After more than two decades of investing...
I believe we’ve found the next big hidden opportunity:


Most LPs exploring venture capital funds as an investment vehicle are concerned with media sentiment.

"Capital at risk"
"Growth at all costs"
"Long-term"

The numbers don't lie. If well managed, venture investing reaps very attractive ROI versus most other alternatives.

And, you won't even need to find the next unicorn to do that.

Today, sustainable, sticky growth is the holy grail for any investment office looking for longevity with attractive returns.

Some years ago my partner, Murli, and I started Tin Men Capital in pursuit of that.

Our fund's unique focus:
- B2B and Enterprise Tech Startups
- With a strong focus in Southeast Asia
- Who are in Series A stage and beyond

Our thesis:
SouthEast Asia's legacy industries are still largely undigitised.
B2B tech in large TAM > High-gross margins > Sticky recurring revenue > Quicker pathway to profitability

We've already proven that these ideas our sound with measured results from our inaugural fund.

Family offices and institutions that work with us appreciate our ethos in running the fund:

⚙️ DISCIPLINED DEAL-SOURCING : 
Carefully scrutinising every deal for the right valuations, founder mix, and expertise. No exceptions.

⚙️ HIGH-CONVICTION: 
We only invest in a handful of teams that apply. Sounds counterintuitive, but It's seeing above-market returns with below-average failure rates.

⚙️ EXPERIENCED B2B OPERATORS AT THE HELM: 
Murli and I bring collectively more than 40 years of experience in investing and management, having sat on boards and brokered large M&As. Our thoughts have also been featured on TechInAsia, Peak Magazine, and more.

Some of our portfolio companies:

🔵 Hubble (Series B)
Resource management platform for parties in the construction value chain to track and optimise processes

🔵  Zipline (Series A)
Australia's #1 workplace management platform for the aged care and health sectors

🔵  GlobalTix (Series A)
Software and marketplace software for tourism attraction operators and travel product distributors 

We’re always on the lookout for new partners and startups to join us.

If keen to chat, shoot me a DM/email or head over to our website to drop us a line.

Jeremy Tan

What no one tells you about running a VC fund (until you find out yourself).

People who’ve founded, or started, a VC fund know this:
It doesn’t just take a good investing team to run a fund.
You need an army of professional services firms to keep the clockwork going.

Most people see the obvious work.
 - Fundraising
 - Sourcing
 - Investing
 - Exiting

But there’s so much more running behind the scenes.

+ Capital calls
+ KYC / onboarding investors
+ Periodic reports to Limited Partners
+ Regulatory filings
+ Audit

None of these are optional.
If we want a well-functioning ecosystem, we need dependable service providers who can do these at a cost structure that makes sense.

However, that’s not we see today.
Come audit season, we’re still getting questions like:

“Why are your startups burning cash?”
“Can I have a DCF model for your investment?”

Audits are important. They’re a third-party opinion on how we value the portfolio.

But many auditors here are still (stubbornly?) looking at VC portfolios with a mature company lens.
And the pricing often follows: ~US$2k per year per company for a fair market valuation.

For VC funds (typically smaller than PE funds), that adds up fast and eats painfully into net returns.

It’s not sustainable. 
We’re in severe need of a step change in approach.

One bright spot for us has been working with good folks like those at Carta. (this is not a sponsored post 😅)

They’ve taken a tech-enabled approach to an archaic part of fund admin.

🔺 Capital call calculations done faster, with fewer errors.
🔺 Financial details available online, with enough granularity.
🔺 Onboarding, KYC, subscriptions, all in one platform.

To be clear, they’re not perfect.
Beyond the tech, the people we interface with…
They listen. They hear the pain points. 
And they keep iterating.

Eventually, investors should be able to access investment-level financials seamlessly, straight from source data.

If SEA wants a world-class VC ecosystem, the services layer around fund management, legal, accounting etc. has to keep evolving.

As it is right now, there is much room for improvement. 

For an aspiring financial hub of Southeast Asia, I don’t think this is too much to ask.

PS. If you know good individuals who are bright spots in the services layer of tech in SEA, do tag them in the comment section for visibility.

Backing brilliant B2B founders 🦓 in Southeast Asia | Co-founder at Tin Men Capital | Linkedin Top Voice

Eric Feng

Top Voice | I help trainers, coaches & entrepreneurs get paid to speak

For a long time, I did everything “right.”

Built a personal brand. Spoke on global stages. Hit milestone after milestone.

But somewhere along the way, I lost myself behind the image.

The pressure to perform. The constant proving. The silent burnout.

After a health scare in 2025, I made a quiet decision.

I still want to scale my business and influence but not at the expense of my soul.

I haven’t figured it all out yet.
But I’m building differently now.
And I’m using this space to document the journey.

If you’re a high achiever who’s starting to question the old definition of success…

If you’re ambitious but tired of hustling on empty…

If you're craving more peace, purpose, and meaning in how you build your businesses...

You’re not alone.
Let's walk this out together.

Content Creator

With 200K+ following on Facebook and 51K on Instagram, I have been using these platforms to share my knowledge on sales, marketing and branding. Target audience are service professionals who market directly to consumers (B2C).

Eric Feng (CSP) - Global Speaker

I didn’t have childhood trauma.
I had childhood invisibility.

I was the shy, scrawny, self-conscious kid sitting quietly at the back.
Never picked for leadership roles.
Never invited to birthday parties.
Often forgotten.

Even my best friend once joked:
“Eric, even if you were in the room… we probably wouldn’t notice.”
We laughed but deep down, it stung.

I thought it was just a phase.
But it followed me into adulthood.
And it hurt my speaking career.

No matter how hard I hustled, I was rarely chosen.
And on the rare occasion I was… I had to speak for free.

So when I met Ron Kaufman - one of the top speakers in the world - I thought this would be my big break.

He taught me everything: how to find my niche, how to craft my message, how to grow my brand.
But still, nothing shifted.

Then one Saturday morning, I walked into our usual mentoring session.
The table was empty.
And I had this sinking thought:
“Maybe he’s dropping me.”
And if that was true, this would be the end of my speaking career. 

But instead, Ron looked at me and asked:
“Eric, do you even see yourself as a somebody?”

Silence. 
I didn’t answer.
He saw the answer on my face.

Then he said something I’ll never forget:
“Until you see yourself as a somebody, people will always treat you like a nobody.”

That hit me like a truck.

Because for the first time, I realised…
The real battle wasn’t out there.
It was in here - in my mind.

For a long time, I had been living from the old scripts:

“You’re not special.”
“No one wants to hear you speak.”
“You are a nobody.”

And the world simply mirrored that back to me.

So I began rewriting those scripts, one by one.
Not with affirmations but with inner work.

I began dismantling the old scripts that shaped me, the ones written by family, by society, and by the frightened boy I used to be. 

Scripts that taught me to shrink, to hide, to stay small. 

And as those scripts fell away, something new emerged. 
I started seeing myself as someone who deserved to be heard. 
Someone who deserved to be paid. 
Someone whose stories and lived experiences could change lives. 

And when the scripts changed, everything else shifted.

I started getting invited.
Getting paid.
Getting seen.

Not because I became someone new.
But because I finally believed I mattered.

What about you? 

Have you ever felt invisible too?

If you do, what story about yourself are you still believing that you’re finally ready to let go of?

Drop it in the comments.
Let’s rewrite the script together.

#InnerWork #ScaleWithSoul #SelfWorth

Documenting my journey of scaling without losing my soul

This video wasn’t supposed to be controversial…

I was just sharing a moment of joy and remembering how far I’ve come. 

But three days later, this video (see below) went viral and we got 3000+ shares and over 100K+ views. 

And I got a lot of positive comments too, mainly thanking me for reminding them to be grateful.

But for some strange reason, I had some negative comments too. 

“So the point is… I am rich.”
“What’s the big deal with biz class or first class”
“Ok we get it. U rich.”

Just to be clear, these comments were from TikTok not Instagram but it still got me thinking…

How can the exact same story with the exact same message get such different reactions?

And then suddenly I remembered what I learnt at a recent inner work retreat. 

“We don’t see things as they are –
We see things as WE ARE.”

If you are wired for joy, everything around you will inspire you. 
If you are wired for fear, everything around you will threaten you. 

In the case of the commenter who thought I was flexing when I mentioned flying business class, he probably had an inner script that says “All rich people love to show off” which led him to get triggered.

I used to have the same script too because growing up, I had rich classmates who would flaunt their wealth at me just to make me feel lousy about myself. Or at least that’s what I think.

And so I secretly hate rich people. 

But what I didn’t realise is that because I hate rich people, I have in effect cursed myself from being rich. because we will never become who we secretly dislike.

So the next time you feel triggered, you should be happy. 

It’s free therapy session!

You get a chance to look inwards and find out what still hurts, what still scares you and what still needs healing. 

And the beautiful part?

If we’re willing to sit with the discomfort – not judge it, not run from it – we can rewrite the script.

We can release the old beliefs that no longer serve us.
And we can finally allow ourselves to receive what we once pushed away.

So if the next time you are triggered by a video, a person or a situation, get curious. 

It might just be a doorway back to yourself!

#scalewithsoul #stevenbartlett #awakeningachiever #innerwork

Two weekends ago, I did something a little crazy.

I fed an entire year of my journals into ChatGPT and asked it to identify the lessons that kept repeating for me, just to make sure I don't make the same mistakes in 2026. 

What came back was scarily revealing. 

It made the year feel less random. It also helped me understand why certain paths closed, why slowing down was unavoidable and why some endings had to happen. 

After reading the lessons, I knew for a fact that I wasn’t falling behind. I was being guided.

So here are the ten lessons of 2025. 

May they prepare you for 2026! 

1. Slow down to course-correct. Speed hides the truth.
2. Joy is a compass. If it feels heavy, pay attention.
3. Don’t try to be clever. Try to be helpful. Pure intention wins.
4. The body never lies. Fatigue is feedback, not weakness.
5. No one can fill your loneliness except you. 
6. Endings are not failures. They are completions.
7. Leadership starts with self-regulation. 
8. Work matters, but it is not life. Life makes work better.
9. Do your part, then let God handle the rest. Less force, more faith.
10. Inner work doesn’t delay success. It prepares you to receive success.

Your turn.

What is one lesson 2025 kept repeating for you? Share with me below! 

Also if you want an elaboration of the above lessons, see comments below. Hit a like for the lessons that resonated the most with you. 

#2025recap

10 lessons 2025 forced me to learn

“What would you say to your younger self in 10 words or less?”

I was asked this question on stage, in front of 300 people.

Before I could even answer, I broke down because I didn't realise how much of me still needed to hear it.

Watch the video below.

What about you? What would you say to your younger self?
Share with me in the comments!

#ScaleWithSoul #InnerWork #AwakeningAchiever

After five seasons, I realised Stranger Things was never just about the Upside Down. It was about...

... the monsters we all face in real life.

Not the ones with claws.

But the invisible ones that show up when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or quietly burning out.

That’s why I made this carousel below.

Each slide breaks down one of these “monsters” through the lens of a character and what their journey teaches us about the human mind.

If any of these hit a little too close, don’t judge yourself.

Most achievers including me learned to look strong, even while battling something deep underneath.

Swipe through and spot the monster you’ve been wrestling with.

Better yet, let me know what’s the monster that shows up most in your life right now? 

In my next post, I’ll share some tools and ideas that have helped me face these monsters too. We can walk this out together!

Picture credits: @strangerthingstv

#StrangerThings #InnerWork #AwakeningAchiever #ScaleWithSoul

Stranger Things mental health carousel cover with red Upside Down sky and Hawkins kids on bicycles, titled “Stranger Things taught us how to beat these monsters in real life,” about inner work, emotional healing, therapy concepts, and self-growth.

Stranger Things self-reflection slide showing a lone character facing a dark storm, text says “After five seasons I realised this… the real monsters were never in the Upside Down, they were inside us,” about shadow work, emotional triggers, mental resilience, and healing from insecurity.

Stranger Things emotional healing carousel showing Monster 1 Shame, with characters hugging and crying, about overcoming shame through honesty, vulnerability, and self-compassion.

Stranger Things therapy-inspired slide about Monster 2 Grief, showing a tearful hug, teaching that grief feels heavier when isolated and becomes easier when supported by loved ones.

Stranger Things psychology carousel slide about Monster 3 Anger, featuring an intense character expression, explaining anger as a secondary emotion covering grief, fear, hurt, and helplessness.

Stranger Things self-growth slide about Monster 4 Ego, featuring Steve in uniform, explaining ego as chasing approval and status, and healing through caring, humility, and protecting others.

Stranger Things motivational therapy carousel about Monster 5 Self-Doubt, featuring Nancy aiming a gun, showing how purpose and love quiet self-doubt and build courage to take action.

Stranger Things self-worth slide about Monster 6 Unworthiness, featuring Dustin in a cap and headset, teaching self-acceptance, confidence, belonging, and leaning into strengths instead of flaws.

Stranger Things trauma healing slide about Monster 7 Trauma, featuring Eleven using her power, explaining trauma memory, avoidance, and recovery through processing painful experiences and reclaiming power.

Stranger Things therapy carousel cover explaining how therapy helps defeat inner monsters by naming emotions, understanding them, and getting support instead of ignoring pain or suppressing feelings.

Stranger Things inspirational slide with a character in front of fire saying “That’s how you take your power back,” about emotional resilience, healing, and reclaiming control over your mindset.

Stranger Things reflection prompt slide asking “What monster shows up in your life the most?” listing shame, grief, anger, ego, self-doubt, unworthiness, trauma, encouraging inner work and healing.

If you feel undervalued at work… this will explain everything.
(and maybe even break your heart a little)

You give your best.
You stay late.
You go the extra mile.

But somehow… you're still overlooked, underpaid, or under-appreciated.

Ever wonder why?

This short video I shared tells the story of a father, a son, and an old watch.

And I promise you, the lesson will stay with you long after it ends.

Here are some of the comments I woke up to the morning after I posted. 

“I teared up when I got to the message,” 
“This is so powerful, I got goosebumps hearing the five words” 
"Eric, I really needed this, thank you.” 

If you’ve been feeling like your work or worth isn’t being recognised…

Watch the video below (just 1 min+). 

It might be the perspective shift you didn’t know you needed.

#scalingwithsoul #awakeningachiever #innerwork #selfworth

Why can one simple comment ruin your whole day??

Have you ever been triggered by a simple comment like:

“There’s a mistake here.”
“You overlooked this.”
“This doesn’t look right.”

On the surface, it looks like normal feedback…
but somehow it stings deeply.

A few nights ago, I asked my teacher why this happens.

Her answer felt like cool water on a burning day:

We get hurt not because people are mean…
but because deep down, we believe they’re right.

You might want to read that again. 

We believe them because we lack confidence in ourselves.

And when our confidence is shaky, we rely on others to tell us we’re “good enough.”

So when someone says, “You messed up,”
it doesn’t feel like feedback.
It feels like confirmation of our worst fear.

So how do we stop taking everything so personally?

It starts with building a stronger relationship with yourself:

- Know your values, truth, and purpose.
- Talk to yourself with love and kindness.
- Notice your real needs through your emotions.
- Learn to fulfill your own needs and not rely on others to do it.

Because the more you know and trust yourself,
the less you’ll need others to validate you.

And feedback?
It becomes just that -- feedback.

Not a weapon to hurt you.
Just data to inform you.

I am curious. What’s one piece of feedback that used to hit you hard but now lands differently?

Comment below, I would love to hear your experience!

#scalewithsoul #awakeningachiever #innerwork

What if your birthday could unlock your entire life story?

I recently gave ChatGPT my birthdate and what it revealed blew my mind.

See the exact prompt I used below and try it for yourself. 

By the way, I shared it on IG recently and the post went viral with 169K views  and 2000+ shares because of the accuracy of the output. 

Here's the prompt: 

Use my zodiac sign, numerology and Chinese animal sign to construct an archetypal identity blueprint. Then, relate back to my patterns, my strengths, my blindspots and recurring life patterns.

Zodiac: [Your Sign]
Numerology: [Your Birthdate]
Chinese sign: [Your Animal Sign]

After you get the output, you can even go further and ask:

1.⁠ ⁠How does someone with this blueprint become successful (rich in money, energy, contribution & fulfillment)?

2.⁠ ⁠What can you predict about my 20s/30s/40s/50s (pick one) based on the information and patterns so far?

3.⁠ ⁠Please forecast my 20s/30s/40s/50s (pick one). But before that, what questions do you need to ask me to give me an accurate response?

Reply to the questions and then you will get a forecast of your next decade.

If you're in a season of rediscovery, this prompt is God-sent. 

Try it and let me know your thoughts on the output. 

#chatgptprompt #lifepath #archetype #spiritualtech

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