Roy Ang: Grab Executive to D2C Founder, Evo Commerce Consumer Secrets & Overcoming Pivot Challenges - E444

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English)

Roy Ang, CEO & Cofounder of Evo Commerce, and Jeremy Au talked about three main points:

1. Grab Executive to D2C Founder: Roy began his professional journey in banking but soon realized it wasn't his calling. After a year, he shifted to the tech media industry, landing a job at E27 through a bold cold call to Mohan Balani, E27’s founder. Roy thrived at E27, organizing tech conferences across Asia. This experience ignited his passion for tech and startups, leading him to Grab in 2016. He also helped build Grab’s financial services division which scaled from a team of five to a 2000-person operation and created payments and rewards programs for millions.

2. Evo Commerce Consumer Secrets: Roy's entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found Evo Commerce in 2020, just as COVID-19 began. He and his co-founder initially started a live-streaming software for celebrities and influencers. However, they found the market for live streaming limited and non-recurring, prompting a pivot to direct-to-consumer (D2C) products. He launched Evo Commerce with a hangover supplement called bback, capitalizing on his personal experience and market demand. He transitioned to personal care products like hairdryers and curlers, leveraging their digital marketing expertise to achieve rapid growth.

3. Overcoming Pivot Challenges: Roy openly discussed the personal and professional challenges of entrepreneurship. He explained that the initial pivot from live streaming to direct-to-consumer(DTC) met with skepticism from investors and his team. However, Roy’s strong conviction and adaptability were key to navigating this transition. He highlighted the loneliness and mental strain of being a founder, emphasizing the importance of support systems, including family and a network of fellow entrepreneurs. He stressed the significance of maintaining a work-life balance, time-blocking for family, and seeking positive energy from the community.

Jeremy and Roy also touched on the contrasting experiences of working in startup ecosystems vs. large tech companies, the personal challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, and maintaining a balanced family life.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang

Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang-id

观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang-cn

Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại https://www.bravesea.com/blog/roy-ang-vn

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea

English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Learn more about Evo Commerce at bback.co and stryv.co