- Khailee Ng urges SEA founders to defy trends and reassess strategies for growth.
- Prioritizing customer money, exploring new regions, and cheering on peers is key.
- Ng believes US$30 trillion is up for grabs as more people come online.
Khailee Ng, managing partner at 500 Global, likens Southeast Asia’s tech industry to a person on the brink of adulthood.
Founders must now “grow up” and realize that merely starting a company is insufficient; they need to chart a strong path to their end goals and acknowledge the possibility of failure.
Trendsetters, not trend followers
Ng encourages founders to chase big payoffs by taking the road less traveled. They should focus on being the exception to the norm and create new options through relentless efforts.
Listening to one’s inner voice and mastering one’s game is crucial for success. Ng advises founders to concentrate on low-cost, high-result areas within their startups.
Prioritizing customer money over VC investment, exploring new regions beyond Southeast Asia, and cheering on fellow tech sector players are key strategies for growth.
Ready, set, innovate!
Ng believes that there’s another US$30 trillion up for grabs in the coming decades, stemming from the growing number of people coming online.
To seize this golden moment, founders must continue innovating for existing digital users and prepare for the exciting possibilities that arise when the next wave of internet users comes online.
