Tech Boss Diaries: Untold Stories of Asia’s Tech Leaders

#21: Surviving Indonesia's Job Market with AI and Taste | Emirpasha Kisyanto (Former Sr. Product Designer @SuperBank)

Pasha is a seasoned product designer with around 10 years of experience, having started his career in 2015. His diverse background spans from AR/VR design—where he helped create Indonesia's first virtual shopping mall experience—to branding agencies and large corporate fintech roles. He views the current AI revolution as a major product evolution that gives everyone the "superpower" to build and create, significantly blurring the traditional boundaries between designers, product managers, and engineers. Key Learnings and Advice on Business and Technology: * Disruption: AI tools like Canva, Claude, and NotebookLM are democratizing the design process. To cut costs, businesses are now training existing staff to use AI subscriptions rather than hiring fresh graduates. * Adaptation: As design becomes more accessible, professionals must transition into problem-solving curators and art directors. Designers can use AI to rapidly iterate on prototypes created by product managers, drastically speeding up collaboration and stakeholder approvals. * Critical Skills: Because AI can easily generate templated designs, a designer's true differentiators are strong stakeholder management and a highly cultivated "taste," which is built through continuous practice and referencing. * Career Structure & Motivation: In a challenging Indonesian job market with limited junior hiring, professionals should protect their creativity by curating personal mood boards with apps like "my mind", study how other disciplines use AI, and always stay true to their personal values.

#20: Empowering Blue Collar Construction Workers With Technology | Joseph Ang (Director@KD&F Development)

Joseph is a construction and development industry leader with 16 years of experience, notably scaling his family’s business from a four-person office to an enterprise generating over $100 million in revenue. Leveraging his background in Information Technology, he spearheaded the company's transition from paper-based, analog processes into full digitization and AI integration. He views the current AI advancements as crucial for streamlining workflows, but anticipates that full automation of physical blue-collar labor is still 5 to 10 years away due to the unpredictable nature of construction environments. Key Learnings and Advice on Business and Technology: 1. Disruption: Implementing accessible AI tools can radically transform traditional industries. By introducing tools like ChatGPT, companies can overcome language barriers for drafting emails, while using AI for high-level project management can effortlessly handle cash flow projections and manpower allocation. 2. Adaptation: The nature of manual labor is shifting toward automation. For example, as the government pushes for robotic painting, workers must upskill and pivot from being physical laborers to becoming equipment operators. 3. Critical Skills: While AI is highly effective for synthesizing data and crafting business strategies, human intuition is irreplaceable. The ideal framework is maintaining a "human in the loop," as experienced craftsmen are essential to evaluate surrounding parameters and troubleshoot unpredictable, real-world issues like blackouts or cable damage. 4. Career Structure & Motivation: In an aging industry with a shrinking workforce, retaining good talent relies heavily on making employees feel valued and appreciated. The industry needs platforms like a "LinkedIn for blue-collar workers" to allow workers to showcase their skills, maintain high performance ratings, and stay self-motivated.

#19: Startup vs. Corporate: Navigating Mindsets, Agility, and the AI Shift | The Fire Chat

Welcome to the first episodes of 2026! In this premiere, we introduce our new "Fire Chat" format, where the three of us dive deep into a single, burning topic. To kick things off, we are debating the age-old battle with a modern twist: Startup vs. Corporate. It is no longer just about team size; it is about mental models, risk appetite, and the impact of AI. Whether you are chasing a "life-changing exit" or seeking the safety of a global brand, the lines are blurring. In this episode, we discuss: * The "Zero to One" Grind vs. The Safety Net: We explore the difference between the "don't die" survival mode of startups and the structural protection of big corporates. * Slack Emojis vs. PowerPoints: A raw look at working styles—can you execute with a single emoji, or do you need a PowerPoint prepared weeks in advance?. * The New Talent Archetype: Why the debate between "Generalist vs. Specialist" is changing into "Star-shaped" talent—professionals with one superpower and AI-assisted general skills. * The Corporate Identity Crisis: How traditional companies are flattening structures and adopting AI to survive, and the chaos that comes with trying to act like a startup. If you are at a career crossroads or trying to figure out where you fit in this new dynamic landscape, this conversation is for you. Connect with us: Have a situation at work or a tech topic you want us to talk through? Email us at techbossdiary@gmail.com. Don't forget to subscribe for more raw, honest, and multi-dimensional conversations.

#18: Reflections & Tough Talks in a Year of Podcasting | The Hosts Reflect (Founders@Tech Boss Diaries)

As the year draws to a close, the hosts gather for an honest and candid reflection on their journey into the world of podcasting. They begin by revisiting their original motivations, which ranged from ticking off a "life bucket list" and pursuing a passion for learning to overcoming a deep-seated fear of putting one’s voice out into the public sphere. The conversation dives into the often-unspoken challenges of managing a side hustle with friends, specifically regarding mismatched expectations. The hosts share how they navigated the tension between wanting to create a "masterpiece" and the reality of balancing the show with corporate careers. You will hear how they utilised "tough conversations" to align their goals and move forward as a cohesive team. Listeners will also gain insights into the technical evolution of the show, including: * Workflow Optimisation: How they transitioned from high-effort editing to a streamlined process using AI tools like CapCut and standardised templates to reduce "cognitive energy". * KPIs and Discipline: Why they prioritised consistency and personal discipline over ambitious growth targets to ensure the project remained enjoyable. * Future Shift: A look ahead to 2025 and 2026, with plans to move away from generic interview formats in favour of provocative "spicy questions" and topic-focused deep dives. Whether you are an aspiring creator or navigating a collaborative project, this episode offers a transparent look at the learning curve, friendship, and resilience required to build a platform from the ground up.

#17: Navigating Global Bias, AI Startups, and the Power of Unlearning | Aska Kuwabara (Founder @AxarToys.ai)

Aska is a global entrepreneur and product leader with a career spanning finance, technology, and AI innovation. Born in rural Japan, she began as a self-proclaimed “rebel” driven by problem-solving. Her professional journey includes roles at Goldman Sachs (finance), Rakuten (Senior Product Manager & Vice Group Manager, leading agile transformation), and Twilio (Asia-Pacific Localization Lead). Now based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, she is building two AI-driven ventures: Get it done with AI, automating SME operations through off-the-shelf AI tools, and Maxi, an AI-powered talking toy that seamlessly weaves learning (like math) into children’s play. Key Learnings and Advice on Leadership, AI, and Growth: 1. Gender and Advocacy: Aska highlights the persistent gender gap in tech, noting that women must self-advocate far more actively—“raising my hand five or ten times more than male colleagues” to be recognized. She contrasts Japan’s slow, paper-based processes with the UAE’s globally progressive and inclusive environment that supports female leadership. 2. AI and Business Focus: She warns leaders against the “AI trendy trap”—adopting AI without clear problem definition. The true power of AI lies in efficiency (handling 80% of work faster), but the final 20%—where quality and context matter—demands human judgment. 3. Mindset and Balance: Aska’s guiding framework as a founder and single mother is the mindset of “it’s okay.” By letting go of perfectionism and unlearning rigid patterns, she maintains resilience and adaptability. She believes success comes from embracing uncertainty and staying humble enough to “ride the waves” of life and technology alike. Follow Aska on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askakuwabara/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/askakuwabara/] Follow TechBossDiaries on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@techbossdiaries [https://www.tiktok.com/@techbossdiaries] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techbossdiary1 [https://www.instagram.com/techbossdiary1]