VentureCapitalism in Asia

BalaPillai: Friends, I have found that there is a gross shortage of common sense amongst VCs in Asia. For the most part, they are ballsless employees with a sheep mentality or there is way too much of not knowing what they don't know.

To a good extent this is understandable, since the notion of VC is so young in Asia and since the Asian mindset is overwhelmed by insecurity and an inferiority complex (not an accident that other than Japan there has been no quantum inventions in Asia since Admiral Cheng Ho in 1450 AD).

Yet, there are 2 big reasons why VC should do thousands of times better. One, the penchant for betting amongst Chinese-Asians and two, the bar on most forms of investments except VC investments amongst Muslims because interest is forbidden.

I have specific plans on how to overcome this by way of :-

a) an Islamic retail private equity retail fund (will not invest in gambling, alcohol, interest-banking and such sectors forbidden by Islam)

b) a high-risk retail private equity retail fund that risk/return-wise is a many notches below betting on horses

c) an even-higher-risk retail private equity fund that invests in options on (a) and (b) but which is still risk/return-wise many notches below betting on horses

d) follow-through on the maxim, "default, every problem is an opportunity; default, the harder the problem, the greater the reward to whoever finds the solution.

Therefore device a criteria that lists outstanding problems in national Asian societies in order of descending order of difficulty and attract entrepreneurs to solve them

d) Stick to ventures where the technology has already been invented in the West especially hosted technogy

• i) private-label, co-brand or licence the technology for a portion of equity/revenue or
• ii) earlier version of the technology in exchange for reducing the technology maker's cost of attention and awareness raising plus grasping, change management and localization costs

f) An Internet based record keeping of investee companies (i.e. their performance, sales, project management records are hosted online for experts to watch out for early signs of expertise needed)

g) regular diagnostics, networking and coaching sessions to increase the relationships base of the entrepreneurs

h) Find entrepreneurs who are cognisant that the biggest solution requirements in Asia for new services now is not technology, because there is more than enough globally available Western technology but:-

• i) grasp by entrepreneurs of the cost of and need for investing in attention-gathering and awareness raising
• ii) grasp of psychological, sociological and cultural issues of reaching tipping point in local markets with new technology and
• iii) grasp of need to invest in insentience-piercing and change management

I state all of above from sentience and experience as a banker (DBS Bank Singapore), a media guy (Reuters all over) and as an inventor/resources seeker (APIC Mind Colonies) for the last 20 years in Asia and the West. And lots of reading the mistakes of history and reflection upon Nature. The lack of sentience and common sense in Asian technology-enabled business resourcing is both criminal and a super opportunity.

Thinking aloud if there may be commonsense rich in this forum who would like to partner me as a co-promoter/leader in accelerating this. Please respond here and email me at [email protected] for more info on my background etc.

cheers../bala Bala Pillai, Sydney