Episodi

  • Aik Chuan Goh: Uber Lessons, Search Funds & The Future of Southeast Asia SMEs – E668

    Aik Chuan Goh: Uber Lessons, Search Funds & The Future of Southeast Asia SMEs – E668
    Feb 8 2026
    Aik Chuan (A.C.) Goh, Founder of Singapore’s first traditional search fund, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how operators evolve from startup builders into long-term business stewards. They explore lessons from Uber’s Southeast Asia expansion, why localization determines platform winners, and how consulting shaped A.C.’s decision-making framework. The conversation covers the limits of venture capital in personalized industries like education, the hidden succession crisis inside Singapore SMEs, and how search funds bridge retiring founders with new leadership. Aik Chuan also shares why disciplined capital structures matter, how growth still exists in mature markets, and why conviction requires respecting experience without surrendering belief in your thesis. 07:00 Uber proved that small autonomous teams can build cities: Three strong generalists with a mission can launch operations faster than large centralized structures. 10:30 Uber lost Indonesia because localization came too late: Missing cash payments and motorcycles allowed competitors to lock in the market. 11:45 Regional winners depend on profit hub cities: Control of Singapore, KL, Bangkok, and Jakarta determines who funds expansion. 19:32 Consulting builds structured decision discipline: Senior leaders iterate assumptions just like junior consultants, only faster. 29:53 Venture capital struggles in personalized education: Edtech exposed the limits of scale when every student needs different content. 34:22 Search funds solve SME succession gaps: Retiring founders need both liquidity and leadership, which the model combines. 53:15 Conviction requires reframing criticism: Aik Chuan learns to respect experience while still backing his thesis. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/aik-chuan-goh-owning-the-future Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #CorporateInnovation #VentureBuilding #StartupStrategy #SoutheastAsia #VentureCapital #FounderIncentives #CorporateGovernance #InnovationStrategy #VentureStudios #BRAVEpodcast
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    59 min
  • BRAVE: VC Ghosting, Portfolio Math & The Brutal Truth About Startup Survival - E667

    BRAVE: VC Ghosting, Portfolio Math & The Brutal Truth About Startup Survival - E667
    Feb 4 2026
    Jeremy Au breaks down how venture capital really works after the check clears. He explains how VCs silently re-rank startups every year, why most companies get deprioritized, and how a tiny number of winners carry an entire fund. The discussion covers angel buyouts, secondaries, IPO strategy, and the tension between founders and boards during exits. It’s a candid look at portfolio math, hidden incentives, and the survival rules founders rarely hear out loud. 01:47 The Hidden VC Scoreboard: Investment does not end evaluation. Partners continuously judge companies and shift attention toward expected winners. 04:45 The Brutal Portfolio Math: Most companies fail, a few return small wins, and one or two generate the 50x outcomes that power the entire fund. 06:20 Every Round Is a New Test: Each funding round resets conviction as investors decide whether to double down or step back. 13:25 Founder Vision vs. Board Incentives: Acquisition decisions split control from economics founders want long-term vision while boards optimize for return timing. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vc-survival-game Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #venturecapital #startupstrategy #portfoliomanagement #founderjourney #startuptruths #unicornmath #exitsandipo #vcinsights #startupgrowth #BRAVEpodcast
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    18 min
  • Kamil Pabis: Why Health Hits a Ceiling, Longevity Needs Drugs & Science Moves Too Slowly - E666

    Kamil Pabis: Why Health Hits a Ceiling, Longevity Needs Drugs & Science Moves Too Slowly - E666
    Feb 1 2026
    Kamil Pabis, a longevity researcher based in Singapore, joins Jeremy Au to unpack why extending a healthy lifespan needs systems thinking, not quick hacks. They define longevity as targeting aging itself, explain why academia both enables and constrains progress, and show how Singapore’s policy choices support longer lives. They also discuss the biohacker pipeline, the promise of drugs like rapamycin, and why regulation and trial design slow real proof in humans. 06:40 Longevity targets the underlying aging process: Kamil explains that doctors treat a disease, but longevity research aims at the shared driver behind many age-related diseases. 09:26 Academia runs on idealists, then burns them out: Kamil describes low pay, long hours, and boss dependence as structural issues that push researchers into burnout cycles. 16:08 Singapore extends lifespan through policy and environment: They link higher life expectancy to prevention, vice taxes, and public health rules, not just individual discipline. 21:42 Lifestyle upgrades hit a biological ceiling: Kamil argues that once basics are covered, health gains flatten and average lifespan still converges near the low 90s without slowing aging. 32:02 Biohacker communities create a flywheel for early tools: Kamil explains how Singapore meetups mix researchers, healthcare professionals, and biohackers, creating demand for imperfect but improving products. 46:34 Ethics and bureaucracy slow trials more than science: Kamil argues medical systems focus on risk avoidance and move slower than places like China, even when volunteers exist. 50:12 Personal longevity means basics first, then selective layering: Kamil advises covering sleep, exercise, nutrition, and medical basics first, then adding a small number of targeted interventions before diminishing returns set in. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/kamil-pabis-extending-human-life Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #Longevity #AgingScience #Healthspan #Biohacking #Rapamycin #PublicHealth #AcademicResearch #SingaporeTech #FutureOfHealth #BRAVEpodcast
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    1 ora
  • BRAVE: Founder Control VS. VC Governance, Exit Risk & Value Protection - E665

    BRAVE: Founder Control VS. VC Governance, Exit Risk & Value Protection - E665
    Jan 28 2026
    Jeremy Au discusses how value is created, preserved, and lost in Southeast Asian startups, focusing on governance, control rights, and exit risk. The conversation looks at real founder–investor breakdowns, regulatory shocks, and why weak structure often shows up only when things go wrong. It explains why growth alone is not enough, and how control, trust, and exit planning shape outcomes in emerging markets. 00:14 Investor Regret on Control Rights: Investors reflect on the downside of weak protections and wish they had negotiated stronger control measures earlier. 01:18 Exit Management Is a VC Skill: The discussion shifts to exits, emphasizing that building value and realizing value require different skills and planning. 06:09 Light-Touch Governance and Fraud Risk: How US-style light governance in Indonesia contributed to aggressive growth, weak oversight, and fraud issues. 09:07 Growth Pressure and Revenue Fraud: A direct link is drawn between growth-at-all-costs behavior and manipulation of revenue numbers in emerging markets. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/exit-risk-exposed Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #VentureCapital #StartupGovernance #FounderInvestor #EmergingMarkets #SoutheastAsia #StartupRisk #ExitStrategy #VCInsights #StartupLessons #BRAVEpodcast
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    15 min
  • BRAVE: Why Startups Fail: Power Laws, Failure Patterns & Being Too Early - E664

    BRAVE: Why Startups Fail: Power Laws, Failure Patterns & Being Too Early - E664
    Jan 25 2026
    Jeremy Au breaks down why most startups fail even after raising capital and why failure is often misunderstood by founders, investors, and the media. Drawing from venture data and real startup case studies, the discussion unpacks common failure patterns, the role of timing and macro forces, and why economic failure does not always mean bad judgment. The episode reframes failure as part of innovation, while staying honest about incentives, power laws, and investor reality. 01:40 The Brutal Math of Venture Capital: Jeremy explains why only about 1% of startups become unicorns, with high death rates at every funding stage. 03:55 Are Failed Startups Really Failures?: The discussion reframes failure, asking whether founders are failures or pioneers who were simply too early. 06:10 Jibo and Being Too Early: Jeremy shares how a social robot startup failed due to high hardware costs and missing infrastructure years before AI and sensors were ready. 12:30 Six Common Startup Failure Patterns: Jeremy outlines repeatable failure modes, including bad teams, false starts, speed traps, and bad macro luck. 20:10 Bad Macro Luck and Market Cycles: The episode explains how funding winters and external shocks can kill startups that were otherwise doing fine. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/why-startups-fail-power Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #startupfailure #venturecapital #founderlessons #powerlaw #startuplife #VCinsights #techstartups #buildinpublic #learningfromfailure #BRAVEpodcast
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    31 min
  • BRAVE: VC Term Sheets VS. Founder Control, Valuation Myths, Governance & Deal Failure - E663

    BRAVE: VC Term Sheets VS. Founder Control, Valuation Myths, Governance & Deal Failure - E663
    Jan 21 2026

    Jeremy Au breaks down how venture capital deals really close, why many fail after the term sheet, and how financial and control rights shape outcomes for founders and investors over a 10-year relationship. Drawing from real cases across Southeast Asia, he explains the hidden trade-offs behind valuation, governance, and trust, and why “good economics” can still destroy long-term value if handled poorly.

    01:00 Due Diligence and Deal Risk: How reference checks, audits, and legal reviews can still miss fraud and derail trust.

    03:30 Trust as a 10-Year Decision: Why fundraising is not just about price, but about choosing a long-term partner.

    04:45 Valuation Disputes and Ego: How founders and VCs clash over worth, and why bad negotiations quietly kill companies.

    09:00 Valuation vs. Hidden Clauses: How high headline valuations are offset by liquidation preferences and anti-dilution terms.

    15:30 Exploding Term Sheets and Founder Regret: A case where aggressive terms improved investor economics but destroyed founder trust.

    Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/power-plays-in-fundraising

    WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e


    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau


    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz


    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau


    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea


    Spotify

    English: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T

    Bahasa Indonesia: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vs8t6qPo0eFb4o6zOmiVZ

    Chinese: https://open.spotify.com/show/20AGbzHhzFDWyRTbHTVDJR

    Vietnamese: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yqd3Jj0I19NhN0h8lWrK1


    YouTube English: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu?sub_confirmation=1


    Apple Podcast English: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464


    #VentureCapital #TermSheets #StartupFunding #FounderVC #Valuation #Governance #StartupDeals #ControlRights #Fundraising #BRAVEpodcast
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    22 min
  • Beatrice Lion: From No-Pay Intern to Global VC, Betting Early on AI & Blockchain – E662

    Beatrice Lion: From No-Pay Intern to Global VC, Betting Early on AI & Blockchain – E662
    Jan 18 2026
    Beatrice Lion, General Partner and CEO of True Global Ventures, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how early conviction, long cycles, and hands-on learning shaped her path from finance student to venture capital leader. They explore why blockchain and AI only look obvious in hindsight, how decentralization solves real risks created by centralized platforms, and why hype often masks weak demand rather than weak technology. The conversation covers building a venture fund from self-funded roots to institutional scale, navigating fundraising and regulation, and what it takes to grow as an investor across multiple market cycles. Beatrice also shares how staying in one firm for years can still mean many different careers, and why resilience and judgment matter more than timing. 02:52 A no-pay internship reshaped career direction: Shadowing a GP showed how small actions, like one introduction, could determine a startup’s survival. 04:11 Venture capital felt more meaningful than banking: Direct impact on founders and companies mattered more than prestige or salary. 13:20 Decentralization drove blockchain conviction: Seeing Animoca lose its business overnight to a centralized platform clarified the risk of single gatekeepers. 16:33 Technology does not create demand: Tokenization only works when real markets already exist, not when assets lack buyers. 22:22 Market crashes build resilient founders: Repeated crypto downturns filtered out weak actors and strengthened surviving teams. 29:00 Eight years in one fund meant many roles: Beatrice moved across portfolio support, fundraising, regulation, and investment decisions without stagnation. 41:20 Leadership required personal courage under scrutiny: As a young CEO, Beatrice led a long MAS licensing process while managing deep self-doubt. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/beatrice-lion-application-layer-advantage WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea Spotify English: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T Bahasa Indonesia: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vs8t6qPo0eFb4o6zOmiVZ Chinese: https://open.spotify.com/show/20AGbzHhzFDWyRTbHTVDJR Vietnamese: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yqd3Jj0I19NhN0h8lWrK1 YouTube English: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu?sub_confirmation=1 Apple Podcast English: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464 #VentureCapital #AIApplications #BlockchainInvesting #TechCycles #EmergingManagers #FundraisingJourney #InvestorConviction #StartupEcosystem #RegulatedInnovation #BRAVEpodcast
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    48 min
  • Rocky Yu: Inside AGI House, Talent Density & Why AI Is Built by Communities – E661

    Rocky Yu: Inside AGI House, Talent Density & Why AI Is Built by Communities – E661
    Jan 14 2026
    Rocky Yu, Founder and CEO of AGI House, joins Jeremy Au to unpack how early curiosity in computer graphics led him from engineering and startups to building one of the world’s most influential AI communities. They explore why talent density matters more than scale, how AGI House emerged during the pandemic as a mission-first experiment, and what it takes to turn deep technical conversations into real companies. The conversation covers Rocky’s journey from academia to entrepreneurship, how dinners and hackathons sparked breakout AI startups, and why AGI should be understood as a system of applied intelligence rather than a single god-like model. Rocky also shares his views on resilience, uncertainty, and how young people and parents should think about work, purpose, and opportunity in an AI-shaped future. 02:00 Early fascination with computer graphics shaped Rocky’s path: Curiosity about how computers generate realistic images pulled him into computer science long before AI was mainstream. 06:06 The pandemic triggered a mission reset: Isolation and deep conversations about purpose and intelligence sparked the idea that later became AGI House. 08:12 Talent density became the core design choice: AGI House prioritized curating elite researchers and founders over scaling a broad, open community. 12:32 Invite-only dinners and open hackathons worked together: Private discussions built depth while hackathons surfaced raw, unproven talent who later broke out. 15:29 Resilience comes from knowing why you build: Rocky explains that founders who love status quit early, while those driven by curiosity endure hardship. 17:21 AGI is a system, not a single god model: Intelligence emerges from many specialized agents improving through real-world deployment. 29:02 Learning to live with uncertainty builds founders: Traveling the world with no money trained the mindset Rocky later relied on as an entrepreneur. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/rocky-yu-building-agi-together WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea Spotify English: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T Bahasa Indonesia: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vs8t6qPo0eFb4o6zOmiVZ Chinese: https://open.spotify.com/show/20AGbzHhzFDWyRTbHTVDJR Vietnamese: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yqd3Jj0I19NhN0h8lWrK1 YouTube English: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu?sub_confirmation=1 Apple Podcast English: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/brave-southeast-asia-tech-singapore-indonesia-vietnam/id1506890464 #ArtificialIntelligence #AGI #AICommunity #TechFounders #StartupEcosystem #FutureOfWork #FounderMindset #TalentDensity #HumanPotential #BRAVEpodcast
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    32 min