At e27, we’re committed to nurturing innovation by offering a stage for experts to impart their specialised knowledge. Through our Contributor Programme, enthusiastic participants can partake in deep discussions on entrepreneurship, technology, and breakthroughs.
Be part of our startup dialogue this week as we delve into current trends, exchange perspectives, and discuss cutting-edge methods to thrive in the startup realm.
From pet abandonment to pet care ease
My Animal Dispensary educates pet owners on responsible pet care and animal welfare through campaigns, workshops, social media initiatives.
Pearl Tan, Co-Founder & CEO of My Animal Dispensary
Rising pet abandonment cases in recent years, driven by factors like inflation and the return of pet owners to offices, highlight the need for better pet care solutions. Pet owners face challenges such as financial constraints, limited access to veterinary services, and the need for specialized care for elderly or disabled pets.
My Animal Dispensary, an online platform, seeks to address these issues by offering prescription diets, supplements, medications, and accessories, promoting transparency and quality control. As pet ownership responsibilities evolve, solutions like My Animal Dispensary aim to ensure the welfare of pets in an increasingly digital world.
Why your business should consider a multicultural cybersecurity team
Adapt your hiring process to welcome diverse backgrounds and harness the advantages of a multicultural cybersecurity team.
Zachary Amos, Features Editor at ReHack
Diverse and multicultural cybersecurity teams offer various advantages, including increased productivity, creativity, and better decision-making. The cybersecurity sector faces a worker shortage, and increasing diversity can help bridge the skill gap. However, the sector lacks diversity, with underrepresented groups making up a small percentage of the workforce.
To build a multicultural cybersecurity team, companies should remove bias from the hiring process, have a diverse interview panel, generate a diverse candidate pool, and emphasize diversity in their brand. Such teams contribute to better problem-solving and employee retention while increasing profitability.
Social media oversharing: An invitation to cybercriminals
There are plenty of cases where people have been hacked, scammed, or blackmailed because they shared too much personal info online. And it’s not just celebrities – regular folks like you and me are at risk too.
Bernadetta Septarini, Content and Social Media Marketeer at ArmourZero
World Password Day serves as a reminder that strong passwords alone aren’t enough to protect against cybercriminals. Oversharing on social media can expose individuals to various risks.
This article highlights real-life cases of cyberattacks resulting from oversharing and explains how cybercriminals can exploit shared information. It emphasizes the importance of strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and caution with suspicious messages.
To protect personal data, the article advises users to be mindful of what they post, control privacy settings, and stay updated on security measures. Being vigilant and following best practices can help safeguard against cyber threats.
The neuroscience of startups: Unlocking the brain’s potential for business success
The next time you’re faced with a startup challenge, don’t just think like an entrepreneur; think like a neuroscientist.
Sana Ross, Peak Performance Strategist
Startups can harness neuroscience principles to enhance decision-making, teamwork, and overall success. This article delves into how understanding brain functions can benefit startups. It explores decision-making by engaging the prefrontal cortex and suggests mindfulness and decision matrices to improve choices.
Emotional intelligence and team dynamics are discussed in relation to the amygdala’s role in emotions, emphasizing the value of emotional intelligence training. The article also highlights dopamine’s impact on motivation and productivity and offers strategies for managing stress and preventing burnout, underscoring the importance of neuroplasticity in fostering adaptability and continuous learning within startups.
Also Read: e27’s contributor corner: Highlights from this week’s article
Institutional involvement and government support: Driving the growth of the crypto industry
As institutions enter the crypto space, they bring credibility, accessibility, and new investment opportunities for retail traders.
Jenny Zheng, Early Crypto Advocate and Business Development Lead at Bybit
Institutions like banks and asset management firms, such as Deutsche Bank and BlackRock, embracing digital asset licenses and Bitcoin ETFs represent a significant shift towards cryptocurrency acceptance.
Their actions not only signify confidence in crypto’s potential but also encourage more institutional involvement. These moves have positive implications, including increased retail investor participation and liquidity, leading to cryptocurrency price appreciation.
Government support, favourable regulations, and CBDC initiatives further boost the crypto industry’s growth and acceptance. Collaboration among stakeholders is essential to establish balanced regulatory frameworks promoting innovation and risk mitigation.
The state of cybersecurity in 2023: How APAC organisations can stay ahead of the curve
The key variable in cybersecurity is the human factor, including errors like inadequate training and phishing susceptibility leading to data breaches.
Ashish Thapar, Vice President and Head of Cybersecurity at NTT in Asia Pacific
The Asia Pacific cybersecurity landscape is increasingly complex due to rapid digitalisation and hybrid work environments. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in supply chains and cloud systems.
Organisations must prioritise risk management and preventive measures, including zero-trust architecture and training to address human error. Partnering with managed service providers can offer expert solutions. A proactive cybersecurity culture is essential to safeguard digital assets in this evolving threat landscape.
Operational AI: The silent, yet, strategic revolution shaping modern business
Generative AI impresses with creativity, but Operational AI emerges as the catalyst for impactful real-world change.
Harshdeep Rapal, Co-Founder and CEO at LeanFlo
In the world of AI, two main paradigms, Generative AI and Operational AI (Applied AI), have emerged. While Generative AI excels in creative content generation, Operational AI focuses on streamlining business operations through automation and data-driven decision-making.
Operational AI is gaining prominence due to its tangible impact on efficiency, cost reduction, data-driven decision-making, enhanced customer experiences, and security. It aligns with business goals, offers versatility, delivers immediate ROI, and future-proofs operations. Operational AI is the driving force behind transformative change in various industries.
Beyond the cloud: Entering the Web3 horizon for greater security
While cloud adoption has greatly supported digitalisation efforts and our ability to work effectively across borders, there are many questions about cloud security that remain unaddressed.
Camellia Chan, Founder and CEO at Flexxon
Dropbox’s decision to end its unlimited cloud storage offering has sparked concerns as the use of cloud storage becomes a business norm. While centralised cloud solutions like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer convenience, they also raise data privacy and security issues.
Centralised cloud storage providers are attractive targets for hackers due to the volume of data they host, and incidents of data breaches have increased. Decentralised dynamic security storage, leveraging blockchain and Web3 technology, offers a potential solution by distributing data across a network of global nodes, enhancing data control and security.
How to stay creative in the age of Generative AI and Web3
In the midst of an avalanche of technology news in creative industries, we navigate an unprecedented era of creativity and fear of being left behind.
Vasanth Seshadri, Founder of The Sunny Side
In April 2023, the Sony World Photography Awards saw a unique winner — Boris Eldagsen, with an AI-generated photo titled “Pseudomnesia: The Electrician.” This followed artist Jason M. Allen’s win in August 2022, creating a painting titled “Space Opera Theater” using the generative AI tool Midjourney. Meanwhile, the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT series hit a milestone when one ape was sold for nearly US$1 million in January 2023. Amid this tech-driven creative revolution, the importance of human creativity remains paramount, marrying the logic of technology with the magic of human ingenuity.
The Vietnamese market and Apple Pay: Excellent support or just unmet expectations?
Apple Pay has a limited impact on Vietnam’s e-wallet market due to its iOS user base, POS machine requirement, and reliance on international payment cards.
Kevin Nguyen, CEO and Co-Founder at Adamo Software
Apple Pay’s impact on Vietnam’s e-wallet market has been limited due to several factors. It exclusively serves iOS users, requires businesses to have POS machines, and only accepts international payment cards.
While it has excited Vietnamese iOS users, it mainly targets a higher-income user group. Local e-wallets like MoMo offer more comprehensive services and support domestic cards and bank accounts, making them more accessible to a wider range of users. Apple Pay’s impact on the market is minimal due to these limitations.
From complexity to clarity: How fintech makes people and business life easier
Navigating the impact of fintech in both B2C and B2B sectors, uncovering hidden tools and niche projects enhancing financial experiences in Indonesia.
Artem Moskalev, Co-Founder of IVITECH.Drive
The fintech sector offers a user-friendly experience with various technologies impacting our daily lives.
While banking apps, payment methods, and e-wallets are common, niche projects like Skorlife in Indonesia offer credit score monitoring and identity protection. IVITECH.Drive provides electric bikes to ride-hailing drivers, improving income and reducing pollution.
Ajaib streamlines online investments for millennials, making them accessible with minimal investment. B2B fintech tools like OnlinePajak simplify tax management, while Crowde aids farmers in securing working capital through peer-to-peer lending.
Fintech enhances both individual financial solutions and business profitability, offering a promising future of prosperity.
Also Read: Voices of innovation: Showcasing e27’s top contributors of the week
Trust me, PR is with you day and night!
Expertise, creativity, and emotional understanding remain three key advantages for PR professionals in this ever-changing landscape.
Mai Anh Le, Regional Country Manager at Global PR Hub
The quote often attributed to Bill Gates, “If I only had two dollars left, I would spend one dollar on PR,” highlights the power of Public Relations (PR). However, recent debates, fueled by Robert Phillips’ book “Trust me, PR is dead,” challenge the future of PR. AI, like ChatGPT and DALL-E, is changing the landscape, but communicators must adapt and embrace AI’s potential while emphasizing ethical adoption and enhancing AI literacy. Key PR functions, a data-driven mindset, and technological adaptability are essential for PR’s continued relevance and value in a changing landscape.
Breaking into the data centre sector: Beyond technical expertise
Data centres are complex projects, and the exponential growth of demand in this sector infers tight design and construction program timelines.
Steve Raye, Associate Director at Linesight Singapore
The data centre sector has seen remarkable growth, fueled by a 440 per cent increase in global internet traffic from 2015 to 2021. Singapore has emerged as a key hub for data centres in Asia. These facilities are vital for our digital world, driving technologies that shape our daily lives. Becoming a Cost Manager in this field requires education in related disciplines, soft skills like problem-solving and communication, and a commitment to ongoing learning.
The role involves diverse tasks and responsibilities, with a focus on cost estimation and management, as well as staying updated on industry developments, especially in energy efficiency and sustainability. The demand for skilled professionals in this sector is high, offering opportunities for career growth and global mobility.
How to drive business innovation with AI-powered data analytics
In the face of ever-expanding datasets, businesses must leverage AI and big data to drive innovation and streamline operations.
Kenneth Kuek, Country Lead at InterSystems
Data holds immense potential for businesses in the digital age, yet a substantial portion of it remains untapped, referred to as “dark data.” Managing this data, particularly unstructured data presents unique challenges. In the Asia Pacific and Japan region, business leaders struggle with data overload and the need for better tools and resources.
AI and big data solutions can help extract insights from this data, improve decision-making, enhance efficiency, and drive innovation across various industries, from healthcare to retail. Embracing these technologies is essential for businesses looking to thrive in a data-rich environment.
Acing in hackathons: What every tech enthusiast needs to consider
After participating in over 80 hackathons, a journey of multiple wins and experiences, here are my key takeaways.
Daryl Lim, Co-Founder at MetaPals
Lim’s journey in entrepreneurship was sparked by his fascination with emerging technologies like blockchain and Web3. Participating in hackathons became my gateway into this world, enabling me to explore the transformative potential of these technologies.
Over the years, he has learned that hackathons are more than coding marathons; they are arenas for creativity and problem-solving. Success in hackathons relies on passion, continuous learning, and building the right team. These experiences have led him to focus on digital empowerment, sustainability, and financial inclusion in my hackathon endeavours, aiming to create solutions that have real-world impact.
Navigating sports tech using the travel industry’s playbook
It’s an excellent time to be an entrepreneur, but purse strings are getting tighter and more scrutiny will be placed on attracting and retaining new fans while also leveraging new technologies to grow on the top line.
Michael Proman, Venture Partner at Scrum Ventures
As an investor in the sports and entertainment sector, navigating the world of sports today offers significant opportunities. The sports business has rebounded post-COVID, with funding for sports tech startups reaching all-time highs.
However, it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to understand which technologies can make a significant impact in an industry historically slow to embrace innovation. Drawing inspiration from the travel industry, personalised immersive experiences, dynamic ticketing, immersive venue experiences, and frictionless behind-the-scenes operations can transform the sports fan experience and enhance profitability.
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