“How long have you been working with e27?” This is, honestly, my favourite question. I tend to receive them whenever I attend a networking event or meet a work partner in real life for the first time. I love...
“How long have you been working with e27?”
This is, honestly, my favourite question. I tend to receive them whenever I attend a networking event or meet a work partner in real life for the first time. I love the reactions it triggers; most of them are pleasantly surprised by the fact that I have been working here for eight years. Joining the company in 2015 as a junior correspondent in Jakarta, I am now overseeing the e27 content team from Singapore.
(In case you have been in touch with “Mbak Anisa from e27” in Jakarta and wondered where I have been in the past few years.)
My introduction to the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem began with my work at e27. Throughout the years, I have seen many things going on. Take the example of tech giants such as Gojek. I was there when they first introduced their IDR10,000 flat rate; I was also there when Nadiem Makarim was appointed Minister of Education and when the company went public.
Also Read: What the SEA startup ecosystem needs to know about COP28
In these eight long years, are there lessons about the startup ecosystem (and life in general) that I have learned? Absolutely. They can be separated into three points:
Changes are constant
Phew. What can I say about this one? In the startup ecosystem, changes happen so rapidly that often, the things that are relevant in January may not be cool anymore in … November. It got to the point that sometimes, industry players do not dare to predict more than six months in advance. In 2022, blockchain was all the rage until a major shift happened in November—the launch of ChatGPT was just one of the triggers. After that, we are all eyeing a different innovation, pondering the ways it can affect our lives, and pouring money into it.
After moving to Singapore, I returned to Indonesia for a holiday, and the market was unrecognisable after just a few years. But often, this is a good thing. It shows the market’s ability to adapt to changes and eventually solve problems, opening opportunities for the rest of us.
Community is strength
Unfortunately, life in the startup ecosystem is not always fun, especially if you are a minority. But I learned that one can always lean on the community whenever something bad happens. In terms of business, we may be competitors against each other, but when it comes to safety, there is strength in numbers.
Also, don’t be a [redacted]. People will always find out.
Don’t take yourself too seriously
Last but not least, don’t take yourself seriously. Seriously. This may sound odd. But in an environment where changes happen constantly, you might notice that failures tend to happen more often. You might be so certain that one solution will work until it does not. Being able to laugh at yourself is immensely helpful to get through all the challenges you might find in this ecosystem.
Also Read: Startup Genome: Singapore remains top startup ecosystem for clean tech, blue economy
As we enter a new year, we tend to look back on the things that we have done and what we can carry into the next stage of our lives. As long as I am working in this ecosystem, these are the three things I plan to carry with me.
Let us see if they continue to be relevant next year.
See you in 2024.
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Image Credit: RunwayML
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