True Stories

It was inspiring to catch up with Singapore-based entrepreneur Bernard Leong at hackerspace earlier today. With his business partner Saumil Nanavati he’s launched Chlkboard, a mobile promotions service that’s particularly easy to use for small retailers. e27 has the full story. What makes that story highly relevant to JFDI is that Bernard and Saumil turned…

The mailing list for the project was previously [email protected]. It has been renamed to [email protected]. The list remains the same, only the name has changed. Archives available at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdiasia/topics

One of the key differentiators of JFDI is that we don’t ‘commercialise ideas’. Instead, we turn that on its head and create ideas around commercial opportunities. Today we can announce that we’ve hooked up with innovation consultancy Propellerfish, so those opportunities should soon start reeling in. Which comes first, the idea or the business? Sounds…

One small step for a startup, a giant leap for a frog: JFDI was incorporated yesterday. Dear Sir/Madam Company No.:201000777K NOTICE OF INCORPORATION This is to confirm that JFDI.ASIA PTE. LTD. is incorporated under the Companies Act(Cap.50), on and from 11/01/2010 and that the Company is a PRIVATE COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES. Thank You Accounting…

If you prefer your frog stale, a full archive menu is also available. We welcome challenges to-, comments on- and robust debate around anything here. Sign up for our occasional newsletter to share important announcements.

An updated version of this post has moved here.

Wong Liang Zan has reviewed different payment gateways in Singapore.

There’s an old saying: Ask for advice, you get money. Ask for money, you get advice. The team at Cooliris actually found this to be true. Rather than relying on a single pitch meeting, the founding team met regularly with a variety of companies to determine how their tech could enhance the Internet landscape. Product…

Often people and companies obsess about what’s wrong rather than what’s right. It’s a common belief that one should focus on the weaknesses in a person or business to improve them. Another approach, promoted by Marcus Buckingham is to start with those strengths and build out from them. See also: SWOT analysis

The word entrepreneur could literally be interpreted a description of someone who ‘goes in and undertakes a venture’ of some kind. In practice, it’s a description a state of mind and choosing to be in that state of mind for most of your days is a lifestyle choice. For many, that’s a one-way choice: the…