SEA of Startups

This week we are joined by Chris Fong of FeFiFo, which is a technology-first co-farming company that focuses on empowering the new generation of progressive farmers in ASEAN.

This was a great conversation where we learn the origins and ambition to tackle a key issue for smallholder farmers.  We discuss extensively different areas of standardization and taking a process-oriented view.  We even discuss different markets and the approaches towards looking at expansion.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Chris Fong. 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 Chris Fong:

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

• FeFiFo:  https://www.fefifo.co/

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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:

[01:15] From no agriculture background to launching an AgTech startup

[7:20] Shared services and standardization to address process pain points

[11:45] Ensuring compliance of SOPs in standardization

[17:39] Process required to introduce new products with SOPs

[20:02] Role of other technologies in the farming process

[25:46] Enabling the go to market of the end product

[28:02] Defining success as an organization

[33:15] Utilizing metrics in management

[36:17] 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 Wai Hong Fong of StoreHub, which started as an POS system but has evolved into an all-in-one platform for retailers and restaurants to automate and grow their businesses.  They currently have over 15,000 businesses across Southeast Asia.

This was a great conversation that trace the hustle of building a product and scaling internationally.  We touch on aspects of fundraising, ad driven inbound sales funnel, and managing through the pandemic.  We wrap up the conversation with some great insights into people and leadership.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Wai Hong Fong. 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 Wai Hong Fong:

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

• StoreHub: https://www.storehub.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:

[01:49] How a pathway from e-commerce to helping brick and mortar led to launching StoreHub

[8:59] Meeting a co-founder and making the decision to join forces

[13:30] Building while you sell to get the business off the ground

[15:30] When to go international and how

[17:20] Fundraising and getting investors onboard

[20:00] Building teams for international expansion

[23:29] Managing an F&B focused business through the pandemic

[27:15] Defining success as an organization and their role as an enabler

[30:20] Tracing success back to people and leadership

[36:42] 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 Jes Min Lua of Recommend Group, which is southeast Asia's #1 Home and Local Services platform, operating under Sejasa.com in Indonesia and Recommend.my in Malaysia.

This was a great conversation about building a marketplace model and the hurdles they have overcome.  We cover the aspects of building trust through to tactics to drive recurrence and keep transactions on the site.  We close with advice for Founders to be cautious in whose advice to take.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Jes Min Lua. 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 Jes Min Lua:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jes-min-lua-540993a/

• Malaysia:  https://recommend.my/

• Indonesia:  https://sejasa.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:

[01:25] Origins coming out of major consulting firms

[4:45] Establishing trust in a home services marketplace

[9:51] First steps towards building the supply of home services providers

[14:09] Top categories of services 

[16:40] Confronting leakage that occurs in marketplace models

[21:40] The story of Impact

[27:02] Looking at the next steps in the growth path

[32:22] 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 Mark Koh of Supa, which provides a self-service data annotation platform to enable machine learning models.

This was a great conversation as we go straight into the last mile problem of data analysis in AI/ML models, data annotation.  We hear how he has built a customer base and uses thought leadership as lead generation.  We wrap up on how a data company incorporates data into their own operations.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Mark Koh. 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 Mark Koh:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/markkoh1/

• Supa:  https://supa.so

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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:

[01:19] Origins of a Malaysia-born, Australia-raised serial entrepreneur moving through iterations towards a data focus

[5:15] Onboarding the first set of customers and reaching out the data scientists and data engineers

[9:00] Going from hands-on enterprise approach to a self-serve model

[14:50] The shift in go-to-market strategy when moving towards self-service 

[20:14] Sharing learnings and know-how with the market as a lead gen

[24:57] Defining what success means for the organization

[26:45] Data runs the organization

[29:23] North star metric

[33:32] 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 Brian Tan of FutureLab, which is a mentorship platform connecting Mentors to Mentees to guide career paths, gain skills, and develop professionally from university through to Enterprise.

This was a great conversation about an impactful business aiming to enable access to mentorship for university students and recent graduates to guide them along their career paths.  Incredible the story of the coffee shop days spent validating the product directly with meetups.  A number of other great insights emerged, such as the need to humanize the product and localizing to language.  A great example of social impact in a scalable business.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Brian Tan. 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.

If you like what you’ve heard, considering sharing it with friends.

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Where to find Brian Tan:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-tan-boon-yong-0b277554/

• FutureLab:  https://futurelab.my/

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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:

[01:18] Origins in his own journey seeking direction after graduation while looking for his own career path and transitioning into the professional world.

[7:25] Getting out into the world and testing the idea directly with the target market even if it is a meet-up in a coffee shop.

[11:22] Iterating the product over time using design thinking principles, from MVP to grown product.

[17:45] Balancing the growth of available mentors along with mentees and how focus enabled them to scale

[21:45] Managing talent through the growth of the team size and the company

[25:17] Defining success for the organization

[29:16] Tracking the impact of mentorship on the mentees using the platform

[33:10] The need for focus and the Founder’s role changes over time

[38:23] 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 Wong Whei Meng of Speedhome, which is tackling the home rental market with zero deposit for tenants by combining insurance protection and tech innovation.

This was a great conversation about the challenges and paint points in the home rental market.  Leveraging an insurance product to eliminate the need for high upfront deposits which can be restrictive for segments of the rental market.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Wong Whei Meng. 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 Wong Whei Meng:

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

• Speedhome:  https://speedhome.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:

[01:49] Origins from his own rental experiences as a landlord renting out a property.

[3:20] From connect to transact, the product starts to evolve.

[8:20] How to make a zero-deposit rental while still protecting the landlord.

[14:39] The early build up of the two sides of the marketplace and winning over landlords. 

[22:01] Selecting the segment of the market to target.

[24:40] Attracting a team of talent from across the globe and working remote.

[28:35] Looking at the next steps in the growth path

[32:05] What are the metrics that guide if they are on track

[33:29] 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 Sina Meraji of Learning Loop, which is a data company specializing in learning distribution and discovery.

This was a great conversation as we discussed Sina’s own personal life experiences that developed the motivation and passion to launch Learning Loop.  We uncover a number of insights in the learning experiences, the filters of knowledge and understanding users.  There is so much to unpack and learn from.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Sina Meraji. 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 Sina Meraji:

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

• Learning Loop:  https://learningloop.org/

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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:

[01:48] Life experiences drove a desire and motivation to solve the learning journey problem

[7:40] Filtering the internet’s knowledge.  We have curation in food delivery and ecommerce, but not the knowledge set.

[14:23] Taking models, stitching them together in the right order

[21:19] Recognizing what creates trust with a user and in what way to people want to filter knowledge 

[23:35] Laying out the gameplan for the organization

[28:59] Hiring and evolving the team structure

[33:16] Defining success for the organization

[36:17] 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 Yien Yee Soh of Avana, which is a social commerce enabler platform, providing an integrated D2C & reseller selling solution for social media channels.

This was a great conversation as we went from the days of creating an aggregator for a community of blogs operating as shops through to launching an enabler platform that has since scaled.  We discuss the direction of social media and social commerce.  A lot of great pieces of information throughout this interview.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Yien Yee Soh. 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 Yien Yee Soh:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/yienyee88/

• Avana:  https://www.avana.asia/

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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:

[01:52] Origins in aggregating a community of blogs that were operating as shops prior to large scale ecommerce

[5:40] Natural progression from aggregator to a tech solution and drawing on the community as the initial customers.

[6:45] Being an enabler solution across any social channel

[11:22] Social media influencers and brand owners 

[16:22] Factors that affect a brand’s retention for selling online

[17:40] What does the future hold for social commerce?

[19:15] Building out an initial team in an industry that is not well known or understood.

[23:25] Defining success for the organization

[25:47] 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 Ramachandran Muniandy of Asia Mobiliti, a mobility as a service company (MaaS).

Through this conversation we navigate the origins and the motivation to building something to better the nation.  We discuss the evolution of public transportation and demand responsive transit (DRT) that scraps the timetables.  A number of great points made that are highly applicable to every Founder out there.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Ramachandran Muniandy. 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 Ramachandran Muniandy:

• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramachandran-muniandy-am/

• Asia Mobiliti:  https://asiamobiliti.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:

[01:38] Origins of the entrepreneurial journey among friends and neighbors centered around the desire for building something to better their nation.

[5:49] What is Mobility as a Service?

[8:03] Utilizing technology to improve public transportation services

[10:02] Utilizing Demand Responsive Transit (DRT), which is utilized in ride hailing, in bus services. 

[12:05] Overcoming data limitations by building a platform, not just an app, and focusing on the key anchors required.

[24:15] Educating the market on the new era of public transport

[26:39] Scaling up a team with the skills required

[33:38] A Founder needs to get a lot of things right

[35:58] 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 Effon Khoo of Kakitangan.com, which is an online HR Software for Malaysian businesses that helps handle payroll, claims, benefits, leave and more.

During the conversation we move from the 10 years’ experience in Microsoft through to raising multiple rounds of capital (crowdfunding, CVC, and VC).  We discuss details around scaling a highly localized product and how they are defining and measuring success.  A key standout is his mention that it is their social responsibility to be sustainable and reliable for their clients.

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Effon Khoo. 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 Effon Khoo and Kakitangan.com:

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

• Kakitangan.com:  https://www.kakitangan.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:

[01:52] From 10 years in Microsoft working in China, they brought an enterprise engineering pedigree to an HR startup

[6:55] The differences between rounds of investors from crowdfunding to CVC to VC

[8:26] Being sustainable and reliable is their social responsibility

[12:36] Managing a business model focused on SMEs, which are a difficult segment to target  

[18:06] The unit economics evolve over time, including the customer acquisition cost (CAC)

[20:29] A competitive industry and managing the war for talent, specifically in an industry that is less “sexy”

[24:36] Positioning the company in a product that requires high levels of localization

[30:06] It is easy to copy a product, but it is difficult to copy an organization

[32:03] Defining success for the organization

[34:19] What are the metrics that guide if they are on track

[36:40] 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