Career Candour

Career Candour

Home
Leadership
Careers
Hiring
HR
Indonesia
Expat Life
Startups
Venture Capital

venture capital

ARR You Kidding Me? How Startups Are Redefining ‘Creative Accounting’(and Reality)
Startups are inflating ARR with fake metrics, fantasy math, and zero accountability. Here’s how it works and why no one’s stopping it.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
“Oops, We Printed the Truth”: The Lightspeed Dopamine Slide and VC Reality
Lightspeed VC’s slide on $3 “dopamine hits” caused outrage. But was it immoral, or just capitalism being honest about how it really works?
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
“Jangan Malu!”: How Indonesia’s Shame Culture Tanked Its Entire Startup Ecosystem
Indonesia’s startup scandals aren’t just about ethics. They’re about shame, silence, and fear. Here’s why nobody speaks up until it’s far too late.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
The Indonesian Logistics Reckoning: Demand is Booming, But So Are the Red Flags
Indonesia’s last-mile sector is under pressure. From VC cuts to rising costs, find out why many logistics startups won’t survive the next year.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Why Protein Powder Is the Next Big Grift in Southeast Asia
Are protein supplements the next big scam in Southeast Asia? We unpack the hype, the grift, and the growing influencer-led supplement economy.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
The Great Escape: How Indonesia’s “New Guard” Learned All the Old Tricks
They promised a break from the past. What we got was the past, but in better packaging. Inside Indonesia’s accountability crisis.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Indonesia’s Startup Scene Didn’t Fail. It Was Designed This Way.
Inside the unraveling of Indonesia’s startup ecosystem. Who built the bubble, who cashed out, and why silence protects the same players every time.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
"We’ll Pay You When We Raise": The Unpaid Talent Crisis in Indonesia’s Startup Scene
Many startups in Indonesia are asking employees to work unpaid while they "raise funds." Here's why that’s broken, and what needs to change.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Indonesia’s “280M TAM” Isn’t Real. It’s a Well-Dressed Fiction We Keep Telling Ourselves
Building in Indonesia? This breakdown shows why top-down TAM fails, and how psychographic segments hold the key to real market traction.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
Can You Build a World-Class Tech Company While Paying Jakarta Wages?
Big dreams meet budget constraints. Why startups in Indonesia and beyond must rethink their talent, structure, and growth playbook.
 • 
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
Indonesia’s Most Untapped Startup Resource? 40+ Year Old Founders With a Track Record
Indonesian venture capitalists keep funding hype over competence. Older founders bring execution, risk management, and sustainability.
 • 
Leigh McKiernon
© 2025 Leigh McKiernon
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture