The Generalists

By: Raz Kotler and Michael Smith Jr.
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  • Summary

  • The hosts Raz Kotler & Michael Smith Jr., interview people around how they arrived in Singapore, their careers, their personal journeys and how the concept of being a Generalist influences their life and career. All episodes currently filmed F2F in the Poddster Singapore studios.
    Raz Kotler and Michael Smith Jr.
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Career Success Economics
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Episodes
  • #14 :: Zoran Vasiljev - SVP @ Xsolla, From Belgrade to Singapore & from Basketballer to Entrepreneur

    #14 :: Zoran Vasiljev - SVP @ Xsolla, From Belgrade to Singapore & from Basketballer to Entrepreneur
    Dec 25 2024

    Hosts:

    • Michael Smith Jr. :: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/
    • Razko Kotler :: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/


    Guest:

    • Zoran Vasiljev :: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoran-vasiljev-928657/


    Episode Overview:

    In this engaging episode, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Razko Kotler welcome Zoran Vasiljev, a seasoned serial entrepreneur, founder, C-Level executive, mentor, investor, and speaker. With over 30 years of international management and operational experience across the EU, MENA, USA, and APAC regions, Zoran is currently the Senior Vice President of Global Strategic Partnerships at Xsolla, a leading company in digital monetization for the gaming industry.

    Zoran shares his inspiring journey from Belgrade, Serbia, to establishing a significant presence in Singapore’s tech ecosystem. He delves into his entrepreneurial ventures, including founding Centili and Forty.5 Ventures, and his strategic roles at companies like Infobip, Apigate, and Axiata Digital. Beyond his corporate achievements, Zoran discusses his passion for basketball, exemplified by founding a semi-professional basketball league in Singapore, and his commitment to personal wellness and continuous learning.

    Listeners will gain valuable insights into digital monetization strategies, the dynamics of scaling businesses globally, the importance of building strong teams, and balancing professional success with personal well-being. Zoran also offers practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and shares his perspectives on the evolving tech landscape, particularly in the U.S. and Southeast Asia.


    Links Mentioned:

    • Xsolla: https://xsolla.com
    • Centili: https://centili.com
    • Forty.5 Ventures: https://forty5ventures.com
    • Infobip: https://infobip.com
    • Apigate: https://apigate.io
    • Axiata Digital: https://axiata.digital
    • Teddy Swims: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV5EavjPHK7yECiQ9o4L0yw
    • Pro-Am Singapore Basketball League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro-Am_Singapore_Basketball_League
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    47 mins
  • #13 :: Alex Dwek - Chief Operating Officer at Nas.io (Nas Company), Creating products that help people

    #13 :: Alex Dwek - Chief Operating Officer at Nas.io (Nas Company), Creating products that help people
    Dec 12 2024
    Hosts: Michael Smith Jr. - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/⁠ Raz Kotler ⁠- https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/⁠ Guest: Alex Dwek - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-dwek-180ba330/ Episode Overview: In this episode, hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Raz Kotler welcome Alex Dwek, Chief Operating Officer at Nas.io (Nas Company), a seasoned professional with a rich background in the tech and media industries. Alex shares his journey from joining Grab and Uber, driven by a belief in Southeast Asia’s motorbike-driven business model, to transitioning into the U.S. startup ecosystem. The conversation delves into the benefits of adopting a generalist career path, especially in dynamic environments, and contrasts it with the specialization often required in larger enterprises. Alex discusses the challenges of scaling teams, the shift from hands-on building to managing large teams, and how this transition influenced his career focus. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of authenticity in content creation and storytelling, drawing parallels between maintaining personal well-being and professional success. Additionally, Alex offers valuable advice for aspiring professionals, highlighting the significance of surrounding oneself with great people and prioritizing personal growth over brand prestige. Links: Nas Daily - https://www.nasdaily.com/ Nas.io - https://nas.io/ Nas Company- https://www.nas.co/ Grab-https://grab.com/ Uber - https://uber.com/ Noah Opinion Substack- https://www.noahpinion.blog/ Enterprise Singapore - https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/ Creator Accelerator Program- https://members.linkedin.com/creators
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    55 mins
  • #12 :: Craig Bristol Dixon - Founding General Partner@Accelerating Asia - Asia's Best VC Accelerator!

    #12 :: Craig Bristol Dixon - Founding General Partner@Accelerating Asia - Asia's Best VC Accelerator!
    Dec 2 2024

    Hosts:

    Michael Smith Jr. https://www.linkedin.com/in/smittysgp/

    Razko Kotler https://www.linkedin.com/in/razko282/


    Guest:

    Craig Bristol Dixon https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigbristoldixon/


    Episode Overview

    In this episode, Michael and Raz welcome Craig Bristol Dixon, Co-Founder and General Partner of Accelerating Asia Ventures. Craig shares his journey from a finance career at Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch to becoming a leading figure in Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem. He discusses founding Zumata, a B2B travel tech company later acquired by Rakuten, and his pivotal role at muru-D, Telstra’s accelerator program.


    Craig provides unique insights into the ASEAN startup scene, including the challenges of scaling startups, the evolution of Singapore’s startup infrastructure, and why B2B models often outperform B2C in the region. He also dives into the emerging potential of the Bangladeshi startup ecosystem and shares practical advice for founders, plus his personal wellness and productivity habits.


    Links

    Accelerating Asia Ventures: https://acceleratingasia.com

    Zumata: https://zumata.com (Historical)

    muru-D: https://muru-d.com

    Noah Opinion Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog

    Econ102: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/econ-102-with-noah-smith-and-erik-torenberg/id1696419056

    Enterprise Singapore: https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg
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    52 mins

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