This week Matt and Rich take another look at the weirder side of science and technology. Elon Musk’s Neuralink evokes The Force, enabling a quadriplegic man to play computer chess through thought alone, illustrating the technology’s potential for enhancing human interaction in digital environments. Illusory patten recognition could hold the key to why some people are more receptable to conspiracy theories. An overdeveloped evolutionary response that causes some people to connect dots where...

2024 - We are almost at the end of the first quarter of the year! Now is a suitable time to reevaluate how small and medium-sized businesses are “feeling” about the economy. Malaysian SMEs enter 2024 with a mix of optimism and caution. A recent report by Employment Hero found that an impressive 79% of SMEs are confident about their own growth prospects, despite concerns about rising costs and inflation. This sentiment reflects a sense of resilience after challenging years, with many...

2024 - We are almost at the end of the first quarter of the year! Now is a suitable time to reevaluate how small and medium-sized businesses are “feeling” about the economy. Malaysian SMEs enter 2024 with a mix of optimism and caution. A recent report by Employment Hero found that an impressive 79% of SMEs are confident about their own growth prospects, despite concerns about rising costs and inflation. This sentiment reflects a sense of resilience after challenging years, with many...

The agriculture sector in Malaysia stands as an important pillar of the nation's economy, contributing significantly to its GDP and employment of a large workforce as well. With a rich diversity of crops ranging from palm oil and rubber to tropical fruits and vegetables, the industry is vital for domestic consumption and also for export. However, the sector faces multifaceted challenges, including traditional supply chain inefficiencies, the urgent need for sustainable practices amidst...

Rich and Matt delve into the intricacies of the human brain, exploring how our brains manage energy, creativity, and memory. While fresh brains are undoubtedly faster and sharper, youth doesn’t always guarantee first place: older brains may be better when it comes to cognitive performance. As they sift through the fast-firing neurons of neuro-plasticity, they come across the unexpected origins of mental fatigue, while Matt peeks inside Rich’s head to try and unpick the origins of creativity...

On this episode of Resource Center, we speak with Dr. Prashun Kumar Choudhury from MindBeez Consulting to discuss the multifaceted landscape of career guidance in Malaysia. We delve into the evolution of career guidance in the nation, particularly against the backdrop of Malaysia's transition towards more technology, finance, and healthcare-driven industries. In the face of a rapidly changing job market, we also discuss the challenges students face in charting their educational and career...

Malaysia is rapidly emerging as a key digital hub in the ASEAN region, with its thriving data centre ecosystem, thanks to its strategic geographic location, political stability, and government initiatives aimed at boosting the digital economy. Ranked 22nd globally and 2nd in ASEAN by the Arcadis Data Centre Location Index 2021, Malaysia attracts global cloud service providers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google. Another tech giant that’s been attracted to Malaysia and in expanding its footprint...

Today, we will delve into the world of corporate innovation programs, specifically hackathons and how they can help businesses with their product innovation, talent acquisition, and acquiring market insights with Inbaraj Suppiah, Founder of JomHack Malaysia. JomHack Malaysia organizes hackathons and other corporate innovation programs nationwide. From fostering product innovation to nurturing talent and acquiring market insights, we start by breaking down the essence of hackathons and...

Raising funding can be very powerful for startups as they grow, but if structured badly, this can end up being a ‘poison pill’ and kill your startups ability to grow by limiting how large a startup can possibly get. In short, making your startup “uninvestable" Kevin Brockland, Founder & Managing Partner of Indelible Ventures, helps breakdown why founders need to be careful about how equity they give up when raising funds, how to rectify this and optimize your investor base (and...

It’s tax season, so today in Resource Centre instead of focusing on the needs of businesses you run, manage, or work in, we’re focusing on you and breaking down the common mistakes that C-Suites, managers, and high-paid employees make when it comes to personal income taxes, the risk of audits, and how to optimise your tax bill. Helping us with this is Poovarni Rajagopal, Partner at Invatex Consulting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we take a look at the future of human insights and how generative AI will impact the state of business insights, whether it's by humans or AI with Jacquie Matthews, Global CEO at Ipsos UU (Understanding Unlimited). Along the course of the conversation, Jacquie helped us get a better view on how human intelligence is going to be impacted by artificial intelligence or should it go hand in hand with one another to ensure the future of business insights is in safe hands. Photo...

In the fast-paced digital landscape, information travels rapidly which makes corporate communication a crucial aspect of running a business especially in strategic crisis management. Events such as Lazada’s layoffs or the controversy around Foodpanda’s CEO highlights that tech companies and startups need to consider the impacts of poor crisis planning, which can cause potential erosion of customers’ trust, reputational damage and financial setbacks. With the rise of Gen AI at the present...

In today's evolving business landscape, the pursuit of gender equality has emerged as a crucial agenda. It is not only for the progression of society but as an essential of corporate responsibility especially in Malaysia, where diverse cultures intersect with dynamic economic aspirations, playing a pivotal role in shaping a more inclusive corporate ecosystem. In this episode of Resource Centre, our discussion with Emellia Shariff, Managing Partner of Speak Up Malaysia, and Alia Abdullah,...

Future Ready Companies Win More and Lose Less. In this edition of Resource Centre, we explore insights from IMD’s 2023 Future Readiness Indicator what helps companies like Microsoft, NVIDIA, Nike, Hermès, Pfizer and AstraZeneca stay ahead of the curve. Professor Howard Yu, LEGO® Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD, breaks down the factors involved in determining whether a business is future ready, and how businesses across various sectors can achieve ‘future-readiness'. Over the...

In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of technology, predicting trends and staying abreast with happenings in the tech world has become essential for businesses and individuals alike. Globally, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity, and sustainability are shaping industries. In Malaysia, the focus on digital transformation, smart technologies, and enhancing cybersecurity mirrors these global trends, as the nation aims to leverage technology to spur...

Robin Sharma, the author of The Leader Who Had No Title, emphasises the significance of leading without a title and that great leaders are those who do not require titles to lead effectively. He advocates that to lead without a title is to derive your power within the organisation, not from your position but from your competence, effectiveness, relationships, excellence, innovation and ethics. In this episode, we delve into the topic of leadership, with a focus on emergent leadership and...

In a world obsessed with scale and speed, Dash's philosophy of 'doing more with less' and the concept of the 'Good Enough Entrepreneur'—inspired by Donald Winnicott's notion of the 'good enough parent'—offers a refreshing perspective on venture building. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rich and Matt tackle the truth, complexities and disconnections brought on by rapid technological advancements. In this episode, they look at our declining ability to understand technology, questioning whether knowing how technology works is as crucial as comprehending its applications. They also delve into societal impacts of deepfake technology and the blurring lines between news and entertainment, emphasizing the critical need for discernments in this digital age. They also tap into the...

Mental health at the workplace has become a top priority for businesses looking to hire high-performing talents and it has now been made a necessity for employers to create wellness solutions to help employees thrive at work. Some negative impacts of poor mental health include: Stress Burnout Low Productivity Depression Lack of motivation These impacts can severely impact the performance rates of an individual at work and there are plenty of factors that may lead to these negative impacts...

Transfer Pricing Is Going To Get Harder, But There’s No Running Away. Transfer pricing is something else in the tax space that businesses need to keep in mind, especially with changes made in May last year when the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRBM) published the Income Tax (Transfer Pricing) Rules 2023 (TPR 2023), which is supposed to be operative from assessment year 2023 and onward. These changes have signify a notable shift in the LHDN’s approach to transfer pricing compliance, so...

HR practitioners in Malaysia are facing a multifaceted set of challenges as they navigate the current landscape of the workplace and workforce dynamics. Shaped by both global trends and local nuances, some of these challenges include talent management, retention as well as skills mismatch, and keeping pace with rapid technological changes such as integrating AI, machine learning, and data analytics into traditional HR functions. The future of HR in Malaysia is going to be shaped by these...

Rich and Matt embark on an unconventional journey through the realms of weird science, touching on advancements in clean energy and forensic science before delving into the heart of the episode: cyborg locusts. Matt shares his fascination with the idea that scientists are implanting electrodes in locusts' brains to harness their keen sense of smell for detecting chemicals, potentially revolutionising bomb detection technology. The conversation shifts to AI, specifically the updates and...

Have you ever been bothered with marketing messages sent through SMSes and emails and considered them as spam, especially those that you don’t remember opting in for. Do you usually ignore or delete them? Now, according to a report by Omnisend, an email and SMS marketing platform, the effectiveness of automated email campaigns and SMS marketing continues to rise, with automated messages significantly outperforming scheduled promotional campaigns in conversion rates, open rates, and...

The marketing communications landscape in Asia, as with all things, is evolving, with its share of challenges and opportunities shaping its future. Technological advancements and shifting consumer expectations are at the forefront, with AI coming into the fold in content creation, targeting, and personalisation, despite ethical concerns about bias and brand reputation. This brings to the fore the need for companies and marketing communications professionals to navigate technological changes...