2023 review

This essay captures a snapshot of my 2023, from content efforts and side hustles to all the unforgettable travel adventures we embarked on. It also dives into what's got me excited for 2024.

Enjoy the read!

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Content

As some might have realized, I slowed down on writing long-form in favor of short posts on LinkedIn.

The reasons for that are simple:

1. The feedback loop is faster.

2. I reach a lot more people.

In retrospect, I think this was the right decision. As of today, I have reached +1.800.000 impressions, nearly 10,000 followers, and status as a Top Voice on LinkedIn. All that in less than a year.

While I am happy with the outcome, the nontangible benefits are even better. Many interesting people are reaching out, asking to connect or do business together. My ability to identify interesting topics and succinctly explain them has improved greatly. Most importantly, I have a bit more confidence in my writing and ability to communicate clearly.

For next year, my aim is to achieve a content-market fit, a task more challenging than it may seem.

As I see it, content-market fit is the skill to write compelling stories that consistently stay true to my interests. It's all too easy to chase clicks, veering towards overly polarizing topics or cringe-worthy content that might gain traction on platforms like LinkedIn.

My strategy is simple. Share whatever interests me personally, but get better in the way you tell the story. Down the road, I am confident in my ability to attract like-minded people.

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Career

In 2022, my role at Docquity was quite dynamic, from recruiting executives to setting up an OKR framework, meeting clients, and handling potential investors. I was involved in most business areas, doing my best to support the founders with whatever was top of mind for them.

This year marked a strategic shift towards product and growth. I pivoted my focus to building new products from 0 to 1. I was given two small teams, a bit of budget, and a lot of freedom to experiment.

Fast forward 12 months, and we have built two awesome products:

Docquity Jobs

Southeast Asia’s first dedicated job portal for healthcare professionals — Docquity Jobs. We managed to grow at 30% month over month for the first eight months! In the process, we onboarded 500+ hospitals across four countries. Our organic traffic grew steadily, reaching +7500 visitors a month, which is quite impressive given how niche the product is. To achieve all that, we did a lot of things that do not scale and obsessed with supporting both the supply (hospitals) and demand (doctors) sides of the platform. I am very proud of our team’s effort here, as the industry is still quite old school and does not use much technology in the markets where we operate.

Organic traffic growth in the past several months

Docquity Academy

Docquity Academy is an educational platform enabling doctors to share knowledge and monetize their expertise. Academy proved to be a lot more complex than I imagined initially, as we needed to manage both a complex product (marketplace) and content (video courses). We started by engaging some of the most famous doctors in our target markets on social media and built various great courses that could not be found anywhere else. In just four months, we managed to create a great MVP that allowed us to localize content across three countries and run all kinds of courses, from live to video-on-demand to cohort-based. We have worked with 50+ influencers and key opinion leaders in the medical world whose paid courses reached 3000+ healthcare professionals across three countries.

In 2024, I look forward to taking on even bigger problems; we are still planning the next 12 months, so more updates are coming soon!

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Investments

Real estate — Awann

This year, we experimented a bit more than usual.

Clarissa and I have opposite yet complementary skills. Her expertise lies in design and real estate, while mine is rooted in tech.

I firmly believe in playing to one's strengths. Without Clarissa, I doubt I would have had the courage to invest in real estate, no matter how appealing it seemed from the outside.

So, we invested a bit in her company's first property development project. While Clarissa and her partners have extensive experience creating great properties for clients, this is their first self-funded development project. I'm super proud of their achievements and look forward to experiencing the completed property. There's something truly magical about creating tangible things in the real world.

Although I build digital products for a living, they somehow pale compared to well-designed properties in the physical world. In tech, we have the ability to iterate endlessly until we get the perfect product, whereas in architecture, each iteration is costly and takes time. Yet, I am always impressed by the quality of their work. Now, here's a little sneak peek at what they're putting together:

Startups and Angel Investing

Another area I've been interested in for some time is angel investing. After all, I live and breathe startups. I would go as far as to say that startups are one of the biggest (or perhaps THE biggest) sources of economic growth. Economic growth, in turn, is positively correlated with almost everything that matters — from improving life expectancy to lifting people out of poverty.

So, I have been looking for ways to scale my impact beyond my day-to-day work. Angel investing is a great way to support great founders and tap into amazing opportunities in my network.

However, I'm aware that angel investing can be costly and requires specific knowledge. So, I approached my initial investments with caution. This year, I've invested in two companies:

1. In March 2023, Substack, my favorite writing tool, launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder. They aimed to raise $5 million at a $585 million pre-money valuation. Given how much value I get out of the platform, we contributed a modest sum to support them.

2. A few months later, we invested in LearningLoop (LL), founded by Sina and Peter. LL is a private social network for top pre-series A founders in the APAC region. It's designed to foster peer-to-peer interactions that maximize luck. My belief in LL stems from my confidence in Sina's resilience. He is a force of nature. I'm sure he'll spin whatever comes his way into a win. Through LL, I've met some of the most intelligent, hardworking, and kind-hearted people in Singapore and beyond. I'm excited to see where this journey leads us.

A LL meetup back in May

Retiring my father

As my father ages, his health begins deteriorating, a consequence, I believe, of a lifetime spent in low-paid, physically demanding jobs. The more I learned about his struggles, the more concerned I became. I feared that without intervention, his condition would only worsen.

Luckily, Clarissa and I live below our income level, allowing us to make a quick decision. We decided to support him financially until his retirement takes place. So, for about a year, we supported my family back home with everything needed so he could reach retirement age without working a heavy job. This is one of the things that makes me the proudest in my life as I know that the time I managed to buy for him helped the whole family breathe more easily and enjoy life.

Taking my family to a well-deserved break in the Bulgarian mountains.

Side gigs

Thrive

As I entered my 30s, I started noticing a few significant changes in my well-being:

1. It got easier to get injured when exercising (also, a night of drinking suddenly had terrible consequences…).

2. Meanwhile, my parents and grandparents entered a phase of life where their health began showing signs of decline. In just a few years, they went through cancer, dementia, and hip surgery.

These changes prompted me to take a closer look at proactive steps I could take to enhance my health span.

As I started reading, I noticed how many mistakes I have made regarding sleep, exercise, and nutrition.

That came as a big surprise because I've always considered myself health-conscious.

Despite my dedication to the gym (~six days a week), I was taken aback to learn that my VO2 max was deemed 'below average.'

¯\(ツ)/¯

Motivated by all that, I set a goal to uncover one health-improving fact every week and then shape the relevant ones into habits.

The challenge is that without an accountability group, it’s really hard to be consistent. Some weeks, I am inspired and discover amazing insights either through reading or by testing different approaches on myself, but others, I do not have the drive. So, a question started shaping in my mind.

What if I start an accountability group that will help me to go through all that?

That’s how the idea of Thrive came to life. I started with a bunch of friends and gradually started adding more people. Today we have people from 10+ countries, some are founders other doctors specializing in longevity and preventive health. All of us are united in our desire to live a healthier life.

If you want to read more about this project, check out this resource.

Please note it costs $10/month, so subscribe only if you are serious about prioritizing a healthier life.

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Travel

Compared to previous years, I traveled very little in 2023, but we still managed to cover quite a bit!

1. the USA

2. Bulgaria

3. South Korea

4. Indonesia — Labuan Bajo (Komodo islands)

5. Indonesia — Bali

6. Indonesia — Jakarta

7. Vietnam

8. Singapore

The USA

We had a strong start to the year, ticking off some major dreams from our bucket lists! From the busy streets of NYC to the magical Disney World and all the way to the frontier of tech SpaceX, we spent almost a month discovering the US.

We're already excited about going back next year. Chicago's on the list, where we'll run our first full marathon, and San Francisco, too – a place I've dreamed of visiting for as long as I can remember.

Bulgaria

Another highlight of the year was our trip to Bulgaria. We brought Clarissa's parents along to meet my family and friends for the first time, and we journeyed through Bulgaria's beautiful mountains together. We kept both families so engaged and entertained that they didn't have a spare moment to focus on anything but the fun – which, let's be honest, was our secret plan from the start.

South Korea

I have been doing business with Korea for over four years but never visited in person until 2023! Being a part of the Korean startup scene for a while, I'm familiar with most accelerators and VCs there. This opened doors for me to speak at events, conduct workshops, and connect with founders eyeing Southeast Asian expansion. Korea was fantastic, both personally and professionally. We had a blast meeting ambitious people and soaking in the energy of vibrant Seoul. It's rare to find a place that balances rich, traditional culture with a modern, progressive, and developed economy like Korea does.

Indonesia — Labuan Bajo (Komodo islands)

This year, I was on a mission to find the perfect spot to propose to Clarissa. I first thought of Bali, but it just didn't click with what I had in mind. So, I kept searching and even chatted with her friends for ideas. That's when someone suggested the Komodo Islands. Initially, I was a bit unsure, but the more I looked into it, the more I liked the idea. Being an introvert, I wanted a memorable yet not too-crowded place for our special moment. Komodo turned out to be just right – with its stunning pink beaches, crystal-clear waters, breathtaking mountains, and incredible wildlife. Planning this was probably the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done, but I wanted to make it a memory to treasure. Finally, I decided on a kayak ride under one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen, and there, I blurted out my admittedly not the most eloquent proposal. Thankfully, she loved it and didn't toss me overboard!

Indonesia — Bali

Bali holds a special spot in my heart, and though Clarissa wasn't initially sold on it, I convinced her that Bali's charm goes beyond the hype and tourist crowds. We have this tradition where we pick a resort we absolutely love and visit it as many times as we can each year. This year was no exception. The only surprise was the number of babies around, as many of our friends are now experiencing the joy of their first kids.

Indonesia — Jakarta

I have a love-hate relationship with Jakarta. Part of me thinks it's an underrated city with loads of fun and great opportunities for growth. But then, I get bummed out by the pollution and how little we walk or exercise when we're there. Having a big Asian family based in J-town, we visit several times a year, mostly hanging out with family and their dogs, which I absolutely love.

Vietnam

Vietnam, much like Korea, was a place where I'd done plenty of business but never actually visited. So, when my friend Ata (who is originally from Turkey) invited us to his wedding near Hanoi, I was excited. We didn't know what to expect but ended up loving pretty much everything. The Balkan-style wedding was full of drinks and dancing, and the food was both inexpensive and healthy, not to mention the stunning nature. I'm super optimistic about Vietnam. The people are remarkable – ambitious and skilled. I'm confident this country is on its way to becoming a major economic powerhouse in the near future.

Singapore

Between our travels, we always found ourselves back in Singapore, the tiny country we now call home. I often tell my friends that Singapore is like a startup – an ambitious and smart founder started it and has scaled beyond expectations by drawing in some of the world's top talent.

It's perfect for our dynamic lifestyle and ambitions, so we hope to get permanent residency next year (we just submitted the paperwork!). My family plans to visit us for the first time next year, and I'm super excited. I'm already making mental notes of all the places I want to show them.

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My goals for 2024

Health

Next year, we're gearing up to run our first full marathon in Chicago, which is a huge challenge in itself. It will take us several months of training to get in shape and finish the race. My personal goal is to boost my VO2 max from its current 51 to 61!

On top of that, I'm planning to gain about 5 kgs of muscle mass over the year. It's going to be a tough balancing act with all the cardio training for the marathon, but I'm up for the challenge and eager to see if we can make it happen!

Travel

Next year's travel highlight is definitely our trip to the US! This time around, we plan to focus more on exploring the West Coast, as we've already seen quite a bit of the East.

Side gigs

I'm aiming to grow Thrive to around 100 members organically. I firmly believe that the quality and density of great people in the community will be key to its success, so I plan to expand it steadily and sustainably.

Family

I'm excited to host my family in Asia for the first time! We're gearing up for a busy month full of travel, immersing ourselves in diverse cultures and food. The highlight will be a special event in Bali that Cla and I are busy planning 🤫.

Career

I can't reveal too much right now, but be sure to follow me on LinkedIn. I'll definitely be sharing sneak peeks of my journey there. 2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for me, so come along for the ride!

Content

My goal is to achieve content-market fit while expanding my audience to 25,000 followers.

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Unlike many who strive for work-life balance, I take a different approach.

I believe that if you're deeply invested in work that matters to you, everything else will align naturally.

It's definitely feasible to chase ambitious goals while maintaining healthy relationships.

2024 is shaping up to be one of the most significant years in my life, and I'm thrilled to embrace the challenges it brings.