In many ways, 2018 was defined by beginnings, and coming full circle.
The biggest event has got to be welcoming our son, Xiang, into our lives. The moment I held him in my arms for the first time will probably be one of the happiest moments I will ever experience, and will carry through my entire life.
It is a strange feeling seeing a new life unfold in the days since, and being responsible to care for and guide his young existence in this crazy world. It is as though I am re-living life through him all over again. I also saw first hand how resilient, patient and kind a Mother can be. It is genuinely inspiring seeing Ning stepping into the role; this is grit in display.
It is also nice that I am able to reconnect with family, having my mom and sister now living in the same country and also seeing close relatives we’ve not seen for years when they visited Singapore earlier in the year. I am grateful for that.
I was also able to reconnect with the alumni from Evernote. (Hosting Phil L in Singapore was a highlight for sure. Dude loves his durian. ) I am glad that the alumni network stayed strong; in some sense it is a testament of the strong culture we’ve built during our journey together. I am looking forward to further collaborate with the crew and create some meaningful impact together.
It’s easy to grow cynical and jaded, especially in these turbulent times. Geopolitical uncertainties globally and in Southeast Asia. The increasing crescendo of various ethical and moral questions (gender discrimination, pace of creative destruction, privacy and big tech etc) the technology industry has to grapple with. If anything, I think it’s more important than ever to hold true to principles and going back to basics, and do one’s best to do what’s right.
Through all these I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be able to work with some really amazing founders and technologists through the work we do at SeedPlus. I’ve learned a lot through these experiences and am looking forward to collaborate, support and just be helpful in any way I can.
A special shoutout to the team SeedPlus as well – we’d done some great work in 2018. Looking forward to taking things up a notch in 2019.
I expect a bumpy 2019 ahead, as Ning and I continue to learn to be parents, and navigating through inflection points in the Southeast Asia venture ecosystem in the months ahead. That said, I continue to believe in using technology as a lever to create positive impact and to act as a force of good. I am as excited as ever to see what 2019 has to offer.
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