Daniel started his career in the Bay Area during the height of Silicon Valley’s startup boom, working at a high-growth tech company. His journey later took him to Asia, where he got his first real exposure to Southeast Asia—an experience that has shaped his career ever since.

Over the years, he has worn multiple hats, from investing in startups across the region to co-founding his own company in Indonesia. Now at Z Venture Capital, he brings both an investor’s mindset and a founder’s perspective, helping entrepreneurs navigate growth and scale.

In this conversation, Daniel shares his journey, key lessons learned, and what excites him most about the startup ecosystem today.

LinkedIn

‐ Getting to know Daniel: His Global Upbringing and Early Interests

ーーCan you share a bit about your background and journey?

Daniel：

I was born in the U.S. but moved to Korea when I was three. After elementary school, I returned to the U.S. and spent time in Florida and Canada before eventually settling in California. Moving so much at a young age wasn’t easy—I was constantly adjusting to new places, cultures, and ways of thinking. But looking back, those experiences shaped me. They taught me how to adapt quickly, step out of my comfort zone, and embrace new challenges with an open mind.

ーーWhat were your interests outside of academics during college?

Daniel：

Music was a huge part of my life. I started playing trombone in middle school and joined a jazz band, which not only deepened my love for music but also introduced me to some amazing friends. In college, I got into DJing and started playing at clubs —it was a completely different energy but just as exciting.

One of my favorite memories was performing at Ruby Skye, a legendary nightclub in San Francisco where some of the biggest DJs in the world played. It was surreal to be on that stage. I heard the club has since closed, which is a bit sad, but getting the chance to DJ there is something I’ll never forget.

‐ From Silicon Valley to Southeast Asia: Discovering a New Market and Taking the Leap into Entrepreneurship

ーーHow did your early career lead you to Southeast Asia?

Daniel：

I started my career at an ad-tech startup in the Bay Area, but early on, I was transferred to Korea office, which also managed Southeast Asia. That’s when I began traveling frequently to Indonesia and other parts of the region, gradually getting a feel for a market I knew little about at the time.

My first business trip to Southeast Asia took me to Bandung. After landing in Jakarta, I took a bus there, and the contrast was striking. Jakarta’s city center was filled with towering skyscrapers, as modern and developed as any global city. But as we moved further out, the scenery changed—lush landscapes, smaller towns, and a noticeably different pace of life. That journey stuck with me, and to this day, Bandung remains one of my favorite places in Indonesia.

What made the trip even more memorable was meeting a group of young game developers. They were smart, driven, and eager to build something of their own. Hearing them talk about their ideas and ambitions was inspiring, and it made me realize how much untapped potential existed in the region. Seeing that mix of rapid development, emerging talent, and entrepreneurial drive made me want to be part of Southeast Asia’s growth story.

_{"Daniel on His Visit to Indonesia"}

ーーWhat was your first impression of tech startup ecosystem in Indonesia?

Daniel：

Southeast Asia is truly ‘mobile-first.’ Many people in the region skipped the computer era altogether and first came online through a smartphone. This rapid mobile adoption reshaped the entire tech landscape, with people adapting to digital tools at an incredible pace.

Take Gojek, for example. What started as a way for drivers to find more customers became a gateway to the digital economy. Many drivers who had never relied on technology before began using Google Maps for navigation, banking apps for transactions, and other mobile services that made their work more efficient. The learning curve was steep, but the impact was immediate—technology wasn’t just a convenience, it was a tool for economic empowerment. Southeast Asia didn’t just adopt mobile—it used it to transform daily life and unlock new opportunities at an unprecedented scale.

ーーYou eventually made the leap from investor to founder. What was that experience like?

Daniel：

After working as a VC for three years, I decided to take on a new challenge—starting my own company with two good friends. Looking back, it was the biggest learning experience of my career. Interacting with founders as a VC and seeing their journeys firsthand inspired me to make the jump. But I quickly realized that being on the other side of the table was an entirely different game.

I also had this assumption that because I had reviewed so many companies as a VC, I had a solid sense of what it took to run one. That illusion disappeared quickly. The daily challenges, the constant problem-solving, the pressure of making the right decisions—it’s something you can’t learn from a pitch deck or a presentation. The two and a half years I spent building the business were some of the toughest, but they also gave me the utmost respect for founders and what they go through.

‐ Lessons from Both Sides: The Reality of Building a Startup and the Shift in My VC Perspective

ーーYou raised funding early on when starting your company. Looking back, what were some of the biggest challenges that came with that?

Daniel：

We were fortunate to raise funding early on to build our startup in Indonesia. But as with most startups, things didn’t go exactly as planned. We had to make several pivots, and along the way, I learned one of the most important lessons: when going from 0 to 1, nothing else matters except finding product-market fit. We spent a lot of time building the team, shaping company culture, and refining strategy, but at the end of the day, none of it mattered if we weren’t building something customers truly wanted.

There's a saying that "the clock starts ticking" as soon as you take investment. That pressure to deliver results can sometimes force decisions that aren’t fully thought out. If we had taken more time to test and validate our idea before raising money, we could have been more prepared.

ーーAfter that experience, you returned to venture capital. How did your perspective as an investor change?

Daniel：

When I was first in VC, I had regular check-ins with founders and thought I understood startups well. But after becoming a founder myself, I realized how much happens behind the scenes that investors never see.

As a founder, you're making many decisions every day, but you only share a fraction of that with investors. That made me realize that, as a VC, casually giving advice without fully understanding a founder’s day-to-day reality isn’t helpful.

Now, I take a different approach. Instead of jumping in with advice, I focus on listening—really understanding their challenges, their thought process, and what they need. The founders know their business best. My role is to support them by connecting them with the right people, sharing relevant experiences when useful, and ultimately, respecting their journey rather than assuming I have all the answers.

_{"During his entrepreneurial days. Third from right in the photo"}

‐ Joining Z Venture Capital: Expanding Investments and Strengthening Ties in Southeast Asia

ーーWhat made you decide to join Z Venture Capital?

Daniel：

Before joining ZVC, I had the chance to work with some of the team, looking at deals and traveling to Southeast Asia together. During that time, I got to see how they approach investing and how they work with the founders. For me, working with good people is always the most important thing, so when the opportunity came up, it was an easy decision.

Another big reason was being part of a CVC that could tap into LY’s assets. With a strong presence in Taiwan and Southeast Asia, I saw a real opportunity to combine those resources with my experience to help startups scale and create meaningful synergies.

And finally, with the launch of our second fund earlier this year, we’re in a great position to keep backing the best founders, especially in today’s tough market. Having the ability to invest long-term and provide strong follow-on support means we can be real partners to the companies we work with.

_{"At the ZVC member gathering held in Tokyo in December 2024"}

ーーWhat’s your outlook on the Southeast Asian market right now?

Daniel：

Last year, I traveled to the region and attended conferences, and this year, we’re taking things a step further by hosting our own events.

We’re planning ZVC gatherings in Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore where we’ll bring together portfolio companies, startup founders, and members of the LINE Yahoo Group. These will be more than just networking events—they’ll be a way for startups to explore how they can work with the LY ecosystem while also increasing ZVC’s presence in the region.

By spending more time on the ground and connecting directly with founders, we hope to deepen our understanding of the market and build stronger relationships.

ーーWhat’s your outlook on the Southeast Asian market right now?

Daniel：

The past two to three years have been tough for startups in the region, with rising interest rates leading to a slowdown in funding. Compared to other markets, Southeast Asia has seen a more noticeable decline in investment.

That being said, we’re starting to see signs of recovery. I believe this period presents a real opportunity for investors who can take a long-term view. That’s why I want to spend more time in the region this year—meeting entrepreneurs, hosting events, and finding the right opportunities to invest in.

ーーThank you Daniel.