Today I bid farewell to Tech in Asia

Tech in Asia team last year.

I don’t believe that all good things come to an end, but one has. Today is my last day at Tech in Asia.

When I joined the Tech in Asia team in September 2013, there were just 25 others. We are now 70-strong, spread out across four regional offices and nine countries.

The decision to sell SGE to Tech in Asia was quite a terrifying one. I had never sold a company before, and I was to join another company as staff. I didn’t know if our acquisition story would turn out to be “one of those horrifying experiences” where cultures clashed and everyone was unhappy. One and a half years on, Tech in Asia has been one of the best adventures I’ve been privileged to have in life.

Led by the indefatigable Willis Wee, the team has grown from strength to strength, with an ever-increasing production of high-quality editorial and events across Asia. Over the last year alone, we have expanded into new markets like India and Pakistan (with the hiring of new local writers), Japan (with a Tokyo edition of our signature Tech in Asia conference series), and Myanmar (with a community-focused Meetup event meant to inspire and grow the local startup scene).

Tech in Asia grows so fast, I can’t even keep up sometimes. One of the proudest moments we had as a team this year was our graduation last month from leading American accelerator, Y Combinator. The product we incubated and launched was Techlist.asia. This was the result of our continual drive to better serve startups and investors with the use of data.

Being surrounded by a hard-working and fun-loving bunch of colleagues was the best I could ask for. I am truly honoured to have been part of the Tech in Asia team these several months as we constantly executed on ways to increase the vibrancy of the Asian startup ecosystem.

However, there is a time and place for everything. It was another difficult decision to make, but I’ve chosen to move on and pursue another opportunity.

I have been focused on startups for ten years – that’s a lifetime in the internet age. SGE was a hobby for way longer than it was a proper company, and after a decade, I want to expand my perspectives and try something new. It is time for me to turn the page, and start creating a new chapter in my life.

I may have lost colleagues today but I have won friends. Thank you to all in Tech in Asia for having been part of my journey.