I share some scenarios of when people want to start companies (experience talking to other startup founders and from my own experience) and why they shouldn't. I also give a good case of a Thai startup that started for all the right reasons and is doing well.

1. Why You Should NOT Do a
Startup
Mohan Belani
Founder and Director, e27
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

2. • Based in SV in 2006/2007
• Founded e27 in 2007
• Built Echelon to SEA’s largest
tech startup event (#win)
• Founded Gokil Games in
2010
• Failed and closed in 2011 
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

3. “I want to build the best social gaming, voice
chat, instant messaging, in app social network,
music sharing, loyalty rewards location based
app…. And millions of people will download it and
use it”
- Wannabe Startup Founder 1
#FAIL
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

4. “I’m going to start an amazing company and sell
it for $1B... And then I’ll be an ANGEL INVESTOR”
- Wannabe Startup Founder 2
#FAIL
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

5. “All my friends are doing startups and I want to
do one too…. And I want to be in an incubator!
Startups are so COOL!”
- Wannabe Startup Founder 3
#FAIL
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

6. “I’m awesome! I can code, talk to people, sell, do
online marketing, hire, fire, clean the office… I’m
awesome!!”
- Wannabe Startup Founder 4
#FAIL
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

7. “Everybody in the world will use my product…. I’m
awesome!!”
- Wannabe Startup Founder 5
#FAIL
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

8. Why You Should NOT Do a Startup
• Your idea sucks, find a real problem
• No one is going to buy your company, focus on
your customers
• Startups are not #fun or #cool
• Find a co-founder, don’t be a one man show
• Understand your market, find a niche
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

9. © 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

10. Builk and Patai = #AWESOME-WIN
• Solving a real world problem (#win)
• Focused on growth, not selling out (#win)
• Works his ass off (#win)
• 2 founders, CEO and CTO, solid team with
amazing experience (#win)
• Hyper focused on the Thai market and slowly
expanding (#win)
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL

11. • E27 wants to help build the
Thai startup ecosystem
• mohan@e27.sg
• Don’t be shy, say hi! 
© 2012 Optimatic Pte. Ltd, holding company of e27. All rights reserved.
8 Prince George's Park Singapore 118407 | www.e27.sg
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL