“These APIs are pretty cool… they allow people to sell quickly without having to go through bureaucratic buying processes.”
— Chris Birrell
Hi friends,
If Episode 2 decoded capital flows across Southeast Asia, Episode 3 drills into the mechanics of what founders are building — and where the real leverage lies.
In this week’s episode, Kevin sits down with Chris Birrell, deep-tech operator turned VC, to unpack the quiet revolution in how software is being built, distributed, and embedded. This isn’t about chasing hype cycles — it’s about how focused execution is quietly reshaping the stack.
🧠 What You'll Learn in This Episode:
1. Agentic AI isn’t just “smarter AI” — it’s a shift in how work gets done.
Chris walks us through what it looks like when these long-running, decision-making agents stops waiting for instructions — and starts handling full workflows autonomously— without a human pushing every button.
2. APIs are more than plumbing — they’re go-to-market strategies.
Drawing from his days as a CIO signing $1B software deals, Chris explains how Twilio, Stripe, even early Shopify plug-ins — all examples of how smart APIs bypass bureaucracy and embed themselves directly into a company’s workflow. Founders who think distribution-first will have an edge.
3. Deep and narrow isn’t limiting — it’s defensible.
In a world where OpenAI could wipe out a startup overnight, vertical specialization becomes your defense. Instead of building bloated full-stack tools, founders who go deep in one problem space can build faster, win trust, and expand with intent. Focus wins over trying to do everything.
4. Asia has the edge in some verticals — but mindset still matters.
From Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, Chris analyzes what separates founders who play to dominate from those still playing defensively — and why the region is positioned for breakout vertical champions.
🧩📦 Key Founder Takeaways
📌 Start deep and narrow — solve one real problem 10x better.
📌 APIs are not just features; they’re Trojan horses for distribution.
📌 Vertical domain knowledge > broad horizontal reach.
📌 If OpenAI can build your product overnight, your moat isn’t strong enough.
📌 SEA founders: your mindset is your market.
“I see this as the equivalent of a company that does accounting — now you’re going to have vertical AI agents doing most of the work.”
— Chris Birrell
This isn’t the loud side of tech.
It’s the useful side.
And it’s where the next wave is already being built.
P.S. If Episode 2 was the opening sequence… this one’s the calm before the reckoning.
🔮 Up Next: Monthly Roundup — the Signals Behind the Noise
Next up, we flip the mic and zoom out for our first monthly roundup — decoding the signals beneath Southeast Asia’s headlines. What’s noise? What’s real? And what’s it all mean for founders in the game?
Funding shifts, founder moves, infra plays — and one or two storylines that might feel a little too perfectly timed. 👀
🔁 Missed Episode 2?
Catch our deep dive on SEA’s $2B funding rebound, Jakarta’s $2.3B AI megacenter, and Malaysia’s bid to reboot its VC engine.
🎧 Listen to Episode 2 on Spotify
📺 Watch it on YouTube
📩 Subscribe. Share. Text that founder who still thinks VC is the only way forward.
This is SEA of Startups — where Southeast Asia’s startup game gets real.
Let’s build smart and intentionally.
— Kim & Kevin
