Qin En Looi is a Principal at Saison Capital. He's also the co-founder and former COO of Glints, which is the #1 tech-enabled recruitment platform in Asia.

👋🏼  How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

We provide fuel to accelerate the growth of technology companies in emerging markets. Once we find someone who's building a rocket, we bring the fuel of financial and human capital, top the tank up, then strap on and join in for the ride.

🧐  What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

We don't sit back and wait for founders to come and pitch to us. We actively seek out and engage with founders, sometimes even before they are founders!

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🏆  What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Leaving Stanford and giving up my full-ride government scholarship to build a startup. It was the best decision I ever made, and it has taught me to follow my heart, chase my dreams, and not be held back by "should have" or "could have."

🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

I'm excited at how NFTs will permeate many areas of our daily lives. The use case I am most intrigued by is NFTs' role in building highly engaged communities like never before! In the Web2.0 world of Facebook and LinkedIn, I am part of many groups where only 10-20% of members are active and engaged (the power users). In Web3.0 communities facilitated via NFTs, I see record levels of engagement and activity in Discord servers because the incentives of organizers and members are aligned. While some call it hype, I believe the technology and benefits are here to stay, as we reach mass adoption soon!

💼  What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

The advice I'll give is a quote from Pixar Animation Studios' film Ratatouille: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and themselves to our judgment... But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so."

While the nature of the VC job necessitates us to say 'no' a lot more than 'yes,' it's important to remember that behind every pitch and slide lies hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of hard work.

Stay humble and grounded.

🗣  What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

How to build effective and cohesive teams.

🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Suits - "When you're backed against the wall, break the godd**n thing down."

🍨  What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

Black Sesame!