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If building a startup is like waging a war, then making decisions is like choosing your battles

You would expect to learn about e-commerce from a sharing session by the CEO of Tokopedia, one of Indonesia’s largest e-commerce marketplaces. However, the biggest take-away from the hour-long session was actually how to make choices in life.

Last week, William Tanuwijaya took to stage at Kopi Chat hosted by NUS Enterprise and joined by young entrepreneurs from NUS incubator, The Hangar.

After briefly sharing about his journey growing Tokpedia — from a university recruiting booth that no one graced to the leading e-commerce marketplace in Indonesia — Tanuwijaya took questions from the floor. Here are the biggest highlights:

Build a sustainable business, not an immediately profitable one

In response to a question on why Tokopedia does not offer Cash On Delivery (COD) services for buyers, William dropped what was perhaps the biggest contrarian insight of the night.

Indonesia has many islands — 17,508 to be exact — and if Tokopedia were to offer COD across Indonesia, it would be extremely costly. Especially so for goods returned. For this,Tanuwijaya asked the audience to imagine: a courier traversing seas, jungles, horrible traffic only to reach the hands of buyers and be delivered all the way back. Even though COD opens up more consumers to Tokopedia, it is simply not a sustainable business model.

Cutting through the fog, he gave us his analysis of the problem: While Indonesia has a credit card penetration rate of about 3%, the real reason why consumers prefer COD is because “they don’t trust merchants”. Clearly, the solution is better directed towards increasing trust.

To solve this: Tokopedia reveals sales figures to consumers, offers a robust system of shop reviews and trust badges to help consumers make better purchase decisions. In addition, consumers get the next best thing after COD — payment at local convenience stores.

Wrapping the point up, Tanuwijaya also explained why Tokopedia rarely offers discounts. Slashing prices to gain market share contradicts his philosophy of building a sustainable business. However, he did say there was one caveat: discounts are only given to change a consumer habit. For example, Tokopedia gave discounts for consumers to switch from web to mobile app.

Choose which battles to lose

Regarding Tokopedia’s expansion plans outside of Indonesia, Tanuwijaya borrowed concepts from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.

If building a startup is like waging a war, then making decisions is like choosing your battles. In Tokopedia’s case, different markets represents different battlegrounds, and its strategy to survive is to lose the battles outside Indonesia. Ironic as it seems, this is one of the reasons why Tokopedia was able to out-compete and out-last its Indonesian competitors.

He explained that some of his competitors have bigger ambitions than he had. They chose to venture outside Indonesia early on. This creates two problems:

• They are unable to serve the local consumers well; and
• They run out of cash faster.

By losing the battles outside, Tokopedia retained home-ground-advantage and has grown to the billion dollar business it is today.

Another way to look at it is the overall market potential. According to Tanuwijaya, only 1 per cent of Indonesians shop online. That means there is still huge potential left. Tokopedia need only look within Indonesia for the next big playing field.

Fundraising requires luck, lots of it

The highly anticipated question on fundraising did not offer silver bullets to the head-scratching problem. Instead, it points back at fundamentals — build a sustainable business.

The CEO, who has raised up to US$250million to date, admitted he has never written a single business plan. However, that doesn’t mean the rest of us shouldn’t. He quickly added that he should probably pick up the habit of doing that.

From Tanuwijaya’s perspective, luck was a huge factor in him raising millions. In fact, Tokopedia is one of the luckier startups to have investors pursue them instead. Here, William recounted the story of how Sequoia Capital’s Tan Ying Lan called him before his flight to Japan, found out which flight he was on, and appeared at arrivals to make him an offer. Coincidentally, William was in Japan to seek investment from Softbank too. Thus creating the ultimate happy ending when both deals received resounding yes-es.

Turns out that was only two of three pieces of good news during that trip.

Don’t juggle all 5 balls at once

The analogy of the 5 balls of life was first coined by then Coca Cola CEO, Brian G. Dyson. It speaks of five aspects of a person’s life — Work, Family, Health, Friends, and Spirit— expressed as balls that we juggle. Among them, four balls are made of glass. One ball is made of rubber and it represents work.

William cited this analogy and described his startup journey as a bouncy rubber ball: from lows when the company was close to running out of money, to highs when they achieved the 1 million merchants mark in August last year. Startups will face failure. That is why it is important to persevere and bounce back. But other aspects of life don’t have the elasticity like work. If they fall, they shatter.

It came very close for Tanuwijaya when he declined accompanying his wife (then girlfriend) to Japan for her medical school graduation. William told us that he felt guilty afterwards. He had often postponed holidays with his wife because a particular quarter was “too important for Tokopedia.”

He admitted that it was really hard for him to juggle his five balls of life all at once and if this had carried on, he would have broken some of them. His solution is to set aside two balls and focus only on juggling the other three well at any time.

Tokopedia closed the quarter out-performing expectations. Tanuwijaya set aside his Work ball, flew to Japan and surprise-proposed to his lovely wife.

As he would proclaim, she said yes, thus completing a hat-trick.

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

Featured Image Credits: NUS Blk71

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An Australian gives his personal view

Feedvisor’s new headquarters in Tel Aviv Image Credit: Geektime/Gedalyah Reback

Much has already been said about the advantageous and unique qualities of the Startup Nation by commentators who have extensive knowledge of the industry, and these played into my admiration of the startup workplace. The following thoughts exemplify what stood out from my personal experience and indeed, served to reinforce the underlying principles critical to the country’s success.

Willingness to delegate responsibility and accept high risk hiring offers

The general appetite for risk taking in startups also extends to hiring. As someone with entry-level skills in the type of assistance I provided, I presented a real risk to founders considering the time they invested in me, or if they relied upon my potentially poor advice. In my offers of free help, this was most evident. This did require some supervision and time sacrifice on the behalf of the founders, which was greatly appreciated, but I was then able to contribute to startups at minimal cost to them.

If I had made such offers in the Australian business environment, it would most likely have been rebuked or left unanswered.

Founders were also happy to consider how they could delegate responsibility based on pitching to them why what I was proposing to do could address undefined business needs. In this sense, I was grateful for startup founders’ willingness to take a chance on me and chart my own course, for without it my internship would not have been as meaningful.

Also Read: Huawei reportedly acquires Israeli startup hexatier for US$42 million”

This ability to place greater trust in junior team members ties into the looser hierarchy of the Israeli ecosystem, which is commonly cited as a driving factor of its success. Expertise was also developed independently by way of allowing this kind of autonomy, meaning professional growth was more self-perpetuating rather than top-down driven.

Accessibility and responsiveness

In Israel, gatekeepers were practically nonexistent as was the feeling that you couldn’t approach someone because they were above you and you weren’t worth their time. With a receptiveness to potential value of any worth, emails were replied to within at most half a day, and when they could not be, commitment of when a reply would be made was always delivered. If people preferred contact by other means, they’d also let you know, while accelerating communications channels without being left uncertain as to how to proceed.

Perhaps the best example of this was when I wanted to speak to one of Israel’s most prominent startup commentators, Hillel Fuld, for research for another article I was drafting. Within twenty minutes, he remarkably made the time to get on the phone and answer all my questions there and then, before proceeding to recommend who else I should get in touch with on the topic. Hillel obviously feels the same way about others in the ecosystem, having recently written this post regarding the selflessness of those in it.

When I had to follow up, on the rare occasions it was needed, it was also much more effective because of an acceptance of chutzpah (of which the closest English equivalent is audacity). This greatly facilitated the ease and timeframe of various dealings.

Also Read: Forget WebMD, this Israeli startup Kang Health gets US$3M seed round for better search on medical questions

The same went for voicing a concern. I did not have to worry about the perceived consequences it might have. Rather, it helped me earn respect for asserting myself. If you wanted something, there was no social fear of being direct about it, cutting away second guessing and roundaboutness by getting straight to the crux of an issue. This contrasts with Australia, where there are certain conventions and niceties to be followed, which while in some cases are necessary, can often prolong decision making.

Openness of networks

Not only where those in the startup scene easy to reach, they were also more than willing to make introductions and add value in other ways, whether their positions were junior or senior with years of industry experience. In a multiplying effect, through one or two meetings, I was able to gain the contact details of various important figures. These suggestions were generally offered without asking, usually followed by the question of “How can I better help you find what you’re looking for?”, with everyone I met with trying to tailor their connections and suggest where there might be another line of enquiry worth pursuing. It was not transactional in that it didn’t create the expectation of immediately returning a favour, thus creating social capital in the process. This is not to say in Australia networks don’t operate in similar ways in terms of exchanging value, just that it is harder to access people at all levels of seniority.

Combinas

Although typically emphasised as a negative trait that’s seen to be somewhat nepotistic and in some cases legally questionable, “combinas” refer to the Israeli method of bypassing roadblocks through personal connections. Transplanted into the context of innovation, however, and done without ill intent, it only seems rational that Israeli startups would want to maximise advantages by leveraging their networks and not following conventions or supposed best practices. Instead they work on devising creative solutions that can derive more value. It also serves to reduces the burden of bureaucracy often affecting corporates’ swiftness to act.

Israel’s small size and close knit mentality in this regard, like that of most startups within it, are extremely advantageous. Testament to this is alumni networks of Israel’s various military units, particularly tech centric ones such as Unit 8200. Almost all networking circles, as a result of this,  have a close degree of overlap and the majority of the industry have mutual contacts which they cross-leverage to become prolific startup professionals. Throughout my time, I witnessed examples of combinas that didn’t cross any ethical boundaries and were in themselves ingenious.

Although they will not fit exactly within the regional environment, I will personally look to adapt these insights and mindsets when I return to Australia early this year.

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The article First Person: What it is like working for an Israeli startup first appeared in Geektime.

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Thailand’s startup scene may be young, but its chiefs are far from inexperienced.

The startup ecosystem in Thailand is growing, gaining support from the government and getting the attention of investors. And why not? It is the fastest growing market in e-commerce in the region and has a 147 per cent mobile penetration – such a connected community is an attractive market for digital and tech startups.

It’s not all smooth-sailing however, as Thailand can be challenging for startups, what with under-developed infrastructure, fierce competition, and the general growing-up pains of a young ecosystem. But this is what makes the country an exciting playground for disruptive tech and, if the previous years are an indication, startups are up to the challenge.

We thought we’d introduce you to some of the CEOs of these startups.

Amarit Charoenphan

The startup ecosystem in Thailand is very, very nascent, but is growing really quick.

Amarit Charoenphan is a prominent figure in Thailand’s startup ecosystem. As the co-founder and CEO of the country’s first co-working space HUBBA, which grew to be a major hub of startup activity in Thailand, Charoenphan had front-row seats to the developments and challenges of the country’s startups. A graduate of Thammasat University, Charoenphan has participated in Disrupt University, a learning hub for technology and innovation, and has organised and facilitated in various events such as the Startup Weekend Bangkok

Also read: My startup journey: Seven serious lessons I learnt from being a startup co-founder

Paul Srivorakul

When entrepreneurs do not start thinking bigger at every phase of their journey, they lose out what they already have.

Co-founder and group CEO of aCommerce, the leading full service end-to-end e-commerce solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Paul Srivorakul is a serial entrepreneur and investor in the region. A graduate of Anthropology at the University of California Berkeley, Srivorakul’s entrepreneurial journey in Thailand began after a stint in AskJeeves exposed him to the world of online search and advertising. Upon returning to Thailand, Srivorakul went on to build and successfully exit three startups, namely New Media, Admax Network, and Ensogo. Apart from aCommerce, Srivorakul has also founded Ardent Capital in which he currently serves as Chairman in an advisory capacity.

Cassandra Italia

We have a duty of care.

TopDocs Founder and CEO Cassandra Italia is a passionate advocate of proper patient care. A graduate of the University of Canberra, Italia has 9 years experience in the medical tourism industry and has worked at Bumrungrad International Hospital. TopDocs is an online platform for medical tourists to smoothly and safely plan their medical travel, with over a hundred doctors and facilities available in Thailand. Italia is also the Managing Director of Healthcare Hands, an international patient concierge service.

Also read: Want to roll your product out to the streets? This ignition programme could be the answer

Jerome Le Louer

It takes time to build something solid so patience, focus, and bit of luck will be required to make your dream come true.

Jerome Le Louer began his love affair with Thailand in 2007 fresh from a short stint as a Finance and Accounting manager in France; with a Masters degree in Finance from Audencia Business School, it is not surprising that his impressive resume leans heavily on finance. But one 2012 day, Le Louer and a group of beer enthusiast found themselves wishing for premium beer delivery in Thailand and, in a classic we-needed-it-so-we-made-it-happen story, built Wishbeer. Now, Wishbeer does home deliveries of 500 different types of beers and ciders from over 20 countries all over Thailand. Le Louer is also the co-founder of Plizz, an online accounting service platform for small and medium enterprises.

Thanawat Malabuppha

Focus on the users. Make sure you build the product that serves their needs.

Thanawat Malabuppha, or Wai, is a computer engineering graduate with a passion for internet-based businesses. Before he went on to build Priceza, a price comparison tool available with local websites in six Southeast Asian countries,Malabuppha earned his Masters degree in Marketing after failing one startup. With 10 years experience in online business under his belt, He has built Priceza from scratch and is now serving over 40 million active users. Malabuppha also serves as a member of the management committee of the Thai E-Commerce Association.

Also read: I unleash my frustrations at the gym – Practo Co-founder and CEO Shashank ND

Yod Chinsupakul

There’s no shortcut.

Founder and CEO of Wong Nai, Thailand’s number one app for restaurant and beauty services reviews, Yod Chinsupakul had a little over four years of management experience in Thomson Reuters before getting his MBA from the Anderson School of Management of the University of California. A few months after returning to Thailand, Chinsupakul saw the opportunity to create a better, more local version of Yelp – a popular restaurant review site in the United States. The first two years of the startup was slow, as the company was still in the process of creating content and attracting users and businesses. Now, Wong Nai boasts of over 1.5 million members and 180,000 local businesses in Bangkok and in neighboring cities.

Moo Natavudh

Great people is an asset and will definitely contribute solutions to problems wherever you put them.

What started as a hobby has grown into a career spanning twelve years and resulting into the creation of the biggest e-bookstore in Southeast Asia. Ookbee founder and CEO Moo Natavudh dove headfirst into tech entrepreneurship after earning his Masters degree in Industrial Engineering after a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace engineering. His first startup, IT WORKS, is an IT outsourcing company that has pivoted many times in the course of 12 years. Apart from Ookbee, Natavudh also manages 500 Tuk Tuks Fund in Thailand as the venture partner of 500 Startups.

Kittinan Anuphan

We develop mobility solutions

Kittinan Anuphan is a serial entrepreneur and is currently the CEO of Claim Di, a mobile application that facilitates communications and claims between drivers and car insurance companies, which he also founded. With a sales career spanning 15 years, Anuphan built his first tech startup in 1997. He has then founded 3 more, including Claim Di, all focusing on mobility solutions.

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Featured image credit: costasz / 123RF Stock Photo

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Here’s our newest round-up of the featured startups on our site this week. If you have startup tips or story suggestions, feel free to email us. Enjoy this week’s list!

1. Baca | Indonesia (Startup Profile)

Baca is a news reader app for Indonesia launched its own “citizen journalism” site, Nulis which anyone can sign up as contributor and publish stories. There’s financial compensation based on revenue sharing, so what contributors earn depends on the click-through rate on ads associated with their content.

2. PouchNATION | Singapore (Startup Profile)

Singapore-based PouchNATION is an event management system that uses NFC (near field communication) wristbands, which have become popular during concerts, sports fests, exhibitions, and fairs.

3. Askmonk | India

Askmonk is an astrology app where users can post a question, pay for it, and get answers. Users can decide whether to pick an astrologer they like, or ask an open question on the board. The startup claims that Askmonk has 10,000 customers and 2,000 paid transactions, spread over 320 cities in India since its launch.

4. BookYourGame | India (Startup Profile)

BookYourGame caters to people of all ages who aren’t necessarily ready to litter Instagram with their #fitspiration progress, but who may occasionally want to venture off the couch or from behind their computers onto a treadmill.

5. Kyash | Japan (Startup Profile)

Established in 2015, Kyash is a service just like a mobile wallet, allowing users to transfer money and make payment settlements with no charges. The app’s simplicity of use is its major calling card. If you download the application and register as a member, you can start using it immediately.

6. JobsforHer | India (Startup Profile)

JobsforHer functions like any other jobs and resources site. With a twist: it’s specifically for women who have taken a break from the workforce – for motherhood, for example – and want to pick up a job again.

7. GuitarClub | India

Startup GuitarClub is a platform that seeks to connect upcoming indie artists with real estate spaces like cafes, restaurants, and hotels. It conducts ticketed events that can be bought on their website.

8. Cermati | Indonesia (Startup Profile)

Indonesian startup Cermati helps customers find and get financial products, such as credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, and mortgages. The site aggregates these from banks and multi-finance institutions.

9. DishDash | Singapore (Startup Profile)

DishDash lets corporates buy hundreds of meals from multiple restaurants in a single order, then delivers it without a fee. Apart from daily meals for staff, the startup provides catering for team meetings and corporate events – all ordered in advance.

10. Nexar | Israel (Startup Profile)

Israel-headquartered startup Nexar is a dashcam app that uses your phone’s accelerometer and camera to track traffic conditions as you drive. It’ll send you warnings and emergency signals in case of any impending danger.

11. Yojee | Singapore (Startup Profile)

Singapore-based startup Yojee has created a new way for ecommerce companies to work with logistics providers. It has built software that uses artificial intelligence and the blockchain to help logistics businesses coordinate their fleets and make the most out of existing last-mile delivery infrastructure.

Startup lists

12 – 15: These 4 startups got funded on the spot at a college fest

16 – 18: These startups use unique ways to clean up the Ganges

19 – 22: 4 rising startups in Japan

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• 5 deep tech startups in India that just bagged seed funding

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• Why and how I started a community for female startup founders

Like RSS? There’s always our Asia startups RSS feed!

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Photo credit: tomas1111 / 123RF.

It sounds like we’re talking about logistics startups in Southeast Asia every other week – surely, the space is all disrupted out by now?

One Singapore-based startup doesn’t think so and has created a new way for ecommerce companies to work with logistics providers. Yojee has built software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and the blockchain to help logistics businesses coordinate their fleets and make the most out of existing last-mile delivery infrastructure.

Using machine learning, the software becomes more capable as more drivers use it.

The system, powered by machine learning, automatically assigns delivery jobs to drivers, reducing the need for a human dispatcher. This lowers costs for logistics providers and makes deliveries faster for customers.

It also uses a blockchain to track and archive transactions and deliveries so they can always be verified if necessary. The startup prefers to keep exact details about its use of the technology, including a few other potential applications, under wraps for now.

Co-founder and CEO Ed Clarke noticed a common problem ecommerce companies had during a stint at marketing enabler Ematic. “We had about 70 of Southeast Asia’s leading ecommerce sites on our platform,” he tells Tech in Asia. “A recurring message from founders and CEOs was that selling is getting easier because the market is growing, but delivery is still very difficult.”

See: From customs to cash: here’s what you need to know about the Asian last-mile

An automated logistics network

Yojee’s software is aimed at logistics companies, offering them real-time tracking, pickup and delivery confirmation, invoicing, job management, driver rating, and more.

The system can optimize and manage fleets, eliminating the need for multiple dispatchers. And besides letting driver and dispatcher communicate, it also enables chats between driver and customer.

The startup claims that because it uses machine learning, the software becomes more capable as more drivers use it. It learns more about them, and then assigns a job to the driver it thinks is best equipped to handle it.

“Instead of taking two or three days to get things delivered, we can do it on the same day or the next one,” says Ed.

The startup also just rolled out a chatbot that lets ecommerce companies book deliveries without someone in the middle. The bot feeds the details (address, time of delivery, and more) into the system, which then arranges for the right courier.

Yojee is rolling out a chatbot for companies to book logistics jobs.

This is valuable especially to small logistics companies that find it difficult to compete with larger international players. “In order to optimize better, you need volume,” says Andras Kristof, Yojee co-founder and CTO.

While most software focus on making an individual logistic firm’s operations more efficient, Yojee bands together smaller delivery companies on its platform so they can benefit from economies of scale.

One concern small firms have about working together is that they’re afraid of losing their customer and intellectual property to collaborators, says Andras.

“We have a system that can prevent that – it makes sure you can collaborate, but you are not exposing your IP, your routes, your drivers, or your customers to the rest of the ecosystem. Yet you can work with each other and make yourself more efficient,” he explains.

Making autonomous deliveries possible

Maybe the most intriguing potential application of Yojee’s tech is in enabling autonomous delivery vehicles, something the co-founders are passionate about.

Driverless trucks are being tested in the US as well as potentially in Singapore. Yojee’s automated system and data could be in just the right spot to serve this new technology when it becomes viable.

“What you want is a high-volume autonomous network to put the autonomous vehicle on,” Ed explains. “The autonomous vehicle by itself doesn’t solve the logistics problem.” The combination of self-driving vehicles and an automated management network can give even small companies an advantage over large fleets, he explains.

With Yojee’s tech, fleets of autonomous trucks could be put to use on-demand by anyone who signs up on the startup’s network.

“In that way we can kind of democratize autonomous vehicles and give everyone access to them,” he adds.

How newspaper delivery helps ecommerce

To illustrate how its tech can help even old-fashioned logistic firms, Yojee recently collaborated with Post Media, a news company in Cambodia that delivers newspapers daily all over the country.

“What we did in Cambodia shows there are actually these amazing logistics networks that do something that’s not core ecommerce but can be really good for ecommerce,” Ed says.

Their core advantage, he explains, is knowledge of their territory and market – they know the most efficient routes and can do deliveries in short times. With Yojee’s tech, the network of drivers can receive ecommerce jobs and ensure fast and efficient delivery.

Within Southeast Asia, the startup hopes to plug into their system companies with their own fleets as well as drivers who work with their own vehicles.

“Then suddenly the whole ecommerce market has access to all those trucks,” Ed says. “They are already going everywhere, there’s just no efficient way to know who’s doing what and what jobs to give to whom.”

Public face

Ed and Andras founded Yojee 18 months ago. Andras was previously director of engineering for video streaming startup and Rakuten acquisition Viki. Later, he worked on his own blockchain business.

In that time, Yojee claims to have access to over 30,000 vehicles, with clients using its products in Singapore, Australia, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Ed doesn’t share the number of clients the company has.

Going public helped Yojee focus on building its tech.

In 2016, the startup listed in the Australian Securities Exchange through a reverse takeover deal with mineral exploration company Southern Crown Resources. The injection of funds through the listing helped the startup focus on building its tech instead of having to court investors and clients with an unfinished product.

“We’ve both been around startups for a long while and we know that getting investors for a traditional startup is like a six-month deal at the very least – you need to spend a lot of time doing the mating dance,” Andras laughs.

Ed points out that being a public company also made it easier for Yojee to talk to clients. “Legacy companies are not so keen to work with startups but they’re definitely interested in working with public companies,” he says.

“It gives you a position in the market where you can establish a lot of trust very quickly. Your business has really good discipline too.”

Logistics software is a bit of a trend in Southeast Asia. Longtime last-mile delivery company Anchanto recently announced a software platform of its own while former last-mile delivery startup Zyllem pivoted into a software-only solution.

Ed feels Yojee’s tech is the edge the startup needs against competitors. “It takes quite interesting technology to do what we do,” he says.

“We’re not building an app, we’re building a tech platform that everyone can plug into. The cross-border space is the next growth phase and our platform can enable that.”

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It would be nice if the place that stressed you out the most also helped you decompress. Photo credit: pxhidalgo / 123RF.

India is sick. Over the past few years, while infectious diseases have decreased, non-infectious diseases – chronic ones like hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes – have risen quickly, spawning alarm about lifestyles that contribute to the conditions.

There’s lots of stress in India because IT companies work into the night.

Tech startups joined in the effort. To help doctors monitor factors like diet and exercise that affect chronic diseases, there are tracking apps like HealthPlix and Diabeto. To monitor vital signs – a quick indicator when health’s taken a turn for the worse – there are startups like Medaino and Ten3T. However, these are all accessible through a device – either an app or a type of hardware.

Rajesh Mundra figured that something else was needed. To address lifestyle and chronic health issues in the country, his startup looked at a common symptom: stress. So the team bypassed the individual user and took the service to one of our most stressful environments – the workplace.

“There’s lots of stress in India because IT companies work into the night,” Rajesh, co-founder of Truworth Wellness, tells Tech in Asia.

See: Mental illness is an open secret in India. A startup bags a million bucks to fight it

The wellness game

Working with companies like Amazon, HP, and Intel, Truworth runs a wellness program within corporates, stressing that healthy employees mean more output for companies.

“Productivity is 40 percent down for a person sleeping five hours instead of seven,” Rajesh says.

A medical professional will conduct quarterly health screenings on employees, sending the information to doctors to analyze the information. Those physicians come back with a two-pronged health and wellness plan, taking into account physical and emotional health.

From there, it’s all about engagement, gamification, and keeping the employee on the plan. Colleagues can use Truworth’s online portal or app to track their progress, compete, and go on “fitness adventures.”

A person sleeping five hours instead of seven is 40 percent less productive.

In April, the startup will launch an updated “Wellness Corner,” where employees will be able to gain benefits for sticking to their health plan and cheering on their colleagues who are trying to do the same. Prizes will come in the form of a currency that workers can exchange for health products.

Founded by Rajesh, Rohit Chohan, and Rohit Mundra, the Jaipur-based startup is present in over 100 firms, servicing over 600,000 employees in India, the US, and Europe. The team is setting its sights on getting into more offices in the Middle East and Asia.

“Corporates have a very robust program,” he says. While apps that cater straight to customers can end up costing a lot of money in user acquisition, corporates come complete with money and a built-in community – not to mention some interest in health benefits.

See: In the heart disease capital of the world, a new wearable plays it close to the chest

Sticking to the plan

Truworth Wellness employs a team of 120 with offices in cities such as Jaipur, Mumbai, and Bangalore, including 40 doctors, nutritionists, and clinical psychologists who plan a patient’s diet practices and exercise.

The actual time commitment with each individual is kept quite light – besides the quarterly check-up, Truworth’s app aims for 10 to 20 minutes’ involvement from workers every day. It’s a preventative approach, and one that Rajesh stands by firmly as a solution to health and lifestyle problems.

Rajesh Mundra, founder and CEO of Truworth Wellness. Photo credit: Truworth Wellness.

“The current health system [in India] is not equipped,” he explains. “The most important thing is preventative health and wellness methods – disease management methods for these silent killers.”

The app also has an algorithm that helps employees manage their sleep, relationships, and overall emotional health.

In 2009, when the company first started, the approach was simple health screenings for companies. But telling people how to manage their lifestyles doesn’t work unless they actually do the work. Engagement became key.

And engagement remains a struggle – even now. “50 to 60 percent comply when they join a weight loss program,” Rajesh says. Truworth’s methods can work – he reports an average drop of three to four kilograms for half of participants. It’s the other half that Truworth continues to chase.

See: SXSW winner is building a 911 service app for India, promising help in under 10 mins

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Infiniti Motor Company and Nest are looking for Smart Mobility startups to mentor.

The premium automotive brand of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, INFINITI Motor Company, has partnered with leading venture capital firm and innovation partner Nest to launch an ignition program in Singapore.  The program has been designed to give founders the opportunity to achieve commercial validation for their businesses.

INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility is an eight-week program to train and mentor high-potential startups in mobility and connectivity so that they can pitch a viable business-case to INFINITI’s senior decision-makers and key innovation stakeholders from across the Renault-Nissan Alliance. It has been designed to help startups that have advanced from the ideation stage and are now ready to gain commercial validation with their product or service.

Applications for the program are open until February 12, 2017. Eight startups will be selected to participate in the ignition program that will run from May to June this year.

Also read: My startup journey: Seven serious lessons I learnt from being a startup co-founder

INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility follows the success of two accelerator programs in Hong Kong where startups have been successfully mentored to prepare them for commercial integration. .

One such startup is the Hong Kong-based E-Cycle, who joined the accelerator programme in 2015. E-Cycle designs, manufactures, and distributes all-electric vehicles, specializing in compact smart bikes. The company received funding from the program for prototyping, and worked with INFINITI’s design team in Japan to further develop the product. The product is scheduled to go to market in 2017.

Another startup, Hapticus, is an alumni of the INIFINITI Accelerator 2.0. Hapticus is a Singapore-based mobility solutions technology company, whose flagship product is a virtual transportation hub for people with special needs. Their system, comprised of a set of mobile and web applications, matches adequate transportation options with the specific user’s mobility needs.

Also read: Going global? 6 critical things your small business team must know

These successes in Hong Kong prompted INFINITI to bring the program to Singapore, a strategic location with a commitment to building a fully smart and sustainably connected city. INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility will link the selected startups to the Singapore innovation ecosystem for the duration of the program to help them benefit from the opportunities available through alignment with the government’s Smart Nation Initiative.

The eight startups, to be selected from local and international applications, will receive dedicated and tailored mentorship and guidance from industry experts at INFINITI and Nest to refine their business models and prepare them to pitch for a proof of concept project with INFINITI. The participants would also have the opportunity to pitch to investors and secure funding and new business opportunities in an investor Demo Day.

Also read: From idea to execution: 8 steps that can make a big difference in your startup journey

“This program is a key part of INFINITI’s initiative to promote entrepreneurial spirit in the business community,” said Roland Krueger, President of INFINITI Motor Company.

Nest CEO Lawrence Morgan said, “Startups need the opportunity to test their products and theories and this program is highly focused on giving founders a clear path to POC so they can quickly gain traction and scale.”

The program accepts applications until February 12, 2017. Interested startups from around the world can apply now.

 
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Disclosure: This article was produced by the e27 content marketing team, sponsored by Nest.

Feature image credit: INFINITI-NEST

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Some tools to get you up and running

Sometimes it’s hard to work efficiently when distractions like endless email clutter, chats and conversations, or funny YouTube videos get in the way. We cannot concentrate, we forget the important, and we get stuck in what clearly isn’t. Our self-control alone is often not enough to break cyber-loafing habits or prioritise our communications wisely, so that’s why it might be worth taking a look at special productivity tools.

It’s obviously much easier to quit scrolling through Facebook updates after having learnt that you wasted almost an entire hour on that yesterday. And this is exactly where these special apps can help: They provide you with accurate data on your productivity, block distractions and remind you of planned tasks.

Check out these productivity tools to get started:

Paper

To avoid forgetting your daily to-dos or important details of a project, put them on Paper. Combine your notes, checklists and sketches with documents and pictures (which you can draw directly in the app). The app has rich visual options, like using photos or charts for those who hate long written descriptions. Send your notes, or Cards, to other Paper users – a quick and easy way to share your ideas or explain what needs to get done.

IFTTT

Optimise your time by combining functionality of different apps and services using the ‘if this, then that’ logic – just like the name of the service suggests. With IFTTT, you don’t need to waste your valuable time on switching between dozens of apps: Track your working time combining Google Calendar and location data, automate your smart home appliances, sync your social media accounts – or even explore outer space.

Cold Turkey

If you’re a social media addict, going Сold Turkey on it might be the best possible thing for you. No half-measures: Block applications, web sites or the entire Internet until you get the work done. You can keep track of your progress, and even share your results on Facebook – just in case some of your friends find themselves in the same boat.

Remember the Milk

Another app for those who are so busy that they can’t even Remember the Milk, not to mention meetings and calls. The app sends out reminders via email, text, Twitter, and mobile apps, so there’s no way you’ll forget something important again. Create lists, add tags, structure your tasks, and share them with others.

Sanebox

Isn’t it awfully frustrating when you get to work in the morning and find out that you need to sort your inbox yet again – just like yesterday and every single day before? Well, using Sanebox will help you make that process incredibly simple by allowing you to filter out all email distractions, organise important correspondence, unsubscribe from mailing lists, and upload bulky attachments to the cloud.

actiTIME

Now that you got rid of all major distractions, you might need to know which of your tasks you perform efficiently and which are just waste of time. With actiTIME, you can track the time you spend on work assignments, analyse your time expenses and run reports to get a better idea of your productivity. Business owners and freelancers would also appreciate the ability to calculate the profitability of specific projects. This particular productivity tool could be useful for everyone – it is simple enough to use, but provides a very detailed overview of the time spent on specific tasks.

The takeaway

The list could go on and on: there are dozens of excellent productivity solutions available, but they’re useless without our own motivation. So let’s try not to turn this review into yet another distraction and get back to work. Thankfully with software productivity tools, it’s a lot easier to do.

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

Featured Image Copyright: sifotography / 123RF Stock Photo

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Karachi, pictured here, is one of the largest cities in the world with an estimated population of over 20 million. Photo credit: Wasif Malik.

There’s a slow, yet unmistakable rise of business sentiment in Pakistan.

Incidents of terrorism dropped sharply last year, prompting the Institute for Economics and Peace, a US-based independent think tank, to declare that it’s the lowest they’ve been since 2006.

It helps that China has vowed to invest approximately US$60 billion in building a trade corridor across the South Asian country, part of its “One Belt, One Road” project.

A large part of that cash is earmarked for infrastructure projects in energy and transportation, but the Chinese are also constructing schools, hospitals, and sport facilities.

The Wall Street Journal notes that Pakistan’s burgeoning middle class is helping fuel this economic turnaround – two million motorcycles were sold in the country last year, compared to just 95,000 in 2000. There’s a similar increase in appetite for durables such as home appliances, smartphones, and branded clothing – as well as western-style fast food.

An ever-increasing slice of these transactions are via ecommerce – helped by the fact that more than 1 million people are coming online every month on their phones.

The number of 3G and 4G subscribers sits just shy of 40 million. It is expected to grow to 90 million by 2020. Pakistan’s population is 182 million, just shy of Brazil’s 200 million, making it the sixth-most populous country in the world.

Pakistan’s entrepreneurs are aware of these trends. Islamabad-based Invest2Innovate (i2i) says 23 percent of youth want to start their own businesses.

The challenge is that many are still “clueless on the procedures and requirements”, a UNDP study quoted in i2i’s tech ecosystem report found.

Nonetheless, there’s a spurt of growth in corporate accelerators, incubators, co-working spaces, and government projects that’s helping allay such concerns – including i2i itself, which serves as an accelerator for civic-minded startups.

Aspiring founders in the country can choose between 25 such initiatives to help take their business from idea to fruition. That’s one of the key highlights of a crowdsourced map of Pakistan’s startup ecosystem released by i2i today.

The map is dynamic and evolving – people can claim data points, but they’ll be subjected to moderation by i2i’s team. The idea is to make it a reference as the industry evolves.

Most of this activity, however, is centered around the major urban centres of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, with a smattering of services in the frontier city of Peshawar. The challenge is to extend support for startups that are located in tier-two cities, as well as to build links with universities and colleges in those areas.

i2i adds that institutions like the US State Department, United Nations, USAID, and DFID (the UK Aid Agency) are providing much more financial and material support to entrepreneurs in recent years.

Wealthy Pakistani families are also investing in tech – a multi-million dollar seed fund syndicate launched last month, and other conglomerates are eyeing the sector closely.

However, more needs to be done to solve the complex and opaque regulatory environment that currently envelops new businesses in the country. In many cases, entrepreneurs have to bend or break laws to make sure their companies keep growing.

Strange taxation requirements also mean the startups can be subjected to higher rates than larger, established businesses.

That’s also hurting the growth of a larger VC pool. Such funds are subjected to archaic regulations that don’t recognize their different investment strategy.

But i2i is confident about the future.

“The increased amount of activity since […] 2014 is not only encouraging, it’s validating,” the report states. “The activity speaks to the energy in the country, and the local desire to affect change through entrepreneurship.”

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For those who enjoy the rush of closing business deals

Are you always on the lookout for great partners? Do you have a knack for developing and implementing growth opportunities? Then these are the business development jobs you’ve been looking for!

Happy job hunting, e27 Community!

Head of Business Development at Pulse iD

Location: Hong Kong
Job Description:

• Recruit and train Country Managers in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia & Singapore
• Lead and monitor sales pipelines across APAC markets targeting banks, telcos & media
• Motivate & appraise sales staff performance while identifying sales blockers
• Manage pitches to major regional clients and lead business development in Hong Kong
• Plan and control budgets across country markets
• The role involves regional international travel

Salary (USD): Not specified

Business Development Intern at ThunderQuote

Location: Singapore
Job Description:

• Executing Business Development projects such as opening up new customer verticals, etc.
• Shadowing and working directly with CEO for meetings with large clients, investors and events
• Tracking and analysing business development results
• Preparatory work for business development meetings
• Assisting in presentations & pitches

Minimum Salary (SGD): 500 per month (US$353)

Business Development Specialist (Recruitment Platform Product & Services) at NrgEdge Pte Ltd

Location: Singapore
Job Description:

• Incubate new initiatives to grow our existing business and to drive product adoption
• You will be running client visits with confidence, and be proactive in selling the variety of recruitment solutions provided by NrgEdge — demonstrating successes with contingency placements, retained business, advertising selection and complex proposals
• You will be expected to develop and grow a portfolio of clients and candidates that generates high revenue
• Stay abreast of technology trends, and conduct competitive analysis to establish thought leadership on new business initiatives and selling strategy
• Be extremely organised, and bring a high level of attention to detail and efficiency while working under tight deadlines and on multiple projects simultaneously

Salary (SGD): 3K – 4.5K per month (US$2,123-3,184)

Business Development Manager at Partipost

Location: Singapore

Job Description:

• Build relationships with both agencies, brands, and social platform users
• Client acquisition and management
• Pitch concepts and ideas to agencies and brands for small/large groups
• Assist on media buys
• Manage a small team
• Preferably having existing relationships with media/advertising industries

Salary (SGD): 2K – 4K per month (US$1,415-2,830)

Business Development at TechGrid Asia

Location: Indonesia
Job Description:

• Be our key managing Business Developer in Yogyakarta
• Build and maintain long term client relationship
• Analyse trends and results to continually improve our sales strategy
• Overall management
• Analyse customer feedback and collaborate with the tech and operation team to improve the product
• Coach our Yogyakarta team and help foster an engaging, positive learning culture

Salary (IDR): Not specified

Business Development Internship (PAID) at AutoCraver

Location: Malaysia
Job Description:

• Build relationships and communicate with clients (phone call and messaging)
• Ensure full satisfaction and utilisation of the services offered to clients
• Brainstorm ways to improve our services based on clientele reviews/requests, issues, and concerns
• Collaborate with the Marketing team in contributing ideas, such as ways to educate our customers

Salary (MYR): 500 per month (US$112)

Business Development / Sales Manager at Ideal Workspace

Location: Singapore
Job Description:

• Develop strategic sales growth plan with management, set KPIs and execute
• Proactively identify and connect with strategic business partners and clients
• Develop and initiate channel partnerships to open markets in Hong Kong, Australia, North America and the EU
• Develop new business opportunities with strategic partners and other potential customers at all stages of the sales cycle including targeting, prospecting and presenting compelling business propositions
• Manage and attend booths in trade and technology fairs worldwide
• Recruit and manage Sales and Business Development team

Salary (SGD): 4K – 6.5K per month (US$2,830-4,600)

Looking for other openings? Search for more jobs.

And are you a startup with job openings? Post them here.

Thanks and keep visiting e27 for more tech job openings!

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Featured Image Credit: Gratisography

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