"Many of the jobs I've had weren't advertised, and I had to create the opportunities for myself. Our president, Minette, always says, 'You lose nothing by asking.' If you can imagine something or if you want something, try to have a conversation about it and see if you can make it happen. If it doesn't happen, that's okay. You'll be right back to where you started."- Joan Yao" - Joan Yao
"People often perceive that the Philippines is controlled by families and conglomerates, making it difficult for new ventures to start and grow. This preconceived notion is what stops people from trying. As a Filipino who grew up in the Philippines, I remember a time when all the bookstores and drugstores were mainly one brand and malls only have three brands, so Filipinos tend to strongly associate certain categories with a particular brand or family. It creates a mental programming that these entities are too big to topple over or fight against." - Joan Yao
"People often confuse the type of capital they need for their business. There are companies that don't need or want to scale much and there are other vectors they optimize for, whether they are a social enterprise, a small business, or a lifestyle business. The challenge arises when they take venture funding to hit those goals. VCs will push them to grow, scale and expand, which puts the founders in a difficult position because they may not want to grow that much. It's essential to be clear about how far you want to take your company and find the right partners to help you get there." - Joan Yao
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks on impact investing to Kickstart VC, Philippines startup perception versus reality (brain drain, families, and acceleration), and losing nothing by asking.
Keywords: Impact Investing, Kickstart VC, Philippines Startup Perception, Brain Drain, Families, Acceleration, Lose Nothing By Asking, Philippines, Women, VC
