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On Call with Insignia Ventures

On Call with Insignia Ventures

By Insignia Ventures Partners

Start your week with new ~30 min calls every Tuesday! Learning what it takes to build an impactful and enduring company in emerging markets globally is just a call away. Join Insignia Ventures' resident storyteller Paulo Joquino and founding managing partner Yinglan Tan on call with the likes of Indonesian unicorn founders, Dianping's founder, Alibaba Global Initiatives founder, MercadoLibre co-founder and former COO, veteran Japan SaaS VC, and more! Get diverse perspectives as they share origin stories, learnings on company building, and unique approaches to leadership.
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[Part 2/2] The New Normal: On Call with Dianping.com's Zhang Tao and JAMM Active's Chih Cheung

On Call with Insignia VenturesApr 20, 2020

00:00
19:52
How this Singaporean firefighter is making life saving everyone's business with deep tech | Call 160 with Leon Yip

How this Singaporean firefighter is making life saving everyone's business with deep tech | Call 160 with Leon Yip

Part 2 of our chat with Leon Yip, former Singaporean firefighter, Insignia Ventures Academy VC Accelerator Cohort 2 alumnus, and now working with deep tech startups at Hatch. Part 1 was all about Leon sharing his journey from the Singapore Civil Defense Force to IVA and finally to Hatch: https://youtu.be/p7w42vX2x_0 More episodes with IVA mentors and alumni on Academy Afterthoughts: https://review.insignia.vc/category/podcasts/iva-afterthoughts/ Insignia Ventures Academy’s Certificate in Venture Capital course is open for applications to its 7th (March) and 8th (June) cohorts! Talk to our program manager Jiaway Koh and learn more here: http://www.insignia.vc/u/calliva Timestamps (00:00) How Leon’s time at IVA impacted his career and his work at Hatch; (06:30) Use cases of deep tech in public safety and security; (09:51) Advice for founders working with government as customers; (15:50) How IVA impacted the way Leon engages with founders; (18:38) Rapid Fire Round; About our guest Leon Yip is an alumnus of Cohort 2 of Insignia Ventures Academy’s Certificate in Venture Capital course. Prior to IVA he had built a career in the Singapore Civil Defense Force, from frontline responder to part of the headquarters’ innovation development team. From IVA he was exposed to philanthropic capital at Plans and Development of the Temasek Foundation. Currently he bridges the gap between lifesaving and the startup ecosystem at the Home Team Science and Technology Agency’s Hatch, which curates and accelerates impactful deep tech innovations to thrive in the public safety and security domain. The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Mar 18, 202424:56
Why this firefighter invested in learning more about startups and venture capital (Part 1) | Call 159

Why this firefighter invested in learning more about startups and venture capital (Part 1) | Call 159

We are back with another Academy Afterthoughts episode, where we go on call with alumni and mentors of Insignia Ventures Academy’s programs, primarily the Certificate in Venture Capital course which is open for applications to its 7th (March) and 8th (June) cohorts! Talk to our program manager Jiaway Koh and learn more here: http://www.insignia.vc/u/calliva

In this episode we have Leon Yip from Cohort 2, whose career spans firefighting to now working with startups as they develop solutions for public safety and security. 

In Part 1 of our conversation, he shares about his time at the Singapore Civil Defense Force, going from the frontlines to innovation development at headquarters. Then we talk about his experiences and takeaways from his 12 weeks at Insignia Ventures Academy, and how that impacted his personal and professional development. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 next Monday, where we talk more about deep tech solutions for public safety and security across various use cases, especially in light of Singapore’s greater push for more global activity to find its place in the country, from Asia stopovers for global artists like Taylor Swift to becoming a hub for more digital asset transactions in the region.

Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction; 

(02:36) Leon’s days at the Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF);

(06:29) Leon’s Insignia Ventures Academy experience;

(15:50) How Leon’s IVA experience impacted his career post-program, leading up to his work with deep tech startups at Hatch;

About our guest

Leon Yip is an alumnus of Cohort 2 of Insignia Ventures Academy’s Certificate in Venture Capital course. Prior to IVA he had built a career in the Singapore Civil Defense Force, from frontline responder to part of the headquarters’ innovation development team. From IVA he was exposed to philanthropic capital at Plans and Development of the Temasek Foundation. Currently he bridges the gap between lifesaving and the startup ecosystem at the Home Team Science and Technology Agency’s Hatch, which curates and accelerates impactful deep tech innovations to thrive in the public safety and security domain.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Mar 13, 202420:02
Why the Middle East is the next big market for Open Finance with Brankas CEO Todd Schweitzer | Call 158

Why the Middle East is the next big market for Open Finance with Brankas CEO Todd Schweitzer | Call 158

Our conversation continues with ⁠Todd Schweitzer⁠, CEO and co-founder of open finance solutions platform ⁠Brankas⁠. After getting a fresh introduction to how Brankas and open finance works as well as developments in the open finance revolution in Southeast Asia, Todd takes us across the world to the Middle East and what Brankas has been doing to meet the banking transformation needs of markets in the region. But first, he shares learnings from selling software to banks and working with us at Insignia Ventures. A quick recap, in case you’re not familiar: how does Brankas work? As Todd puts it simply, “We work with tech companies, consumer and SME apps that are looking to have financial services integrations. We also work with the banks themselves to become suppliers of these products. That creates a marketplace where you have the institutions on one side and the tech companies on the other. Brankas is making it much easier for those two groups to connect.” They provide services across Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. In 2023, they expanded into MENA, particularly Bahrain, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, which we talk about more in this episode! Timestamps (00:00) Make or Break Corner: Patience and Partnerships in Open Finance; (00:05) Catch up to part 1 here: https://youtu.be/mcmazgnBmw0 (02:50) In the Orange Corner: Finding Partners to Expand Ambition; (04:40) Brankas’s Approach to the MENA Opportunity for Open Finance (11:14) Brankas’s Approach to AI Tooling; (13:57) Rapid Fire Round; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Feb 28, 202421:55
Raising the Standards for ASEAN Banking with Open Finance | Brankas CEO Todd Schweitzer | Call 157

Raising the Standards for ASEAN Banking with Open Finance | Brankas CEO Todd Schweitzer | Call 157

In this week’s episode of On Call with Insignia, Brankas CEO and co-founder Todd Schweitzer returns after two years (check out our first conversation with him here) with the latest insights on open finance and Brankas’ progress in driving this transformation in the region.

But first, in case you’re not familiar: how does Brankas work?

As Todd puts it simply, “We work with tech companies, consumer and SME apps that are looking to have financial services integrations. We also work with the banks themselves to become suppliers of these products. That creates a marketplace where you have the institutions on one side and the tech companies on the other. Brankas is making it much easier for those two groups to connect.”

They provide services across Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. In 2023, they expanded into MENA, particularly Bahrain, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, which we talk about more in part 2, coming out next week!

Timestamps

(00:00) Todd and Brankas’ Introduction;

(05:47) Opportunities for Open Finance in Southeast Asia: SME and Migrant Worker Banking;

(13:38) The Tradeoffs for Tech Companies Integrating Financial Services;

(18:04) Maturing Banking Experiences in Southeast Asia;

(22:08) Southeast Asia’s Developing Open Finance Regulation;

(25:26) Stay tuned for part 2 next week;

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Feb 20, 202425:49
The Future of Beauty Brands and Retail in Asia with Konvy CEO Qing Gui Huang | Call 156

The Future of Beauty Brands and Retail in Asia with Konvy CEO Qing Gui Huang | Call 156

This week’s episode, we continue our call with Qing Gui Huang, CEO of Thailand’s leading online beauty retail company. 

As a beauty retailer, Konvy supports thousands of brands with a combined portfolio of more than 25,000 SKUs, through various channels, from their app to ecommerce platforms, TikTok, and offline stores. Konvy kicked off 2024 with the announcement of their latest funding round as they look to expand regionally, starting in the Philippines.

In part 1 of our conversation, Gui shares more about Konvy’s expansion into offline retail and TikTok Shop in 2023, as well as stories behind their decision to go beyond Thailand and take a big brand campaign to become the top of mind beauty retailer in Thailand. See the full part 1 episode In part 2, Gui talks about all things trends. From trends in beauty products and consumption, to trends in beauty brand expansion across Asia, to trends in beauty retail experiences, he paints a picture of the industry Konvy is leading into the future Timestamps (00:00) Catch up on part one (00:15) Private Label Thesis and Beauty Brand Trends in Southeast Asia; (02:36) Trends across Beauty Markets in Asia; (07:34) Future of Beauty Retail; (10:08) Rapid Fire Round; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Feb 14, 202414:25
Qing Gui Huang, CEO of Thailand’s No. 1 beauty ecommerce platform Konvy on TikTok, Regional Growth, and more | Call 155

Qing Gui Huang, CEO of Thailand’s No. 1 beauty ecommerce platform Konvy on TikTok, Regional Growth, and more | Call 155

This week’s episode, we go on call with Qing Gui Huang, CEO of Thailand’s leading online beauty retail company Konvy. As a beauty retailer, Konvy supports thousands of brands with a combined portfolio of more than 25,000 SKUs, through various channels, from their app to ecommerce platforms, TikTok, and offline stores. Konvy kicked off 2024 with the announcement of their latest funding round as they look to expand regionally, starting in the Philippines. In part 1 of our conversation, Gui shares more about Konvy’s expansion into offline retail and TikTok Shop in 2023, as well as stories behind their decision to go beyond Thailand and take a big brand campaign to become the top of mind beauty retailer in Thailand. Timestamps (00:00) Highlights (02:49) Introduction (05:21) How going offline unlocked a whole new segment; (12:47) Why TikTok as a channel is best leveraged at scale; (18:43) Expanding regionally, Philippines first; (23:55) Making a Bet on Branding; (27:22) Working with a VC; (30:56) Stay tuned for part two next Wednesday! The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Feb 07, 202431:20
Call 154 | Fazz | Tianwei Liu | Regulation & compliance learnings from 10+ years building fintechs
Feb 02, 202427:40
Call 153 | Fazz | Tianwei Liu | Redefining Mainstream Stablecoin Adoption for Singapore and Beyond

Call 153 | Fazz | Tianwei Liu | Redefining Mainstream Stablecoin Adoption for Singapore and Beyond

This week’s episode has returning guest Tianwei Liu, Deputy CEO of Southeast Asia fintech group Fazz, the company behind stablecoin issuer StraitsX. In 2023’s Singapore Fintech Festival, StraitsX received in-principle approval by the MAS for the issuance of XSGD and XUSD, opening up opportunities we cover in this first half of our call with the seasoned fintech entrepreneur.  Timestamps (00:00) Highlights (02:14) Introduction; (05:06) Impact on StraitsX; (08:43) Impact on Singapore and ASEAN Economies; (12:24) Impact on Merchants and Business Finance; (21:54) Impact on Embedded Finance; (26:04) Subscribe and stay tuned for part 2; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jan 31, 202426:28
The Hidden Costs of Product-Market Fit from Flip VP of Product | Call 152

The Hidden Costs of Product-Market Fit from Flip VP of Product | Call 152

Our conversation from last week continues with Flip VP of Product Sourabh Gupta on evolving product-market fit (PMF). After getting context on Flip’s latest developments in its product journey last episode, we dive into a discussion on the practical implications of PMF evolution -- leveraging B2C advantages in B2B sales, orchestrating product development with problem statement-driven teams, and the hidden costs of product experimentation, maintenance and scale. Timestamps (00:00) Catch up on episode one (01:13) B2C Advantage in B2B Fintech; (05:14) Streamlining Cross-Functional Productivity; (07:40) Managing the Cost of Monetization; (09:23) Redefining Product Market Fit; (12:46) Rapid Fire Round; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jan 24, 202413:38
Growing Beyond Your First Product Market Fit | Flip Product VP Sourabh Gupta

Growing Beyond Your First Product Market Fit | Flip Product VP Sourabh Gupta

With over 13 million users, Flip has become part of Indonesia's maturing fintech culture. But while the company started out in 2016 with a product centered around free money transfers, their product-market fit has had to evolve over the years. Flip's VP of Product & Design, Sourabh Gupta, walks us through the latest developments in Flip's product-market fit journey, with lessons for the startup PM and entrepreneur. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this conversation by subscribing to our channel! Timestamps (00:00) Introduction; (01:32) The Latest on Flip's Product Journey; (03:41) The Value of Bottom-Up Cost Management; (05:53) Deep Diving into Flip's Product-Market Fit Evolution; (09:45) Evolving Product Market Fit for a Consumer Fintech; (14:37) Indonesian Fintech Industry and Competitive Trends; (19:18) Catch Part 2 next week; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jan 17, 202419:39
How an ecommerce seller & VC built the supply chain partner for Indonesia serving 500K+ customers | Call 150
Jan 04, 202423:31
Why Your Startup Needs an HR Function Sooner than Later To Grow Sustainably | Call 149

Why Your Startup Needs an HR Function Sooner than Later To Grow Sustainably | Call 149

Join us on this call led by host Paulo Joquino, as he is joined by management and HR leaders to talk about global expansion into and across Southeast Asia: Karen Ng, Deel Expansion Leader for ASEAN, India, NASIA, Thomas Jeng, Aspire General Manager Singapore, and Olly Riches, Michael Page Senior Managing Director Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Page Executive SEA. Timestamps (00:00) Highlights; (01:33) Growing and managing a lean startup's HR function; (12:30) Scaling operations across diverse, multiple markets in Southeast Asia; (17:30) The understated opportunities in Southeast Asia; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Dec 26, 202322:24
The number one HR challenge when expanding your startup across Southeast Asia, and how to solve it | Call 148

The number one HR challenge when expanding your startup across Southeast Asia, and how to solve it | Call 148

Join us on this call led by host Paulo Joquino, as he is joined by management and HR leaders to talk about global expansion into and across Southeast Asia: Karen Ng, Deel Expansion Leader for ASEAN, India, NASIA, Thomas Jeng, Aspire General Manager Singapore, and Olly Riches, Michael Page Senior Managing Director Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Page Executive SEA. Timestamps (00:00) Highlights; (01:35) Introductions; (06:18) The #1 challenge when expanding across Southeast Asia; (12:33) Attracting talent creatively; (16:52) The admin/compliance and incentives side of setting up teams across Southeast Asia; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Dec 26, 202325:29
Hard Truths About Scaling Brands and Supply Chains, from local Indonesia brands to Amazon brands in the US | Call 147

Hard Truths About Scaling Brands and Supply Chains, from local Indonesia brands to Amazon brands in the US | Call 147

Join us on this call led by Insignia Ventures Partners Vice President Shefali Dodani, as she is joined by ecommerce and supply chain founders shaping the way brands are built and scaled from Indonesia to the US: Patrick Cao, one of the co-founders of GoTo Group, JJ Chai, Co-Founder and CEO of Rainforest, and Phil Opamuratawongse, Co-Founder and CEO of Shipper.

Timestamps

(00:00) Highlights;

(01:18) Introductions;

(07:39) Two Trends to look out for in Indonesia’s Brand Competitive Landscape;

(11:22) Developing Distribution with Indonesia’s Maturing Infrastructure from the Greater Jakarta Area to the Rest of the Country;

(16:20) What Separates an Enduring Brand from the Rest;

(20:11) From Scaling Enablers to Managing Inventory Loss: Underrated Opportunities in Supply Chain Innovation;

(26:17) What Makes a Great Supply Chain Leader;

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Dec 05, 202329:23
Is the Southeast Asian consumer ready for AI-driven experiences? CEOs of the region's leading consumer platforms discuss | Call 146

Is the Southeast Asian consumer ready for AI-driven experiences? CEOs of the region's leading consumer platforms discuss | Call 146

Join us on this call led by Insignia Ventures Partners venture partner Timothy Lee, which features an exploration into the realities, possibilities, and limitations of integrating AI in various consumer experiences from buying cars, to buying homes, from buying FMCGs and cosmetics to buying stocks. With him are the CEOs of leading consumer platforms in the region: Carro CEO and co-founder Aaron Tan, Ajaib CEO and co-founder Anderson Sumarli, Pinhome CEO and co-founder Dayu Dara Permata, and Super CEO and co-founder Steven Wongsoredjo.


Timestamps

Highlights;

(02:20) Mis-Introductions (by Claude, ChatGPT, Bing, Bard);

(06:54) Carro was initially an AI company for testing sound engines? And how it’s still an AI company today;

(11:25) Real estate pain points that can be solved by AI and Pinhome’s cost reduction with AI;

(16:35) What AI means to rural Indonesia and Super’s approach to digital adoption;

(20:48) AI reducing cost to serve and the value of still having humans in the process for Indonesia’s largest digital investment platform Ajaib;

(25:29) Where have you tried to apply AI and it hasn’t panned out as expected?;


The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Nov 28, 202333:38
AI Transformation CEOs on Building the Future Where Every Company is An AI Company | Call 145

AI Transformation CEOs on Building the Future Where Every Company is An AI Company | Call 145

Join us on this call led by Insignia Ventures Partners principal Yongcheng Ong, tapping into the minds of innovative entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of building the AI transformation infrastructure for enterprise, Appier CEO and co-founder Chih Han Yu, WIZ.AI CEO and co-founder Jennifer Zhang, and Bluesheets CEO and co-founder Christian Schneider. Timestamps (00:00) Highlights; (02:12) Introductions; (07:46) What Does AI Transformation Really Mean; (17:53) Leading The Third Phase of AI Adoption; (21:28) Commercializing AI for Enterprise; (23:56) AI Transformation Means Data Transformation; (27:40) Advantages of Being Global AI Companies with Roots in ASEAN; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Nov 20, 202334:34
On Call Recaps | The Growth Mileage of Carro's 8 Year Drive Building the Tech Company Behind Southeast Asia's Largest Car Marketplace
Nov 14, 202310:15
How Singapore leverages regulatory innovation to support startups | Call 143

How Singapore leverages regulatory innovation to support startups | Call 143

Singapore’s rise over the past few decades into the port-of-call for innovation and business growth into the APAC and ASEAN region has been nothing short of a marvel. But building up and sustaining that over the years and into the future is founded on innovating the way enterprise and government work together to push forward solutions and technologies in such a way that it is safe, sustainable, and viable for business. Our founding managing partner Yinglan Tan goes on call with Liu Chen, Director of Enterprise Development at Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry and long-time Singaporean civil service professional, to talk about one institution in particular that has been instrumental in Singapore’s startup and venture capital ecosystem: the Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP). It is an institution that Yinglan himself has had experience with, having served on the PEP as well. Timestamps and Highlights (01:06) Introducing Liu Chen and Singapore’s Pro-Enterprise Panel; (10:05) Singapore’s Regulatory Innovation with the Green Economy; (13:29) Role of PPPs in Singapore Innovation; (16:28) Advice for Founders on Working with the Singapore Government; (22:11) Rapid Fire Round; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Oct 31, 202326:35
What PropTech 3.0 Looks Like in Indonesia | Call 142 with Pinhome founders Dayu Dara Permata and Ahmed Aljunied

What PropTech 3.0 Looks Like in Indonesia | Call 142 with Pinhome founders Dayu Dara Permata and Ahmed Aljunied

Our call continues with Dayu Dara Permata and Ahmed Aljunied, founders of Pinhome, Southeast Asia’s leading end-to-end #property transaction platform for first-time home buyers. Catch up on part 1 We dive into how Pinhome uses embedded #finance to improve transactions across the entire real estate industry and how Pinhome views the confluence of various market indicators leading to the rise of #Proptech 3.0 in #Indonesia. Finally, Dara and Ahmed reflect on their thesis from three years ago and how far they have come. Timestamps (00:00) Highlights; (01:58) Introduction; (02:34) Pinhome's Fintech Business; (06:12) Proptech 3.0 in Indonesia; (10:59) Pinhome’s Path to Profitability; (13:04) Rapid Fire Round; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Oct 16, 202317:21
How Indonesia's platform for "Everything Home" approaches profitability, retention, and Gen AI

How Indonesia's platform for "Everything Home" approaches profitability, retention, and Gen AI

Join part 1 of our call with Dayu Dara Permata and Ahmed Aljunied, founders of Pinhome, Southeast Asia’s leading end-to-end property transaction platform for first-time home buyers.

As the CEO and CTO respectively of Pinhome return to the show this year, they share with us the latest on Pinhome’s growth, path to profitability, strategic partnerships, as well as their views on the wider property landscape in Indonesia.

We also dive into how Pinhome has changed the lives of the underbanked home buyers and how Gen AI could further shape consumer experiences.

Timestamps

(00:00) Highlights;

(00:45) Introduction;

(01:39) Pinhome’s 2023 Numbers Update: Globally The Most Comprehensive Service Offering for Everything Home;

(04:25) Indonesia’s Property Markets: Between Opportunity and Uncertainty;

(06:53) Pinhome’s Path to Profitability;

(10:30) Pinhome’s Approach to Strategic Partnerships;

(12:52) The Marketer, Content Creator, and Traditional Seller: Three Stories of Lives Changed by Pinhome;

(16:41) Gen AI Impact on the Indonesian Home Buyer’s Experience;

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Oct 10, 202322:05
On Call Recaps | How two former Gojek executives built and grew the most comprehensive proptech platform globally

On Call Recaps | How two former Gojek executives built and grew the most comprehensive proptech platform globally

Ahead of a new call next week with returning guests Dayu Dara Permata and Ahmed Aljunied, founders of Pinhome, we're recapping three years of calls with the entrepreneurs leading what is now Indonesia's leading end-to-end property transaction platform and globally one of the most comprehensive platforms for all things home.

Check out the full calls with them over the years, in 2020, in 2021, and in 2022

Follow us to stay tuned for 2023!

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Oct 03, 202308:12
How to unlock the "holy grail" of Philippine digital banking | Call 140 | Tonik CEO Greg Krasnov

How to unlock the "holy grail" of Philippine digital banking | Call 140 | Tonik CEO Greg Krasnov

Our call with Greg Krasnov, CEO and Founder of Philippine digital bank Tonik, continues in this episode. He shares more on his views on global fintech in today's bear market, Tonik's thesis on digital banking in the Philippines, the impact of automation on their organization. He also gives a quick masterclass on credit monetization. Check out last week's episode going behind the scenes of Tonik's approach to scaling a balanced loan portfolio Timestamps (00:00) Highlights; (01:29) Introduction; (01:50) Trends in fintech in Southeast Asia in today's bear markets; (04:28) Reflecting on Greg's 2020 thesis for Tonik; (07:29) Growing and maturing Tonik's organization and where is Tonik hiring?; (12:34) Greg's masterclass on credit monetization; (15:04) A memorable customer story; (16:04) Rapid Fire Round; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Sep 25, 202322:10
How this Philippine digital bank views growth, from scaling loans to generative AI | Call 139 | Tonik CEO Greg Krasnov

How this Philippine digital bank views growth, from scaling loans to generative AI | Call 139 | Tonik CEO Greg Krasnov

Join part 1 of our call with Greg Krasnov, CEO and Founder of Tonik, a Philippine digital bank that hit record user and deposit growth months after launch in early 2021, and over the past year has been focused on building up a balanced, scalable loan portfolio. Greg also shares his thoughts on generative AI and how this technology will change banking.

Subscribe and stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

Timestamps

(00:00) Highlights;

(00:58) Building a diversified, balanced loan portfolio for scale and profitability;

(07:39) Scaling Tonik's loan business in the Philippines' 2023 market conditions;

(10:56) Repayment experience from the Tonik perspective;

(12:52) Learnings from scaling a bank and the impact of generative AI on banking;

(19:14) Catch part 2 next week!

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Sep 19, 202320:57
How this Singapore company sent the first smart lock into space | Call 138 | igloo CEO Anthony Chow

How this Singapore company sent the first smart lock into space | Call 138 | igloo CEO Anthony Chow

Go on call with Anthony Chow, CEO and Co-Founder of igloo, a global smart access solutions company that recently celebrated eight years, securing more than 300K door assets with more than 10M digital keys issued across 100 countries.

To celebrate their eight year anniversary and highlight the product launch of their latest enterprise smart padlock, they sent eight models into space! Anthony returns to On Call to give us the behind the scenes on the "out of this world" experiment, learnings from eight years of growing a global company out of Singapore, and views on the future of smart access technologies.

Watch the full launch video

This episode is a cut down version of the full call. Sign up for our newsletter and get a special link in our next monthly edition.

Timestamps

(00:00) Call Highlights;

(02:31) igloo milestones since June 2021;

(04:38) How igloo sent a smart padlock into space;

(12:24) How igloo overcame three key challenges in its past eight years;

(18:43) igloo's view on the future of smart access technologies;

(21:36) Rapid Fire Round;

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Sep 14, 202325:18
How to be CFO of a AI-driven used car online platform | Call 137 with Carro CFO Ernest Chew Part 2

How to be CFO of a AI-driven used car online platform | Call 137 with Carro CFO Ernest Chew Part 2

Our call with Ernest Chew, CFO of AI-driven used car online platform Carro, continues in this episode. He shares his thoughts on EVs, unlearnings from two years as CFO, advice for finance professionals venturing into startups, and much more.

Check out last week's episode going behind the scenes of Carro's balance of growth and profitability.

Timestamps

(01:00) Ernest's views on EVs and other emerging trends around cars;

(02:18) Ernest's unlearnings from two years as CFO of Carro;

(05:21) Managing a cross-border organization;

(07:15) Ernest's advice for finance professionals venturing into startups;

(08:14) Rapid Fire Round;

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Sep 05, 202312:22
How to Bring Balance to Profitability and Growth | Call 136 with Carro CFO Ernest Chew Part 1

How to Bring Balance to Profitability and Growth | Call 136 with Carro CFO Ernest Chew Part 1

Go on call with Ernest Chew, CFO of Carro, a company leading the way in reshaping the used car industry with its AI-driven car buying experience.

They recently announced record profitability in Q1 for FY 2024 (3x the entire last full year), the latest achievement in the company's journey becoming now one of very high-growth tech start-up that is profitable across all metrics, with growth driven interestingly by their ancillary businesses in financing, insurance, aftersales and mobility (60% of their gross profit).

More on the announcement here.

Timestamps

(01:50) Carro's record quarterly profitability;

(04:57) Carro's ecosystem approach to balance growth and profitability;

(11:03) Carro's approach to unlocking greater ecosystem growth through strategic partnerships;

(14:39) Catch part 2 next week!

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or

security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Aug 30, 202315:35
Is there really an opportunity for AI in ASEAN? | Call 135

Is there really an opportunity for AI in ASEAN? | Call 135

Our conversation with Reuters #Asia #Technology Correspondent Fanny Potkin continues in this episode, where we tackle a new topic: #AI. From Generative AI #regulation developments to existing Data Privacy laws, #GenerativeAI memorization issues, and AI in #media, join us in this week's call! #podcast Watch part one where we talk all about semiconductor supply chains and influx of global companies into ASEAN Timestamps (01:43) AI Regulation: A Global Review (06:58) The Link Between Generative AI and Data Privacy Regulation; (17:18) Minute Masterclass: Media Relations for Startups; (21:25) Rapid Fire Round; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Aug 01, 202328:36
Why is Southeast Asia so attractive for global companies and semiconductor supply chains? (Call #134)

Why is Southeast Asia so attractive for global companies and semiconductor supply chains? (Call #134)

Global companies setting up HQs in Singapore and shifting factories and R&D offices from China to Vietnam. Semiconductor supply chains diversifying with chip nationalism. Macroeconomic headwinds posing challenges for startup fundraising. What do these mean for Southeast Asia startups and ASEANnovation? Paulo goes on call with Fanny Potkin, Asia Technology Correspondent at Reuters to talk about these emerging trends and industry evolutions and their implications for startup opportunities in Southeast Asia. Timestamps (02:01) A longtime business and tech journalist's POV on Southeast Asia's startup opportunities; (10:44) Navigating the influx of global companies and big tech to Southeast Asia; (15:15) The future of semiconductor supply chains and Southeast Asia's role in this; The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jul 25, 202331:02
How to build a culture that eats strategy for breakfast: Gen AI integration, attracting engineers, and more | Call #133

How to build a culture that eats strategy for breakfast: Gen AI integration, attracting engineers, and more | Call #133

How can your company leverage generative AI to become more operationally efficient? What are the opportunities for engineering talent in Vietnam? How do you approach organizational development from early-stage to growth?

One of Vietnam's leading startup CEOs, ⁠Huy Nghiem, shares his takes from experience growing ⁠Finhay from an idea in 2017 into an organization now employing 160 Vietnamese building the future of investing for more than 3 million of their fellow countrymen. A great listen for those looking to make their organization AI-ready, interested in hiring Vietnamese tech talent, and looking for inspiration from a growth-stage CEO.

This conversation continues from the previous episode.

Timestamps

(01:31) How to approach generative AI integration into business operations;

(05:04) How the software engineering talent pool in Vietnam has evolved since 2017;

(07:41) Why you need a strong company culture before becoming a growth company;

(11:04) Minute Masterclass: Team Formation and Company Culture for Early and Growth Stage Startups;

(15:09) Rapid Fire Round;

About our guest⁠

⁠Huy Nghiem⁠ is the founder and CEO of Finhay⁠ as well as Chairman of Vina Securities. Prior to Finhay, Huy built his expertise and experience in the financial markets as a financial advisor at AMP in Australia. He also co-founded and led tech companies and business initiatives during his time in Australia. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Marketing. He was part of the 2020 Forbes Asia 30 under 30 list.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jul 04, 202319:21
How to drive economic growth in one of ASEAN's fastest growing digital economies | Call #132

How to drive economic growth in one of ASEAN's fastest growing digital economies | Call #132

On call with us this week is Huy Nghiem, CEO and Founder of smart investment platform Finhay⁠. A year after his last conversation with Paulo, he returns with updates and learnings from the fintech's growth, now serving more than 3 million users. He also brings with him insights and stats painting a picture of Vietnam's economic resilience, an uptick in stock market activity in Q2, and the continued rapid development of its digital economy. A must-listen conversation for anyone looking for an update into Vietnam's macro outlook, or insights on how to navigate one of ASEAN's fastest growing digital economies amidst market uncertainties.

Timestamps

(01:31) An Update on Finhay;

(05:01) Learnings from becoming a Smart Investment Platform for more than 3 million Vietnamese;

(10:56) How Vietnam's economic resilience led to product growth for a smart investment platform;

(16:24) How Vietnam's Digital Economy has evolved and Finhay's place in it;

About our guest

Huy Nghiem is the founder and CEO of Finhay as well as Chairman of Vina Securities. Prior to Finhay, Huy built his expertise and experience in the financial markets as a financial advisor at AMP in Australia. He also co-founded and led tech companies and business initiatives during his time in Australia. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Marketing. He was part of the 2020 Forbes Asia 30 under 30 list.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jun 27, 202324:32
How product managers and software engineers can become effective agriculture changemakers with Elevarm co-founder and CTO Febi Agil Ifdillah and CPO Bayu Adi Persada (Call #131)

How product managers and software engineers can become effective agriculture changemakers with Elevarm co-founder and CTO Febi Agil Ifdillah and CPO Bayu Adi Persada (Call #131)

Indonesian agritech for farmers Elevarm's CTO and co-founder Febi Agil Ifdillah and CPO Bayu Adi Persada⁠ share how Elevarm approach to digitalizing farming in Indonesia impacts the kind of engineers and operators they hire, Elevarm's path to profitability and place in future agritech industry, and their own leadership styles.

In last week's episode, Febi and Bayu shared their stories getting into agritech, Elevarm's ecosystem approach to an agritech business, and key learnings from their recently published sustainability report.

Timestamps:

(02:24) Misconceptions about Indonesian agritech;

(07:17) Views on the evolution of Indonesia's agritech competitive landscape and Elevarm's place in the future of farming and food;

(14:27) How Febi's and Bayu's leadership has grown since starting / joining Elevarm;

(19:27) #MinuteMasterclass: Commercializing Technology-Based Innovation for Indonesia's Farmers;

(22:34) #RapidFireRound;

About our guests

⁠Febi Agil Ifdillah⁠ is co-founder and CTO of Elevarm. Growing up in a remote village in Bogor, Indonesia, Febi is a first-generation college graduate. He studied under full scholarship from the Indonesian Government to pursue a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science/Informatics from (ITB) Bandung Institute of Technology’s School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics. He was a Machine Learning engineer before jumping into the agritech space.

⁠Bayu Adi Persada⁠ is CPO of Elevarm. He has had more than seven years as a product manager, head of product, and CPO for several companies in Indonesia, including Bukalapak and Grab. He received his Bachelors' from the Bandung Institute of Technology in Informatics Engineering and his Masters in ICTs for Development from The University of Manchester.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jun 20, 202338:15
Why uplifting the lives of farmers in Indonesia goes beyond farmer apps with Elevarm co-founder and CTO Febi Agil Ifdillah and CPO Bayu Adi Persada (Call #130)

Why uplifting the lives of farmers in Indonesia goes beyond farmer apps with Elevarm co-founder and CTO Febi Agil Ifdillah and CPO Bayu Adi Persada (Call #130)

In this call, ⁠Febi Agil Ifdillah⁠ (co-founder and CTO) and ⁠Bayu Adi Persada (CPO) dial in from Indonesia. They are tech leaders at Elevarm, a digitally-enabled ecosystem to uplift the lives of 15 million smallholder farmers in their country's fragmented agriculture industry and ultimately contribute to the world's food and environmental sustainability. Their call with Paulo comes as they just launched their first sustainability and impact report⁠, which is a great introduction not just to Elevarm, but also Indonesian agriculture.

Timestamps

(01:15) Introducing Elevarm and our guests;

(02:56) How a tech founder and a seasoned unicorn senior product manager found their mission in agriculture;

(10:13) Elevarm’s outside-in, holistic ecosystem approach to uplifting farmers;

(22:43) Launching Elevarm’s first sustainability and impact report and key insights into Indonesian agriculture;

About our guests

Febi Agil Ifdillah is co-founder and CTO of Elevarm. Growing up in a remote village in Bogor, Indonesia, Febi is a first-generation college graduate. He studied under full scholarship from the Indonesian Government to pursue a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science/Informatics from (ITB) Bandung Institute of Technology’s School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics. He was a Machine Learning engineer before jumping into the agritech space.

Bayu Adi Persada is CPO of Elevarm. He has had more than seven years as a product manager, head of product, and CPO for several companies in Indonesia, including Bukalapak and Grab. He received his Bachelors' from the Bandung Institute of Technology in Informatics Engineering and his Masters in ICTs for Development from The University of Manchester.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jun 12, 202331:26
How to go from seasoned finance professional to tech startup CFO, drive growth as a startup finance leader, and ensure cash is king with Rainforest CFO and co-founder Jason Tan (Call #129)

How to go from seasoned finance professional to tech startup CFO, drive growth as a startup finance leader, and ensure cash is king with Rainforest CFO and co-founder Jason Tan (Call #129)

Join us on call with Jason Tan, CFO and Co-Founder of Rainforest, an ecommerce house of brands buying and growing brands for parenting and kids categories. Q1 this year the company marked its first profitable quarter and now with 16 brands in its portfolio, looks to expand their acquisitions beyond Amazon brands and build up their post-acquisition capabilities (they are hiring!). Jason goes down memory lane with learnings from his 20+ year career in finance from banking in CIMB to startup CFO (ex-OVO, Fave), deep dives into what being a CFO means in the context of Rainforest’s business, and shares advice on fundraising, making the jump into startups, and ensuring cash is king for your business.

Are you a finance professional looking to make a career shift into startups? We're here to help you take those first steps. Check out Insignia Ventures Academy's StartCFO program, an 8 week program for aspiring startup finance leaders to get a sense of what it will take to lead finance teams for innovative, fast-growing companies.

Timestamps

(02:32) A 20+ Year Career from Banking to Fintech Founding CFO to CFO of an Ecommerce House of Brands;

(13:25) Buying and Building the Best Ecommerce Brands for Parents and Babies as a Profitable Business: The CFO Perspective;

(20:08) Building a Finance Team on the Foundations of Trust;

(23:07) Advice on Fundraising and Jumping into Startups as a Finance Professional;

(26:07) #MinuteMasterclass: How to Make Sure Cash is King as An Entrepreneur;

(27:48) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Jason Tan is CFO and Co-Founder of Rainforest, a house of brands based out of Singapore buying and building the ecommerce brands of the future. Prior to Rainforest he was CFO of Fave and OVO before that. Before getting into the tech sector, he had a more than a decade career at CIMB which saw him become Director of Group Strategy and Strategic investments at the bank. 

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Jun 06, 202332:22
7 Careers Emerging From Southeast Asia Innovation Trends In 2023: Part 1 of A Season 5 Mid-Year Podcast Recap (Call #128)

7 Careers Emerging From Southeast Asia Innovation Trends In 2023: Part 1 of A Season 5 Mid-Year Podcast Recap (Call #128)

As we navigate through the midpoint of 2023, it is essential to reflect on the significant innovation trends shaping Southeast Asia’s landscape. These innovations are not just transforming the region’s business and economic environments but are also moulding the future career opportunities for the next decade. Here, we have extracted wisdom from several leaders on Season 5 of the On Call with Insignia podcast, drawing their experiences and perspectives to shape a clearer picture of these exciting trends.

This episode is an audio version of this article. Let us know in the poll if you'd like to hear the rest of this article and more audio articles like this!

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

May 30, 202312:16
May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

May 25, 202300:34
How Venture Capital Due Diligence Principles Helps with Career Building in Tech and How Content Creation Helps SaaS Companies: Academy Afterthoughts with Jeraldine Phneah (Call #127)

How Venture Capital Due Diligence Principles Helps with Career Building in Tech and How Content Creation Helps SaaS Companies: Academy Afterthoughts with Jeraldine Phneah (Call #127)

SaaS operator and Salesforce alum ⁠Jeraldine Phneah⁠ goes on call with host ⁠Paulo J⁠ in this episode of ⁠Academy Afterthoughts⁠ to walk down memory lane on her Insignia Ventures Academy VC accelerator experience, how she was able to leverage the VC perspective she gained in her SaaS career, how content creation and her career come together, as well as dive into her learnings on GTM and sales engines for startups. The VC accelerator is now recruiting for its 6th cohort! Level up your career in Southeast Asia's startup ecosystems with the venture capital perspective. To apply, check out the ⁠VC Accelerator program page⁠ or reach out to our program lead ⁠Jiaway Koh⁠!

Timestamps

(01:02) Insignia Ventures Academy is not just for aspiring VCs, but career SaaS operators too;

(11:00) Learnings on Finding Your Ideal Customer Profile from Salesforce;

(13:11) Content Creation as a SaaS Operator and for SaaS businesses;

(17:12) How to Build a Sustainable Company by Thinking in Recurring Revenues and Big Problems;

(19:31) #MinuteMasterclass: How to Find the Right People to Execute on GTM Strategies for SaaS startups;

(21:17) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Jeraldine Phneah is a SaaS Account Executive with a track record of helping growth stage companies expand in Southeast Asia, having worked with the likes of Salesforce, Euromonitor, Workato, and more in growth, BD, and AE roles. She is also a content creator, who shares her learnings on accelerating one’s growth while achieving balance and giving back to the community. She has been featured on Forbes, The Straits Times, among other publiations. I have also spoken at events such as the Seedly Personal Finance Festival 2021 and YWLC/Grab's Future Women Leaders Forum 2022. She has also been a LinkedIn Top Voices. She is an alumnus of Insignia Ventures Academy's 4th Cohort.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

May 23, 202325:34
How to Navigate the Chaos and Uncertainty for a Growth Stage Ecommerce Exec Investing in Early Stage Startups: Academy Afterthoughts with Geraldine Se (Call #126)

How to Navigate the Chaos and Uncertainty for a Growth Stage Ecommerce Exec Investing in Early Stage Startups: Academy Afterthoughts with Geraldine Se (Call #126)

Ecommerce operator and former Lazada growth exec Geraldine Se goes on call with host Paulo J in this episode of Academy Afterthoughts to walk down memory lane on her Insignia Ventures Academy VC accelerator experience in the pioneering cohort in 2021, share how the program impacted her career as a tech leader and angel investor, as well as dive into her own approach to early-stage investing. The VC accelerator is now recruiting for its 6th cohort! Level up your career in Southeast Asia's startup ecosystems with the venture capital perspective. To apply, check out the VC Accelerator program page or reach out to our program lead Jiaway Koh!

Timestamps

(01:03) A Former Lazada Exec’s Experience of Insignia Ventures Academy;

(13:11) Perks and Purpose of Investing in Early Stage Startups as a Growth Stage Tech Exec with a Finance and Consulting Background;

(22:48) #MinuteMasterclass: Navigating Chaos and Change Agility for Product Market Fit;

(28:30) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Geraldine Se started her career in investment banking first with PWC then Macquarie, and lived for a year in Melbourne with Macquarie. She then pivoted into eCommerce first with a company called aCommerce then Lazada where she held a variety of roles including heading up account management teams, regional strategy and planning, chief of staff to the group co-president and category director of health and beauty in Singapore. She has most recently been country manager of Thailand and Indonesia of a series C Edutech company providing language services to children. Some of the achievements she has been proud of are being brought into difficult country transformation situations in Indonesia and Thailand where she has been able to turn both units' contribution margins positive from negative positions because she really enjoys making an impact on businesses. She is also an angel investor and is a Cohort 1 alumnus of Insignia Ventures Academy's venture capital accelerator.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

May 16, 202336:26
How to develop your company's Generative AI use cases, ESG reporting, and more with data transformation with bluesheets CEO Christian Schneider and COO Clare Leighton (Call #125)

How to develop your company's Generative AI use cases, ESG reporting, and more with data transformation with bluesheets CEO Christian Schneider and COO Clare Leighton (Call #125)

The ability of a company to unlock value from its own data is at the heart of many business transformation trends today, from generative AI to ESG reporting, the future of work to more adaptive financial management. Two business automation founders who have made it their mission to help companies build better data sets go on call with Paulo to talk about how to unlock this value and more. bluesheets’ CEO Christian Schneider and COO Clare Leighton return to the show to not just share updates on the impact they have had on their customers but also what they’re excited about with use cases like ESG reporting and generative AI as they position themselves to be the data infrastructure layer for these applications. See open roles at bluesheets and check out our first call with them!

Timestamps

(02:24) Bluesheets a year on: more workflows, more man-hours saved, more cost savings, and their mobile app launch;

(08:31) Learnings from enabling digital transformation for a multinational insurance company;

(14:17) How to leverage data sets processed and data ops enabled by bluesheets: ESG reporting and Generative AI use cases;

(22:23) Pioneering the orchestration layer for enterprise Large Language Models;

(33:50) #MinuteMasterclass: Digital Transformation for Enterprise Leaders 101;

(36:39) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Christian Schneider, bluesheets CEO and co-founder, started his career in investment banking and consulting in Europe then venture building with Rocket Internet in Singapore, managing business intelligence for foodpanda, then co-founding Singapore-based foodtech startup DishDash.co, where he began working with Clare as it expanded to Australia.

Clare Leighton is the bluesheets COO and co-founder. Before first working with Christian as country manager of DishDash.co, she was previously part of the launch team of UberEats in Australia then later the head of Uber’s APAC People Operations.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

May 09, 202343:45
Top Japan SaaS VC on How To Build SaaS with AI, Benchmark Your SaaS Company in Today's Markets, and Break into Japan with One Capital's Shinji Asada (Call #124)

Top Japan SaaS VC on How To Build SaaS with AI, Benchmark Your SaaS Company in Today's Markets, and Break into Japan with One Capital's Shinji Asada (Call #124)

Insignia Ventures founding managing partner, Yinglan Tan, returns to host this episode as we go on call with Shinji Asada, Co-Founder & CEO, General Partner of One Capital. As a 20+ year veteran in the SaaS and venture capital space in Japan (formerly ITOCHU Ventures, Salesforce Ventures), Shinji shares his decades of experience in investing and building software companies across Japan and the US.

In this episode, Shinji and Yinglan cover a range of topics, including Shinji's approach to investing in market-transforming software companies from the likes of Mercari to Visional, One Capital's digital transformation initiatives for their LPs, and their incubation of SaaS benchmarking and business modeling platform, Projection-ai. They also discuss valuable insights on the Japanese SaaS market, advice for founders looking to expand to Japan and go public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and what the future of SaaS companies will be with AI.

Timestamps

(01:04) From ITOCHU to Salesforce to One Capital: Shinji Asada’s 20+ years of growing and investing in SaaS companies from the US to Japan;

(06:20) Digital Transformation for LPs, Projection-ai, Visional: Stories from a SaaS VC’s Approach to Transforming Japan;

(13:07) Language Barriers, Tokyo Stock Exchange, 10 Billion VC Market, and The Evolving Japanese Entrepreneur: Advice on Cracking the Japanese Market for Founders and Investors;

(20:02) Topical Discussions: Navigating Sales for SaaS in Tight Spending and Cost-Cutting Market, Implications of Generative AI for SaaS Building;

(23:05) #MinuteMasterclass: Metrics to Benchmark for SaaS Companies;

(24:58) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Shinji Asada⁠ is the Co-Founder & CEO, and General Partner of One Capital, a Tokyo-based early-stage enterprise software-focused VC fund. The debut fund reached $170 million, the largest first-time VC fund in Japan's history (source: Preqin). The firm also has an incubation arm and recently launched Projection-ai and db to help entrepreneurs build financial projections in seconds and also have instant access to relevant SaaS metrics.

Previously, Shinji was the Japan Head of Salesforce Ventures. Portfolio companies then include Sansan(TYO:4443), Teamspirit(TYO:4397), free(TYO:4478), Goodpatch(TYO: 7351), Yappli(TYO: 4168), Visional(TYO:4194), Flect(TYO: 4414), Andpad, Studist, Toreta, PhoneAppli(acquired by NTT Communications), and more. He invested in 7 of Forbes Japan's Top 10 Cloud companies in both 2018 and 2019.

Shinji has over 20 years of extensive business development/operation and investment experience in the technology industry in Japan and in the U.S. During his days at ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Shinji invested in Mercari (TYO:4385), Uzabase (TYO:3396), Muse & Co.(Acquired by Mixi), Box (NYSE:Box), and WHILL. Also at ITOCHU, he invested in Aruba Networks(IPO, acquired by HP), Starent Networks (acquired by Cisco) and Cast Iron Systems (acquired by IBM). He earned an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and a BE in Economics from Keio University.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Apr 25, 202327:29
How app-less drives tech adoption, data wins world class talent, and scalable risk engines unlock growth with AwanTunai CEO and Co-Founder Dino Setiawan (Call #123)

How app-less drives tech adoption, data wins world class talent, and scalable risk engines unlock growth with AwanTunai CEO and Co-Founder Dino Setiawan (Call #123)

Join Paulo on call with Dino Setiawan, CEO and Co-founder of AwanTunai, Indonesia's leading supply chain financing and ERP platform. AwanTunai is at the intersection of fintech and software, enabling MSMEs and unlocking growth in the massive more than US$100B FMCG industry in Indonesia. 

Dino returns to the show after two years to talk about how AwanTunai has evolved over that time. He shares about the value of optimizing for a sustainable business model versus top line growth, his app-less approach to building tech for the tech illiterate, scaling risk management with the right data sets and engines, and what it takes to win over world-class technical talent, among other experiences and learnings. Check out our past conversations with Dino on the origins of AwanTunai (in 2021 and in 2020).

Timestamps

(00:37) Dino’s back for the third time and gives us an update in three numbers;

(04:15) Evolution of Dino as a leader and MSME digitalization in Indonesia;

(09:36) Serendipity of Growing a Financing Business on Top of App-less Supply Chain ERP Infrastructure;

(18:38) Scaling Risk Management with World Class Talent;

(29:28) #MinuteMasterclass: Winning Over World-Class Talent;

(34:59) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Dino Setiawan is the CEO and co-founder of AwanTunai. He is a finance veteran with more than a decade of experience spanning several countries which includes a tenure as VP for Investments at Morgan Stanley among other roles at major financial institutions. After finishing his Master’s at the Stanford Business School in 2011, he started off his entrepreneurial journey by running his own fintech venture in Silicon Valley, SimpleFi, before returning to Indonesia as a regional fintech consultant. Together with ex-Gojek execs Rama Notowidigdo and Windy Natriavi, he later co-founded AwanTunai, an Indonesian fintech startup providing accessible financing to micro-merchants by digitizing the FMCG supply chain.

Music:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Apr 18, 202338:60
How to Assess Blue Oceans and M&A Opportunities in Fintech with Tonik Strategic Development Lead and Insignia Ventures Academy Alumnus Jui Takle (Call #122)

How to Assess Blue Oceans and M&A Opportunities in Fintech with Tonik Strategic Development Lead and Insignia Ventures Academy Alumnus Jui Takle (Call #122)

Insignia Ventures Academy Cohort 1 alumnus Jui Takle shares with Paulo her journey after joining the first-of-its-kind venture capital accelerator program and how she started to lead strategic development at the Philippines' pioneering digital bank Tonik. Get insights into Jui's experiences in the fintech industry from 12 years in fintech and credit rating agencies, particularly in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, and her approach to assessing blue oceans markets and M&A and partnership opportunities for fintechs like Tonik.

Timestamps

(01:29) Introducing Jui Takle;

(04:32) Jui’s Insignia Ventures Academy Afterthoughts;

(12:07) Finding Tonik and Returning to a Mentor;

(17:31) Assessing Blue Oceans and Opportunities in Fintech;

(27:47) #MinuteMasterclass: Filtering Opportunities for M&A and Partnerships;

(30:16) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Jui Takle⁠ is currently handling Strategic Development at the first digital bank in the Philippines, Tonik⁠ Digital Bank, where she is involved in strategic partnerships and M&A deals. She has 12+ years of experience in Southeast Asia and India including her stint in Tonik Digital Bank, a fintech venture builder, and credit rating agencies - S&P's subsidiary (CRISIL Ltd) and Infospectrum. She analyzed various companies by performing deep due diligence and conducting market and industry research as well as assisted in building fintech startups from zero to one with their fundraising, financial and legal requirements, market research and business structuring including M&A.

Music:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)⁠⁠⁠⁠

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Apr 11, 202335:22
How to Do Cost-Effective Growth Marketing for Enterprise and Consumers with Asia's Leading Mental Healthcare Solutions Company Intellect Head of Marketing Frank Ng (Call #121)

How to Do Cost-Effective Growth Marketing for Enterprise and Consumers with Asia's Leading Mental Healthcare Solutions Company Intellect Head of Marketing Frank Ng (Call #121)

Join us on call with Frank Ng, Head of Marketing at Intellect, Asia's leading mental healthcare company. With a wealth of experience in growth marketing at companies like Skyscanner and Uber, Frank shares invaluable insights into his journey as a marketing leader, the frameworks and heuristics behind his approach to marketing mental healthcare solutions, and developing a marketing function for a growth-stage company like Intellect. 

Discover the marketing perspective on how Intellect has evolved from a consumer app to a go-to platform for businesses seeking to proactively integrate mental healthcare services for their employees. Don't miss out on this episode to learn from a thought leader and digital marketing instructor who has played a key role in driving Intellect's rapid growth.

Learn more about Intellect’s story from zero to one straight from CEO and Founder Theodoric Chew.

Transcript | YouTube

Timestamps

(00:20) A Marketing Leaders Journey: Finding Intellect, Levelling Up Mental Health Festival; 

(09:09)  In and Outs of Marketing Mental Health Solutions: Enterprise and Consumer Business Dynamic, Demand Generation, Localization, Managing Spend, Communicating ROI;

(19:05) Maturing a Startup’s Marketing Function: Goal-Oriented Hiring, Aligning on the Right Incentives; 

(23:09) #MinuteMasterclass: Cost-Effective Digital Marketing;

(25:28) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Frank Ng is the Head of Marketing at Intellect, Asia's leading mental healthcare company. As a growth marketing expert, he has an impressive track record in the industry, having worked with notable companies such as Skyscanner and Uber. Frank is not only a seasoned marketing professional but also an active thought leader, sharing his expertise on LinkedIn and providing valuable insights for marketers. Additionally, Frank is a dedicated digital marketing instructor, conducting courses and sessions to help educate other marketers in the industry. With a rich background in various marketing roles, Frank brings a unique perspective to the rapidly growing Intellect team.

Music:

⁠⁠⁠Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)⁠⁠⁠

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠ fund.

Apr 04, 202332:00
How to Become COO of An AI Company Securing Digital Infrastructure for Businesses in Indonesia with Vivi Mandasari (Call #120)

How to Become COO of An AI Company Securing Digital Infrastructure for Businesses in Indonesia with Vivi Mandasari (Call #120)

From managing enterprise sales teams to adapting to Indonesia’s regulatory landscape and ensuring organizational maturity to secure ISO and AI-technology certifications, Vivi Mandasari, COO of Verihubs, has had to grow herself as much as she has helped grow the company since joining in 2019. She shares learnings from her journey thus far in this episode with specific focus on selling AI solutions for business in Indonesia. 

Learn more about Verihubs from CEO Rick Firnando and CTO Williem Williem in our conversations with them over the past two years.

Transcript | YouTube

Timestamps

(01:08) What has Vivi’s journey been like from joining Verihubs in 2019 to becoming COO?

(05:09) How is Identity Verification and AI for Business in Indonesia evolving post-pandemic?

(09:39) What is the value and the experience like of receiving global certification for AI technologies?

(12:25) What are some of Vivi’s learnings as a business leader on fraud risk management, leveraging customer insights, and managing BD and sales teams?

(15:46) #MinuteMasterclass: How to best approach selling software to enterprise and institutions?

(17:41) #RapidFireRound;



Vivi Mandasari is COO of Verihubs. She joined the company in 2019 as business development manager. She built her career through digital marketing and business development roles at various companies before joining Verihubs.

Music:

⁠⁠Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction⁠⁠

⁠⁠Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)⁠⁠

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠ fund.

Mar 28, 202322:25
How to Bring Finance Back to the Driver's Seat of Businesses Through Sustainable Community Building with Aspire Co-Founder and CMO Joel Leong (Call #119)

How to Bring Finance Back to the Driver's Seat of Businesses Through Sustainable Community Building with Aspire Co-Founder and CMO Joel Leong (Call #119)

Is community building really valuable to a fast-growing business? How do you ensure they contribute both to the company and the ecosystem’s bottom lines as well? Joel Leong, co-founder and CMO of Aspire, an all-in-one finance operating software for businesses, shares more about Entrepreneurs of SEA and CFO Connect, two community initiatives he has been leading, to answer these questions and share learnings on what it takes to bring value to communities as a B2B company. 

He also shares learnings from four years as a leader with the company, from its early days to now having raised a US$100 million Series C in a bear market, being one of the top 10 fastest growing companies in Singapore, ranking as one of the top 50 high growth companies in APAC, two-time LinkedIn Top Startups listee (2021 and 2022), and most importantly serving more than 15,000 businesses in the region.

Follow us on LinkedIn for related content to this podcast and updates on new calls!

Transcript⁠ | ⁠YouTube⁠

Timestamps

(01:46) Building Startups in a Startup for Startups;

(07:18) B2B Community Case Study 1: Entrepreneurs of SEA;

(13:31) B2B Community Case Study 2: CFO Connect;

(18:29) Managing Community Initiatives;

(22:04) The Future of Aspire’s Communities;

(23:00) #MinuteMasterclass: Building Communities for B2B;

(24:08) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Joel Leong is a serial entrepreneur, having built an online marketplace for creators and group buying community in Singapore before joining Aspire, where he is co-founder and CMO.

Music:

⁠Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction⁠

⁠Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)⁠

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠Insignia Ventures⁠ fund.

Mar 21, 202329:04
The Entrepreneur Venture Capitalist Behind Latin America’s Biggest Technology Companies with Kaszek Ventures Co-Founder and Managing Partner Hernan Kazah (Call #118)

The Entrepreneur Venture Capitalist Behind Latin America’s Biggest Technology Companies with Kaszek Ventures Co-Founder and Managing Partner Hernan Kazah (Call #118)

More than twelve years ago, the co-founder and COO then CFO, Hernan Kazah, together with the former CFO, Nicholas Szekasy, of now Latin American technology giant Mercado Libre decided to build a “true venture capital firm for Latin America,” one where entrepreneurs and former operators are partnering with founders rather than just investors deploying capital.

114+ ventures, 275+ entrepreneurs, and 7 funds later, co-founder and managing partner Hernan Kazah goes on call with Insignia Ventures’ Yinglan Tan to talk about learnings from his 25+ year career from P&G to Mercado Libre to Kaszek Ventures, what it has taken to build this “true venture capital firm” for the region, the opportunities for Southeast Asia companies in Latin America and vice versa, as well as a mini-masterclass on maturing your startup’s finance function.

Transcript | YouTube

Timestamps

(00:27) Learnings from an Operator VC’s 25+ Year Career: From P&G to Stanford MBA, Founding Mercado Libre to Founding Kaszek Ventures;

(11:04) The New Style of Venture Capital in Latin America;

(17:50) The Latin America-Southeast Asia Emerging Markets Dynamic;

(23:12) 114 Ventures, 275 Entrepreneurs, 7 Funds: What’s in the Next Five Years;

(24:58) #MinuteMasterclass: Building a Finance Function from Mercado Libre’s former CFO and Kaszek Managing Partner;

(26:22) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Hernan Kazah is co-founder and managing partner of Kaszek Ventures, a venture capital firm partnering with extraordinary technology founders in Latin America, founders behind companies like Nubank, Kavak, Creditas, Gympass, Loggi, and many more. He co-founded Kaszek with Mercado Libre’s former CFO Nicholas Szekasy in 2011 after 12 years with the Latin American technology giant, serving initially as COO and then CFO after Nicholas left. Hernan co-founded Mercado Libre with Marcos Galperin, whom he met while taking his MBA at Stanford. He took this MBA after more than three years as a brand manager in P&G where he started his career.

Music:

Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction

Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Insignia Ventures fund.

Mar 14, 202329:06
High Performance Culture, Organizational Prioritization, and Risk Management 101 with Flip COO Gita Prihanto (Call #117)

High Performance Culture, Organizational Prioritization, and Risk Management 101 with Flip COO Gita Prihanto (Call #117)

Gita Prihanto is the COO of Flip, an innovator and pioneer company in Indonesia’s financial technology space, with now more than 10 million users across the country and beyond doing all types of money transfers from remittances to invoices for micropreneurs. She goes on call with us to share how she has helped the company mature in its approach to organizational prioritization, product scaling, and committing to day-one values, with learnings for any entrepreneur or leader managing a growing organization.

Check out our previous call with Rafi Putra Arriyan, CEO and Co-Founder of Flip

Transcript | YouTube

Timestamps

(01:19) Why Gita Became COO of Flip: Market Opportunity and Founder Mindset;

(04:38) 1 to 10, 0 to 1, and 1: Numbers to Describe the COO Role at Flip;

(08:11) Unpacking the Flip Ecosystem: Remittances, New Prime Segment, and Micropreneurs;

(12:38) The Art of Organizational Prioritization;

(19:47) The Former-Grab exec, Flip COO Indonesian Angel Synergies;

(27:46) The Time for Innovation in Monetization;

(28:33) #MinuteMasterclass: Risk Management 101 for Fintechs;

(31:43) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Gita Prihanto is the COO of Flip. She has had more than a decade career in tech consulting and all that. She started out in McKinsey, then went on to become Senior Director of Indonesia at Grab (Two-Wheel Transport), and then in 2021 she joined Flip. She's also an angel investor, and part of the global XA network.

Music:

Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction

Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Insignia Ventures fund.

Mar 07, 202335:49
How to Unlock Indonesian Fisheries' Global Potential by Redefining Standards and Supply Chain Utility with FishLog CEO and Co-Founder Bayu Anggara (Call #116)

How to Unlock Indonesian Fisheries' Global Potential by Redefining Standards and Supply Chain Utility with FishLog CEO and Co-Founder Bayu Anggara (Call #116)

When it comes to agritech, what often comes to mind is the farmer or producer of the goods, as well as the end-consumer and the process of shortening the journey from farm to table. But industries like Indonesian fisheries are more than just about the fishermen or the end-consumers -- there is an entire, complex supply chain of businesses delivering, storing, and processing fishery products from their raw material state to markets across the globe. We go on call with returning guest Bayu Anggara, CEO and Co-Founder of FishLog, to talk about Indonesia’s fisheries supply chain (US$14B in captured fish and aquaculture) and the importance of redefining standards (see their recently launched real-time marketplace), capital access, and infrastructure access to unlock its potential in the global economy (US$6B in exports).

Check out our first call with Bayu last year! While we focused more on local distribution and broad industry pain points last year, this year we dive deeper into supply chain pain points (e.g., financing, logistics for cold storage) and improving the industries' global export growth.

Check out FishLog's 2022 impact report!

Transcript | YouTube

Timestamps

(00:34) FishLog’s 2022 in 3 numbers;

(01:53) Macro (Global Exports) and Micro (Inflation) Drivers for Indonesia Fisheries;

(12:11) The Iron Triangle of Fisheries: Increasing Supply Chain Utility through Asset-Light Cold Chain Enablement, Financing Support, and Industry Standardization;

(16:20) FishLog’s Stories of Sustainable Impact;

(21:46) Scaling an Organization for Indonesian Fisheries;

(26:11) #MinuteMasterclass: Leveraging data, human capital, and standards of government and national institutions;

(28:50) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Bayu Anggara is the CEO and co-founder of Indonesian B2B fisheries cold chain platform FishLog. Prior to FishLog, he was in the seafood products and trading food business and has had years of experience in the local fisheries industry. He graduated from Bogor Agricultural University with a Bachelors' in Fisheries and Marine Technology.

Music:

Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction

Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Insignia Ventures fund.

Feb 28, 202334:38
How Data Makes or Breaks Pivots and How Group Buying for Fresh Produce Increases Household Productivity with Bakool CEO Ivan Darmawan and COO Stephanie Wongsoredjo (Call #115)

How Data Makes or Breaks Pivots and How Group Buying for Fresh Produce Increases Household Productivity with Bakool CEO Ivan Darmawan and COO Stephanie Wongsoredjo (Call #115)

What makes a pivot meaningful for a business? Pivots are part and parcel of a startup’s journey but some are more effective than others. Go behind the scenes of how a business evolved by following the data and their customers in this call with Bakool founders Ivan Darmawan (CEO) and Stephanie Wongsoredjo (COO). Not only do they share learnings from their company’s pivot from quick commerce to social commerce for fresh produce, but how their current approach is increasing household productivity for tier-two and tier-three cities in Indonesia. More recently Bakool announced raising an undisclosed seed round from Kleiner Perkins, Goodwater, Insignia Ventures, Global Brain, former minister of Indonesia Mari Elka Pangestu, and others.

Timestamps

(00:43) Ivan and Stephanie introduce themselves;

(03:19) What’s in a Pivot: How Radius evolved into Bakool;

(05:56) Perks of Building Outside of Tier-One Cities (Competition, Market Opportunity, Margins);

(08:55) How Group Buying for Fresh Produce Increases Household Productivity;

(10:36) How Data Makes Pivots Meaningful;

(14:00) #MinuteMasterclass: Making Meaningful Pivots;

(15:40) #RapidFireRound;

About our guests

Ivan Darmawan and Stephanie Wongsoredjo have been friends for more than 15 years. They went to junior high school and studied abroad together and came back here to Indonesia with one vision: increasing the productivity of rural Indonesia. Both of their families came from tier-two cities, so they know how painful it is for people living in these areas to buy their grocery needs, and saw that they could improve the productivity of these people and also improve their quality of life.

Ivan Darmawan is the CEO of Bakool. Ivan previously graduated from the University of Southern California with a major in Industrial and Systems Engineering, with a focus on supply chain and logistics management. He also has 15 plus years of experience in farming, retail and tech, and previously worked in Southeast Asia unicorns handling the growth of three different markets.

Stephanie Wongsoredjo is the COO of Bakool. graduated from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Growing up she had been helping her family retail businesses for more than 15 years. They had been doing this family business focusing on rural areas across Indonesia, managing more than 150 retail stores. She used to manage and expand large-scale teams and operations and also experienced running a huge supply chain across Indonesia.

Music:

Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction

Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Insignia Ventures fund.

Feb 21, 202319:15
The Tao of Alibaba in Action: Governance, Crisis Management, Leadership Hiring, ESG, and more with Alibaba Global Initiatives division founder Brian A. Wong (Call #114)

The Tao of Alibaba in Action: Governance, Crisis Management, Leadership Hiring, ESG, and more with Alibaba Global Initiatives division founder Brian A. Wong (Call #114)

At the turn of the millennium, a Chinese American still fresh into his career and working at the time for the San Francisco County made a fateful decision to fly to Hangzhou and become the first American to join a small company of around 50 other people to build a then little known business marketplace called Alibaba.com.

More than twenty years later, Brian Wong, former longtime executive, assistant to Jack Ma, and founder of the Alibaba Global Initiatives division and executive director of Alibaba Global Leadership Academy, pens learnings from his tenure at the global technology group and how it has impacted his own worldview and life as an entrepreneur and investor in the book: Tao of Alibaba.

In this call, Brian not only gives a rundown of the book, but also shares how the management ethos and principles of Alibaba have been applied and can apply to a variety of areas of leadership and life, from crisis management to corporate governance, hiring leaders to writing a book.

Transcript

Timestamps

(01:47) Tao of Alibaba: The TLDR Version;

The Tao of Alibaba in Action:

(07:38) in Crisis Management;

(11:12) in Organizational Maturity, Financial Discipline, and Corporate Governance;

(17:39) in Building in SEA vs China;

(21:23) in Leadership Hiring;

(25:08) in Building in Bear Markets;

(27:23) in Writing a Book;

(29:39) in ESG (#MinuteMasterclass);

(32:31) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Brian A. Wong is a Chinese American entrepreneur and investor. He was the first American and only the fifty-second employee to join Alibaba Group, where he contributed to the company’s early globalization efforts and served as Jack Ma’s special assistant for international affairs. During his sixteen-year tenure, Wong helped expand Alibaba’s business presence in the US, Europe, India and Asia, established the Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI) division and was the founder and executive director of the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy. Wong remains an adviser to the AGI team and regularly teaches courses on China’s digital economy and the Tao of Alibaba management principles. Wong is also founder and chairman of RADII, a digital media company.

Wong earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College, a master’s certificate from the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)–Nanjing University Center for US and China Studies, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2015, is a China Fellow with Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and is a member of the Committee of 100. He is based in Shanghai, China.

Music:

Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction

Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Insignia Ventures fund.

Feb 14, 202339:37
The Art of Selling Aspirations, Bridging Legacy and Ecommerce Brands, and Investing in Stories Shaping Indonesia with Shipper CMO Jessica Hendrawidjaja (Call #113)

The Art of Selling Aspirations, Bridging Legacy and Ecommerce Brands, and Investing in Stories Shaping Indonesia with Shipper CMO Jessica Hendrawidjaja (Call #113)

“As a marketer, we’re not selling products, we’re selling aspirations...and creating stories," says the Chief Marketing Officer of Indonesian e-commerce enabler Shipper: Jessica Hendrawidjaja on this episode of On Call with Insignia. She shares from a global career spanning more than a decade in marketing what it means to sell aspirations. She also talks about how Shipper’s collaboration and education-focused approach to marketing is bridging innovation possibilities between legacy and e-commerce brands (with initiatives like the upcoming Legendary Brand Festival). We also talk about how her work as a marketer and angel investor is investing in entrepreneurial stories that are shaping the Indonesian economy, from those of 62 million SMEs in Indonesia to startup founders she invests in.

Learn more about the Legendary Brand Festival

Transcript

Timestamps

(01:17) From M&A hire to three years in the blink of an eye: Jess’s Shipper journey;

(03:56) What it Means to Be CMO with a Mission to Enable 62 million SMEs and Beyond;

(07:17) A Legendary Approach to Bridging Innovation Between Legacy and E-commerce Brands: The Legendary Brand Festival;

(12:17) How Offline Engagements and Events are Win-Win For Shipper and the Indonesian Economy;

(17:56) Jess the leader and angel investor;

(20:50) #MinuteMasterclass: What Early-Stage Founders and Marketers Should Keep in Mind as the Marketing Function Scales;

(22:09) #RapidFireRound;

About our guest

Jessica Hendrawidjaja is the Chief Marketing Officer of Shipper. Prior to Shipper, she was co-founder and CMO of logistics startup Porter acquired by Shipper in 2020. She has had more than a decade of experience in marketing, from PwC to NIFTIT. She received a BBA from the University of Washington and a Bachelor in International Marketing from Harvard University. She is also an angel investor.

Video Clips:

Dialog Inspirasi Pahlawan Ekonomi: Road To Legendary Brand Festival 2023 

Kolaborasi Shipper dengan Kementerian Koperasi dan Usaha Kecil Menengah

Music:

Neo Soul Hip Hop by Infraction

Trash Taste Background Music (Extended)

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Insignia Ventures fund.


Feb 07, 202328:06