Timen is the founder at Lacàph, a fast-growing Vietnamese coffee brand, that is starting to export into new markets in Asia Pacific and around the world. Besides this he is a board member in companies in residential real estate development and software SaaS solutions. He has been in Vietnam since 2007, but is a proud Dutch person that happens to have lived in the USA and Vietnam longer than any period of time in Holland.   In this conversation, we cover the coffee scene in Vietnam, building...

Simon Torring is the Co-founder of Cube Asia, a market insights company for online retail in Southeast Asia. Cube Asia helps brands, retail companies, and investors drive profitable growth by leveraging more recent, granular, and reliable data and insights about their online sales channels.  In this conversation, we cover eCommerce in Southeast Asia. From Sea’s struggles with Shopee, to the inevitable rise of TikTok shop, if it concerns eCommerce in Southeast Asia, we have it covered. I...

Johan Rozali-Wathooth is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bintang Capital Partners. Bintang believes in the importance of deploying capital in an innovative, responsible and sustainable way, while still pursuing outsized risk-adjusted returns. Bintang is also now the first private equity firm in Southeast Asia to earn B Corp Certification! So in this conversation, we cover private equity investing in Malaysia, and investing with impact.    A super fun and varied conservation, so I...

Tim Bunting is a practising yamabushi from New Zealand, having moved to the Shonai region of Yamagata, Japan, in 2010. Describing a yamabushi is hard, because the only way to really understand what yamabushi are, is to become one yourself. But, essentially Yamabushi are the mountain dwellers of Japan, practitioners of the ancient belief of Shugendo, the way (do) of attaining divine natural powers (gen) through ascetic practices (shu).   I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tim Bunting.   ...

Jorge Almazán is a Tokyo-based architect and a researcher and an educator at the graduate Center for Space and Environment Design Engineering at Keio University, where he leads Studiolab, a university-based collaboration platform dedicated to design innovation and research.   He is also the author of Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City, which is the focus of this interview.   In this conversation, we cover Tokyo’s design, Yokocho alleyways, public spaces in Tokyo, and plenty...

Adam Fulford is the founder and CEO of Fulford Enterprises, which is a language services company. Fulford Enterprises works mainly in TV, providing translation, narration and other services to NHK and related companies. Adam is also active as a cross-cultural consultant who places a special emphasis on the value of regional Japan, which we focus on a lot today.  In this super fun conversation, we cover Adam’s life and career in Japan, and go deep in Japanese community values, the challenges...

Brittany Garbutt is the founder of Pretzel Australia. Pretzel has 11 stores across Australia, a business turnover of more than $5 million a year and over 300 staff. In addition to Pretzel, she’s also the founder of Voodoo Cafe, Voodoo Priestess, and Chubby Boy Breakfast and Bar. But I'm (k)not joking, the pretzels are beyond amazing. So pretty stoked I got to interview Brittany! In this interview, we cover the story of starting up with her life savings invested in a pink shipping container...

In this conversation, we do deep dive into the bursting of Japan’s economic bubble in the ‘90s. Uncovering Japan's lost decade, the tragic tale of the economic bubble burst and its consequences   Joining me for this deep dive is friend and previous guest, Rei Saito (@Misosoppa). Rei is the writer behind Konichi-Value. Konichi-Value aims to share my most valuable lessons from working in Japanese finance, and gold nuggets in the Japanese stock market.   So please enjoy this deep dive into...

Sarah Clarke is an award-winning journalist, TV presenter and media facilitator now based in Australia.    Sarah spent 8 years living and working in Hong Kong and is now a freelance correspondent with Al Jazeera English covering major stories across Australia and Asia-Pacific.    But selfishly, most exciting for me which I’ll detail in our conversation, Sarah was the Executive Producer and Presenter of the popular TV series "AusBiz Asia" broadcast on ABC that profiled successful...

Erik is the owner and creator of the Rice Noodles YouTube channel, where he shares everything Taiwan, from street food to normal food, culture, history and just general interesting and idiosyncratic things.   In this long and fun conversation, we cover filmmaking, the beast that is YouTube, and of course, Taiwan.   A different style of episode to my usual, so curious to hear any feedback but I hope you enjoy my conversation with Erik from Rice Noodles!   For the full show notes,...

In this conversation, we cover the business of Bukalapak, who they are, their valuation, and interestingly, the role of the Salim group in both Bukalapak and the wider ASEAN economy.   Joining me to discuss and dive deep into Bukalapak’s business is Aaron Pek, the author of Value Investing Substack, and not surprisingly, a Value Investor in ASEAN.   Super interesting and very valuable, I hope you enjoy this deep dive on Bukalapak with Aaron Pek.   For the full show notes, transcript,...

Peter Douglas is the senior executive of kk Nozawa Hospitality, a boutique provider of accommodation services in the unique mountain village of Nozawa Onsen. He is responsible for funding and financial strategy.  In this super fun conversation, we cover the Japanese onsen tourism industry, Nozawa hospitality, and his transition from the financial services and asset management industry to hospitality in Japan and the story there. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Peter Douglas.   For...

Michael McGaughy is the Founder and Portfolio Manager of Research Alpha, a specialist fund which invests in the equity of unloved and out-of-favour quality companies in some of the world’s least expensive stock markets, like Uzbekistan, Argentina and Egypt.    In this conversation, we cover how he started and got interested in emerging markets, what investing in emerging markets involves, and a little bit about Uzbekistan. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Michael McGaughy.   For the...

My guest today is Yusno Yunos, founder and CEO of Evenesis. Evenesis is a complete cloud-based end-to-end event management system that integrates event planners, participants and suppliers.    In this conversation, we cover the events space, where it is and might be heading after the wild past few years, and also how the Metaverse may impact future events. . I hope you enjoy my conversation with Yusno Yunos.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check...

My guest today is Bernard Leong (@bernardleong). Bernard is currently the group chief digital and information officer at a Singapore construction conglomerate. But also, is the founder of Analyse Asia, a weekly podcast on technology, business and media with notable industry players and thought leaders all over Asia. In this conversation, we cover the podcast scene within Asia, why podcasts are harder in Asia-Pacific compared to the US, and solving podcast distribution and monetisation...

My guest today is Jon from Asianometry (@asianometry), creator of the hugely popular Asianometry YouTube channel where he posts video essays on business, economics, and history within Asia. In this conversation, we cover EUV Lithography, ASML, and everything in between from how it all works to their impact on the world and what it all means. I hope you enjoy this deep dive on ASML & EUV Lithography Deep Dive with Asianometry.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to...

My guest today is Sean Upton-McLaughlin (@SeanUM_China). Sean has spent over a decade working with Chinese companies throughout China, often in Chinese-only working environments, helping to improve their global marketing and communications. Now, based in Shenzhen, he continues to help Chinese technology companies bridge the business and cultural divides between China and the rest of the world.    In this conversation, we cover building a career in China and dealing with Chinese companies. ...

My guest today is Rajeev Mantri (@RMantri). Rajeev is the founder and managing director of India-focused venture capital firm Navam Capital. Prior to founding Navam, Rajeev worked as a venture capital investor at New York-based Lux Capital, focusing on investments in deep technology ventures. In this conversation, we cover deep tech investing within India, and A New Idea of India. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Rajeev Mantri.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to...

My 2022 recap! Talking about my big year of the podcast, the stats, some future guests, episodes, and the plans for the podcast going forward. Will be back to regularly scheduled guests from next week!   Have some thoughts on the podcast and want to leave feedback? Use my Google forms and vent to your heart’s content: https://forms.gle/Du61UxeJ25BkydH49    For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page on ...

My guest today is Raghav Kapoor (@Ragkap), CEO & Co-Founder at Smartkarma.   As Smartkarma CEO, Raghav drives product strategy, oversees technology development, and maintains a hands-on approach with the company’s day-to-day operations. With Smartkarma, Raghav set out to reinvent how investment research is sourced, priced, and distributed.   In today’s conversation, we cover the startup story of Smartkarma, the challenges of being an investment research platform, and the future.   I...

My guest today is Callum Morton-Smith. Callum is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with experience in Perth, London, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.   In today’s conversation, we go deep into the construction industry and Quantity Surveying in the Middle East, some trends there, and Callum’s investment journey. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Callum Morton-Smith!   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page on ...

My guest today is Stephen Vines. Steve is a British journalist, writer, broadcaster and restaurateur, who was based in Hong Kong for over 30 years from 1987 to 2021. He is also the author of Defying the Dragon: Hong Kong and the World's Largest Dictatorship, which is today’s focus.    In Defying the Dragon and today’s conversation, Stephen documents Hong Kong’s recent struggles with the "One country, two systems" models, places it in the wider context of the CCP’s history of dictatorship,...

My guests today are Daye Deng and Balkar Sivia from Value Punks.    Balkar has spent a decade investing globally, in the US, Indian, and other Emerging Markets. He is a CFA charterholder and has a degree in electrical engineering from University of British Columbia.    Daye has focused on Asian equities in his career, having worked in Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo. He is fluent in Japanese and Mandarin, is a CFA charterholder and has a degree in mathematics from the University of Toronto. ...

My guest today is Eugene Park. Gene is a historian of East Asia, especially Korean politics and society since the 14th century. He is the Rick and Cathy Trachok Endowed Chair in International Studies and Professor in History at the University of Nevada, and is also the author of Korea: A History, which is today's focus. Korea: A History addresses general readers, providing an up-to-date, accessible overview of Korean history from antiquity, all the way to the present.   In this...