Adi Kusma shares founding story of Biznet and urges startups to be

their own chefs

Quote from Adi Kusma, founder of Biznet Networks:

The value proposition of your product must be clear, whether it is better
pricing or it is more convenient for people to use your product.

How IP Mirrors female founders attain success with zero funding
Quote from Janna Lam, founder of IP Mirror:

Be honest, sincere, and hardworking. When you are honest and sincere,
people can feel it. Its not a bed of roses when you run your own business.
You always have a lot of problems but theres always some principles you
need to keep to in order to be successful. After thirteen years, Im still as
hardworking as before. I work more than my staff. I want to lead by
example as this will motivate the others to do likewise.

Singapores Deal.com.sg records $50 million yearly revenue;
Founder shares his story
Quote from Patrick Linden, co-founder of Dealguru Holdings:

It is important for entrepreneurs to stay firm to what they believe in. And if
you need advice, go to the right people who have been there and done that
rather than those who dont fully grasp the reality of entrepreneurship.

Indonesia Jatis Group co-founder shares his two-decade-long
startup journey
Quote from Izak Jenie, co-founder at Jatis Group:

Getting good partners for startup is crucial. I like Warren Buffets
investment theory for this. If you know from the outside that there may be
trouble, then dont get involved. Because once you get in, its difficult to get
out. Similarly, in finding partners, if you foresee potential problems in
working with them, then dont get started.

9. The story of a hacker-turned-entrepreneur who sold his
company to Google
Quote from Chester Roh, serial entrepreneur:

We have a strong conviction. At the time in Korea, blogging wasnt new. But
the quality of the content wasnt that good. With search, we need quality
content and Tatter & Company is providing all this quality content. So our
strategy is clear. We are not taking care of all bloggers but we are taking
care of high quality content creators.

How Streetdirectory founder picked himself up and rebuilt
Quote from Firdhaus Akber, founder at Streetdirectory:

Entrepreneurs need to understand that they may not be successful on the
first time, most arent. One needs to learn to pick themselves up and try
again when they fail.

No funding, no rich daddy, founder of M-Stars in Indonesia started
up his way
Quote from Joseph Edi Lumban Gaol, founder of M-Stars Group:

On some occasions I had to borrow money from family and friends when
the cash flow was low, especially to pay employees. This was one of the
toughest challenges psychologically, as I had to pledge my credibility to them
and spend sleepless nights making sure cash flow was positive and that
loans from friends and family werent defaulted. Remembering those days
now still makes me smile.

Serial entrepreneur Paul Srivorakul: His admax and Ensogo story
Quote from Paul Srivorakul, serial entrepreneur:

Figure out what is the real problem and its always the hard problems. Be
very clear on what you want to do with your company before you even build
it

Compete with telcos? You must be crazy! Singapore startup
MyRepublic is doing just that
Quote from Greg Mittman, co-founder at MyRepublic:

When we go to meetings, everyone will pound their fist on the table and say,
This is our company and we are going to be bold, we are going to get it
right, damn it. It creates an attitude of ownership and we function like a
family-owned business. We are one family.

The story of Zopim: Struggle and sacrifice on the way to startup
success
Quote from Royston Tay, co-founder of Zopim:

Unless I get full commitment from all of you, Im going to leave the
company.

IAHGames founder went from distributing junk mail to running a
$25 million games publisher
Quote from Roland Ong, founder and CEO of IAHGames:

Local developers tend to develop and think like Singaporeans. But there are
vast differences in how gamers behave, and that affects the way games are
developed. Thats why locals need to expose themselves more, and Im
starting to see that happen.

How KakaoTalk grew from a startup to a giant mobile platform
Quote from Sirgoo Lee, Co-CEO at Kakao:

We pride ourselves on being innovators, trying new things and being
willing to learn from others. We look to our users and keep learning from
feedback. We are willing to upgrade and change our service to maintain the
leadership in innovation. You can copy features and design. But you cant
copy the spirit and philosophy of the company.

How The Mobile Gamer (TMG) hustles for growth in Southeast
Asia
Quote from Alvin Yap, founder and CEO at TMG:

Have at least six hours of sleep each day. It keeps you healthy and enables
you to run the company better.

Being a CEO eats into you, says Tan Teik Guan of recently-acquired
DS3
Quote from Tan Teik Guan, CEO at DS3:

Jumping is really scary. You can jump up or, more likely, jump into a hole.
But if you dont make these decisions, your company will become mediocre.
These decisions will eat into you when youre eating, sleeping, and bathing.
It dominates your life.

Stephanie Chai of Luxe Nomad: Im earning less than in modeling,
yet strangely happier
Quote from Stephanie Chai, founder of Luxe Nomad:

Did modeling help? Most definitely. Living in different countries while not
knowing anyone teaches you how to be adaptable. And that quality is crucial
in a startup environment; you better learn to move with the times, and fast.

Lenddo CEO says building a startup isnt easy but passion is key
Quote from Richard Elridge, CEO for Asia of Lenddo:

Everybody who has a startup understands difficulty. We tackled a big
problem and we knew it was gonna be hard. We have the passion for that
and we kept pushing through, despite the challenges we faced. If it was easy
someone else would have done it.

Builks Linna Kanoknitanan: a COO is like a midfielder in a soccer
team
Quote from Linna Kanoknitanan, COO of Builk:

Understanding others doesnt only apply to customers, but the team as well.
I constantly remind myself to always check what the team wants. This is to
make sure they are happy to deliver what the company needs.
Understanding people around me is the key to success.

Anphabes CEO, one of Vietnams rare female tech founders,
speaks out
Quote from Thanh Nguyen, CEO of Anphabe:

If we desire to succeed in business, we should create meaningful and useful
products or services for customers first and relentlessly satisfy their needs.

How Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of billion-dollar Palantir, built his
winning team
Quote from Joe Lonsdale, founder of Palantir:

Optimism is believing in the best likely scenario. You cant trick someone
into working for you (or, more accurately, you probably can initially, but its
not a sustainable long term strategy). Optimism isnt about fooling anyone,
it is about truly believing in a mission and sharing this passion with others.

CEO of Vietnams biggest e-commerce site reveals his secrets to
success
Quote from Nguyen Ngoc Diep, CEO of Vat Gia:

Always think as consumers. Observe and meet their needs. Dont completely
copy successful foreign business models. Learn and customize them locally.

Forget Vietnams Lazada and Zalora, Hotdeal.vn makes 10,000
deliveries per day
Quote from Nguyen Thanh An, CEO of Hotdeal.vn:

In this market, if you go too fast, the cost will be way too high. Once we
understand the market and customer, then you can hit the market harder.

Jack Mas last speech as Alibaba CEO
Quote from Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group:

A lot of people complain about yesterday. We have no power to change
yesterday. But this very day, 30 years later, is what we can control and
decide. Change yourself, take baby steps, and stay determined for ten years.
I thank the times of change and everyones complaints. Because when
everyone is complaining, that is your chance, an opportunity. Its only in
times of change that someone can be clear of what he has and wants, and
what he needs to give up.