Inside the journeys of Asia’s tech founders — their turning points, playbooks, and what they learned along the way. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.asiatechlens.com?utm_medium=podcast">www.asiatechlens.com</a>
Asia Tech Lens - The Podcast
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Inside the journeys of Asia’s tech founders — their turning points, playbooks, and what they learned along the way. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.asiatechlens.com?utm_medium=podcast">www.asiatechlens.com</a>
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Recent Episodes
December 23, 2025
Founder Playbook 2025: The Most Useful Insights From Our Podcast (Year-End Recap)
<p>We hit publish in October this year with a simple goal: have honest, operator-level conversations with founders building real businesses across Asia. Today’s episode is a rewind of the moments that stayed with us: building through pivots, the realities of raising money, hard decisions, and what it takes to scale across markets and time zones. Expect standout takeaways on AI learning and product validation, global payments and stablecoin rails, business lending, automotive marketplaces, and closing protection gaps through embedded insurance.</p><p>💡 What You’ll Hear About</p><p>* AI education before the hype, and what “AI” actually meant when most people were not paying attention </p><p>* Personalized learning at scale, including why tailoring to each student matters when resources are tight </p><p>* Building through constraints and pivots, from adoption friction to making tough resets when the model has to change </p><p>* AI in eye health and clinical trust, and what it takes to win over conservative medical stakeholders where safety is non-negotiable </p><p>* Fintech execution in Southeast Asia, and why business lending is an on-the-ground operating problem, not just a product thesis </p><p>* Scaling a car platform beyond classifieds, including how financing and insurance become real growth levers </p><p>* Payments infrastructure and stablecoin rails, built for real-world merchants without the “crypto experience,” plus operational realities</p><p>* Lessons learnt: leadership under pressure, including the hardest calls founders make, the emotional cost, and how teams rebuild and grow</p><p>⏱️ In this Episode</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E">0:00</a> – Introduction<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=36s">0:36</a> – Joleen Liang - “AI” before it was a buzzword: adaptive learning and scalable education <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=127s">2:07</a> – Kevin Choi - Eye health + AI: earning clinician trust when safety comes first <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=174s">2:54</a> – Kelvin Teo - Harvard-to-Southeast Asia: why fintech opportunity is real, but execution is everything <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=422s">7:02</a> – Aaron Tan - Building in an “unsexy” category: why cars can still be a massive business <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=648s">10:48</a> – David Isaac - From idea to real business: validation, A/B testing, and scenario thinking <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=888s">14:48</a> – Rob Schimek - The future of insurance: protection gaps, distribution, and what actually scales<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=1087s">18:07</a> – Joleen Liang - Going global in edtech: the US market, localization, and teacher capacity constraints <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=1304s">21:44</a> – Eric Barbier - Stablecoins without the crypto experience: global merchants, time zones, and real use cases <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=1577s">26:17</a> – Aaron Tan - Scaling into new countries: team first, local realities, and avoiding expensive mistakes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=1719s">28:39</a> – Kevin Choi - Fundraising reality check: “money is cold” and what that teaches founders <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=1807s">30:07</a> – Eric Barbier - How VCs think: incentives, expectations, and the founder–investor mismatch <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=1872s">31:12</a> – Kelvin Teo - Timing and conviction: raising when it matters, and what investors look for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=1952s">32:32</a> – Rob Schimek - Proving you are worth backing: partners, differentiation, and defensibility <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=2207s">36:47</a> – Neo Zhizhong - The hardest leadership decision: letting people go and living with it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=2276s">37:56</a> – Kevin Choi - Hiring and HR mistakes: what Kevin regrets and what he learned <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=2374s">39:34</a> – Aaron Tan - Expansion lessons: what did not go to plan and how to recover fast (Aaron)<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=2496s">41:36</a> – Joleen Liang - “Rising from the ashes”: regulatory shock, revenue collapse, and the pivot <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=2880s">48:00</a> – Eric Barbier - Leadership style: autonomy vs micromanagement, and what teams need <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=2965s">49:25</a> – Aaron Tan - Talent and culture: why people should come and go, and what that signals <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=3158s">52:38</a> – Joleen Liang - Female leadership: strength, softness, and how influence actually works <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_LsPUs17E&t=3223s">53:43</a> – Managing Work-Life Balance</p><p>📚 References (Mentioned in the Episode)</p><p>People</p><p>* Miro Lu —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirolu"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirolu</a></p><p>* Aaron Tan —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarontan/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarontan/</a></p><p>* David Isaac Mathews —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidisaacm/?originalSubdomain=sg"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidisaacm/?originalSubdomain=sg</a></p><p>* Neo Zhizhong (Neo) —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zzneo/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/zzneo/</a></p><p>* Dr Joleen Liang —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joleen-liang-70b11ba4/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/joleen-liang-70b11ba4/</a></p><p>* Derek Haoyang Li —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-haoyang-li-076432173/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-haoyang-li-076432173/</a></p><p>* Kevin Choi —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinchoi-mediwhale/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinchoi-mediwhale/</a></p><p>* Kelvin Teo — Co-Founder & Group CEO, Funding Societies | Modalku —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkelvin/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkelvin/</a></p><p>* Reynold Wijaya — Co-Founder, Funding Societies | Modalku —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/reynoldwijaya/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/reynoldwijaya/</a></p><p>* Eric Barbier — CEO, Triple-A.io —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbarbier/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbarbier/</a></p><p>* Rob Schimek —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-schimek-59b37a1/"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-schimek-59b37a1/</a></p><p>* Peter Thiel — <a target="_blank" href="https://thielfoundation.org">https://thielfoundation.org</a></p><p>Companies and Organizations</p><p>* Carro —<a target="_blank" href="https://carro.co/sg/en"> https://carro.co/sg/en</a></p><p>* AIPath.one — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aipath.one/">https://www.aipath.one/</a></p><p>* Geniebook — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.geniebook.com">https://www.geniebook.com</a></p><p>* Squirrel Ai Learning —<a target="_blank" href="https://squirrelai.com/about/"> https://squirrelai.com/about/</a></p><p>* Mediwhale - <a target="_blank" href="https://mediwhale.com/">https://mediwhale.com/</a></p><p>* Funding Societies | Modalku — <a target="_blank" href="https://fundingsocieties.com">https://fundingsocieties.com</a></p><p>* Triple-A.io — <a target="_blank" href="https://triple-a.io">https://triple-a.io</a></p><p>* bolttech — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bolttech.io">https://www.bolttech.io</a></p><p>* Trip.com — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.trip.com">https://www.trip.com</a></p><p>* Lego — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lego.com">https://www.lego.com</a></p><p>* Harvard Business School — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hbs.edu">https://www.hbs.edu</a></p><p>* Cambridge International Curriculum —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/">https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/</a></p><p>* IB Programme (International Baccalaureate) — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibo.org/">https://www.ibo.org/</a></p><p>* Singapore Ministry of Education: PSLE (Singapore National Exam) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psl">https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psl</a>...</p><p>* Singapore Ministry of Education: Education in Singapore —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg">https://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg</a></p><p>* Vietnam Ministry of Education & Training — <a target="_blank" href="https://en.moet.gov.vn/">https://en.moet.gov.vn/</a></p><p>* Swiss Re Institute (Protection Gap research) —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.swissre.com/institute">https://www.swissre.com/institute</a></p><p>* McKinsey (Embedded Insurance) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/">https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/</a></p><p>* EY (Insurtech Landscape) — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ey.com/">https://www.ey.com/</a></p><p>* IAIS (Global Insurance Regulation) — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.iaisweb.org">https://www.iaisweb.org</a></p><p>* Ironman Triathlon — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ironman.com">https://www.ironman.com</a></p><p>* Sequoia Capital / Peak XV Partners — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.peakxv.com">https://www.peakxv.com</a></p><p>Concepts and Topics</p><p>* GPT / ChatGPT —<a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/chatgpt"> https://openai.com/chatgpt</a></p><p>* DeepSeek - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.deepseek.com/">https://www.deepseek.com/</a></p><p>* China tutoring ban - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3150726/chinese-parents-turn-black-market-after-school">https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3150726/chinese-parents-turn-black-market-after-school</a></p><p>* PSLE (Singapore national exam) - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/psle/main.html">https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/psle/main.html</a></p><p>* Singapore education system - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg">https://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg</a></p><p>* The Lancet Digital Health –<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjE5WkVvWERrdjBTMHUwZVhYa2k3Nlk5Wk14Z3xBQ3Jtc0tubmx6bVlMOGJ4ZEV1OENNMnF0UTAtUVRXX2pDV2FFZUswWGZ4dXBjTjUzZlQwY0tkMHZLRmloS0dBU2w5N3puVElpcTI0RXduZU1RUlNlM09WSGNrbG1zempaLW1MeF9sUVZSVEV1cWtSTmkwSTlvdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thelancet.com%2Fdigital-health&v=65Pp81XOlm4"> https://www.thelancet.com/digital-health</a></p><p>* Glaucoma — Mayo Clinic Overview:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbW44bVRXb1BnWGRSaXBkdzluaGtNcjNzV25pQXxBQ3Jtc0trVm5HYjJScUxpY3gtOGo5MDN2ZURGY0UyREMyUUpkZ0Q3ZUZJV2VEcndnNmcxWTdUY3Y3aHRsSDJQMmNwWDBVRTUyV2VXT2JubFRKMmFhUWtRdTlNY3NTOTZ3aDJLeVpHOWozVmdRQTVTcjY1QUliRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mayoclinic.org%2Fdiseases-conditions%2Fglaucoma%2Fsymptoms-causes%2Fsyc-20372839&v=65Pp81XOlm4"> https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...</a></p><p>* Retinal Imaging (Fundus Photography) —<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbl9CRlc5WlkzdWNaU2V1bFBHWmpPaHA1SDQ0d3xBQ3Jtc0trN1h6a0RYdE0wOXMxSXNsejF2ZHo4TVU4THJUWFB5MnhwMUpvOWk3TEMtUG9LQnNLWXJjb1hvemx2M19yNVdnYUpWdEZ1cU9FSnVpMHpqcDR5SmVhell2X3ppbWdGY0h3NVoxUFQ3ZF9fb19jY1ROMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmy.clevelandclinic.org%2Fhealth%2Fdiagnostics%2F25046-retinal-imaging&v=65Pp81XOlm4">https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health...</a></p><p>* Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) — WHO Fact Sheet:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbENrRXg5VTBWRXZtbTNrZjdxb0NGYWlZM1FyZ3xBQ3Jtc0tremNOTTgxaW1oeGxpel9sWnRVSUxKT05BcTNBWlI3ajJHclRLNks2ZUFaVTBZXzZYVkZMSE5XRklPZ09yYVNHclpmTzlYRmlrSm9oMmplWFd2dUNpTG1XZHdubFhMaXE1UTliOTdsZVZvM2JyY2xWUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.who.int%2Fnews-room%2Ffact-sheets%2Fdetail%2Fcardiovascular-diseases-%28cvds%29%2F&v=65Pp81XOlm4"> https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sh...</a></p><p>🎙️ About Asia Tech Lens</p><p>Produced by <strong>Perspective Media (Singapore)</strong>, Asia Tech Lens explores the technology, trends, and people shaping Asia’s innovation landscape — and its global impact.</p><p>For enquiries about:</p><p>* Sponsorships & partnerships: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:partnerships@asiatechlens.com">partnerships@asiatechlens.com</a></p><p>* Media & permissions: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:editor@asiatechlens.com">editor@asiatechlens.com</a></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.asiatechlens.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">www.asiatechlens.com</a>
December 9, 2025
Inside Asia’s Biggest Protection Gap Opportunity
<p><strong>In this episode, we sit down with </strong><strong>Rob Schimek</strong><strong>, Group CEO of </strong><strong>bolttech</strong><strong>, to unpack one of Asia’s most ambitious insurtech scale-up stories—and why the world’s protection gap is now a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity hiding in plain sight.</strong></p><p>Rob has spent decades at the intersection of finance, risk, and technology. From leading a major global insurer to building one of the fastest-growing embedded-insurance platforms on the planet, his journey shows how insurance is becoming an essential digital-economy layer—as fundamental as payments, identity, or logistics.</p><p>We dig into the big structural questions:Why is insurance still so underpenetrated across Asia?How do you build trust with regulators, distribution partners, and millions of customers?And what does it take to create a digital insurance exchange across markets with wildly different rules, expectations, and levels of financial maturity?</p><p>Hosted by <strong>Miro Lu</strong>, this conversation goes deep into leadership, ecosystem design, and the future of embedded protection worldwide.</p><p>💡 What You’ll Learn</p><p>* The global protection gap—and why it’s still widening</p><p>* Why Asia is the most interesting insurance market today</p><p>* How embedded insurance is reshaping distribution and product design</p><p>* Building a cross-market exchange: data, partners, regulation</p><p>* Why incumbents struggle with speed, experimentation, and UX</p><p>* Underwriting in a digital context—and why trust is a product</p><p>* How bolttech scales across Asia, the US, and Europe</p><p>* Customer expectations in 2025: real-time, contextual, frictionless</p><p>* Leadership lessons from transforming legacy insurers</p><p>* Attracting talent to an industry many overlook</p><p>* The future: from selling policies to enabling ecosystems</p><p>⏱️ Chapters</p><p>00:00 – Opening & Rob’s early lens on risk and leadership01:02 – The global protection gap: a multi-trillion-dollar problem02:15 – Founding bolttech at 5304:20 – Why embedded insurance matters now06:55 – Understanding the customer journey in insurance08:50 – How bolttech achieved 0→1 // What bolttech actually solves10:40 – Translating vision into real product11:25 – Why Asia?13:45 – How regulations shape innovation across markets15:02 – The 2018–2020 incubation story17:10 – Early experiments (what worked, what didn’t)18:43 – Building a global team22:05 – Culture, discipline & high-performance execution24:30 – How bolttech partners with ecosystems27:40 – Scaling across Asia, the US & Europe31:50 – Risk, underwriting & data: building trust at scale35:10 – The funding winter38:20 – Investor expectations in shifting markets41:17 – Corporate vs. startup: what really changes44:40 – Operating with speed vs. certainty46:45 – The Ironman mindset50:10 – What endurance sports teach about leadership53:27 – What Rob wishes he knew earlier55:00 – Frustrations, regrets, disappointments56:35 – What keeps Rob optimistic58:10 – The next five years01:01:45 – Closing reflections & advice for operators</p><p>📚 References (Mentioned in the Episode)</p><p>People</p><p>Rob Schimek—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-schimek-59b37a1/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-schimek-59b37a1/</a>Miro Lu—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirolu">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirolu</a></p><p>Companies & Organisations</p><p>bolttech—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bolttech.io">https://www.bolttech.io</a>Liberty Mutual—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.libertymutual.com">https://www.libertymutual.com</a>AIG—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aig.com">https://www.aig.com</a>Pacific Century Group (PCG)—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pcg-group.com">https://www.pcg-group.com</a>Fosun International—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fosun.com">https://www.fosun.com</a>LeapFrog Investments—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.leapfroginvest.com">https://www.leapfroginvest.com</a>EQT Group—<a target="_blank" href="https://eqtgroup.com">https://eqtgroup.com</a>MetLife—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.metlife.com">https://www.metlife.com</a>AXA—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.axa.com">https://www.axa.com</a>Tokio Marine—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tokiomarine.com">https://www.tokiomarine.com</a>Prudential—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.prudential.com.sg">https://www.prudential.com.sg</a>Swiss Re—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.swissre.com">https://www.swissre.com</a></p><p>Concepts & Frameworks</p><p>Swiss Re Protection Gap Research—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.swissre.com/institute">https://www.swissre.com/institute</a>Embedded Insurance (McKinsey)—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/embedded-insurance">https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/embedded-insurance</a>Insurtech Landscape (EY)—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ey.com/en_gl/insurance/how-insurtechs-are-reshaping-insurance">https://www.ey.com/en_gl/insurance/how-insurtechs-are-reshaping-insurance</a>Global Insurance Regulation—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.iaisweb.org">https://www.iaisweb.org</a>Digital Underwriting Models—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.actuaries.org">https://www.actuaries.org</a></p><p>Regulators</p><p>MAS—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mas.gov.sg">https://www.mas.gov.sg</a>Hong Kong Insurance Authority—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ia.org.hk">https://www.ia.org.hk</a>NAIC—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.naic.org">https://www.naic.org</a>EIOPA—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eiopa.europa.eu">https://www.eiopa.europa.eu</a></p><p>Reports</p><p>Swiss Re Sigma—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sigma-explorer.com">https://www.sigma-explorer.com</a>McKinsey Global Insurance Report—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com">https://www.mckinsey.com</a>Deloitte Insurance Outlook—<a target="_blank" href="https://www2.deloitte.com">https://www2.deloitte.com</a>Bain APAC Insurance & Bancassurance Insights—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bain.com">https://www.bain.com</a></p><p>Books / Mindset</p><p>Simon Sinek—Start with WhyBen Horowitz—The Hard Thing About Hard ThingsAngela Duckworth—GritDavid Goggins—Can’t Hurt Me</p><p>Sports & Endurance</p><p>Ironman—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ironman.com">https://www.ironman.com</a>Training Peaks—<a target="_blank" href="https://www.trainingpeaks.com">https://www.trainingpeaks.com</a></p><p>🎙️ About Asia Tech Lens</p><p>Produced by <strong>Perspective Media (Singapore)</strong>, Asia Tech Lens explores the technology, trends, and people shaping Asia’s innovation landscape — and its global impact.</p><p>For enquiries about:</p><p>* Sponsorships & partnerships: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:partnerships@asiatechlens.com">partnerships@asiatechlens.com</a></p><p>* Media & permissions: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:editor@asiatechlens.com">editor@asiatechlens.com</a></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.asiatechlens.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">www.asiatechlens.com</a>
December 2, 2025
Why This Fintech Veteran Is Betting on Stablecoins | Conversation with Eric Barbier
<p>In this episode, we sit down with serial entrepreneur Eric Barbier, who lives by a simple rule: “Where there is a problem, there is a business.”Eric has lived several chapters of the fintech story. He built a mobile-messaging startup, enabled international prepaid top-ups, and supported mobile-wallet remittances across regions from Southeast Asia to Africa. Throughout those chapters, the same operational issues kept appearing—pre-funding requirements, weekend and holiday settlement delays, failed payments, fraud exposure, and chargeback risk.Those long-standing inefficiencies eventually shaped his latest venture: Triple-A.io - a regulated payments institution that lets businesses accept and send stablecoins instantly, without ever handling crypto themselves. </p><p>In this conversation, Eric breaks down what stablecoins actually solve. They move in real time, operate 24/7, eliminate chargebacks, and are already used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide—addressing the exact bottlenecks he previously had to engineer around.</p><p><strong>💡</strong>What You’ll Learn</p><p>* How Eric built a mobile messaging network and turned it into an interconnect business.</p><p>* Why international prepaid top-ups became a growth engine across emerging markets.</p><p>* How mobile-wallet remittances expanded through local partnerships and on-the-ground sales insights.</p><p>* What entrepreneurs rarely talk about: investor pressure, misaligned incentives, and lessons from a $400M exit.</p><p>* How pre-funding, weekend delays, FX frictions, and chargebacks repeatedly surfaced in his cross-border ventures.</p><p>* Why Eric concluded that stablecoins fix the same operational issues he battled for decades.</p><p>* What stablecoin settlement actually looks like for merchants—speed, finality, and no chargebacks.</p><p>* Why enterprise clients are increasingly requesting blockchain-based settlement rails.</p><p>* How market adoption varies between Asia, Europe, and the U.S. FinTech landscape.</p><p>* What practical leadership looks like inside a distributed, multi-market payments company.</p><p>* How founder mindset evolves after multiple exits—and why Eric keeps building.</p><p><strong>⏱️ </strong>In This Episode</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk">00:00</a> - Introduction<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=80s">01:20</a> - Origins<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=264s">04:24</a> - The Asia Pivot<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=435s">07:15</a> - First Exit Reflections<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=765s">12:45</a> - Business Model Overview<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=836s">13:56</a> - Why TransferTo Was Acquired<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=912s">15:12</a> - Post-Exit Decisions<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=998s">16:38</a> - Tackling the US Market<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=1066s">17:46</a> - Talking Directly with Clients is Key<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=1096s">18:16</a> - The SFO Experience<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=1237s">20:37</a> - Where Did the Idea for Triple-A.io Come From?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=1399s">23:19</a> - Why Stablecoins Matter for Global Merchants<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=1526s">25:26</a> - Stablecoins vs Traditional Payment Networks<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=1666s">27:46</a> - The Broader Blockchain Era<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=1721s">28:41</a> - Stablecoin Adoption Trends<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=2135s">35:35</a> - Regulation, Licencing, Merchant Adoption<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=2382s">39:42</a> - Biggest Lessons and Mistakes as an Entrepreneur<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=2505s">41:45</a> - Understanding VC Expectations<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=2520s">42:00</a> - Differences Between East and West<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=2686s">44:46</a> - Managing Global Teams<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=3034s">50:34</a> - Leisure and Life<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=3352s">55:52</a> - Advice to Your Younger Self<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=3547s">59:07</a> - “If there’s a problem, there’s a business”<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgonx6bCLk&t=3564s">59:24</a> - “What I really love is proving my point”</p><p>📚 References</p><p><strong>People & Founders</strong></p><p>* Eric Barbier, CEO, Triple-A.io - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbarbier/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbarbier/</a></p><p><strong>Companies, Platforms & Ventures</strong></p><p>* Triple-A.io - <a target="_blank" href="https://triple-a.io">https://triple-a.io</a></p><p>* DT One - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dtone.com">https://www.dtone.com</a></p><p>* TransferTo / Thunes - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thunes.com/news/fintech-connect-live-interview-transferto-ceo-eric-barbier-on-mobile-money/">https://www.thunes.com/news/fintech-connect-live-interview-transferto-ceo-eric-barbier-on-mobile-money/</a></p><p>* Trip.com - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.trip.com">https://www.trip.com</a></p><p><strong>Mobile Wallets, Telcos & Crypto</strong></p><p>* GCash (Philippines) - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gcash.com">https://www.gcash.com</a></p><p>* PayMaya / Maya (Philippines) - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.maya.ph">https://www.maya.ph</a></p><p>* M-Pesa (Kenya) - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.safaricom.co.ke/personal/m-pesa">https://www.safaricom.co.ke/personal/m-pesa</a></p><p>* bKash (Bangladesh) - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bkash.com">https://www.bkash.com</a></p><p>* Singtel (Singapore) - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.singtel.com">https://www.singtel.com</a></p><p>* Maxis (Malaysia) - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.maxis.com.my/en/home/">https://www.maxis.com.my</a></p><p>* Bitcoin - <a target="_blank" href="https://bitcoin.org/en/">https://bitcoin.org</a></p><p><strong>Regulators, Licenses & Jurisdictions</strong></p><p>* MAS – Monetary Authority of Singapore - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mas.gov.sg/">https://www.mas.gov.sg</a></p><p><strong>Movies</strong></p><p>* ‘The Great Dictator’ by Charlie Chaplin - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032553/">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032553/</a></p><p>🎙️ About Asia Tech Lens</p><p>Produced by <strong>Perspective Media (Singapore)</strong>, Asia Tech Lens explores the technology, trends, and people shaping Asia’s innovation landscape — and its global impact.</p><p>For enquiries about:</p><p>* sponsorships or collaboration: <strong>partnerships@asiatechlens.com</strong></p><p>* media or permissions: <strong>editor@asiatechlens.com</strong></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.asiatechlens.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">www.asiatechlens.com</a>
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