business.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Hanif Wahid. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find Hanif Wahid:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanifwahid/

• Delyva: https://delyva.com/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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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

This week we are joined by Ganesh Bangah, a serial entrepreneur with a resume longer than this podcast. He built MOL Global which listed on NASDAQ and later sold to Razer and is currently focused on Commerce.Asia as well as ASX-listed Netccentric.

This was a great conversation with Ganesh where navigate the evolution from cyber cafes to selling points to gaming.  We talked about acquiring Friendster, one of the earliest social media players and then listing on NASDAQ. We wrap up by focusing on his current endeavors with Commerce.Asia and what drove him to acquire control in Netccentric, an ASX-listed company.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Ganesh Bangah. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find Ganesh Bangah:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ganeshbangah/

• Commerce.Asia: 

https://www.commerce.asia/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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In this episode, we cover:

[1:38] Building MOL Global from cyber cafes to NASDAQ listing.

[9:40] The acquisition of Friendster and leveraging the community.

[17:44] Transitioning towards strategic investments.

[25:33] Investing in an influencer marketing company and other initiatives.

[33:53] The new technologies that will shape the future.

[41:53] Closing questions.

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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

This week we are joined by Ben Bagg the Founder of Nectar Group, which is focused on enabling companies looking to expand across the APAC through as a Sales & marketing driven revenue generator.

This was a great conversation with Ben where we talked about the early days of bootstrapping a lead generation business.  We talk about merging his business with a co-founder and building off of the business synergies between the two.  A lot of takeaways from this conversation on sales and marketing.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Ben Bagg. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find Ben Bagg:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-bagg/

• Nectar Group:  https://nectargroup.my/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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In this episode, we cover:

[0:38] The origins of becoming an entrepreneur and leading toward Nectar Group

[9:25] The challenges of scaling up lead generation and sales qualification across various industries.

[18:00] Merging companies and combining strengths in B2B marketing and lead generation.

[26:40] Helping clients with lead generation and expanding their businesses across the APAC region

[36:00] Vision for the company and becoming known as a "unicorn maker" by helping startups grow and scale.

[38:55] Closing questions

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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

This week we are joined by Jonathan Weins the Founder of Pop Meals, which is an F&B company leveraging tech and data to enable tailored experience with better quality and lower prices.

This was a great conversation with Jonathan as we navigate the business model pivot towards physical locations.  We talk about how they are applying tech and data and bring the iteration from their software experience to the F&B operations.  A lot of great insights in how they are serving innovation on the menu.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Jonathan Weins. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find Jonathan Weins:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweins/

• Pop Meals:  https://www.popmeals.com.my/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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In this episode, we cover:

[0:38] The origins of becoming an entrepreneur and leading toward Pop Meals.

[8:30] How they pivoted their food delivery business to include physical locations, and how they used technology and data to continuously improve their recipes and customer experience.

[17:03] The importance of consistency and reliability in the food industry, while also finding a balance with offering new products and catering to local tastes.

[25:31] Optimizing food preparation costs and consistency through advanced systems and technology in their rapidly expanding chain of over 40 locations.

[33:28] The development of their company's internal systems, including the use of off-the-shelf tools and in-house built systems.

[40:45] Closing questions.

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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

This week we are joined by TM Lee the Founder of CoinGecko, which is the world’s largest independent cryptocurrency data aggregator and has made a name as key provider of fundamental analysis on the crypto market.

This was a great conversation with TM as we talked about how he came to be interested in the crypto industry and why they decided to build CoinGecko.  We talk about building a subscription model off the back of an ad-driven model.  We couldn’t avoid talking about the general impact of recent events on the crypto industry as a whole.  A great conversation packed with highlights.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with TM Lee. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find TM Lee:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leetm/

• CoinGecko: https://www.coingecko.com/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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In this episode, we cover:

[1:40] The origins of becoming an entrepreneur and leading toward CoinGecko

[5:55] Early days of building CoinGecko.

[11:30] Establishing product-market fit and identifying the audience.

[15:32] Building the first revenue model as ad-supported.

[20:45] Creating a monetization model for subscription to its API.

[25:12] Looking at the future of crypto and where CoinGecko will be.

[36:20] Defining success as an organization.

[37:44] Closing questions

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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

This week we are joined by Gil Carmo the Founder of iMotorbike, which is the leading online platform to buy or sell pre-owned Motorcycles with operations in Vietnam and Malaysia.

This was a great conversation with Gil where we start with recognizing that there is no right time to start a startup, but you just must go.  We navigate through them making a business model pivot in 2021 and how they have grown to where they are today.  We close out with thoughts on what the future holds for them.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Gil Carmo. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find Gil Carmo:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilcarmo/

• iMotorbike:  https://imotorbike.com/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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In this episode, we cover:

[1:35] The origin story of becoming an entrepreneur and launching iMotorbike

[6:49] The starting point of a blog that evolved to classifieds.

[12:57] Coming to the realization that a pivot of business model was required.

[20:55] Reconfiguring the business towards a transactional business model.

[24:57] The process flow from the viewpoint of a Seller and a Buyer.

[39:33] The future for iMotorbike.

[42:45] Closing questions

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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

This week we are joined by Ami Sugiyama the Founder of Secai Marche, which is a B2B farm-to-table fulfilment platform that streamlines the supply chain through its in-house software which involves warehouse management and demand forecast systems.

This was a great conversation where we talked about her past experience as an entrepreneur in the tea trading business and restaurant business led to the idea for Secai Marche.  We explore the details of how the company built it supply network of farmers and connected them to restaurants and retail.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Ami Sugiyama. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find Ami Sugiyama:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ami-sugiyama-96984715b/

• Secai Marche:  https://secai-marche.co.jp/

—

Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:24] The origins of becoming an entrepreneur and leading toward Secai Marche.

[7:48] The early product and the first days in building the company.

[12:20] Early adopter customers for farm direct supply network

[20:20] Expanding into retail from the beginning.

[25:44] Looking to expand to Singapore.

[33:04] Closing questions

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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

This week we are joined by Benjamin Croc the Founder of BrioHR, which is an HR Tech platform that automates repetitive tasks and engages employees for maximum productivity.  They currently serve over 1,000 businesses across Southeast Asia.

This was a great conversation with Benjamin as we talked about his experience as a consultant leading him to recognize the pain point and ultimately decide to launch BrioHR.  We cover a lot of ground starting with deciding what the MVP should be to acquiring the initial customers on through to being in 10 countries.  There are some great insights in scaling a business.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Benjamin Croc. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and YouTube.

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Where to find Benjamin Croc:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-croc-93669426/

• BrioHR:  https://briohr.com/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: https://insights.indelible.vc

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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In this episode, we cover:

[1:20] The experience as a consultant identified the problem and started the path toward launching BrioHR.

[9:16] After realizing the problem, they begin the journey to building and launching a product.

[16:00] The onboarding process as a hook to a broader platform.

[23:46] The initial go-to-market stages.

[30:31] The logic of building a product roadmap and prioritizing.

[40:40] How to define success as an organization.

[43:27] Closing questions.

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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

This week we are joined by Tunku Danny Mudzaffar the Founder of microLEAP, which is a P2P (Peer-to-Peer) Financing platform that offers both Shariah-Compliant and Conventional lending.

This was a great conversation with Tunku Danny where we cover the motivation behind launching microLEAP.  We talk about balancing the supply and demand sides of P2P financing and how listening to what those sides want has driven their product offerings.  An impactful business that continues to scale up and an insightful conversation.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Tunku Danny Mudzaffar. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone that you’d like to hear me speak to, drop me a message.

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Where to find Tunku Danny Mudzaffar:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tunkudannymudzaffar/

• microLEAP:  https://www.microleapasia.com/

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Where to hear more from The Indelible VC:

• Newsletter: https://insights.indelible.vc

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndelibleVc

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbrockland/

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In this episode, we cover:

[1:14] The origins from banking to becoming an entrepreneur and leading toward microLEAP.

[7:03] Fintech first approach to bringing financing to micro and small enterprises.

[13:06] Credit scores without a thick credit file.

[17:51] From launching Shariah-compliant financing to launching Invoice Financing.

[24:22] A teaser on upcoming microLEAP Social Financing.

[32:21] Looking at the global Shariah-compliant market opportunity.

[39:47] How they define success for microLEAP.

[41:11] Closing questions.

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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