In this episode of The Generalists Podcast, Michael and Razko sit down with Tiang Lim Foo—Partner at Forge Ventures and long‑time builder in Southeast Asia’s tech scene—to explore:

• How the NUS Overseas Colleges program pulled him into Silicon Valley and later into Singapore’s startup ecosystem

• Lessons from shipping product at Evernote during the mobile‑productivity boom

• Why Forge Ventures backs founders early and builds a community instead of a portfolio

• Concrete steps VCs can take to curb founder fraud and short‑termism in 2025’s stressed market

• Balancing seed investing with parenting two young “Foolets”

• Tiang’s advice to his 20‑year‑old self, fitness routine, and favourite timeless reads—including Poor Charlie’s Almanack

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/⁠
• Razko Kotler: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/ ⁠⁠

Guest:

• Tiang Lim Foo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianglim/

Resources & Links:

• • Forge Ventures: https://www.forge.vc
  • NUS Overseas Colleges: https://enterprise.nus.edu.sg/nus-overseas-colleges
  • Evernote: https://www.evernote.com
  • Mito Health: https://mitohealth.com
  • Qoala: https://qoala.com
  • Headquarters: https://www.tryheadquarters.com
  • Vouch: https://www.vouch-technologies.com/en/
  • Poor Charlie’s Almanack by Charlie Munger: https://a.co/d/0dOXn6C
  • Stripe Press Collection: https://press.stripe.com/
  • Tiang's Website: https://tianglim.net/

In this episode of The Generalists Podcast, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Alan Soon, Co-Founder & CEO of Splice Media, to discuss:

• His journey from radio and TV newsrooms across Asia to roles at CNBC and Yahoo
• The community-driven success of Splice Beta and its impact on media entrepreneurship
• Transitioning into a media entrepreneurship coach, Alan explains how AI and live community events are transforming journalistic practice.
• Navigating mid-life - not a crisis but an opportunity

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
• Razko Kotler: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/ ⁠

Guest:

Alan Soon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alansoon/

Resources & Links:

• Splice Media: https://splicemedia.com
• Splice Beta: https://splicemedia.com/beta-2025
• Splice Nano: https://splicemedia.com/nano
• Yahoo: https://www.yahoo.com
• CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com
• Computerworld: https://www.computerworld.com
• Do Not Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen: https://a.co/d/eIEK1t2

In this episode of The Generalists, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Michel de Rijk, Founder of Kredit Hero, to discuss:

• His journey from adtech (iWonder) to building programmatic platforms like Xaxis and leading growth at S4 Capital
• Co-founding 19Volt’s venture-builder model and launching Kredit Hero, an AI-powered SME lending marketplace in the Philippines
• How Kredit Hero matches lenders and borrowers digitally—closing Asia’s SME financing gap with speed, transparency, and competitive pricing

Hosts:

• Michael Smith Jr.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
• Razko Kotler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/

Guest:

Michel de Rijk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mderijk/

Resources & Links:

• The Generalists Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralistsPodcast

• Kredit Hero: https://kredithero.com
• 19Volt: https://www.19volt.com
• S4 Capital: https://www.s4capital.com
• WPP: https://www.wpp.com/