In this episode of The Generalists, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Michel de Rijk, Founder of Kredit Hero, to discuss:

• His journey from adtech (iWonder) to building programmatic platforms like Xaxis and leading growth at S4 Capital
• Co-founding 19Volt’s venture-builder model and launching Kredit Hero, an AI-powered SME lending marketplace in the Philippines
• How Kredit Hero matches lenders and borrowers digitally—closing Asia’s SME financing gap with speed, transparency, and competitive pricing

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
• Razko Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/

Guest:

Michel de Rijk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mderijk/

Resources & Links:

• The Generalists Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast

• Kredit Hero: https://kredithero.com
• 19Volt: https://www.19volt.com

In this episode of The Generalists, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Mimi Nicklin, Empathy Advocate, to discuss:

• Transforming leadership through empathy—drawing on frameworks from her bestselling books and training over 16,500 leaders
• Tackling workplace loneliness via the OpenRoom initiative and comparing Southeast Asia’s evolving business ecosystem to Europe
• Operationalizing empathy across organizations, including the generalist-versus-specialist debate and practical steps for building empathetic cultures

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
• Razko Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/

Guest:

• Mimi Nicklin – Empathy Advocate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miminicklin/

Resources & Links:

• Empathy Everywhere: https://www.empathyeverywhere.co/
• Softening the Edge – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Softening-Edge-Mimi-Nicklin/dp/9948340094
• Empathy at Work – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-At-Work-Using-Change/dp/811972643X
• The MiMi YouYou Show (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mimi-youyou-show-creating-empathy/id1687806240
• Mimi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxv635q-WB871-OA6KuUdpg
• The Cafe on the Edge of the World: https://www.amazon.sg/Cafe-Edge-World-Story-Meaning/dp/0991392051

In this episode of The Generalists, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Paul Hadjy, VP APAC Cybersecurity Services at Bitdefender and co-founder & former CEO of Horangi, to discuss:

• Building and scaling a cloud security startup in the APAC region

• Navigating an eight-year journey to acquisition by Bitdefender

• Leveraging AI and vast endpoint data for next-generation cyber defense

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/

• Razko Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/

Guest:

• Paul Hadjy – VP APAC Cybersecurity Services (Bitdefender; ex-Horangi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-hadjy-316a026/

Resources & Links:

• Horangi: https://www.horangi.com/

• Bitdefender: https://www.bitdefender.com/
• Palantir: https://www.palantir.com/

• Landman (TV series on Paramount+): https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/landman/
• Yellowstone (TV series on Paramount+): https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/yellowstone/
• Sicario (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3397884/
• Billions (TV series): https://www.sho.com/billions
• Succession (TV series): https://www.hbo.com/succession
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205
• The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel: https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Money-Timeless-lessons-happiness/dp/0857197681

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