BACKING THE BOLD

Backing the Bold is a primer on the venture capital industry, business, and profession in Southeast Asia. The goal of the book's thirteen chapters has initially been to guide students of the Insignia Ventures Academy — Asia's first experiential venture capital accelerator — in their exploration of the venture capital industry and profession, specifically in the context of Southeast Asia's startup ecosystem and from the perspective of Insignia Ventures and its portfolio founders.

Rather than being a book in the traditional sense of the word, such an origin and context for Backing the Bold has inevitably made this book a dynamic piece of literature, continuously growing and improving thanks to every new group of people who become part of the VC accelerator — as organizers, mentors, or participants.

Now in print and in distribution, this first edition is available for all as a snapshot of Backing the Bold's progress as a continuously evolving repository of insights, best practices, and frameworks. It is for readers of any background or motivation to gain a better understanding of the venture capital investment process, portfolio management, and profession in the context of Southeast Asia's fast-growing technology markets.

Contents:

• Acknowledgments
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Southeast Asia is Not Silicon Valley
• If You Think You are Aiming Big, You Need to Go Bigger
• Diversify, Diversify, Diversify
• Finding the Next Billion-Dollar Company Starts with Asking the Right Questions
• Always Have a Fresh Approach to Due Diligence
• Don't Just Invest, Build Companies
• Growth is All About De-Risking Failure
• Culture is a Leading Indicator of Startup Success
• Scaling is Growing by Doing More with Less
• Always Be Fundraising
• Building a Strong Board of Directors is about Balance, Not Control
• Finding Exits is an Exercise in Creativity
• There are Rules to Being Good, but No Rules to Being Great
• Afterword: Venture Capital's Neverending Dance with Uncertainty
• Appendix A: References
• Appendix B: Insignia Ventures Portfolio Companies Mentioned
• Appendix C: Best Practices List

Readership: Undergraduates; graduates; research and industry professionals looking to learn more about venture capital in Southeast Asia, fundraising, and startup investing in Southeast Asia from the perspective of the investor.

Key Features:

• This book gathers its wisdom from the founders, startup leaders, and investors whose time, conversation, and inputs over the course of the past few years were distilled in podcasts, blog articles, and books
• Written at a time of increasing interest in Southeast Asia's technology markets, from startup founders, investors, and tech company operators; the zeitgeist of this period is reflected in the way the book views the future of technology startups and venture capital's role in economies and society
• The book frames venture capital in the context of Southeast Asia, which at its point of writing, has not been covered as definitively in this format. It also offers readers a peek into the nuances of investing in and building companies in the region versus other markets
• Many of the principles and mindsets that this book emphasizes throughout its chapters trace their roots to the days of Fairchild Semiconductors and will remain relevant for startup investors and founders in years to come
• The book's pace and tone cater to readers of all backgrounds, hence it is ideal to introduce to outsiders to the industry