Based on my experience in Asia for 2 years, Asia will not overtake the West anytime soon. Here's a summary of learnings

1. What the media doesn’t
tell you about Asia

2. Asia is not going to overtake
the West anytime soon

3. …But there’s still lots to
learn and profits to be made

4. Now for a different primer of
Asia

5. 5Confidential
Business regions globally
• North America
• Latin America
• Europe
• MENA
• Africa
• APAC

6. 6Confidential
By comparison…
North America 579 million
Latin America 639 million
Europe 741 million
MENA 381 million
Africa 1.2B

7. 7Confidential
By comparison…
North America 579 million
Latin America 639 million
Europe 741 million
MENA 381 million
Africa 1.2B
APAC 4 billion

8. 8Confidential
APAC facts
• 30% land mass
• 60% population
• 2k+ Languages
• 31 countries
• 31+ currencies
• No shared histories

9. 9Confidential
6 major subregions
Diving deeper…
• Australia
• Korea
• Japan
• China
• India
• Southeast Asia

10. 10Confidential
6 major subregions
Diving deeper…
• Australia
• Korea
• Japan
• China
• India
• Southeast Asia

11. 11Confidential
6 major subregions
Diving deeper…
• Australia
• Korea
• Japan
• China
• India
• Southeast Asia

12. 12Confidential
6 major subregions
Diving deeper…
• Australia
• Korea
• Japan
• China
• India
• Southeast Asia

13. 13Confidential
6 major subregions
Diving deeper…
• Australia
• Korea
• Japan
• China
• India
• Southeast Asia

14. 14Confidential
6 major subregions
Diving deeper…
• Australia
• Korea
• Japan
• China
• India
• Southeast Asia

15. 15Confidential

16. Quiz time
?

17. 17Confidential
Most populous countries in the world…
1. China
2. India
3. USA
4. ?

18. 18Confidential
1. China
2. India
3. USA
4. Indonesia
Most populous countries in the world…

19. 19Confidential
Ranking of countries by GDP
What’s wrong with this list?
1. Saudi Arabia
2. Switzerland
3. Indonesia
4. Mexico

20. 20Confidential
Ranking of countries by GDP
What’s wrong with this list?
1. Mexico
2. Indonesia
3. Switzerland
4. Saudi Arabia

21. The Digital Landscape in
Southeast Asia

22. 22Confidential
330 million Internet users
• Only 50% penetration
• Explosive growth
• Life changing
• Social media
• Limited WiFi

23. 23Confidential

24. 24Confidential
Southeast Asians spend the most time on the mobile Internet… in the world
 Average 3.6 hours hours per day
 Thailand - 4.2 hours per day
 Indonesia - 3.9 hours per day.
 Long commutes
 Minimal desktop access
 Locally made mobile devices

25. 25Confidential
140 minutes of shopping online every month.
 Few big box stores
 Fragmented eCommerce market
 Battle of the Giants: Amazon vs
Alibaba
 Personal assistant culture

26. 26Confidential

27. 27Confidential
Other Areas of opportunity
 $12B in VC funding since 2016
 Governments modernizing
 Bank access expanding
 Highly educated
 Weak worker protections

28. 28Confidential

29. Not everything is rosy
…which makes the
opportunity stronger

30. 30Confidential
Corruption is a key part of the way things work
 Innovation stifled
 Technology handicapped
 Access for foreign
companies
 Abuse and imprisonment
 Bribery and US law

31. 31Confidential
Rural areas are VERY rural
 Access to healthcare
 Internet access
 Language skills
 Basic education

32. 32Confidential
Cross border exchange can be difficult
 Corruption/nepotism
 Banking
 Currency fluctuation
 Laws/courts
 Religion
 Culture
 Language
 Racism and distrust

33. 33Confidential
Technical Talent in Asia is hard to find
• Technical education is scarce
• Brain drain to other countries
• Training by global companies
• Cultural influence on career choices

34. 34Confidential
Price centricity vs brand loyalty
• Brand loyalty is weak
• Highly price sensitive
• Customer satisfaction is
not a KPI

35. 35Confidential

36. 36Confidential
Delivery infrastructure
• No UPS/DHL/FEDEX
• Local postal is non-existent
• Rural areas
• Theft is rampant
• Courier services
• Economics of scale

37. Digiatl Innovation Case
Studies

38. 38Confidential
Mobile wallets
• Banking
• Smartphones
• Mobile wallets
• Credit cards vs debit
• Company reliance
• Local shops

39. 39Confidential
Asia is the fastest growing air travel market
Travel
• Growing economies
• Subsidies
• Budget airlines
• Road conditions
• Flexible payments
• Booking platforms

40. 40Confidential
Grab vs Uber
• Subsidies
• Product
• Price sensitivity
• Car ownership
• Investors

41. 41Confidential
Gojek the Internet in one app
Gojek
• Simple disruption
• National benefit
• Disrupting multiple verticals

42. 42Confidential
Online maps have not taken off
Google maps
 Chicken and egg problem
 No Yelp
 Transportation features
 Street names

43. 43Confidential
Explosive Internet growth Digital innovations
Complexities = barrier to entry Investment $

44. 44
Questions?