エピソード

  • Why They Paid $1.2M for a Domain Name (ep 78)

    Why They Paid $1.2M for a Domain Name (ep 78)
    2026/04/22

    Nas.com just raised $27M from Khosla Ventures — and paid $1.2M for a domain name. Here's everything they didn't put in the press release.

    We sat down with Alex Dwek, COO of Nas.com, to unpack the real story behind one of Singapore's biggest startup raises of the year — the 60+ VC meetings, the domain negotiation, the US investor mindset shift, and why they're betting on 250 million solopreneurs who Shopify doesn't serve.If you're a founder, a creator, or building anything from Southeast Asia, this one is for you.

    🤝 Sponsored by ⁠⁠https://TAP4SRV.com⁠⁠ - Quickly find local Service Providers on WhatsApp! 🤝

    What we cover:

    → Why Nuseir Yassin paid $1.2M of his own money for a domain name

    → How to pitch US VCs when you're not a USA Startup — and what they actually want to hear

    → The investor who took 40 meetings just to find a lead

    → Why Nas.com calls itself "Shopify in the age of AI"

    → Tim Ferriss, DoorDash founders, Khosla Ventures — how the cap table came together

    → Singapore's invisible startup win (and why local media missed it)

    → The truth about remote work for early-stage companies

    🔔Listen and Subscribe

    • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast

    • Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4⁠⁠

    • Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists⁠⁠

    🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ The Table

    - Alex Dwek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexdwek/

    - Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/

    - Raz Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler/

    🔗Links & Resources:

    • nas.com: https://nas.com
    • Nas Daily:https://www.youtube.com/@NasDaily
    • Khosla Ventures: https://www.khoslaventures.com
    • Shopify: https://www.shopify.com
    • Tim Ferriss: https://tim.blog
    • Tech in Asia: https://www.techinasia.com
    • OpenAI: https://openai.com
    • Square: https://squareup.com
    • Stripe:https://stripe.com

    #NasDaily#StartupFunding#CreatorEconomy
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    56 分
  • The AI Tsunami Is Here. Are You Moving Fast Enough? (ep 77)

    The AI Tsunami Is Here. Are You Moving Fast Enough? (ep 77)
    2026/04/16
    Lars Jankowfsky of Gradient joins The Generalists to talk Asia's rise, global expansion strategy, and why AI is moving fast enough to force companies and individuals to rethink how they work. He explains how Gradient's Scaling Business Summit evolved from a social gathering into a serious event for entrepreneurs seeking market access and relationships across Southeast Asia, why Western leaders still underestimate Asia's momentum, why China feels far ahead to many first-time visitors, and why long-held assumptions about Europe's competitiveness may not hold.🤝 Sponsored by ⁠⁠https://TAP4SRV.com⁠⁠ - Quickly find local Service Providers on WhatsApp! 🤝The conversation then shifts to AI, leadership, and the future of work. Lars argues too few people are reacting with real urgency to the labor disruption ahead, while Michael pushes the point that workers cannot wait for employer permission to upskill. Lars also shares how he used AI to rebuild Gradient's website and content in days rather than months, why most broken companies are suffering from management failures rather than employee failures, and why critical thinking and in-person culture matter more than ever in a world changing this fast.🔔 Listen &SubscribeYouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists⁠⁠📖 What You’ll LearnHow Gradient’s Scaling Business Summit evolved from a party excuse into a serious cross-border business eventWhy Asia is no longer just seen as an outsourcing destination, but as a growth market founders need to understandWhy Lars believes many governments, companies, and workers are still under reacting to AI disruptionHow he used AI tools to rebuild Gradient’s website and content stack dramatically faster than beforeWhy most company turnarounds begin with management problems, not just technical problemsWhy critical thinking, business judgment, and adaptability matter more in the AI era than pure coding skillWhy Lars believes in-person culture still matters for startups and high-performance teamsWhat he would tell young builders about boldness, travel, and learning across countries 👤👤 HostsMichael Smith Jr.: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/⁠⁠Raz Kotler: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler/⁠⁠👤 GuestLars Jankowfsky: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/larsjankowfsky/⁠⁠📚 Books, Thinkers, and Other RecommendationsThe Culture Map:⁠ https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Map-Breaking-Invisible-Boundaries/dp/1610392507⁠Brian Johnson: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BryanJohnson⁠Alan Watts: ⁠https://www.alanwatts.org/⁠🔗 Links & ResourcesGradient: ⁠https://www.gradient.asia/⁠Scaling Business Summit: ⁠https://scaling-business-summit.comEntrepreneurs’ Organization: ⁠https://eonetwork.org/⁠Kayak: ⁠https://www.kayak.com/⁠Trivago: ⁠https://www.trivago.com/⁠Axie Infinity: ⁠https://axieinfinity.com/⁠
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    50 分
  • Can Singapore Still Build a Global Tech Giant? (ep 76)

    Can Singapore Still Build a Global Tech Giant? (ep 76)
    2026/04/07
    The Manus story becomes a starting point for a much bigger conversation about risk, uncertainty, capital formation, and whether Singapore can actually turn talent into durable breakout companies. Hian Goh explains why missing the next platform shift can be existential for large tech companies, why failed bets can still be rational, and why regions that refuse to manufacture risk eventually get left behind.🤝 Sponsored by ⁠⁠https://TAP4SRV.com⁠⁠ - Quickly find local Service Providers on WhatsApp! 🤝This roundtable also dives into why America still produces outsized ambition, why China’s long-term posture deserves respect, and why Singapore may have the talent but still lacks the capital formation needed to produce more Supabase-style outcomes. The table unpacks Manus, Meta, developer infrastructure, venture concentration, and the deeper question of what Southeast Asia needs to change if it wants to matter more in the next wave of AI and startup building.🔔Listen and Subscribe• YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast• Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4⁠⁠• Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists⁠⁠📖What You'll Learn in This Episode• Why Hian argues that uncertainty is often a better lens than risk for understanding big AI bets• How Manus and Meta fit into the broader fight for the next computing layer• Why failed innovation bets can still be the right move if the alternative is irrelevance• What America and Israel seem to understand about ambition, experimentation, and tolerance for failure• Why China’s long-term planning in AI, robotics, and infrastructure cannot be ignored• Why Singapore may have talent but still lacks the capital formation needed to produce more breakout outcomes• Why Southeast Asia risks falling further behind if it keeps over-optimizing instead of taking real bets• What the table thinks AI is doing to engineering demand, startup formation, and the regional capital stack🔥Watch Our Other Videos:⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2VHfhKCfn0⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H24ck-is5Y⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URrTXBwPGk⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZE8F6qfgt0⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybU375fZxo⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf_dknB50qM⁠🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ The Table• Hian Goh: / hiangoh• Michael Smith Jr.: / smittysgp• Raz Kotler: / razkotler🔗Links & Resources• Manus: https://manus.im• Meta: https://about.meta.com• Supabase: https://supabase.com• OpenSpace Ventures: https://openspace.vc• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com• OpenAI: https://openai.com• Nvidia: https://www.nvidia.com• Singapore Exchange: https://www.sgx.com
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    58 分
  • 1 Hour of Exercise a Week Is All You Need (ep 75)

    1 Hour of Exercise a Week Is All You Need (ep 75)
    2026/03/26
    Jing Zhi Chua explains why most people do not need more exercise, they need more direction. He breaks down why one hour a week can be enough for many people, why strength assessments matter more than generic workouts, and why the real goal is often not longevity in the abstract but better health, movement, and mobility right now. He also explains why power matters more than strength alone, how small weaknesses become injury risks, and why efficient training becomes more valuable as people get older.🤝 Sponsored by ⁠https://TAP4SRV.com⁠ - Quickly find local Service Providers on WhatsApp! 🤝Episode 75 also dives into what Jing is learning from working with seniors in Singapore, including why many clients in their sixties and seventies are not chasing biohacking or lifespan extension but trying to walk better, move with confidence, and regain abilities they have lost. He shares practical markers of decline like losing the ability to jump or pour a heavy kettle, explains how he thinks about blood flow restriction and other emerging methods, and gives his broader take on longevity in Singapore, where he still believes the fundamentals of exercise, sleep, and nutrition matter more than hype.🔔Listen and SubscribeYouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists⁠📖What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy Jing believes more direction matters more than simply doing more exerciseHow one hour a week of targeted training can be enough for many busy adultsWhy power, not just strength, has a stronger relationship with aging wellWhat Jing learned after working with seniors who want health now, not abstract longevityWhy losing the ability to jump can be an early warning sign for declining mobilityWhy he still believes exercise, sleep, and nutrition are the real foundation of longevityWhat Singapore is getting right, and still missing, when it comes to healthy aging📚Books, Audiobooks & Other RecommendationsSuper Agers by Eric Topol: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Super-Agers/Eric-Topol/9781668067666 🔥Watch Our Other Videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2VHfhKCfn0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H24ck-is5Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URrTXBwPGkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZE8F6qfgt0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybU375fZxohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf_dknB50qM👤👤HostsMichael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/Raz Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler/👤GuestJing Zhi Chua: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jing-zhi-chua/🔗Links & ResourcesAllset: https://allset.sgVALD: https://vald.com/
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    54 分
  • The World Wasn’t Built for Women (ep 74)

    The World Wasn’t Built for Women (ep 74)
    2026/03/18
    Danijela Vasiljev explains why women founders still struggle to access the right networks, visibility, and funding, and how Yooop is trying to solve that with a safer, more useful platform built for women. She shares why these challenges look surprisingly similar across the US, Europe, and Asia, and why women often need more than capital to grow.Episode 74 also dives into the personal story behind her mission. Danijela opens up about losing the salon business she built during her divorce, why she chose to start over instead of going to court, and how that setback led to Female Net, the Female Leadership Summit, and eventually Yooop. She also breaks down why traditional networking platforms often miss what women actually need, why male VCs often fail to understand the bigger picture, and why curiosity, AI skills, and financial literacy matter so much for the next generation.🤝 Sponsored by https://TAP4SRV.com - Quickly find local Service Providers on WhatsApp! 🤝📖What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy women founders often need access, visibility, and trusted networks, not just capitalHow Danijela turned a personal setback into Female Net, a leadership summit, and a 15,000-woman communityWhy Yooop is designed as a safer networking platform for women than traditional social appsWhy male-dominated VC often misses the real needs of women founders and communitiesWhy Danijela sees herself as a strategic generalist powered by curiosityHow AI changed Yooop’s product direction and made the platform smarterWhy Danijela believes AI skills and financial literacy are essential for young women🔔Listen and Subscribe•YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast⁠•Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4⁠• Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists📚Books, Audiobooks & Other Recommendations• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667771/unreasonable-hospitality-by-will-guidara/🔥Watch Our Other Videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2VHfhKCfn0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H24ck-is5Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URrTXBwPGkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZE8F6qfgt0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybU375fZxohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf_dknB50qM👤👤Hosts• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/• Raz Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler/👤Guest• Danijela Vasiljev: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danijela-vasiljev/🔗Links & ResourcesYooop: https://yooop.appUCLA: https://www.ucla.edu/Women in Tech Global: https://women-in-tech.org/
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    52 分
  • Who Broke Indonesia's Tech? (ep 73)

    Who Broke Indonesia's Tech? (ep 73)
    2026/03/13
    Episode 73 brings Martyn Terpilowski back after his first Generalists appearance exploded across YouTube, TikTok, and Indonesian social media. He explains why he rejected the 20x-at-all-costs startup playbook, why he believes large parts of Southeast Asia’s startup and VC world became disconnected from business reality, and why connection-driven ecosystems often reward the wrong people.🤝 Sponsored by https://TAP4SRV.com - Quickly find local Service Providers on WhatsApp! 🤝Martyn also breaks down why competence matters more than pedigree, why too much capital chased weak fundamentals, and why honest criticism is healthier than endless backslapping. He reflects on building with private capital instead of following the venture script, growing a real operating business, and why more people are now openly questioning how parts of the ecosystem actually work.🔔 Listen and Subscribe• YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast• Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4⁠• Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists⁠📖 What You’ll Learn in This Episode• Why Martyn believes the 20x growth narrative broke down in real operating markets• Why raising money without strong fundamentals created long-term damage• Why startup ecosystems can reward connections over competence• Why honest scrutiny is healthier than applause and status games• Why many investors and founders ignored basic business reality for too long• Why private capital and building a real business gave Martyn a different perspective• Why many Southeast Asian startups struggled to turn funding into durable returns• Why global ambition requires more than local brand names and social connections• Why Martyn thinks more open criticism can help improve the ecosystem👤👤 Hosts• Raz Kotler: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler/⁠• Michael Smith Jr.: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/⁠👤 Guest• Martyn Terpilowski: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/martyn-terpilowski-66aba850/⁠🔗 Resources and Links Mentioned🏢 Companies and Organizations• BVT: https://bvt.co.id/• The Ken: https://the-ken.com/• JETRO: https://www.jetro.go.jp/• Goldman Sachs: https://www.goldmansachs.com/• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/• TPG: https://www.tpg.com/• Danone: https://www.danone.com/• Jardine Matheson: https://www.jardines.com/• Cold Storage Singapore: https://coldstorage.com.sg/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/📚 Concepts and Frameworks• Venture capital: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_capital• Family office: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_office• Private equity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_equity• Capital markets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_market• Product-market fit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product/market_fit• Geospatial intelligence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geospatial_intelligence
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    55 分
  • How to Build an AI Startup Entirely on WhatsApp (ep 72)

    How to Build an AI Startup Entirely on WhatsApp (ep 72)
    2026/03/10
    Tiago Alves, founder of Librarian, explains how a WhatsApp-first product strategy helped his AI assistant break out. He shows why adoption accelerated once friction was removed and why many founders still misunderstand how AI tools are actually adopted. He also shares how Librarian evolved from a search layer across work tools into an executive assistant in your pocket, and why WhatsApp beat Slack in real-world usage.Episode 72 covers AI adoption, product onboarding, and messaging as a business operating layer. Tiago also breaks down fundraising reality across Asia and the US, his thinking on verticals like real estate and insurance, and how pricing changes when token costs matter. He reflects on his time as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Golden Gate Ventures and explains why the next generation of AI assistants will need memory, context, and tighter integrations across the tools people already use.🔔 Listen and SubscribeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists📖 What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy WhatsApp-first onboarding removed friction and accelerated adoptionWhy users preferred chatting from WhatsApp instead of being pushed to a website or SlackHow Librarian evolved from search assistant to action-taking executive assistantWhy AI products need to adapt to actual user behavior, not assumed workflowsHow messaging apps are becoming business operating layersWhy Southeast Asia’s mobile-first habits create different product opportunitiesWhat founders get wrong about fundraising in Asia versus the USHow Tiago used forced monetization to find real ICP and reduce AI cost exposureWhy memory, integrations, and context are core to the future of AI assistants🔥 Watch Our Other Videoshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2VHfhKCfn0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H24ck-is5Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URrTXBwPGkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZE8F6qfgt0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybU375fZxohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf_dknB50qM👤👤 HostsRaz Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler/Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/👤 GuestTiago Alves: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiagoalves/🔗 Resources and Links Mentioned🏢 Companies and OrganizationsLibrarian: https://www.librarian.ai/Golden Gate Ventures: https://goldengate.vc 25V: https://25madison.com/25v/Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/Carrot: https://www.get-carrot.com/WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/Slack: https://slack.com/Telegram: https://telegram.org/OpenAI: https://openai.com/Gamma: https://gamma.app/Beautiful.ai: https://www.beautiful.ai/📚 Concepts and FrameworksEntrepreneur in Residence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneur-in-residenceProduct-market fit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product/market_fitCustomer relationship management (CRM): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_managementRetrieval-augmented generation (RAG): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrieval-augmented_generation
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    53 分
  • Why Startup Boards Fail (And How to Fix Them) (ep 71)

    Why Startup Boards Fail (And How to Fix Them) (ep 71)
    2026/03/03
    Anthony Sochan, co-founder of Think & Grow, breaks down what founders get wrong about boards, executive hiring, and scaling decisions under pressure. Learn how to design a board that actually helps the business, avoid early-stage hiring traps, and make better decisions when capital is tight.Anthony explains why most startup boards become passive, why accountability inside boards is often weak, and how investor incentives can diverge from founder outcomes. He shares practical guidance on when to form a formal board, how to use independent directors, and why advisory structures can work when founder bandwidth is limited.Episode 71 goes deep on board composition, PMF-stage priorities, founder trust and delegation, and what APJ startups can learn from companies like Atlassian and Canva. It also covers Anthony’s 2026 outlook on AI-driven efficiency and why fundamentals still win.🔔 Listen and Subscribe:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2apfGY403NGr1EyTNkJfG4ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the-generalists📖 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why startup teams need generalists early and specialists laterHow to hire by mapping real business problems, not titlesWhy over-stacking senior hires too early can hurt growthWhy many boards fail: low accountability and passive oversightWhy independent board members improve decision qualityWhen to form a formal board (and when to stay focused on PMF)How founders can use advisory boards and former-founder coachesWhy trust, delegation, and founder health are core execution levers🔥 Watch Our Other Videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2VHfhKCfn0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H24ck-is5Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URrTXBwPGkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZE8F6qfgt0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybU375fZxohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf_dknB50qM👤 HostsRaz Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler/Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsmithjr/👤 GuestAnthony Sochan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonysohan/🔗 Resources and Links Mentioned🏢 Companies and OrganizationsThink & Grow: https://www.thinkandgrowinc.com/Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/Canva: https://www.canva.com/HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): https://a16z.com/Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD): https://www.aicd.com.au/Singapore Institute of Directors (SID): https://www.sid.org.sg/📚 Concepts and FrameworksProduct-Market Fit (PMF): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product/market_fitCorporate Governance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_governanceBoard of Directors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_directorsLimited Partner (LP): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_partner📖 Books MentionedUnreasonable Hospitality (Will Guidara): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671289/unreasonable-hospitality-by-will-guidara/🍽️ Places MentionedEleven Madison Park: https://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/Shake Shack: https://www.shakeshack.com/
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    46 分