Bit Santos listens to Joan Yao of Kickstart Ventures, as she shares her 12-year experience navigating the highs and lows of the startup ecosystem. Learn how founders can foster success through founder selection, strategic patience and the art of adapting to financial winters and tough economic climates.

The startup journey is an exhilarating ride of ups and downs especially in the bustling Philippine ecosystem. In the latest episode of Conversations Over Coffee, Bit is joined by Joan Yao, VP of Investments at Kickstart Ventures and who has been a cornerstone of the ecosystem for over a decade, to dive deep into what it takes to build a thriving business amidst the unique challenges faced by startup founders.

As Kickstart Ventures celebrates its 12th anniversary, the podcast episode kicks off with a reflective look at the elements that contribute to startup success. Bit and Joan’s discussion highlights the pivotal role of founder selection, the critical “four Ts” of Timing, Technology, Team and Total Addressable Market (TAM), and the remarkable resilience demonstrated by companies like Wattpad and ZAP. 

Episode Highlights:

• The resilience and adaptability required for startups to succeed.
• The importance of selecting the right founders as it is both crucial and challenging, emphasizing on learning from each interaction with founders and the necessity of investing in the right team.
• The evolution of founders and their ventures and the need for self awareness and courage to bring in external expertise for business growth. 
• Insights into the adaptability required of founders to shift between wartime and peacetime leadership are revealed, underlining the art of nurturing not just a product but an entire organizational culture.
• Strategies for startups to become “default alive” through pragmatic decision making in tough economic climates are tackled focusing on cash flow management and the difference between revenue and actual cash.

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