Career Candour

Career Candour

Home
Podcast
Leadership
Careers
Hiring
HR
Indonesia
Expat Life
Startups
Venture Capital

indonesia

Ideas Are Free, Credit Is Optional: Intellectual Property in Indonesia
Despite signing major IP treaties, Indonesia still struggles with respecting ideas and authorship. Here’s why the system favors copycats.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Tariff Tantrums or Trade Amnesia? Why Southeast Asia Suddenly Discovered Fairness
New U.S. tariffs on Southeast Asian goods have sparked outrage. But here’s what no one’s saying about the region’s own trade policies.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
How to Survive Jakarta Without Losing Your Mind (or Your KITAS)
Moving to Jakarta? Learn the habits, skills, and mindset expats need to build real success in Indonesia’s chaotic and fascinating capital.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Indonesia’s Low Household Debt Looks Good, Until You Ask Why We’re Not Borrowing
Indonesia’s low household debt looks like stability, but is it actually masking deeper economic exclusion and limited credit access?
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
So, Are We Different or Not? Indonesia’s Startup Scene Needs to Pick a Lane
Copy or create? Indonesia’s tech sector is stuck between local pride and global mimicry. What would a truly Indonesian startup model look like?
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Meet Indonesia: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous... and Surprisingly Functional
Doing business in Indonesia? Learn how volatility, uncertainty, and ambiguity shape Southeast Asia’s most dynamic (and misunderstood) economy.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
“Kos-Kosan Class”: Why Indonesia’s Brightest Young Professionals Are Living Like Students
In Jakarta, even lawyers and bankers are stuck in kos-kosan. Here's why Indonesia's housing market is leaving young professionals behind.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Living in Indonesia Is More Expensive Than You Were Told
Expats in places like Indonesia often face higher costs than CPI data suggests. Here’s what really drives expat expenses in frontier markets.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Fake It 'Til You Make It: How Credential Fraud Became Normal in Indonesia
Learn why fake credentials are thriving in Indonesia, and how hiring processes are quietly helping them pass through unchecked.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Indonesia Bans Age Discrimination in Job Ads. Problem Solved? Not Quite.
Indonesia now bans age limits in job ads, but without enforcement, hiring bias may continue behind the scenes. Here’s what still needs to change.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
The “Coming Soon” Economy: Does Indonesia Love Announcements More Than Outcomes?
Indonesia has vision, talent, and intent. But when declarations become the end goal, trust erodes and unfinished plans pile up.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
OJOL Drivers Are Protesting Gojek and Grab. It's a Crisis Years in the Making.
Gojek and Grab drivers are protesting the very apps that once empowered them. What happened to the ride-hailing dream in Indonesia’s gig economy?
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
© 2025 Leigh McKiernon
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture