Whether inspired by popular movie depictions like The Social Network, books like Sarah Lacy’s excellent Once You’re Lucky, Twice You’re Good, or the buzz around programmes like Techstars, it seems that the idea of being part of a small team that builds something new and dynamic increasingly appeals to young Singaporeans.
The Singapore Computer Society Infocomm Survey 2009 found that only 1.8% of the nation’s established IT professionals currently work in a Startup business, though twice that proportion want to. Talk to current IT students, however, and the proportion wanting to do the startup thing soars to 9%.
That’s great news for programmes like JFDI.asia that depend on enthusiasm from a new generation to keep the flow of people and ideas coming.
Newcomers enter a complex ecosystem where JFDI is one of many players on the journey from initial interest in business through to realizing value in what they have built. Perhaps the most inspiring news from 2009 was evidence that the end goal is now very real in Asia. Several startups cashed out with a life-changing business sale and the knowledge that they had changed the world in some small way.
Our prediction is that the run of successful startup sales around the region in 2009, including Koprol and TenCube, will at least be matched in the year to come and quite possibly eclipse them.
Who to watch? If we weren’t raising cash for JFDI ourselves, we’d put $$$ on Viki,Pivotal Labs Singapore and Mig33 to sustain their position as local heroes, continuing to inspire us through 2010.
Just don’t feel any pressure guys 🙂 You’re allowed New Year’s Day off to work through that hangover …