ProenX tackles an age-old question: hire externally or promote internally?

Check out our top articles for the week. [Read from your browser]( Top Stories of the Week Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Sunday newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only premium content and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. Hello {NAME} As I progress in my career, I’ve realized that what’s on someone’s resume doesn’t always predict performance. And that’s not to say they’re necessarily bad workers, but sometimes it’s more about “fit.” Someone can be an alumnus of a top school or come from a leading consulting firm, but that doesn’t mean they are automatically a great hire. That’s what Pavan Panchamukhi found out as he built his retail tech startup, ProenX. As the company grew, he decided to bring in senior salespeople from outside the firm. But as it turns out, the fit wasn’t there. Instead, it was the startup’s longtime employees, who understood the company and its mission inside and out, that ultimately did a better job. For more, check out my story on how ProenX navigated these hurdles on its way to profitability. -- [Putra Muskita]( journalist at Tech in Asia  --------------------------------------------------------------- TOP STORIES THIS WEEK 1️. [For this profitable retail tech startup, early employees trump senior hires]( Singapore-headquartered RDEP builds customer experience platforms for retailers like Kmart in Australia and Levi’s in India. 2. [How Gokongwei and Tyme are gunning for Philippines’ digibank crown]( GoTyme has over a million customers in the Philippines, and an expansion into Vietnam might be on the cards. 3. [TikTok’s live-commerce boom: hustler’s paradise or fleeting trend?]( Similar to the rise of China’s so-called “livestreaming factories,” training TikTok live sellers has also become big business in Southeast Asia. 4. [This Temasek-backed agritech firm sows sustainability into rice farming]( Rize is working to cut water consumption and methane in rice cultivation as it aims to build a sustainable business model. 5. [AI is not an artist, says court]( A landmark judgment by a US court that AI-generated art can't be protected by copyright has ignited a debate on the ownership of AI work. 6. [Delivery Hero’s long road to profit]( After several years of suffering hefty losses, the Germany-based food delivery firm is in the black by one key metric for the first half of 2023. 7. [Mapping Vietnam’s blockchain and crypto space]( Vietnam has over 100 organizations active in the industry, ranging from educational institutions to Web3 game studios. 8. [Can Chandrayaan-3’s trip to the moon catalyze Indian spacetech funding boom?]( Local spacetech firms see more investor interest after ISRO’s successful lunar mission, but all eyes are now on the country’s space policy. 9. [Weekly funding: EV firm Hozon electrifies with $960m raise]( Keep track of all the startup investment activities in Asia through our weekly funding list. 10. [Vietnam’s first tech unicorn VNG set for IPO. Here’s what you need to know]( VNG is preparing to list amid a market downturn and slower growth. Will this be enough to entice foreign investors? --------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT AND NETWORK  Apply for a seat to September 13's closed-door dinner to get free-flowing drinks! Technology is rapidly evolving, and it's getting tougher to be heard in the noisy digital world. For a business to succeed, it has to master its end-to-end customer journey. For a business to scale, it must be adept at personalizing that journey based not only on current customer behaviors but also in anticipation of their future needs and actions. Keen to find out how it's done? Tech in Asia and CleverTap are bringing together senior direct-to-consumer leaders and executives in the product, data, growth, and marketing fields for an exclusive dinner and networking event at CTY Kitchen + Bar in Ho Chi Minh City on September 13. Connect with Gameloft, VNG, Lazada, and more to discover best practices in designing, implementing, and optimizing personalized customer journeys at scale. Over a hearty meal, network and engage in an interactive Q&A with our panelists from CleverTap, Fonos, Zalo, and Cho Tot. Get the full scoop on the agenda and [claim your seat here]( before it's snatched up. Sign up now to get free-flowing drinks too! --------------------------------------------------------------- WHO'S HIRING  You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. [logo] [Commercial Data Analyst (PT SMART)]( at Dealls Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Procurement Operation Associate Manager - Higher Education]( at Bina Nusantara Group Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 1 [logo] [Golang Developer]( at SIGMATECH Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 10,000,000 – 15,000,000 [logo] [Strategic Partnership Specialist]( at PT. Wahana Pembayaran Digital Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Mobile Developer React Native]( at Scout.inc Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 8,000,000 – 15,000,000 [logo] [Project Manager]( at PT Agiva Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia IDR 7,000,000 – 15,000,000 [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( | [HIRE]( | [FIND JOBS]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Too many emails? Switch to a different frequency or get new content through our [preference center]( or [unsubscribe](. You can also break our hearts and remove yourself from all Tech in Asia emails over [here](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Tech in Asia’s newsletters are handcrafted daily with love - and sometimes powered by good kopi. Copyright © 2023 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894