Welcome to Tech in Asia’s Sunday newsletter, your weekend brief on the biggest moves in Asia’s tech and startup world. Not on the mailing list? Register here. Got a story tip? Send it to editors@techinasia.com.
In focus
- Thu Huong Le on the deeper implications of Indonesia’s #KaburAjaDulu
- Three founders, one fallout: the drama behind Vietnam’s Alterno
- GPT-5 is coming, baby
Hello reader,
This past week, I got hooked on a hashtag: #KaburAjaDulu, or “just run away first.” It popped up in Putra Muskita’s latest piece on Traveloka’s HQ move to Singapore, proof that even Indonesia’s travel tech unicorn is chasing something better.
The phrase has gone viral, tapping into the quiet exodus of young talent chasing better pay beyond the archipelago. It’s part meme, part manifesto – youthful discontent dressed as a joke.
We’ve seen this before. In China, the “lying flat” (躺平) movement caught fire for similar reasons: a silent rebellion against burnout, pressure, and a system that no longer delivers.
Even before AI entered the chat, millennials and Gen Z have been drowning in bad news: economic slowdowns, layoffs, rising costs.
Now, the stakes are much higher. By 2030, the World Economic Forum predicts that 92 million jobs will disappear, while 170 million new ones will emerge. But where? And for whom?
As Putra writes, the challenge isn’t just stopping the brain drain of local tech firms or young people, it’s building systems that make staying worthwhile. In an AI-first world, the best talent shouldn’t have to run – they should be empowered to build.
Image credit: Timmy Loen
We’ll be spotlighting more of these builders as Tech in Asia ramps up its AI coverage in the months ahead.
As always, we’re committed to keeping things balanced, going beyond splashy funding rounds to explore how AI is reshaping society, especially here in this region.
Got thoughts or story ideas? Drop us a line at editors@techinasia.com. We are all ears.
Thu Huong Le, managing editor
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