The Rice People Podcast

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Hsu Ken is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Iterative , a YC-style accelerator focused on Southeast Asia. Hsu Ken and his co-founder Brian Ma started Iterative in 2021 and are already about to begin their 4th accelerator batch. As part of the accelerator startups receive anywhere between US $150,000 to US $ 500,000 along with 3 months of working together with the Iterative team and fellow batch mates on growth, product, pitch etc. Prior to founding Iterative, Hsu Ken also co-founded Decide (acquired by eBay) and Weave.

In Today's Episode with Hsu Ken, we discuss:

How he founded an Decide, an early machine learning company at 22, raised 16M and sold it to eBay
Why he's inspired by the energy of young founders in Southeast Asia
The importance of making mistakes and iterating on your ideas
Why you should set up “fake doors” for your users
The importance of learning velocity as a founder
How it was like starting a company right after the 2008 financial crisis
How and why Iterative aims to increase the GDP of Southeast Asia
What is the role accelerators can play in the startup ecosystem
How he evaluates startup founders and the traits he looks for
The framework he uses to learn from the investment decisions he has made
Core philosophies he lives by
Why startups fail and what could the teams have done differently

You can find all things Iterative at:
Website: Iterative.vc

For the full show notes and the transcript, check out the episode page here.

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Alan Wong is the CTO and one of the Co-Founders of Ula. Ula is fast growing Indonesian startup looking to digitize and empower mom and pop retailers, also known as warungs in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia. The company also recently raised a $100 Million Series B round from prominent investors such as Bezos Expeditions, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, Tencent and more. We cover how Ula's journey, how customer obsession is their North Star and also get Alan's point of view of when is the right time to progress from being an individual contributor in an organisation.

You can find all things Ula at:
Website: https://landing.ula.app

For the full show notes and the transcript, check out the episode page here.

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Albert Ho is the Chief Strategy Officer as RateS, which is a social commerce platform that enables small businesses and individuals to start their online business via social channels.

We dove deep to understand social commerce, how it works in different geographies, why its taking hold in Southeast Asia today and also the nuances in the varying social commerce models adopted by a variety of startups in the region today. We also talked about Rate S' evolution from a financial platform into a social commerce startup, challenges they've faced and also touch on how Albert's newsletter and telegram community journey.

You Albert's 1to10scaleup newsletter and Telegram group here:

1to10scaleup Newsletter
1to10scaleup Telegram Group

You can find all things RateS at:

RateS Website

For the full show notes and the transcript, check out the episode page here.

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On this episode, we had a chat with Grehg Yeo, the host of the 1 Foot In Podcast which aims to help you get into the doors of teh top and fastest growing companies in the world. The podcast introduces you to the individuals who have done just that and you get to know who they are, what are their value systems and what worked to get them in.

This was a loose and fun conversation where we discussed why he even decided to start a podcast focused on careers, his own personal experience as an undergraduate, looking for internships and a job. We also talked about the nitty gritty parts of running a podcast as well the various highs and lows he's had with 1 Foot In after 1 season of the podcast. At the end of the pod, you also get a sneak peek into what Gregh and 1 Foot In has in store for you in Season 2!

You can find the 1 Foot In podcast here or wherever else you get your podcasts!

For the full show notes and the transcript, check out the episode page here.
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On this episode, we had a chat with Neelesh Bhatia, the founder of Akadasia which is a mission driven startup looking to empower educators everywhere by building the largest global community of educators and providing them resources for continuous professional development. He was also the founding director of SPINOFF, the entrepreneurship centre at Singapore Polytechnic.

This was a wide ranging conversation where we discussed Akadasia's origin story and why Neelesh wanted to build this company, how he made the tough decision to leave his comfortable government jobs to dive back into entrepreneurship, the evolution of teaching and education over the past couple of years, why hunger is more important than passion and so much more!

You can find all things Akadasia at:
Website: https://akadasia.com

For the full show notes and the transcript, check out the episode page here.

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Our guest today is Justine Win, a Product Designer at Shopify. She also writes regularly about her learnings and own design processes.

In our conversation, we understand her perspective on what makes good design, what a product designer does, how compromise is a key part of the design process and how you can develop your own creative muscle. We also dive deep into understanding her thought process behind moving from the Philippines to Canada, why she was intent on working at a product-led company and how she even got into the design field, having studied IT in college.

You can find her work at:
Website: https://justinewin.com
Medium: https://stories.justinewin.com

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Angjolie Mei is the Founder of The Life Celebrant, a funeral services company in Singapore that focuses on celebrating the departed's unique life while facilitating moments that lead to the healing of grief. She is also the author of Dying To Meet You, a book where she documents her own journey and experiences through the Funeral Services industry in great detail.

In this conversation, we dive deep into various aspects of the funeral services industry and the services that are provided, Angjolie's journey from her initial experiences with death while she was in school to running her own company today and also how she has worked to overcome doubters and naysayers and brought fresh ideas and services into an industry best known for following tradition.

You can find all things The Life Celebrant at any of these platforms:
Instagram: @thelifecelebrant
Website: www.thelifecelebrant.sg

Or you can buy the 2nd Edition of Dying To Meet You:
1. Epigram Books
2. Goodreads
3. BooksActually

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Natalja is the Founder of Sisters of Code, the first female coding club in Cambodia. Only 7% of female students in Cambodia study tech-related subjects. Their goal is the provide coding training to female students over an 18 weeks to empower and support female students to discover their full potential.

In this conversation, we talk to Natalja about why she decided to she ended up starting this coding education program in Cambodia, the challenges she has faced in running a non-profit, how she has overcome the cultural and infrastructure challenges to get the program off the ground, what kind of outcomes they see after students have completed the program and we also discuss the state of technology and startups in Cambodia.

You can out more about Sisters of Code at:
Website: www.sistersofcode.org

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Sean is the Co-founder of Noah and Zoey, 2 rapidly growing healthcare brands looking to provide Asian men and women modern and discreet access to healthcare. Their mission is to provide an inclusive, zero judgement space where men and women can seek treatment for highly stigmatised yet prevalent conditions in sexual, aesthetic, mental health and overall well-being.

In this conversation, we talk to Sean about the incident that triggered the idea for starting Noah, how they validated their idea to their 6 week sprint to get an MVP out the door. We touch on the reasons for the large disparity between the awareness of these stigmatised conditions and their prevalence. We also chat about the importance of talent density in a startup and how he is building an A+ team at Noah and Zoey as well as his thoughts on the future of tech in healthcare.

You can find all things Noah and Zoey at any of these platforms:
Instagram: @ofnoahsg, @ofzoeysg
Website: www.ofnoah.com, www.ofzoey.com

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Show Notes:
- How a personal experience led him to start Noah
- The disparity between the awareness and prevalence of these stigmatised conditions
- How did he validate his startup idea
- What was the early product for Noah like?
- How telemedicine is evolving
- What was his pitch to get the first few doctors onboard the platform?
- What is his approach to branding and marketing a his company?
- Why high talent density is critical in a startup
- Not everyone likes working in a startup
- His take on tech in the healthcare space
- Why scaling the team is one of the biggest hurdles
- The importance of not believing in your own bullshit
- Why they started a the Ordinary Folk podcast to talk about pornography, adultery, and other touchy topics
- What were his learnings working at a end-of-life tech startup in his previous job
- Who inspires him?

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Luna is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Altitude Games, a leading gaming studio based in Manila. Her team has developed popular free-to-play mobile games like Kung Fu Clicker, Dream Defence and Battle Racers. These games have been downloaded over a million times on Play Store alone.

In this conversation, we talk to Luna about how she was part of the pioneering team that helped build the first game title to be launched in the Philippines. She also shared about how she and her co-founders founded Altitude games, the game development process, how gaming has evolved, how and why they got into blockchain gaming and NFTs, how things are changing in terms of gender balance in the industry and also advice for folks looking to break into the space. We also touch on a variety of fun topics like why she decided to take up Krav Maga and become an instructor!

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

You can find all things Altitude Games at any of these platforms:
Instagram: @altitude_games
Website: https://www.altitude_games.com

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Episode NotesArvin is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of AKIN, one of the leading independent marketing agencies in the region. Only recently the team walked away from the Marketing Magazine’s Agency of the Year Awards 2020 with 6 awards in recognition of their amazing work.

In this conversation, Arvin talks about AKIN's origin story, how his upbringing led him to where he is today, challenges in running the business and also about their framework for humanising brands. He also shares his thoughts how one should approach a field they have no/little experience in and also dispenses some sage advice for young folks leaving university, looking to make their way in the competitive work environment.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

You can find all things AKIN at any of these platforms:
Instagram: @hello.akin
Website: https://helloakin.com
Email: oh@helloakin.com

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Show Notes:
- How AKIN started?
- The difference between proactive and reactive business growth
- How to start something when you have no idea what you're doing
- Rapport building is about credibility, trustworthiness and ability
- Why influence is about being authentic
- How to help brands be more authentic and connect with consumers
- Why startups need to recognise themselves as small business
- Why big companies are less ready to humanise their brands
- What are the brands that inspire his work
- His biggest challenge running AKIN
- Why he asks new hires for their exit plans
- What to do when stepping into uncharted waters
- Figuring out what unique value you can bring to the market
- How his upbringing has shaped him
- The importance of finding a platform that allows you to flourish

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Rahul is one of the co-founders of Binjai Brew, a young singaporean craft beer brand.

In this conversation, we talk to Rahul about Binjai Brew's notorious origin story, how he even got interested in beer, the process of making their product, challenges he's faced and his relationship with his co-founder. We also touch on a variety of topics like the changing consumer tastes and his long term goal for Binjai Brew.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

You can find all things Binjai Brew at any of these platforms:

Instagram: @binjaibrew

Website: https://binjaibrew.com/

On Tap at:

Gravvy Restaurant & Bar (Tanjong Pagar)
Gravvy Restaurant & Bar (Tanjong Katong)
Sky Bistro @ NSRCC

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Show Notes

The origin story of Binjai Brew
All publicity is good publicity
How he got started in beer
How they make their beer at Binjai Brew
what is Rahul’s vision for Binjai Brew
F&B is all about who you know
How do you build trust with restaurant owners and distributors as a young beer maker?
D2C vs B2B
Binjai Brew’s brand and personality
His thoughts on shifting consumer tastes
Who are binjai brew’s customers?
What has been the lowest point for him so far?
His advice to someone that wants to start their own brewery
Challenges in starting your own craft beer company
Can you run a craft beer company with just two people?

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Wei Choon makes up one half of the duo behind The Woke Salaryman, a viral personal finance page that has grown to over 400k followers across their Facebook and Instagram pages in 2+ years.

In this conversation, we talk to Wei Choon about The Woke Salaryman's origin story, how his upbringing has influenced his worldview, challenges in the business and their content creation process. We also touch on a variety of topics like bitcoin, privilege, cancel culture and what lies ahead for The Woke Salaryman.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

You can find all things The Woke Salaryman at any of these platforms:
Instagram: @thewokesalaryman
Facebook: @wokesalaryman
Website: https://thewokesalaryman.com/
Telegram group: @wokesalaryman

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Show Notes
The origin story of The Woke Salaryman [1.21]
Why he thinks TWS’s content resonates so strongly [7:32]
The personal finance community in Singapore [9:09]
Making tradeoffs in the content creation process [9:50]
Their storytelling process and using metaphors [11:45]
The content creation process at TWS [17:32]
Trust is the cornerstone for his partnership with his cofounder [20:52]
Talking about TWS’s post about moving out of the parent’s home [21:20]
Wei Choon’s favourite TWS post [24:02]
Self doubt is a chronic condition [25:56]
Balancing authenticity and understanding their audience [27:43]
Dealing with cancel culture [29:34]
Business challenges as a content company [36:18]
Wei Choon’s upbringing and how it influenced his worldview [45:30]
Making your own privilege [53:53]
Compounding privilege and what to do with it [59:52]
What content is he consuming today? [1:04:41]
Crypto and Bitcoin [1:08:36]
Don’t be afraid to sell out [1:11:54]
Who inspires him? [1:20:53]

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This is the trailer episode of the Rice People Podcast. On this show, we talk to the innovators, creators and thinkers doing some of the most interesting things in Asia.

We dive into their journeys, learn how they think and uncover why they are doing what they are doing. We aim for the conversations to help inspire you and provide you with the insights you need to forge your own journey

New episodes will be released EVERY TUESDAY so don't forget to subscribe and follow us on instagram @ricepeoplepod !

You can find more information at https://ricepeoplepodcast.com

The Rice People Podcast: Recent Episodes

Adil, Wong Lei

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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