Author: Justin Hall
When going mobile backfires: What to watch out for
Going mobile simply because everyone else is doing it is a terribly simplistic way of looking at the medium, and that kind of simplicity generally translates into terrible results, writes Justin Hall.
The Singapore ecosystem: Growing into adolescence
With conflicting reports on the Singapore startup ecosystem, Justin Hall argues that ‘adolescent ecosystem’ is a far better descriptor for Singapore – one that is realistic about its success but nevertheless cognisant of its potential.
Only cockroaches and startups left when unicorns become extinct
In the event of nuclear economic armageddon, unicorns might just return to being endangered species once more, and the only things left will be cockroaches and early-stage startups, writes Justin Hall.
Don’t get washed by liquidation preferences
Investors live and breathe term sheets and waterfall tables, and so things that might be simple for them to understand can be downright byzantine for most others, including entrepreneurs. Justin Hall gives some tips here – because if you’re not careful, you may end up with nothing.
When the first cheque can kill you
Few startups ever survive ‘bad money’ – money from predatory angels, individuals who attach unreasonable terms to the cheques they write, writes Justin Hall.
The runaway train of startup valuations stops in SEA
Outlandish prices of US startups have been written about ad nauseum, but in South-East Asia, valuation creep is still a long way off, notes Justin Hall.
Moving the goalposts: How exits are changing across SEA
Most exit activity in the region will continue to be acquisitions and not public listings, but we have reached an inflection point, writes Justin Hall.
From whales into guppies: When money moves upstream
By following early-stage investors and writing small cheques, late-stage investors not only get a better appreciation of what’s happening on the ground, but they have immediate access to these companies if and when they raise those large US$5mil cheques, writes Justin Hall.
The startup ecosystem pipeline: What comes after the funnel
By ensuring the pipeline is as secure as the funnel is wide, an ecosystem has a far greater chance at sustaining itself, writes Justin Hall of Golden Gate Ventures.
When copycats kill: The dangers of hardware
Investing in hardware, especially in South-East Asia, is already risky, but it becomes even more so if the company’s success is dependent on simply scaling up its manufacturing and selling to as many people as possible, writes Justin Hall.
