In a world where technology has seeped into every crevice of our lives, we’re constantly bombarded by a relentless stream of texts, emails, and social media updates. Our brains are so tethered to our devices that it’s almost as if we’ve developed an extra limb.

But what if, for just a moment, we decided to sever that connection and embark on a digital detox?

How I embarked on a digital detox

So, there I was, off to Bali with a friend during Eid to see if we could survive three days without our trusty screens. We’d both been feeling the crushing weight of stress, and my buddy had even suffered a couple of panic attacks. Our plan was to cast off the digital shackles, roam the island, hit the waterpark, cruise the beaches, and stumble upon tourist sites like a couple of lost Luddites. We were on a mission to feel alive.

Initially, it was like quitting an addiction cold turkey. Our fingers twitched for our phones, yearning to swipe and tap our way through the familiar digital labyrinth. But soon enough, the cravings subsided. In their absence, a newfound presence emerged. We were more in tune with our environment, more engaged in conversation, and more connected to each other. It was like shrugging off a leaden cape we didn’t even know we were wearing.

Also Read: Is the remote working trend “swallowing”​ office employees’​ vacation time?

As we wandered through our tech-free haven, we savoured the world in high definition. The sky’s vibrant hues, the rhythmic lull of the waves, and the salty sea breeze teased our senses, unencumbered by digital distractions. Our digital detox left us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated like we’d just hit the reset button on our brains.

Of course, it’s crucial to give your nearest and dearest a heads-up. You don’t want to trigger a search party when you’re just on a temporary tech hiatus. But trust me – it’s worth the potential confusion. A digital detox not only reacquaints you with the analogue world but also rekindles your appreciation for our connected existence.

A renewed appreciation for the present moment

A digital detox offers a unique opportunity to recalibrate your relationship with both the physical world and the digital realm. By stepping away from technology for a few days, you’ll gain a renewed appreciation for the present moment, the beauty around you, and the simple joy of human connection.

But once you re-enter the world of connectivity, you’ll also find yourself more grateful for the incredible advantages technology offers. The key is striking a balance between engaging with the digital world and staying grounded in the real one.

So, go ahead and give a digital detox a try. You might just find that it not only enriches your experiences in the present but also enhances your relationship with the ever-evolving digital landscape.

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I watched the movie AIR last weekend. It is the story of Nike signing Michael Jordan and launching Air Jordan. Here is an extended summary of messages about dealmaking and entrepreneurship from the movie (Spoiler alert!).

Back in the 1980s, Nike was primarily known for its running shoes. It had only a 17 per cent share of the basketball shoe market, and the market was primarily dominated by Germany-origin Adidas and Converse. Nike was very close to shutting down its basketball shoe division due to disappointing sales. No top players would wear a pair of Nike.

As part of an annual exercise, Nike’s basketball talent scout Sonny was tasked to come up with a new spokesperson for Nike basketball shoes in the NBA draft. The team has a budget of US$250K to spend.

Also Read: Storytelling: Startup’s secret sauce for turning founder narratives into golden assets

While other team members suggested splitting up the budget and signing multiple second-tier players, Sonny had a contrarian view and proposed to place the entire budget on Michael Jordan. He believed so strongly that Michael Jordan would become one of the greatest players that would redefine the game for both NBA and Nike.

After multiple rounds of negotiation, Sonny managed to convince his boss, Phil Knight, Co-Founder of Nike who created the famous 10 Principles of Nike.

What Nike then did to land the deal primarily broke all the rules.

• Firstly, Sonny broke the industry norms of interacting only with the agent who represented the player and went directly to Jordan’s home to convince Jordan’s mother to take a meeting with Nike.
• Secondly, Nike made a prototype with only red and black colours which would breach the ridiculous rule the NBA imposed on shoes (that 50+ per cent of the shoe has to be white in colour) and could cost the company US$5K per game.
• Thirdly, Nike agreed to give a cut to Jordan for every pair of Air Jordan sold by Nike, which was not a standard commercial term back then.

Results? Nike went on to sell US$162 million in the first year, beating Phil Knight’s expectations by over 50x. Air Jordan has since become a legendary brand and an indispensable part of Nike. Today, combined with Jordan, Nike has effectively over 70 per cent share in the basketball shoe market.

Also Read: How to balance rapid growth and sustainability as a startup founder

So what could be the takeaways for founders and VCs from the movie? I summarised three points below:

If you believe in your startup, you should have already “put all your eggs in the same basket”

This was what Nike did by allocating its entire budget to sign Jordan. In a fundraising exercise, the first reason VCs pass a deal is when they find out the founders are not already working full-time on their venture. VCs want to see founders devoting 100 per cent of their time to the venture that they will be backing and relying on to make money. Skin in the game matters.

When you are landing a BD/fundraising deal, identify the key decision-maker

If you watch the movie, you will realise an early-stage startup founder is just like Sonny (the Nike talent scout) in AIR. In Sonny’s case, Jordan’s mother was the one who would make the final call.

He, therefore, focused on influencing her by going one-to-one and leveraging other people who could possibly change her mind. For founders raising a round from VCs: Be like Sonny. Have an attack plan for persuading the partner, and make sure the rest of the deal team does not hate you.

Lead with guiding principles, not rules

When I was working in consulting, I did not appreciate the value of presenting guiding principles before outlining the rest of the deck. Thought those were complete BS. With more work experience, I now see the value (or at least the intention) to talk through that slide.

You have to start with the ground assumption that people/your team are good at exploiting rules and overcoming constraints. If you lead by telling people the “Don’ts”, you will likely get a team who will only do work that they think will please you instead of actual outputs.

Instead, if a set of guiding principles is in place with a proper reward system that aligns interests as much as possible, you have removed blockers for your team and built a virtuous circle where team members act according to the best interest of the company.

Of course, building such a work culture is easier said than done, but this is easy to spot for VCs in a pitch meeting with other working-level members in the same room. Founders, it might not be a bad idea for you to sit down and actually write up your own set of guiding principles about how to operate your startup.

Keen to know your thoughts about the movie/points above.

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Image credit: Canva Pro

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Malaysia-based marketplace platform for renovation and interior design materials HOMA2U today announced that it has secured MYR3.87 million (US$875,000) in Pre-Series A funding.

The investment round was led by Quest Ventures Asia Fund II and included both Worldwide Management Solution and Qhazanah Sabah Berhad.

This is Quest Ventures Asia Fund II’s second cheque for HOMA2U.

According to a statement released by the company, the fund will fuel HOMA2U’s regional expansion plans, accelerate product development and promote a circular economy within the renovation and interior design industry.

HOMA2U will also channel the funds to help more people amplify their commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) sustainability as well as help them meet their ESG goals through their Yellow Boxes and online platform.

HOMA2U is working towards growing the business threefold and will be concentrating its efforts on opening a total of 18 Yellow Boxes throughout Malaysia and Singapore.

Also Read: Thai property developer MQDC unveils ‘metta-verse’ to bridge the real and virtual worlds

Touted as Malaysia’s first unmanned interior product showrooms, the Yellow Boxes are mobile pop-up outlets that offer offline-to-online purchase services for visitors. HOMA2U is looking to establish the first Yellow Box in Singapore as early as Q32023.

Pennie Lim, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HOMA2U, shared that the fresh funding is a positive sign of health for HOMA2U – considering the wider context of economic pessimism that the property market is currently experiencing.

“We know that customers want renovation solutions that are seamless and engaging, with everything available under one roof. The funding will enable us to deliver on our plans to make high-quality, affordable and sustainable home interiors with renovation products easily accessible to all, essentially contributing to a total solution and wholesome experience for them,” Lim said.

“At HOMA2U, we do not just stop there. We also help our customers meet their ESG sustainable goals and practices from a design and aesthetic point as well as from the impact of the renovation materials on our environment.”

Earlier in 2021, HOMA2U secured a series of funding amounting to MYR2.4 million (US$567,000) from Warisan Quantum Management as well as ScaleUp Malaysia with investment partner Quest Ventures where HOMA2U emerged as one of the top 10 startups in the ScaleUp Malaysia’s Accelerator programme Cohort 2.

HOMA2U now has 20 team members working on business development, customer service and marketing.

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Echelon Asia Summit 2023 is bringing together APAC’s leading startups, corporates, policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to Singapore this June 14-15. Learn more and get tickets here.

Echelon also features the TOP100 stage, where startups get the chance to pitch to 5000+ delegates, among other benefits like a chance to connect with investors, visibility through e27 platform, and other prizes. Join TOP100 here.

Image Credit: HOMA2U

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