Ep 111: Building the hottest Southeast Asian Tech Startup Newsletter | Amanda Cua (Founder, Backscoop) - a podcast by Ling Yah

from 2023-12-13T20:10:48.586538

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Amanda Cua is the founder of Backscoop: the hottest newsletter covering all things in the Southeast Asian startup industry.

She’s only 20 years old but:

  • Backscoop has already crossed 10,000 subscribers;
  • Has attracted funding from Buko Ventures;
  • Been featured on CNN; and
  • Has moderated a Wild Digital firechat with Jaeson Ma of 88Rising & OP3N.


All this - with no college degree.

Who said COVID-19 pandemic projects can’t go far? 😉

But if you listen to this STIMY episode, you’ll soon realise that Backscoop is so much more than a mere side project. 

Amanda envisions it to be a regional media company for the people in Southeast Asian tech.

So if you’re interested in what drives Amanda, what it takes to run a newsletter that publishes x5/week (it now has a podcast!) & also what’s happening in the Southeast Asian startup space, then this is the episode for you.


Highlights:

  • 7:00 Deciding to not go to university
  • 10:11 Maximising her gap year
  • 15:53 Cold outreach tactics
  • 17:38 Launching her own startup, Backscoop
  • 20:36 Why Southeast Asia (and not APAC)?
  • 26:59 Researching other newsletters
  • 29:58 The different iterations of Backscoop
  • 31:24 Dropping Soft Serve
  • 32:44 Most effective growth strategy
  • 34:34 Getting over stagnant growth
  • 35:56 Building a regional media company
  • 37:26 Trends in the Southeast Asian tech scene
  • 39:36 Accepting investment from Buko Ventures
  • 43:39 Launching a new product, One More Scoop
  • 44:55 What’s the value proposition?
  • 47:02 Serendipity
  • 49:37 Personal branding
  • 53:42 Competitor that Amanda admires & why


📍Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/111

🍦Subscribe to Backscoop: https://sparklp.co/p/9c1a338c2c 

💌 Weekly STIMY Newsletter that deconstructs how you can find success & build a portfolio career on your own terms: https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/acd5bd1062

✍🏻 Leave a review on STIMY: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/so-this-is-my-why/id1521191442

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