Degrees of separation from the truth

More: Grab secures top spot in regional food delivery market and VinFast reveals plans for Philippine expansion. [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Daily Newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only Daily Newsletter and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](.  --------------------------------------------------------------- IN FOCUS In today's newsletter, we spotlight: - [The Octopus CEO’s degree drama]( - Grab taking the top spot in the regional food delivery market - Other newsy highlights include VinFast’s plans to expand to the Philippines --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} My dad has always been my first port of call for career advice. This is probably because he’s never been shy about dispensing it, like when he regularly reminded me as a teenager that if I arrived late to work as often as I did to school, he would “be the sort of asshole who would have to sack you.” His advice always comes from a place of experience, so I value it a lot. One important lesson was when I was stressed about not performing well in my bachelor’s degree and he explained that once I had a few years of work experience under my belt, no employer would care about my results in various modules. He said that in most careers, getting a degree is just a box you have to check off rather than something of earth-shattering importance. Showing you could commit to your studies for long enough to get a degree indicated that you could be counted on in the workplace, he told me. Is getting a degree so important that it’s worth lying about, though? In my opinion, it’s not worth your integrity, but today’s premium story and recent revelations about another founder indicate that not everyone agrees with me. -- Peter  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Did the CEO of Indonesian startup Octopus graduate from UC Berkeley?]( While Moehammad Ichsan says that he has never told anyone about getting a degree from UC Berkeley, several sources contradict his claim. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Grab captured 55% of SEA’s food delivery market in 2023: report]( Overall, the region’s food delivery expenditure topped US$17.1 billion, driven by a surge in Vietnam, according to Momentum Works. [Vingroup outlines PH expansion after visit from President Marcos Jr.]( VinFast will commence operations in the Philippines this year, beginning with a network of EV dealerships. ---------------------------------------------------------------  VISUAL STORY OF THE DAY [The hidden alliances between Southeast Asia’s VCs, uncovered]( We've visualized an intricate web of relationships among Southeast Asia’s VCs, using deal data in the past two years. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - [Saigon Summit 2024: Charting Vietnam’s Tech Future on May 30]( Connect with over 700 regional tech talents at Saigon Summit 2024, Tech in Asia’s largest-ever event in Vietnam. The summit offers an unparalleled fusion of cultural immersion, expert learning, and bespoke networking opportunities, all aimed at nurturing the undeniable potential of Southeast Asia’s next tech hotspot. Grab your tickets before February 25 to save a whopping 60% with our [early bird special!]( ---------------------------------------------------------------  CONFERENCE LINEUP Check out Tech in Asia’s other signature events lineup for 2024 [here](. - [Product Development Conference (June 2024)]( Gain insights from industry leaders, explore current trends, and learn best practices at our Product Development Conference in mid-2024. Sign up as early as now to get special rates for this two-day event in Jakarta. - [Tech in Asia Conference Kuala Lumpur 2024 (July 2024)]( For the first time ever, Tech in Asia Conference is coming to Kuala Lumpur! Join us in July as tech enthusiasts and industry experts across Southeast Asia get together for the region’s largest tech gathering. ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Flutter Developer]( at Tech in Asia Jakarta, Indonesia - [Worker Acquisition and Community Intern]( at Workmate Jakarta, Indonesia - [B2B Sales Manager]( at Pintar Ventura Group Jakarta, Indonesia - [Social Media Lead]( at Bobobox Indonesia Bandung, Java, Indonesia - [Campaign Specialist]( at Scout.inc Jakarta, Indonesia - [Digital Marketing Supervisor]( at Little Joy Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( 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. Tech in Asia thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Copyright © 2024 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894