“The military is in power, and it couldn’t care less about startups,” a founder from Myanmar told e27. “The military has much bigger things to worry about.”

The startup industry of Myanmar, a nation of 54 million currently under military rule, is in dire straits. The COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the coup d’état in February 2021 and the ongoing financial slowdown, has led to umpteen problems. Imports are strictly limited, bank withdrawals are restricted, and gasoline prices have risen over 250 per cent. Electricity is routinely cut off even in Yangon, the largest city.

As a result, over 70-80 per cent of startups shut down (as per Tracxn, there are currently 345 startups in Myanmar), the person shared on the condition of anonymity. The most notable is One Kyat, a general classifieds app owned by Singapore’s Carousell.

Some, like Ringier, exited Myanmar (JobNet.com.mm has now taken most of its market share in Myanmar). Even big businesses, such as Telenor and Ooredoo, either shuttered or sold.

“Some companies shut down because they ran out of funding while others simply because they couldn’t operate under economic uncertainties,” the person revealed.

As the military junta tightened its grip on the government, pro-democratic people, including founders and techies, took to the streets. 

However, these movements were crushed. Several prominent founders were framed and arrested, many fled the country for safety after imprisonment for six to 12 months, and some got killed in interrogation camps. 

Scores of IT industry employees (highly skilled and English-speaking) fled to foreign countries through legal or illegal immigration means in search of livelihood. Some joined the People’s Defense Force (PDF) as soldiers. The PDF is the armed wing of the National Unity Government formed by the youths and pro-democracy activists on 5 May 2021 in response to the coup. A few stayed in the country because of family attachments; some are still underground, fearing arbitrary arrests.

What triggered the migration?

The migration — mostly to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Cambodia — was primarily triggered by the coup. Early-stage founders began the migration first. Late-stage firms and well-established IT companies with over 20 years of existence later followed suit.  

“Our economy was stable even during the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak. Barring the brick-and-mortar startups, many digital and tech startups in Vietnam saw good business. There were no workforce reductions or resignations, while there was great distress in many parts of the developed world,” said another person who wished not to be identified.

Also Read: Myanmar startup Better HR secures 6-digit bridge funding for Asia expansion

“However, the coup turned things around for the worst. The digital ads vertical was the first to be impacted, and then tech startups. The first few weeks of the coup were hard because of the blocking of the internet and social media [by the military junta]. Everyone had to use VPN to access social media. Hence, all the geolocation-targeted ads became useless,” added the person, who has held a management-level role in a startup.

In the early months of public protests, all those young workforces in digital businesses were either on the streets or becoming keyboard warriors, creating digital content on social media and motivating the general public. Everyone expressed the desire to join the democratic protest and opposed the coup. 

“With the failing infrastructure, restrictive internet, citizens being watched, shocks to the banking industry, and frequent blackouts in the past two years put all thriving startup and tech industries to their final halt,” shared the second person. “Our startup industry is toppled, if not crashed. No typical angel or VC investor will invest in startups in the country unless they are passionate about something.”

Myanmar vs Thailand

Thailand has been the main destination for the fleeing founders and the IT workforce. While some moved their companies to this Kingdom, some joined the corporate life.

Thailand is a developed economy with good infrastructure and offers a variety of visa options. The Thai economy is enormous, and its digital ecosystem is advanced with e-commerce and consumerism. The living costs are lower compared to Singapore or even Myanmar. Moreover, Thailand and Myanmar share many similarities, including culture, food, and festivals. 

However, regulations in Thailand, such as 51 per cent citizen ownership, are not startup-friendly.

Other countries, such as Singapore and Vietnam, are also good options. “Thailand is one of many options. Almost every possible tech startup is diversified and re-registered in Singapore, the US or Thailand. Only a few remain in Myanmar,” said the second person. “It will take another five to ten years to rebuild the startup ecosystem in Myanmar, starting when the revolution won.”

Despite all the problems, some are still confident and expect Myanmar’s economy to revive soon. They see some positive signals. “While some big businesses shut down or sold, we know many companies that have stayed in Myanmar (especially the Southeast Asian companies or investors),” said another Myanmar-born entrepreneur. “I know of some founders who left for other Southeast Asian countries for other opportunities. I also know others who returned to continue to operate their businesses in Myanmar and take more market share, supporting the rest of the economy and customer base with less competition in the market.”

According to this person, even in these difficult times, the economy and safety in major cities seem more stable for the time being. “We hope it will continue to bring peace, prosperity and opportunity again to the wonderful people of Myanmar in the future.”

However, things don’t look good for now. The military junta so far seem to initiate any action to bring back the tech talents and startups from other countries and offer them a conducive atmosphere to operate. They have bigger things to worry about.

“There are many software engineers, copywriters and social media specialists whom I personally know are in the PDF investing their lives in strong commitment. I am looking forward to the days to create jobs and sustainable businesses for them to get back into the lives they deserve,” noted one of the people mentioned above.

Does the junta care?

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Copyright: adirach

The post ‘It will take another 5-10 years to rebuild the Myanmarese startup ecosystem’ appeared first on e27.

Singapore is best known for its vibrant and cosmopolitan culture. However, it is also a great place to do business, with a strong infrastructure that makes it a hub for many different industries. One such industry is marketing and especially innovation and digital-focused marketing.

In fact, thousands of marketing professionals and enthusiasts visit the country each year to attend a variety of marketing events that highlight the latest trends, insights, and innovations in the field.

Singapore has plenty of events to offer, whether you want to network with like-minded people, learn from industry experts, or get ideas for your next marketing campaign. This dynamic city has something for everyone, from large-scale conferences to intimate workshops.

Let’s take a closer look at five of Singapore’s best marketing events. There are so many to choose from, so I tried to put together a varied list that should hopefully provide enough variation for the myriad of marketers across all disciplines.

So, whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, keep reading to learn about the top events to keep an eye on.

CONNECT Spring 2023 by Gevme

Event technology platform, Gevme returns for CONNECT Spring 2023, a quarterly product launch event that showcases the company’s revolutionary product developments and improvements. This is a critical event for those looking to keep abreast of the innovations in event tech and so much more.

In this upcoming edition, Gevme will be introducing the latest features and announcements focusing on sustainable and environmentally friendly event technologies. Join them on 15th March as they pledge their responsibility in taking a step towards a more eco-conscious future for the event industry.

• When: March 15
• Type: Virtual
• Registration: https://www.gevme.com/site/Connect-Spring-2023-home

B2B Marketing Leaders Forum Asia 2023

Thousands of B2B marketers from across Asia have joined the event virtually in recent years, but the event is now both in-person and virtually for those unable to travel to Singapore. This continues to be a popular event to discuss the B2B space and how to reach new audiences and help the brands scale.

Also Read: We can no longer adopt a cookie-cutter approach to marketing: Gunalan Ram of CINNOX

Tickets are limited, with space for 300 B2B marketers to gather in Singapore for the in-person Forum to discuss their roles as business leaders driving revenue and growth for the business. The goal is to establish marketing a place at the leadership table as we continue to innovate.

In its fifth year, ASIA’s largest gathering of B2B CMOs and marketing leaders will be held on the 17-18 August 2022 at the Parkroyal on Pickering in Singapore.

• When: August 16 and 17
• Type: Virtual & in-person
• Registration: https://b2bmarketingleaders.com.au/singapore/ 

The World CX Summit by Trescon

The World CX Summit is a global series of thought-leadership-driven, business-focused events held in strategic locations around the world. This invite-only event is an inclusive look into the customer experience world and how marketing, tech and more impact the industry.

This Singapore edition of the world tour brings together pre-qualified CX leaders, marketers, and technology experts under one roof to discuss how the latest technologies and customer insights can be combined to change CX as we know it.

The summit will feature a variety of insightful sessions, keynotes, case studies, and panel discussions that will provide attendees with actionable insights that they can apply to their Customer Experience strategies.

• When: May 17 and 18
• Type: In-person
• Registration: https://worldcxsummit.com/singapore/ 

The Martech Summit by BEETc

The 2-day flagship event of The MarTech Summit in Singapore has built a stellar speaker lineup and agenda, including panel discussions, keynote presentations, fireside chats, in-summit roundtables, and more. This marketing technology summit is a must-visit for those looking to stay ahead of the innovation in the industry.

The event has been divided into tracks to delve deep into the latest Martech trends, the power of data-driven marketing, and customer/client digital experience! Join us for a learning and networking experience with CMOs, Heads, Directors, and others.

• When: April 25 and 26
• Type: In-person
• Registration: https://themartechsummit.com/singapore/ 

DigiMarCon Singapore

This is the fifth annual DigiMarCon Singapore and is one of the top digital marketing, media, and advertising conferences in the country. This will be held on September 28th and 29th, 2023, at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

The event aims to bring together the marketing community to learn and discuss digital marketing best practices, the latest trends, practical solutions, strategy, and networking, as well as a look at the next generation of technology and innovation: Internet, Mobile, AdTech, MarTech, and SaaS Technology.

The event will consist of strong keynote speakers, sharing of case studies, strategy sessions and networking.

• When: September 28 and 29
• Type: Virtual & in-person
• Registration: https://digimarconsingapore.sg/

Conclusion

The events industry has been making a strong pushback to in-person, and we have upgraded the virtual experience faster than ever before. With great tech events like Echelon and more, there continue to be amazing opportunities for the business community to learn, network and grow together through these events.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page

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The post 5 marketing events in Singapore to attend if you like innovation appeared first on e27.

Dear Pro member,

AI is the most widely discussed topic in the tech world today. It has “invaded” our lives, and tools like ChatGPT and Dall-E-2 are used by many of us to automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks. We — the e27 newsroom — are also experimenting with various AI tools to produce articles and features.

While they are undoubtedly useful, AI tools are far from perfect. There are many ethical concerns about AI; gender bias is one. (UNESCO has listed a few examples of such ethical biases in this paper).

So how can we address these concerns? The first thing is: regularly review your AI algorithms to ensure they are aligned with society’s ethical standards and continuously monitor your AI systems to identify and address potential biases. There is no other go, at least for now.

Have you integrated AI tools into your workflow? How do you find them? Have you ever faced any ethical issues while using AI tools? Please email us your experiences.

In today’s ER edition, we have included an interview with Warren Leow, Group CEO of Inmagine, who talks about various aspects of AI in the creative world. Plus, there are news stories about Zenius, Zilingo, and many other startups.

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VC fundraising in SEA topped pre-pandemic levels in 2022
VC firms in the region closed 31 funds and raised US$4.14B in total proceeds in 2022; Most funds were closed in H1 2022, benefitting from carry-over deals and lingering effects from 2021’s liquidity glut.

Indonesian firm Zenius to lay off 30 more employees
This is part of the edutech company’s efforts to become cash-flow positive amid an adverse economic climate; The new wave of layoff comes after the firm let go of 800+ employees over several months in 2022.

Zilingo’s net liabilities exceed US$328M, show regulatory filings
Its total current assets – these include cash and cash equivalents, and trade and other receivables – had an estimated value of US$1.13M as of Oct 31, 2022, vs a book value of US$210.27M.

Grayscale Ventures makes Ist close of its DevInfra-focused micro-fund
Grayscale writes a cheque of US$200K to US$1M per startup; The VC firm was started by Nikhil Kapur and Siddharth Verma, who were previously part of Japanese early-stage VC STRIVE.

DEG makes US$18M commitment to latest Vertex SEA and India Fund
The proposed equity investment is for Vertex SEA and India Fund V, which has a target of US$500M, higher than its previously reported target of US$400M.

Malaysia’s Involve Asia raises over US$10M for SEA expansion
The investors include Bintang Capital, 500 Global, and Orbit Capital Malaysia; Involve provides a platform for advertisers to measure, manage and scale their marketing partnerships by automating workflows.

Genesia Ventures joins Japanese NFT platform’s US$1.5M round
Japan-based Microverse provides NFT-related services such as content production, distribution, and sales support; Other backers are B Dash Ventures, Cygames Capital, giftee, and F Ventures.

Indonesian agritech startup Semaai nets bridge funding
The investors are Accion Venture Lab, XA Network, Surge, and Beenext; Semaai provides customised consultancy, productivity tools, farming inputs such as seed and fertiliser products and access to better markets.

Malaysian drone company Aerodyne invests in Italy’s Aiviewgroup
This marks Aerodyne’s 21st global M&A transaction; Prior to this, the company has invested in Australia’s Sensorem, Middle Eastern drone player FEDS Group, and two local Kazakh companies.

Netflix competitor Viu taps Southeast Asia for growth
The HK-based company is one of the top three video streaming platforms in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Go big or go home: Why young startups need to exhibit on a global platform like 2023 TOP100 APAC
You will never know where opportunity lies. This is why it is extremely crucial to widen your reach from Day 1.

AI has the potential to perpetuate harmful biases, says Inmagine CEO
Warren Leow also says AI technology can enhance the creative process but is not a replacement for human intuition and creativity.

How Ampotech helps energy managers improve the performance of buildings
Ampotech’s proprietary device AmpoHub becomes the brain of an electrical panel, logging usage data and detecting anomalies for specific equipment like air conditioners and motors.

How to launch collaborations that grow communities: A guide for Web3 founders
To build a successful Web3 business, founders must create products that meet the needs of their customers’ needs and foster a sense of community and engagement.

Finding your groove: Balancing the hustle and emotional health as a startup founder
Building a startup can be an intense and unpredictable journey, and it’s crucial to prioritise your well-being to maintain your mental and physical health.

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The post Ecosystem Roundup: SEA’s VC fundraising topped pre-COVID levels in 2022; Zilingo’s net liabilities exceed US$328M; More layoffs at Zenius appeared first on e27.

Job hunting is not as simple as it used to be. Especially post-pandemic, when the job market has undergone a paradigm shift with increasing competition, companies are adopting a distributed workforce model and are more willing to operate digitally. This shift compels job seekers with a more aggressive approach to their strategy, and Global Class emerges as a potent ally.

Today, Global Class frameworks sit primarily on the desks of international expansion teams, providing a playbook for them to execute global growth initiatives. But did you know there are many ways to utilise these tools? You might not be aware, but they can also be used to get you to the next step and get hired for a dream job in international business.

Take Troy Malone, a tech executive with 15+ years of experience taking US companies into the international markets, who was applying for the role of Vice President of International Operations at Drata.

The role would require Malone to oversee all endeavors that occur outside the US, where Drata is incorporated. That includes looking at revenue and growth opportunities, logistical challenges and ensuring that business operations adhere to local regulations and tax policies.

Handling a multiple-stage interview process

Malone’s interview process with Drata was rigorous. In a span of one month, he was interviewed separately by five different stakeholders in the company: three Founders, the Vice President of Marketing, and the Vice President of Business Development.

Malone says, “Most executives hiring for a position like ‘VP of International’ or any other type of ‘expansion’ position are usually not highly sophisticated about international or expansion. So there’s a fair amount of education that a candidate needs to do on what these roles entail, and the outcome you want is to essentially illuminate the need for you.”

Also Read: How Localisation Discovery is setting up the yardstick for successful international growth

In previous job interviews, he used simple lists to explain the complexities that come along with international expansion. But to stand out from other similarly-experienced candidates, he needed a visual tool that took localisation and complexity away from just an abstract conversation to a concept that was easily understood.

Enter the Localisation Premium Analysis (LPA) tool

The answer to Malone’s needs is the Localisation Premium Analysis (LPA), a tool that maps out, tracks, and manages the complexities (localisation premiums) that come along with entering and scaling within new global markets.

As Malone explains, the spider chart visualises the various subcategories of localisation premium to help companies understand to what extent they need to localise and are adding organisational complexity. If dots are far away from the middle “PMF in your initial market”, it indicates that the expansion takes a lot of effort and work to be successful.

Malone was part of a list of 400+ expansion executives that the Global Class co-authors interviewed for the book. As soon as the frameworks were made available to the public, he immediately began to incorporate the tools from the book into his video job application to demonstrate his competency for the role.

Interviewing tactic: Creating a video job application

Since the job interview required five separate interviews with five different people, Malone devised a plan to compile all of their questions and answer them in one video. He downloaded the LPA tool, loaded it on Canva, and projected the image through Mmhmm software. 

Using knowledge based on the various conversations he had with the different stakeholders during the multi-stage interview, he created his own LPA canvas to illustrate the expected work that needed to be done should he assume the role of the VP of International Operations. The leadership was instantly sold, and could clearly see Malone being more than capable of driving the international efforts for the company.

He explains, “I use dots to mark and go through each dimension of the LPA. Typically at companies I work for, Product Premium is pretty low, Sales Premium is very high, and so on. I would go through the process of connecting each of the dots and rating each one. Then, I would take another color and say, ‘Right now, we’re not even localised on the marketing front.’ This allows me to visualise where the company is now and where we need to go.”

The LPA demo became central to Malone’s ability to showcase his own ideas for Drata’s international growth.

Advice for those looking for a career in international business

The job interview was a success. Not only did Malone get hired for the job, but he also impressed the interviewees so much that they considered making all business executive candidates submit a similar video format.

Also Read: How Uber reached global scale by empowering localisation

When asked about tips to ace a job interview, Malone says, “Do things that have never been done before.” In his case, the video job application made him stand out. For roles specific to careers in international business, he explains, “If you’re early in your career, take some chances that could get you international exposure early on. That could mean accepting a role at an earlier startup in a country that you want to work in because they desperately need international people.”

He adds, “If you’re mid-career, note that bigger companies have opportunities where you can find assignments in different areas of the world. Start actively looking and applying for those while also developing the skill sets required. If you’re in your later career, then it becomes mostly your reputation and contact base.

“Hanging out with great people is always the best way to do that because there are so many opportunities that come out of that. In all the jobs I’ve had in my life, I never had to look for any. It’s always through connections and being available to listen to the market to find where the opportunities are.”

A recommended tool to land a dream job in international business

Initially, Malone used the LPA tool to get hired. But it also has another important purpose once an executive lands the gig: get leadership buy-in. During the interview, he showcased his capabilities and understanding of what needed to be done. But once he started working, he continued to use the LPA to build internal consensus and secure resources for the company’s expansion plans.

The LPA is just one of several Global Class frameworks that could be used to communicate the intentional changes or “localisations” necessary to scale in multiple local markets.

Today, Malone considers the LPA an essential tool in his international operations role. “I didn’t know what I was missing until I had the LPA tool. It has allowed me to wrap up and clarify all of my philosophy and strategy into a comprehensive visual tool in a way that I’ve never really thought of. It was a happy discovery; it felt like home.”

–

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page

Image credit: Canva Pro

The post How to get hired as an International Expansion Executive appeared first on e27.

Registration for TOP100 is now open and we are looking forward to seeing your startup on the list!

TOP100 Program gives you the one golden chance to connect with hundreds of investors, showcase your startup at Echelon, pitch on the TOP100 stage, and access special programs. Find out what’s new in TOP100 and join here: https://bit.ly/TOP100_2023
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You may have read various articles on e27 about fundraising for your startup –from creating the perfect pitch deck to stepping up your communication game.

But have you ever wondered when you are going to implement the skills and knowledge that you have learned? You know that VC firms are always on the lookout for potential investments, but does that mean you can simply walk into Mordor—oops—their office and start pitching?

This is why we believe joining the 2023 TOP100 is great for your startup in its fundraising journey.

Also read: We know fundraising sucks, so e27 Connect is here to help you

As part of the annual Echelon Asia Summit, TOP100 is a curated programme designed to discover, showcase, and accelerate the next generation of up-and-coming startups.

Joining TOP100 is a great opportunity for you to meet leading investors in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem. Here are the three reasons why:

You will be judged by partners at leading VC firms in the region

For the qualifying rounds, the e27 team curated a team of judges consisting of leading names in the regional VC scene. Apart from deciding who makes it to the next stage, this year we make sure that the judges will spend extra time to give you feedback on how to improve your presentation skills. You will walk out of the room feeling more prepared for your fundraising journey.

You will meet your match on Echelon Connect

Designed specifically to match startups to a meeting with potential investors, Echelon Connect is the platform that is meant to help your startup grow. Investors themselves can expect a factsheet of companies and facilitated business meetings to accelerate deal flow.

You will get to meet and rub shoulders with them during Echelon

At the Echelon Asia Summit 2023, you get to see exciting talks on stage and network with fellow participants and potential investors on the side. Who knows? A single light conversation can lead to many things.

So make sure that TOP100 is part of your fundraising journey. Register now.

The post Fundraising? Here are 3 reasons why should join the 2023 TOP100 appeared first on e27.

Research has shown that it costs 5 to 25 times more for businesses to acquire new customers than to retain existing ones. Consequently, in today’s turbulent business landscape, it is essential for businesses to strategise ways to nurture customer relationships and retain the right customers if they want to succeed.

The Big Leap Roadshow, an event jointly organised by e27 and CleverTap, brings together hundreds of growth leaders, experts, investors, and entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia to exchange their ideas and insights. The collaborative event centres around actionable strategies and best practices for building strong customer relationships, reducing churn, and maximising customer lifetime value.

Following the success in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, the highly anticipated “Retention Playbook Philippines: Orchestrating Campaigns for Different Customer Segments” is coming to the Philippines on March 8th, 2023. This event is an absolute must-attend for businesses looking to gain an edge in today’s competitive landscape. Industry experts will lead discussions on the latest trends and insights in customer segmentation, which is the trending topic of focus at the event. Attendees will gain valuable insights and learn about the best approaches to segment and retain different groups of customers for long-term success. This game-changing event will make a significant difference to your business.

Also read: Why your startup deserves to take part in the 2023 TOP100

The Big Leap Roadshow Philippines features a panel of key insiders and industry leaders, including Daryll Santillan, CMO of Booky, JC Medina, Head of Innovation of PalawanPay, Victor Lim, Co-founder and CEO of Kraver’s, Marc-Antoine Hager, SEA Regional VP for Sales at CleverTap, and Bern Pangilinan, Business Development Manager of CleverTap.

These industry leaders offer a unique opportunity for attendees to learn about insights and strategies that can help grow their customer base while keeping existing customers happy. Industry experts will share their real-life experiences and insights on customer relationship management techniques such as segmentation, personalisation, loyalty programs, and more through engaging presentations. In addition, attendees will have access to a wealth of valuable resources including case studies from successful brand campaigns and exclusive networking opportunities to help boost their professional profiles.

The Big Leap Roadshow Manila’s focus on customer segmentation

Customer segmentation is a critical process for businesses to better understand their customers’ needs and preferences, leading to enhanced satisfaction. Segmentation can be done by demographics, psychographics, or behaviour patterns. It helps develop targeted marketing strategies that can reduce promotional costs, identify opportunities within existing customer bases, and prioritise important relationships for upselling and cross-selling instead of solely relying on acquiring new customers. Personalisation is becoming increasingly important as customers have become more demanding and show greater preferences for customised products and services.

Following the customer segmentation process, businesses must learn to utilise data and insights about each segment’s behaviour and preferences to help them make informed decisions about which products/services should be offered at what price points, and even the channels to engage customers with — which make all the differences when it comes down to driving sales numbers up.

Also read: The first 10 frontrunners closer to competing in the 2023 TOP100

For instance, unlike previous generations, Generation Z and Millennials can best be reached via social media networking sites such as Instagram and Facebook, video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, and mobile applications. This is only one of the many examples of how one’s marketing approach can vary depending on the customer segment you intend to target.

Moreover, customised promotions can capture more conversion opportunities and increase satisfaction levels. Other retention strategies include excellent service quality, loyalty programs, automated messages, referral campaigns, and regular social media engagement. Positive experiences among current customers generate word-of-mouth, reducing the cost of paid advertisements and generating more organic sales.

These strategies help businesses in two folds: by cultivating a positive experience for the existing customer base while attracting new ones through word-of-mouth generated by happy consumers. Consequently, businesses can reduce the cost of paid advertisements and generate more sales organically through earned promotional coverage. 

Why it is imperative for businesses to learn from the best

Attending the Retention Playbook Philippines is a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in customer retention. In addition, entrepreneurs will be equipped with tips and tools to implement the process and track and measure the successes of their retention campaigns through the insights that will be shared by key industry insiders. 

Retention Playbook Philippines also offers all participants a slew of benefits such as learning from industry experts, accessing case studies of successful campaigns, and ample networking opportunities with other businesses that they may want to form strategic partnerships with in the future. Furthermore, interactive sessions and activities enable participants to co-create the experience, share and discuss their real business cases, and put learned strategies into practice.

Also read: Get to know the first two sponsors who will be at Echelon 2023

By joining the event, attendees will be equipped with the ability to directly and personally engage with key insiders that enable genuine connections and potential partnerships, all while participating in fun team-building activities. 

Learn from industry experts across various sectors about how they have created magnetic experiences to grow customer retention, increase lifetime value, and go from good to great.

To sign up for the event, click here.

The post In today’s unpredictable market, is customer retention possible? appeared first on e27.

Registration for TOP100 is now open and we are looking forward to seeing your startup on the list!

TOP100 Program gives you the one golden chance to connect with hundreds of investors, showcase your startup at Echelon, pitch on the TOP100 stage, and access special programs. Find out what’s new in TOP100 and join here: https://bit.ly/TOP100_2023
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Live tech events play a vital role in the startup ecosystem. They offer a platform for startups to showcase their products, services, and ideas to potential investors and 0ther stakeholders. For startups, attending live tech events can help them gain visibility, network with peers and industry leaders, and receive valuable feedback on their products or services. Additionally, they can attend informative talks and panel discussions, learn about the latest industry trends, and connect with potential partners or collaborators.

On the other hand, investors can discover promising startups and identify potential investment opportunities. These events allow investors to meet with startup founders, discuss their ideas, and evaluate their potential for success. Investors can also network with other investors and industry leaders, gain insights into the latest technological trends, and keep up with the latest developments in the industry.

Unfortunately, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the ability of startups and investors to connect through live tech events. Many events were cancelled, postponed, or shifted to virtual formats, which limited the opportunity for in-person networking and collaboration. The lack of face-to-face interaction has made it difficult for startups to gain visibility and for investors to discover new investment opportunities.

As the global economy continues to reopen, we are proud to announce that Echelon Asia Summit is back!

Echelon Asia Summit 2023

This year, the Echelon Asia Summit annually organised by e27 is coming back in full swing. The conference brings together startups, investors, corporates, and other industry leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region to connect, learn, and discover new opportunities in the tech industry.

The Echelon Asia Summit features a range of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops covering topics such as entrepreneurship, innovation, fundraising, marketing, and growth. Attendees can also participate in networking events and the much-awaited pitch competition, the TOP100, to showcase their ideas and meet potential partners and investors.

The conference has been held annually since 2009 and has grown to become one of the largest and most influential tech events in Asia, attracting thousands of attendees from around the world.

Partners in making Echelon 2023 possible

To make this great endeavour possible, e27 has partnered with several equally reputable institutions that are ready to serve the APAC tech startup ecosystem. Here are the first two sponsors who are partnering with e27 for the Echelon Asia Summit 2023:

fewStones

fewStones Pte Ltd is a web service and digital marketing company based in Singapore developed around four main activities: Web Services, Digital Marketing, Video Services, and Mobile Applications.

fewStones was founded in 2011 in Singapore by Sophie Normand and Jean-Christophe Bougle as a Video Production Agency. In 2014, fewStonges became the first agency in Singapore to be YouTube Certified for Audience Growth. Since its inception, fewStones has worked with numerous Singaporean and International customers on a wide range of videos. In 2015, fewStones added remarketing videos to its scope of services in order to help agencies and businesses improve their ROI on their website traffic.

Parlon

Parlon is a beauty technology platform where you can discover, book, and buy best-in-price beauty and wellness deals in the Philippines. Parlon is partnered with over 350 salon and wellness brands and 1,500 branches in more than 60 cities/provinces in the Philippines. With the widest salon network in the Philippines and expanding soon in Singapore, they are on their road to becoming Southeast Asia’s largest beauty services discovery and fintech platform.

They provide their merchant partners with a world-class multi-channel ecosystem, enabling them to accept bookings and payments, not just in the Parlon app and website, but also via the biggest platforms like Grab, Google, and GCash. With Parlon’s proprietary technology, they have helped their merchant partners to go digital by enabling them to sell their deals online and manage their daily operations.

Join Echelon Asia Summit 2023

Echelon Asia Summit 2023 is happening on 14-15 June, at the Singapore Expo. Featuring a slew of speakers, exhibitors, business matching sessions, pitching stages, and more, the event enables participants to connect, network, and engage with the larger tech startup ecosystem.

To learn more about Echelon Asia Summit 2023 and sign up for the event, visit the official page here.

The post Get to know the first two sponsors who will be at Echelon 2023 appeared first on e27.

We are kickstarting a new series for Southeast Asia’s startup founders to discuss their failures or unsuccessful projects and share their learnings and experiences with the community.

Warren Leow is a known face and one of the poster boys of Malaysia’s startup ecosystem. He is currently the group CEO of Inmagine Group. A London School of Economics graduate, he was the master brain behind the state-run Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC).

Like many other founders, Leow also has his share of failures.

Also Read: AI has the potential to perpetuate harmful biases, says Inmagine CEO

In August 2017, he started Amazing Fables, which published personalised content to inspire young kids via rich storytelling, vibrant visuals, positive values and exciting facts. However, the startup had to be shuttered for many reasons.

In this interview, he takes us through his entrepreneurial journey at Amazing Fables and the learnings he made:

Can you talk about the motivation behind Amazing Fables? Did you see a massive market for it when it started?

Amazing Fables was a custom children’s book company I started four years ago. Users could customise names and avatars and get a custom-printed book shipped worldwide. I had ten titles which I wrote myself, and I commissioned artwork and print-on-demand printers from four different countries covering different markets.

It was based on a similar company in the UK that scaled to millions of dollars in sales. The business model made sense on the surface: drop-shipping, zero inventory, scalable content, novelty factor, and word of mouth.

However, the unknown parameters were the actual logistics cost and the lack of repeatability of a ‘nice-to-have’ but ‘not-critical’ product.

Did you manage to sign up some early customers? What was their response to such a great idea?

Yes, they loved the books for the kids, as the customised books are great for storytelling and social bonding.

My best seller was a book for Muslim kids, and I had customers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and the UK! The most important thing was that they appreciated how our book taught positive values to kids and helped strengthen bonds between parents and kids via storytelling.

When did you get the first signs that Amazing Fables wouldn’t go a long way?

The first signs were the high acquisition cost from social media and Google Ads vs low lifetime value and lower-than-expected gross profit margins.

The company was breakeven on sales but needed a positive cashflow ROI on the first purchase to keep the engine chugging along for a bootstrapped company.

How many units did you manage to sell? And when did it occur to you that it was time to pull the curtain down on Amazing Fables?

Also Read: In Amazing Fables’s personalised storybook, your kid is the hero

We sold around 10,000 units.

When ROI was not 100 per cent at the first purchase, this didn’t allow cash to be reinvested on a compounding basis to grow it.

You were holding the role of the CEO of Inmagine while building Amazing Fables. Did it also divert your attention from Amazing Fables?

No, it was possible to run it automatically once things were on track. However, after I assumed a more prominent role in my day job, it was also a matter of choice on prioritisation, and I chose to focus on my role within Inmagine, where we operate 123RF, Pixlr, and Designs.ai.

How did your customers/potential react to your decision to bring the curtain down on AF?

Many would still reach out to me on WhatsApp and other media to order the books for their kids. Some still leave messages of thanks due to the wonderful artwork and the joy it brought to their kids.

What are your key learnings from this episode?

Four lessons from Amazing Fables and how I compared them to selling digital goods and software within Inmagine:

• Sell things with utility rather than nice-to-haves
• Sell things with repeat purchases and uses
• Sell things with high gross profit margins
• Sell things with low fulfilment cost

Given a chance, will you revive the business? Do you see a future for Amazing Fables?

Yes, I will revive it but only as a lifestyle business. However, it wasn’t the kind of large-scale autorunning business with strong passive cashflows I envisioned.

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Echelon Asia Summit 2023 brings 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 can pitch to 5000+ delegates, among other benefits like a chance to connect with investors, visibility through e27 platform, and other prizes. Join TOP100 here.

The post ‘Sell things with repeat purchases and uses’: Warren Leow speaks about Amazing Fables shutdown appeared first on e27.

103^rd place out of 146 countries (or second-to-last among our ASEAN neighbours) — that is how far behind Malaysia currently is on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index.

While our gender parity has progressed over the years in areas like life expectancy or higher education, Malaysia still lags behind on many fronts in women’s empowerment: namely economic participation and female representation in positions of leadership.

Whether consciously or subconsciously (or both), we still live in a world where women bear the brunt of gendered stereotypes. These come in many dated forms: that a woman’s primary role is to take care of the home, that pregnancy is a liability to a company, and that a mother is incapable of balancing both a successful career and a happy family.

Inevitably, these misconceptions have bled into a world of work where 72 per cent of Malaysians have witnessed or experienced gender inequality. Outright discrimination may be rare, but more often than not, women tend to have to work harder to earn their rightful seat at the table.

The many-layered biases faced by the Malaysian woman

From the “we don’t mean it that way” excuses to the “learn to take a joke!” remarks, women are often made to feel like their emotions have to be justified or be otherwise dismissed. This is especially true for societies like ours; I find that the long-running struggles of Malaysian women go beyond just gender or marital status.

The struggles they face are layered.

Living in a country as wonderfully culturally diverse as ours, Malaysian women are sometimes also confronted by an additional layer of bias: race and ethnicity. Additionally, due to being brought up in a more collectivist country, there is this strange expectation that they should be “more docile” or “more giving” — putting wider interests over their own, and even at the expense of their own.

Also Read: Why it’s time to hit ‘refresh’ when it comes to addressing the gender diversity gap in the IT sector

It is especially important for workplaces to realise that these seemingly small incidents of gender-coded bias will add up and that its consequences never stop at the individual woman. This contributes to widening the gender pay gap, limiting the representation of women in work and leadership, and worse: missing out on the far-reaching positive impact women can have on business and the workforce.

In a survey conducted by McKinsey in The United States of America, titled Women In The Workplace Year 2022 Report,  women leaders do more to support employee well-being and foster inclusion. This is critical to any organisation because it improves employee satisfaction and ultimately, increases retention.

Greater gender diversity is not merely fulfilling a quota. It means more perspectives and more creativity, which fuels growth and translates to a more sustainable trajectory for businesses in any industry. Bringing a more empathetic and empowered workforce to the table, female leaders are also uniquely positioned to help connect businesses beyond a purely transactional level.

Empowering women at work starts as early as the recruitment

Malaysia has already taken steps to support a more equitable and inclusive world of work for women, such as drafting the Gender Equality Bill and the very recent amendments to the Employment Act, which protects pregnant women from being unfairly dismissed from their jobs simply for being pregnant and also have their maternity leave days extended.

While this is a commendable step in the right direction, I still feel there is room yet for improvement — because these measures are reactive to issues that already exist in the workplace rather than proactively nipping them in the bud. Having been deeply involved in recruiting solutions throughout my time in HR, I believe that the greatest push for gender equality at work starts from the very beginning of the funnel: even before the hiring stage.

It is imperative that organisations strive to make purely merit-based hiring decisions. To do this, every stage of the process — from selection criteria all the way down to the job descriptions — must be gender-neutral and skill-focused.

Even a small sentence encouraging women and underserved communities to apply (which is very popular on platforms like LinkedIn at the moment!) can make a difference in diversifying the company’s pool of applicants.

Also Read: How the global growth of fintech defies age and gender

The team of recruitment specialists and interviewers must also represent the diversity they hope to see in the workplace. When fairness and inclusion are then constantly at the heart of their decisions, this can make a positive difference even when filling top executive positions! In fact, this was the very basis behind CXL’s Executive Search platform, which is driving gender inclusivity and diversity in HR recruitment solutions.

Beyond representation in the recruitment stage, it is also vital that women are actively connected to female mentors and leaders from the onboarding process onward. Opportunities for women in senior-level positions to take ownership of empowering other women in the workplace is a strong catalyst not just for their personal growth but also for broader cyclical change.

Moreover, the upskilling programmes and resources made available for employees should also take into account the challenges faced by women at work, enabling them to better navigate the very nuanced world of business and leadership.

Multinational corporations may find it easier to allocate resources to drive these changes (albeit with less flexibility), whereas SMEs and startups are more likely to implement more far-reaching but smaller-scale measures. Although the scale of implementation may be different depending on the size and nature of the business, what ultimately matters is that affirmative action is taken now.

It is no longer an if but a must in the transformation of employment for the better: closing the gap between companies and best-fit talents — plus the gap of gender inequality towards a more inclusive world of work.

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The post Empowering women at work: Pre-hiring stage is the key appeared first on e27.

In this episode, we are excited to welcome Jeffrey Bleich, Chief Legal Officer at Cruise, a self-driving tech company. Bleich is a prominent attorney, and a former partner at both Munger, Tolles & Olson and Dentons. In his remarkable career, he has also served as special counsel to former President Barack Obama and as a US ambassador to Australia. In addition to this, he was a former board chair at PG&E.

In our conversation, Bleich shares the story of his time serving as US Ambassador to Australia, the importance of trust-building in international relations, why over-indexing on English is a common mistake when expanding to other countries, why thinking long-term is key to a successful global expansion strategy, and considerations to take before hiring local counsel.

Listen, subscribe, and leave a review now on Apple, Spotify, or your favourite podcast platform.

Find our entire podcast episode library here.

Get your copy of our Wall Street Journal Bestselling Book, Global Class, a playbook on how to build a successful global business.

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This content was first published by Global Class.

Image Credit: Global Class

The post Jeffrey Bleich: Law attorney, US Ambassador in Australia, and leader for global expansion appeared first on e27.