BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English)

Blue Orca Capital’s allegations against BetterHelp and highlights growing tensions in tech-enabled labor platforms. BetterHelp is accused of using AI to replace human therapists, driven by cost pressures and incentive structures. The case reflects broader risks as AI begins to reshape trust, quality, and business models in two-sided marketplaces. Therapists allegedly use AI to engage patients : Cu...

Jeremy Au sits down with Li Hongyi, director of Open Government Products, to explore his journey from aspiring physicist to building digital tools for public service. They discuss agency, leadership, and the realities of driving change in government—from the impact of a Google internship to lessons in management and building systems that protect against fraud. 1. Dreaming in equations: As a kid, H...

Jordan Dea-Mattson, a veteran tech leader, and Jeremy Au discussed how Jordan built developer tools at Apple and went on to lead engineering teams at Adobe and Indeed. They explored how he witnessed Apple’s transformation under Steve Jobs, the often unseen dynamics behind major tech layoffs, and what it takes to grow and scale high-performing teams in Southeast Asia. Jordan also shared how he led...

Jeremy Au breaks down what founders should really look for in a VC—beyond branding. He shares a practical framework for value-add, highlights how VCs behave in failure, and urges founders to dig deeper than surface signals. The conversation also looks at why older founders often perform better, even if they raise less, and the dynamics of VC incentives. VCs show true value in failure: Founders oft...

Jeremy Au unpacked why most startups fail and how failure is often misunderstood especially in Southeast Asia’s tech landscape. He pointed out that failure isn’t just about poor execution or bad luck. It’s often structural, recurring across funding stages, and rooted in deeper issues like team mismatches, market timing, or scaling too fast. He also drew a clear line between economic failure and pe...

Jeremy Au talks with Gita Sjahrir, an Indonesian economist and entrepreneur, in a deep dive on Indonesia’s current macroeconomic conditions and policy landscape. They analyze how inconsistent government communication, executional shortcomings, and short-term policymaking have contributed to uncertainty among investors and the public. The discussion also explores infrastructure priorities, the stru...

Jeremy Au discussed how pitching, trust, and fundraising work. He explained that pitching is about expressing a future others can believe in, not just raising money. He shared how traction builds trust, why capital must be chosen carefully, and how great founders turn investor interest into leverage. Drawing on examples like Rewind.ai and BenchSci, he laid out what separates good pitches from grea...

Vikram Bharati , founder of Draper Startup House, and Jeremy Au talked about how the startup world has shifted since their last conversation. They explored how Draper Startup House has expanded across continents while wrestling with the challenge of scaling both physical spaces and community-driven programming. They discussed how remote and hybrid work are evolving post-pandemic, and how startups...

Shiyan Koh , Managing Partner of Hustle Fund , and Jeremy Au explored the growing challenges of youth unemployment in Singapore and how AI is fundamentally changing the job market. They discussed how the rise of automation is making entry-level roles less necessary, leading companies to prioritize experienced hires who can work with AI rather than train fresh graduates. They also examine how AI am...

Jeremy Au talked about how venture capitalists assess startups based on their ability to scale rapidly, led by strong founders with a clear strategy and market fit. However, their decisions are shaped by heuristics, biases, and time constraints. The best founders move fast, refine their pitches, and demonstrate exponential growth potential. He also discussed how VCs evaluate startups, the common p...

Benjamin Loh , Certified Speaking Professional and Jeremy Au discussed public speaking, thought leadership, and leadership growth. They reflected on Benjamin’s journey from public speaking to training financial advisors and running a thought leadership agency. They explored how social media amplifies voices, how leaders can shape industry narratives, and the challenges of managing perception onlin...

Jeremy Au and Valerie Vu discussed Vietnam’s evolving role in global trade, the impact of US-China tensions, and the country’s sweeping internal reforms. They explore how foreign investments are reshaping Vietnam’s industries, how the government is navigating trade uncertainties, and how local businesses are adapting to increased competition. They also covered Vietnam’s efforts to modernize infras...

Jeremy Au breaks down the fundamentals of unit economics, customer acquisition, and blitzscaling in startups. Using real-world examples, he explains how different business models—like SaaS versus consumer goods—affect profitability and marketing strategies. The conversation explores the challenges of scaling aggressively, the importance of timing in venture capital, and how execution often matters...

Sadaf Sultan , Founder of Finprojections , and Jeremy Au analyzed the eFishery financial scandal and discuss broader issues of financial fraud in startups. They talked about why eFishery was appealing to investors and how the fraud unfolded and shared their insights into detecting fraud effectively. They explore the challenges faced during investor due diligence, overlooked warning signs, and prac...

Gita Sjahrir , Senior Advisor at TBS Energi Utama, and Jeremy Au talked about the complexities of corporate governance and accountability within emerging markets. They discussed the eFishery scandal, the Pertamina corruption case, and the broader implications for economic growth and investor trust.  1. Investor Due Diligence: Gita and Jeremy highlighted the need for investors to go beyond financia...

Jeremy Au discussed common startup failure patterns, and emphasized that failure is frequent and often inevitable even for companies that make it to later funding stages. Many startups fail to deliver financial returns for investors, regardless of how innovative or pioneering they might be. He also talked about various reasons for failure, from team issues to premature scaling, providing real-worl...

Jeremy Au reconnects with Kwok Jiachuan , his first-ever podcast guest, to reflect on their journey from school friends to army roommates to co-founders of Conjunct Consulting. They talked about the challenges of starting and scaling a social impact consultancy, from early skepticism to securing funding and navigating the evolving nonprofit landscape. They also discuss leadership lessons, the impo...

Mike Michalec shares his journey from molecular research to outdoor adventure guiding and eventually into education consulting in Southeast Asia. He discusses the region’s diverse education landscape, the challenges of scaling edtech businesses, and the impact of China’s regulatory crackdown on the sector. He explains why many education startups fail, how funding and business models shape the indu...

Jeremy Au discussed key aspects of venture capital decision-making and tech regulation including how VCs make sequential investment choices, navigate acquisition offers and public listing routes, and address regulatory challenges. He also examined how customer advocacy and jurisdictional differences shape tech policy, while debating the trade-offs between asking for permission versus seeking forgi...

Yuying Deng , CEO of Esevel , and Jeremy Au talked about Esevel’s IT service business evolution over the past few years. They trace the journey from handling simple device procurement in Southeast Asia (with a focus on Singapore, India, and Indonesia) to offering full IT life cycle management and cybersecurity support. They also discussed how customer feedback and real pain points drive service ex...

Mohan Belani , CEO and Cofounder of e27, and Jeremy Au talked about how the Southeast Asia startup scene has transformed over the past decade, including the shift from early-stage exuberance to a more cautious, capital-efficient mindset, and citing specific cases like eFishery and Carousell. They touched on regional challenges, with markets as different as Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, while...

Jeremy Au explored the strategic dynamics of venture capital, network effects, and first-mover risks in technology markets. He illustrated how Uber outmaneuvered Lyft by aggressively raising capital to fuel network effects, while Airbnb achieved superior capital efficiency through globally pooled inventory. Using the case of Henn Tan, the Singaporean inventor of the USB thumb drive, he highlighted...

Jeraldine Phneah , Content Creator & Account Director of one of the top AI SaaS companies, and Jeremy Au discussed: Journalism to Enterprise Tech Sales: Jeraldine studied journalism and public policy but pivoted to enterprise tech sales in 2016 for financial stability, future-proofing, and work-life balance. Initially hesitant, she realized B2B SaaS focused on problem-solving and improving eff...

Shiyan Koh , Managing Partner of Hustle Fund , and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Trump’s Economic Policies, Tariffs & Crypto Initiatives: They examined the economic impact of Trump’s 2025 return, including a 10% tariff hike on Chinese imports and new tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The administration also ended the de minimis exemption for low-cost e-commerce imports, affecting platforms like Temu and...

Adriel Yong ,  Orvel Venture  Partner, and  Jeremy Au  discussed: How eFishery Fooled Investors : They examined the elaborate scheme that allowed eFishery to inflate revenue and mislead major investors. They broke down the warning signs, such as financial irregularities, CFO departure (similar to Zilingo failure signal) and too-good-to-be-true business model that were ignored until it was too late...