Jeremy Au spoke about the dangers of chasing only professional success and why it can lead to emptiness despite external achievements. He explained the importance of balancing career ambition with personal happiness, introduced a shifting framework for finding purpose, and shared stories that highlight resilience, injustice, and the values that truly define a meaningful life. 02:45 Defining Personal Success: He urges listeners to think about health, love, and family as true measures of success, ...
Aug 21, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 617
Javier Lorenzana , former EdTech founder turned content creator, joins Jeremy Au to revisit their first meeting during an On Deck podcasting course and trace his journey from startup building to social media success. They discuss the creation and shutdown of his pandemic-born company Upnext, the personal and professional fallout that followed, and how he rebuilt confidence through fitness, self-work, and creative risk-taking. Javi shares how his founder mindset shapes his content strategy, why a...
Aug 19, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 616
Jeremy Au and Sang Shin trace Sang’s journey from a privileged childhood in the Philippines to his evolution as an entrepreneur, investor, and philosopher. They unpack the pivotal moments that shaped his outlook, the hard lessons from building a privacy-first startup that challenged big tech, and his creation of Fafty, a belief system grounded in the idea that life is a simulation and the true goal is to elevate personal existence. Their conversation weaves together stories of youthful awakening...
Aug 17, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 615
Jeremy Au shares why long-term career success depends on investing in health, cultivating purpose, and learning to handle inevitable criticism. He explains the link between purpose and happiness, why choosing your challenges makes them more bearable, and how treating yourself as your own best friend helps you grow despite setbacks. 02:00 The Role of Relationships: Research shows people with more high-quality relationships live happier and longer lives, and university is when most people have the...
Aug 14, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 614
Adrian Choo , CEO of Career Agility International , joins Jeremy Au to explore how AI, job insecurity, and shifting regional trends are reshaping the future of work in Southeast Asia. They discuss why Singapore is losing its dominance as a regional employment hub, how mid-career professionals are getting priced out, and why Gen Z graduates are entering the job market without marketable skills. Adrian shares how he sold skeletons to pay for university, how he pivoted from headhunter to coach, and...
Aug 12, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 613
Jianggan Li , Founder of Momentum Works , joins Jeremy Au to unpack the evolving trade dynamics between China, Vietnam, and the United States. They compare Vietnam’s swift concessions with China’s calculated rare earth strategy, discuss the blurred lines of transshipment, and explore how Apple, Pop Mart, and Labubu reflect larger trends in global manufacturing and consumer behavior. The conversation also reveals how Chinese brands are outpacing global competitors in TikTok marketing and why luxu...
Aug 10, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 612
Jeremy Au speaks about the uncomfortable truth that the world isn’t fair. He urges listeners to let go of idealism, understand real-world power dynamics, and make deliberate career choices. From decoding hypocrisy in leadership to choosing when to be a small fish in a big pond, he shares how to survive and thrive by thinking both outside-in and inside-out. 01:00 Life Isn’t Fair: Jeremy dismantles the idea that good things always happen to good people and explains why embracing life’s unfairness ...
Aug 07, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 611
Tiang Lim Foo , General Partner at Forge Ventures , and Jeremy Au discussed how Southeast Asia’s tech and venture capital landscape is evolving through cycles of hype, correction, and AI-driven transformation. They unpack the eFishery scandal as a clearing event, reframe expectations around exits, and debate whether venture capital remains viable in a region where only one unicorn appears every four years. They explore the split between local and global-first startups, how AI is reviving SaaS th...
Aug 05, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 610
Sudhir Vadaketh , Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Jom, returns to BRAVE after four years to share how he built a long-form journalism outlet in Singapore. He and Jeremy Au discuss the journey from solo writer to team manager, the real risks and support systems behind independent media, and how Jom navigates Singapore’s evolving boundaries on speech. They unpack the emotional weight of managing editorial freedom, public fear of backlash, and what bravery looks like in today’s media landscape. S...
Aug 03, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 609
Shiyan Koh , Managing Partner at Hustle Fund , joins Jeremy Au to explore Singapore’s exploration of nuclear energy, the Southeast Asia startup downturn, and how AI is changing both business and social behavior. They discuss how the government seeds long-term energy strategy, what optimism looks like in a bear market, and why human interaction must remain a priority as digital tools evolve. Together, they reflect on resilience, founder mindset, and parenting in an increasingly AI-driven world. 0...
Jul 31, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 608
Jeremy Au breaks down why most startups fail and what it really takes to succeed in the AI age. He explains the six patterns of startup failure, the tricky economics of service businesses, and why AI will wipe out average workers. He also explores how caring about a problem gives founders their edge and why listening, not output, is the real marker of a great marketer or executive. 00:59 Startup Failure Is the Default: Jeremy explains that failure is the norm in startups and outlines six common ...
Jul 29, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 607
Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code BRAVESEA for an extra 4 months at www.surfshark.com/BRAVESEA Daniel Thong , founder of Nimbus , returns to BRAVE to share how he built a profitable, tech-enabled service business without venture capital. He and Jeremy Au unpack the rise and fall of tech companies like Zilingo , examine the structural issues behind finance misconduct, and explore how AI is reshaping service operations. Daniel discusses why bootstrapping gave him more control, ...
Jul 28, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 606
Jeremy Au explores how exponential tech progress is reshaping the future, why Southeast Asia is positioned for a surge in unicorns, and how venture capitalists evaluate founders. From AI relationships to realistic startup odds, this discussion challenges assumptions about the next 100 years of innovation and entrepreneurship. 01:15 100 Years of Progress: Jeremy compares sampans to reusable rockets to illustrate the speed of change in the last century. He asks if anyone in 1924 could have predict...
Jul 24, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 605
Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code BRAVESEA for an extra 4 months at www.surfshark.com/BRAVESEA Bernard Leong , founder of Dorje AI and host of Analyse Asia , joins Jeremy Au to explore how AI is transforming software development, business models, and professional roles across Southeast Asia. They break down why dev houses are losing ground, how AI accelerates coding and reshapes team structures, and why traditional SaaS and education models must evolve. Bernard shares how he ...
Jul 22, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 604
Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code BRAVESEA for an extra 4 months at www.surfshark.com/BRAVESEA Saurabh Chauhan , Co-founder and CEO of Peakflo , returns to BRAVE with Jeremy Au to reflect on their journey since first meeting at Entrepreneur First in 2020. They unpack how Saurabh identified pain points in finance ops during his time with Rocket Internet, how he structured his co-founder search, and how early customer interviews shaped Peakflo’s product roadmap. They explore wh...
Jul 20, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 603
Jeremy Au breaks down the hidden math behind venture capital: why only a few startups matter, how VCs double down or walk away, and what real exits look like. Using the case of Instacart and Southeast Asia IPOs like SEA, Grab, and GoTo, he explains what separates paper value from cash returns, and why timing is everything. 01:07 VC Fund Economics and Decision Making: Covers how venture capitalists allocate time and support across their portfolio. Highlights the paradox where top performers need ...
Jul 17, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 602
Kelvin Subowo , CEO of Daily Co ., joins Jeremy Au to share how he built one of Indonesia’s fastest growing F&B groups after seven failed ventures. They talk through how Kelvin’s early failures taught him the realities of Indonesia’s price sensitive market, how cloud kitchens initially succeeded but quickly collapsed post-Covid, and how Daily Co. pivoted by acquiring and scaling offline food brands. They explore how founder retention, backend integration, and M&A discipline enabled susta...
Jul 15, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 601
Adriel Yong , Orvel Venture Partner, joins Jeremy Au to reflect on five years of career transitions from investing to building startups across Southeast Asia and the US. They unpack how American venture capital has turned inward, the unintended consequences of remote work, and why AI is upending both work and relationships. Through candid stories from fundraising dinners in San Francisco to AI-generated breakup scripts they explore how technology is transforming how we build companies, make deci...
Jul 13, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 600
Jeremy Au breaks down the evolving power dynamics between VCs and founders in Southeast Asia, diving into board control, investor rights, and why most startups fail despite support. He shares practical lessons from both sides of the table, highlights the return of convertible debt, and explains how founders should think about conflict, dilution, and boardroom politics. 00:54 Key Investor Rights and Control: Jeremy outlines the top 10 investor rights such as drag-along, tag-along, and anti-diluti...
Jul 10, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 599
Janine Teo , CEO of Solve Education , returns to BRAVE after three years to explore how AI is reshaping education for marginalized youth. She and Jeremy Au unpack the double-edged nature of AI in learning, how Solve Education leverages gamification and AI coaching to drive motivation, and the shifting job market where entry-level roles are disappearing. They discuss how AI is widening access for underserved learners, challenging traditional career aspirations, and demanding new approaches to tea...
Jul 08, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 598
Wing Vasiksiri , investor and ecosystem builder, returns to unpack the recent political upheaval in Thailand, the shifting startup landscape, and how these dynamics intersect. He and Jeremy Au explore the Prime Minister’s suspension, the ripple effects of leaked diplomacy, and what these events signal for foreign investment and local sentiment. They also discuss the country's cannabis policy reversal, new crypto tax breaks, and the comeback of early-stage incubation. Wing introduces “Project Tha...
Jul 06, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 597
Jeremy Au broke down the real stakes behind early-stage fundraising—where founders trade equity for survival, and investors negotiate for control. He explained how financing tools like SAFE notes, convertible notes, and priced rounds shape who gets rich, who gets a say, and who gets left behind. From legal traps to boardroom dynamics, this session reveals what every founder should know before signing a term sheet. 01:05 Understanding Startup Economics : Jeremy explains how startups face a "valle...
Jul 03, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 596
Vietnam’s rapid economic transformation is reshaping its future. Valerie Vu , General Partner at Ansible Ventures , joins Jeremy Au to explore how Vietnam is shifting from export dependence to a tech-driven, domestic growth model. They discuss the rollback of anti-corruption campaigns, intensified U.S. trade negotiations, and how food safety scandals are driving transparency reforms. Valerie also explains Resolution 68, a blueprint promoting private sector innovation and deep tech, and what this...
Jul 01, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 595
Shiyan Koh , Managing Partner at Hustle Fund , joins Jeremy Au to examine how geopolitical shifts, demographic decline, and education policy are reshaping global talent and innovation flows. They explore Japan and Korea’s push into Southeast Asia, the unexpected impact of smartphone culture on fertility, and how political actions in the US are disrupting the university pipeline and research ecosystems. They also critique bureaucratic inefficiencies in tech transfer and reflect on assimilation po...
Jun 29, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 594
Jeremy Au breaks down the hidden risks in Southeast Asia’s edtech sector and early-stage startup law. He explains why edtech often fails to scale, how founder disputes emerge without early agreements, and why choosing the right jurisdiction like Singapore matters for survival. From investor alignment to taxation nightmares, this episode guides founders through the hard truths of building legally sound and scalable ventures. 01:00 Misaligned Edtech Incentives : “Kids use it. Parents, schools, or ...
Jun 26, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 593
Olzhas (Oz) Zhiyenkul , CEO and co-founder of Investbanq , joins Jeremy Au to share how his journey from post-Soviet Kazakhstan to launching a full-stack wealth operating system was shaped by hardship, global education, and the inefficiencies he witnessed firsthand across Asia’s financial sector. They discuss how legacy systems fail family offices, why most wealth managers still operate on Excel, and how Investbanq aims to empower rather than replace relationship managers. Olzhas also recounts b...
Jun 24, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 592
Henry Motte-de la Motte , CEO of Edge Tutor , and Jeremy Au reconnect two years after their last conversation to discuss how global tutoring has evolved. They examine the rise of AI in education, differences in learner motivation, and how human connection and structure remain critical to learning. They explore Edge Tutor’s expansion into 30 countries, the decision to stay focused on English and math, and how demographic and economic shifts are transforming education into a premium service. Their...
Jun 22, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 591
Ilya Kravtsov , Co-Founder of Ringkas , joins Jeremy Au to unpack the rise and fall of Indonesia’s lending wave, the ripple effects of the eFishery scandal, and the hard lessons founders must absorb to build sustainable startups. They examine how early hype misaligned business models, how fraud damages more than just a company, and why radical transparency is key to long-term leadership. Ilya shares how Ringkas scaled without lending, why developer partnerships unlocked bank adoption, and how he...
Jun 19, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 590
Mohan Belani , Co-Founder of e27 , and Jeremy Au reflect on what it means to be a tech leader, startup founder, and modern dad raising Generation Alpha. They explore how parenting rewires identity, the mental load of fatherhood, and how decision-making feels like startup building in a world flooded with information. They discuss the tension between being an attentive partner and a present parent, how childhood memories shape parenting choices, and how to raise children with curiosity and resilie...
Jun 17, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 589
Dr. Gerald Tan , founder of Elite Dental Group and the first Singaporean dentist to graduate from Harvard Business School, joins Jeremy Au to share how dentistry blends science, art, and entrepreneurship. They explore his journey from being one of 30 students in NUS Dentistry to leading an AI-driven public health initiative and surviving a devastating fraud by trusted business partners. Gerald unpacks how AI is reshaping oral health diagnostics, how public and private dental sectors have evolved...
Jun 15, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 588
