I’m quitting the editor’s letter … for now

Dear readers,

The editor’s letter has been a weekly ritual for me. In fact, it’s been around for almost as long as our paid subscription product.

It serves as a direct touchpoint between you and me. It also gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how our newsroom works and highlights our top stories from the previous week. My prayer is that by sharing about what we do, it might drive some of you towards becoming paid subscribers.

However, I find that the editor’s letter might have become obsolete over time because:

• We’re highlighting our top stories in our daily newsletter, anyway.
• We’ve launched ecommerce and fintech newsletters that showcase the leading stories in those categories.
• There’s only so many behind-the-scenes insights I can give.
• If I want to give my take on hot topics, I’m better off doing it as a well-researched column instead.

As a result, there isn’t much room for the editor’s letter to be truly unique. Or, as we say it in Chinese: 没有发挥空间。

It’s why I will pause the editor’s letter from this week on and then apply the lessons I learned from doing this in other ways. Maybe I’ll write a fortnightly column. Maybe I’ll add my voice to the stories that we have planned.

Whatever the case, this isn’t goodbye. Instead, this is the start of something better, so stay tuned for what’s next.

And as always, here’s a run-down of our top premium stories from the previous week:

• Days after CEO exit, Hoolah cuts jobs in restructuring effort: While some might say this is bad news for the buy-now, pay-later industry, it’s more likely a case of smaller players losing steam.
• UOB battles Sea, Gojek in Indonesia with TMRW digital bank: Traditional institutions are in the digital bank race. In Southeast Asia, however, they’re no pushover.
• Byju’s aims to be profitable by FYE 2022 despite acquisition spree: The edtech giant’s ethics are being questioned, but its financial numbers appear on track.

That’s it for this week. To support a newsroom that’s always looking to serve you better, do consider becoming a subscriber.

Cheers,

Terence Lee
Editor-in-Chief