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Hello reader,
Since we’re putting on so many new events this year – Saigon Summit is coming on May 30, and the Kuala Lumpur version of our flagship conference will be at end-July, and that’s just for starters – my team and I have had the opportunity to be more involved with event content planning.
I’ve learned a ton from the process, but one thing you quickly realize is that it’s impossible to cover everything.
Due to limited slots, some good topics may need to be left off the agenda; the ideal speaker for a given subject may be unavailable, or a last-minute logistics mishap may necessitate more changes. The list goes on, and all we can do is try our best to keep things as on-track and the content as informative and useful as possible.
According to my colleague Emmanuel, that balance wasn’t struck well enough at the KL20 Summit, a Malaysian tech and startup event backed by the government. Too much rehashing and not enough new ideas, apparently. Read on for his full critique.
Today we look at:
- KL20 Summit and a potential missed opportunity
- GoTo’s deconsolidation of its logistics unit
- Other newsy highlights such as Microsoft’s billion-dollar investment in Indonesia and layoffs at Ola
Premium summary
Doing what’s been done before vs. trying new things
Image credit: Timmy Loen
In times of flux (and oh boy has the tech industry been fluxxing the past year and a half), it’s tempting to cling to the things you’re familiar with. At work, that might mean focusing only on the tasks you’re best at, instead of the new and unfamiliar initiatives that are necessary for progress.
That looks like my colleague Emmanuel’s main criticism of the agenda at the KL20 Summit – too much doubling down on old ideas and not enough differentiating.
- Golden goal: Among the main initiatives that Malaysia has been highlighting for its tech hub strategy are the Unicorn Golden Pass, Innovation Pass, and VC Golden Pass, which offer various incentives and subsidies for global unicorns and VCs to set up shop in Malaysia.
- Nothing new: However, there have already been similar initiatives done before: Mavcap had implemented an outsourced partners’ program over a decade ago to woo international VCs, while the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation had previously offered similar perks to set up offices in the country.
- Notes for next steps: Among other suggestions, Emmanuel posits that instead of luring in foreign talent, Malaysia should nurture or fund local businesses and professionals instead.
Read more: Malaysia’s new tech hub plan rehashes old ideas. Here’s what it needs to do instead
Bye bye, GoTo Logistics
Limited time offer – here’s an extra 10% off your tickets!
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