エピソード

  • Climbing the Wrong Mountain: Why I Walked Away from Big Law and PE | Daniel Suh - E713

    Climbing the Wrong Mountain: Why I Walked Away from Big Law and PE | Daniel Suh - E713
    2026/07/16
    Daniel Suh spent a decade optimizing for prestige. Korean immigrant parents who left careers behind to start a small business in the US, a childhood spent moving apartments through bankruptcy, UCSD, five years in consulting to put his brother and mother through school, then an accelerated JD-MBA at Northwestern. He landed the big law summer and a private equity offer, the American dream on paper. He was elated for about ten minutes. "It felt like climbing a mountain for ten years. You get to the summit, and then you realize you climbed the wrong mountain the whole time." Today he is General Partner at Gold House Ventures, the cultural capital fund backing founders at the intersection of AI and creativity. In this conversation with Jeremy Au, Daniel breaks down the second-generation guilt that pushes immigrant kids into careers they never chose, the high school demand letter that won back his family's security deposit in 24 hours, and why Gold House evolved from an Asian founder fund into something broader. He gets specific about what "cultural capital" actually buys a founder that money and introductions cannot, and why the backlash against AI is a narrative problem rather than a technology one. If nobody trusts the model, adoption stalls no matter how good the model is. Culture, not capability, is what moves people. A conversation for founders, VCs and operators across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia who are quietly wondering whether they are climbing someone else's mountain. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/daniel-suh-gold-house BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #VentureCapital #StartupPodcast #GoldHouse #SoutheastAsia 00:00 - From San Francisco to Manila 01:31 - Korean immigrant parents, bankruptcy and growing up in poverty 03:56 - Three prisms: parent expectations, family money and your own dreams 07:38 - Five years in consulting to put the family through school 09:45 - The Northwestern JD-MBA: decent at law, miserable doing it 13:39 - The big law and private equity offer and climbing the wrong mountain 17:04 - Finding Gold House on LinkedIn and getting emotional over a website 19:46 - The security deposit fight that made empowerment personal 24:42 - Building the "Asian YC" and the fund thesis 27:26 - The Fund II rebrand: cultural capital 32:12 - The AI backlash: jobs, deepfakes and paying creators 34:45 - Bravery, optionality and choosing yourself by telling the truth 39:22 - "A winner is a loser who tried one more time"
    続きを読む 一部表示
    43 分
  • The Career Advice Harvard Never Taught: Burnout, Fear & Flow | Pooja Venkatraman - E712

    The Career Advice Harvard Never Taught: Burnout, Fear & Flow | Pooja Venkatraman - E712
    2026/07/13
    Executive coach Pooja Venkatraman (Harvard College, Harvard MBA, ex-BCG, ex-Capital One) explains why burnout has almost nothing to do with how many hours you work, and everything to do with the mental soundtrack running while you work. She breaks down the two flavors of burnout high achievers miss, why "just quit" is bad advice, and the framework she uses to help Ivy League grads and operators get unstuck. For founders, VCs, and operators across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, this is a candid look at building a career that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside: navigating career pivots, imposter syndrome, and high-pressure decisions without burning out. Pooja also shares her non-linear path from aspiring screenwriter to coach, and why every move was a hypothesis worth testing. Learn more about Pooja: https://poojavcoaching.com/ Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/pooja-venkatraman-burnout-fear-flow BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #Burnout #CareerCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #SoutheastAsia #Podcast #TechCareers #Leadership #Founders #HighAchievers #CareerChange #MentalHealth 00:00 The biggest misconception about burnout 00:39 Intro: from HBS classmates to executive coach 03:35 The writer years: Harry Potter to Harvardwood 08:22 Pivot to business: Capital One and the secret writing job 10:28 HBS, BCG, and the hypothesis that broke 13:12 The Clay Christensen fellowship and the shelved book 17:44 Back to Capital One: "You're not being brave" 23:44 The circular career and the wrapping paper trap 28:56 Hiring a coach, then becoming one 35:17 Burnout is not about the hours 38:44 Why not just quit? The internal tug of war 42:05 Being brave, advice to her younger self, and takeaways
    続きを読む 一部表示
    47 分
  • AI, Zeitgeist and Algorithmic Warfare | Justin Banusing - E711

    AI, Zeitgeist and Algorithmic Warfare | Justin Banusing - E711
    2026/07/09
    Host Jeremy Au sits down with two-time founder Justin Banusing, who returns to BRAVE to explain why he shut down a startup that was already working, near $1M ARR and freshly funded, and what that call taught him about building across Southeast Asia and the US. Together they unpack the value-chain trap Justin calls "sharecropping on someone else's land," why college gaming and esports could not become venture-scale businesses, and how the cultural shift from campus gaming to music festivals reshaped his entire thesis on where to build. From AcadArena, the Philippines' first Series A gaming startup, through the AI-companion era of Clout Kitchen, to Clouted, the a16z Speedrun-backed AI virality engine he runs today, Justin traces the difference between revenge founders and missionary founders, why he chose to build again instead of moving into venture capital, and how he thinks about winning what he calls "algorithmic warfare." Jeremy draws out the emotional side of pulling the plug and the discipline behind it. For founders, operators, and investors in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, this is a candid look at product-market fit, distribution, and knowing when to reset. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/justin-banusing-clouted-ai-virality BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #StartupFounder #VentureCapital #ArtificialIntelligence #SoutheastAsiaStartups #CreatorEconomy #GoingViral #TechPodcast #Philippines 00:00 Introducing Justin & Clouted 2:31 What Makes Justin a Founder 4:14 The Rise and Fall of College Gaming 6:51 Why Esports Doesn't Scale 10:44 The Messy Exit and a Deliberate Sabbatical 13:16 Founder, Not Investor 17:54 Revenge Startup vs. Missionary Founder 19:51 Building Backseat, the AI Gaming Companion 24:53 Knowing When to Pull the Plug 27:03 Falling for Music and Finding the Real Problem 33:34 Algorithmic Warfare: Why Virality Is Now Engineered 36:57 Inside Clouted: The AI Media Buyer 39:14 The Brave Question and Takeaways
    続きを読む 一部表示
    43 分
  • The End of Peak SaaS & How to Build Outcome-Based Software | Andres Klaric - E710

    The End of Peak SaaS & How to Build Outcome-Based Software | Andres Klaric - E710
    2026/07/06
    Is SaaS dying? Andres Klaric, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Fuse, joins Jeremy Au to explain why he believes we have reached "peak SaaS" and why AI agents are forcing software companies to charge for outcomes instead of seats. Andres shares how he spent a decade on Wall Street to build a war chest, launched during the 2020 pandemic, and pivoted from automotive refinancing to an AI-native loan origination system now used by more than 100 lenders. He breaks down the $25 million Series A, the $5 million "rescue fund" that frees credit unions from legacy contracts, and why context-rich teams, not newcomers, win the AI race. For founders, venture capitalists, and operators across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, this is a playbook on disciplined pivots, outcome-based pricing, and building durable B2B software in a highly regulated industry. Whether you are raising a Series A, rethinking your SaaS pricing model, or navigating enterprise sales, Andres offers a candid look at accountability, agentic AI, and the immigrant grit behind the journey from Bolivia to a fast-scaling fintech. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/saas-outcome-pricing BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #VentureCapital #Startup #SaaS #AI #Fintech #LoanOrigination #Founders #SoutheastAsia #Podcast #Business 00:00 Harvard reunion and the cookie-cutter finance path 03:25 Building a war chest and the pandemic catalyst 06:15 From auto refinancing to the B2B pivot 10:25 How to run a disciplined pivot 13:24 Why legacy loan origination software is broken 19:37 Peak SaaS: charging for outcomes, not seats 26:02 The $5M rescue fund explained 28:53 Selling to banks and credit unions 31:39 Why humans still close deals in the AI era 34:15 Bravery, Bolivia, and his parents' migration 38:27 Founder, father, and finite time 40:57 Key takeaways
    続きを読む 一部表示
    42 分
  • The Science of Inspiration: Why Leaders Inspire or Infuriate | Adam Galinsky - E709

    The Science of Inspiration: Why Leaders Inspire or Infuriate | Adam Galinsky - E709
    2026/07/02
    What separates leaders who inspire from those who infuriate? Columbia Business School professor and bestselling author Adam Galinsky (Inspire, Friend & Foe) breaks down the science of inspiration: the Leader Amplification Effect, why every leader inevitably inspires or infuriates, and the three universal traits of inspiring people, being a Visionary, an Exemplar, and a Mentor. He also explains why AI is fundamentally sycophantic, how it can quietly erode learning and human connection, and why in-person relationships still win. Featuring the story of Southwest pilot Captain Tammie Jo Shults, the research on power and reflection, perspective taking, and the real difference between leadership and management. For founders, venture capitalists, and operators across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, this is a practical playbook for leading teams, raising capital, and building culture in Southeast Asia's fast moving tech ecosystem. Galinsky unpacks how inspiring leadership shifts across individualistic and collectivist cultures, why consistency and avoiding hypocrisy carry extra weight in Asia, and how simple repetition drives belief, investment, and trust. Get Adam's book, Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others: https://adamgalinsky.com Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/adam-galinsky-inspire BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #Leadership #Inspiration #LeadershipPsychology #AI #SoutheastAsia #Startup #VentureCapital #TechPodcast #SelfImprovement 0:00 Cold Open: Inspire or Infuriate 0:28 Introduction: Meet Adam Galinsky 1:01 From Negotiations to Friend and Foe 3:30 The Low Power Double Bind 4:55 The Leader Amplification Effect 6:03 The Power of Reflection: State of Mind and Values 12:11 Inspiring Architects: Small Nudges, Big Change 15:37 Why AI Can't Replace Human Connection 17:16 Visionary, Exemplar, Mentor: The Three Traits 21:57 Short-Term vs Long-Term: Lessons from Parenting 23:28 Do You Need All Three? Jobs, Musk, and Trump 25:25 Southwest Flight 1380: Leadership Under Fire 28:02 Perspective Taking and the Bully Effect 32:12 Repetition, Truth, and Political Leadership 34:43 Leaders vs Managers: Obama and Romney 36:23 What Is Leadership? Teaching Future Leaders 37:51 East vs West: Universal Traits of Inspiring Leaders 39:48 A Personal Story of Being Brave 43:14 Three Key Takeaways
    続きを読む 一部表示
    46 分
  • Nickel, Chinese EVs and a Senate Chase in the Philippines | Franco Varona - E708

    Nickel, Chinese EVs and a Senate Chase in the Philippines | Franco Varona - E708
    2026/06/28
    When the oil crisis hit, Southeast Asia changed overnight. In this episode, recorded in Manila, Foxmont Capital's Franco Varona joins Jeremy Au to unpack how the energy shock supercharged the electric vehicle boom across the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. They break down BYD's stunning climb to become the Philippines' third best-selling car brand in roughly three years, why Filipino consumers now name a Chinese EV as their dream car, and how solar panels are turning electricity bills to zero. The conversation also goes deep on the region's bigger game: Malaysia's fuel subsidy trap, the brownouts and record heatwaves that exposed the Philippine grid, and the high-stakes economics of Pax Silica, the US-led semiconductor and critical minerals pact that the Philippines joined in April 2026. Plus the wild Senate drama that gripped Manila, from gunshots on the floor to a senator's chase. Essential listening for founders, investors and operators building in Southeast Asia. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/nickel-chinese-evs-philippines BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #Philippines #ElectricVehicles #Semiconductors #VentureCapital #Startup #Podcast #southeastasia #techpodcast 00:00 Intro 00:36 The new Manila airport 03:16 The oil crisis that shook Southeast Asia 05:09 EV sales jumped 300% in 3 weeks 06:00 How BYD became the Philippines' #3 car brand 12:40 Malaysia's costly fuel subsidy trap 16:15 55°C heat and the Makati brownouts 19:16 The solar boom and $0 electricity bills 20:48 Gunshots and chaos in the Senate 27:10 Pax Silica: chips, nickel and the US deal 34:18 Final takeaways
    続きを読む 一部表示
    36 分
  • Stablecoins And The Agent Economy Will Rewire How Money Moves | Dušan Stojanović - E707

    Stablecoins And The Agent Economy Will Rewire How Money Moves | Dušan Stojanović - E707
    2026/06/24
    Dušan Stojanović, founding partner of True Global Ventures, joins Jeremy Au to map where money is heading as stablecoins and AI agents collide. He traces his path from building one of the first internet banks in France to becoming Europe's Angel of the Year, then breaks down the news that matters now: the Hong Kong stablecoin license won by Anchorpoint, the Standard Chartered, HKT, and Animoca Brands venture. The conversation goes deep on why payments are the first real use case for the agentic AI economy, why a human still needs to stay in the loop, and his bet that agent-to-agent transactions could outgrow the human economy far sooner than most expect. He also explains why he believes money itself becomes a commodity within a decade, and how that forces venture capital to compete on network and AI support rather than capital alone. For founders, VCs, and operators across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, this is a practical look at the rails the region's next wave of fintech and cross-border trade will run on. Singapore and Hong Kong sit at the center of the regulated stablecoin story, and the trade-finance flows Dušan describes are exactly the corridors Southeast Asian businesses depend on. If you are building in payments, crypto, or AI, or deciding how to fund and scale in an agent-driven market, this episode is for you. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/ai-and-stablecoins BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #Singapore #HongKong #Crypto #Stablecoins #AIAgents #AgenticAI #VentureCapital #Fintech #SoutheastAsiaTech #StartupFunding #AIpayments #Podcast 00:00 - In 10 years, money becomes a commodity 01:38 - From internet banking to angel investing 05:18 - Where great VCs actually add value 09:37 - Saving struggling startups with no team 13:06 - Inside Animoca's Hong Kong stablecoin license 16:48 - Why payments lead the agentic AI economy 22:19 - Will agents transact more than humans? 24:14 - AI coding, OpenClaw, and the productivity shift 27:46 - How venture capital must change 34:13 - Vision vs execution, a brave story
    続きを読む 一部表示
    38 分
  • Turn Limiting Beliefs Into Liberating Beliefs | Nir Eyal - E706

    Turn Limiting Beliefs Into Liberating Beliefs | Nir Eyal - E706
    2026/06/21
    Behavioral designer Nir Eyal sits down with Jeremy Au to unpack the ideas behind his New York Times bestseller Beyond Belief. He explains why information alone never changes behavior, why your limiting beliefs stay hidden like your own face, and how the motivation triangle of behavior, benefit, and belief decides whether you actually follow through. Nir breaks down the research showing why manifesting and vision boarding can backfire, what athletes do instead with mental contrasting, the crucial difference between pain and suffering, and the four-question turnaround he used to repair his relationship with his mother. The episode closes with a live coaching session where Jeremy rewrites his own beliefs about exercise. For founders, operators, and investors across Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, this is a practical playbook for the inner game of building. Burnout, self-doubt, and stalled goals are common across Southeast Asia's startup ecosystem, and Nir's framework offers a science-backed way to spot the beliefs quietly capping your potential and swap them for ones that serve you. Grab Nir Eyal's new book Beyond Belief, plus Hooked and Indistractable, at https://www.nirandfar.com Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/nir-eyal-beyond-belief BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #BeyondBelief #LimitingBeliefs #Mindset #SoutheastAsia #StartupFounders #Productivity #BehaviorChange #SelfImprovement 00:00 From Hooked to Beyond Belief 03:08 Why He Writes and the Birth of Hooked 05:36 The Phone, His Daughter, and Indistractable 08:28 Why Knowing Isn't Doing: The Motivation Triangle 11:26 Beliefs vs Facts vs Faith 12:55 Why Manifesting Backfires 16:56 Pain Is Not Suffering 21:04 Updating the Beliefs We Inherit 28:25 The Flowers, His Mother, and the Turnaround 31:31 Live Coaching: The Real Reason Exercise Feels Hard 41:25 The Four-Question Turnaround on Exercise 48:21 Exercise for Its Own Sake 52:00 Takeaways: Beliefs Are Lenses, Not Laws
    続きを読む 一部表示
    54 分