Yoshi Gondokusumo is a cofounder of HaluApp, a digital marketplace for weebs (anime fans), and is home to thousands of creators in the anime, comics, cosplay, and gaming (ACG) industries.

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

We're reshaping the ACG industry in Indonesia, by partnering with and enabling our thousands of creators to create and monetize their output.

We're building HaluApp to be the everything platform for ACG creators to easily publish their work, and monetize through subscription and/or one-time transactions, affiliate services, as well as IP commercial partnerships.

In many ways, we're learning from our creators and users on the ground day in and day out. We've been inspired and are taking lessons from the global leaders in this fast-evolving industry, such as the likes of Patreon, Bilibili, Hybe's Weverse, Hololive, and miHoYo. 

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

The volume of chatters and the spectrum of colors splashed in our office, especially when our creators come to visit. It'd feel like a sitcom filming site to the uninitiated (the cameras and props in our livestream space would further add to this vibe).

I guess it's in the culture of ACG as a medium of creation that's backed by a motivated and highly creative community of people who are, in every respect the words, geeks, and weebs.

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

There had been 3 actually, so far. The first was my first-ever corporate role as a 20-something-year-old, which was an internship at a financial data company. 

The second was my last corporate job at a tech platform that turned out to be a very fun, enriching, and youthful experience that gave me a well-rounded overview of a whole set of issues. I chose these two points because they were bookends of my 20s—one at the start of my career and one at the end of that chapter.

And, the third most rewarding moment, as you would've guessed, is starting HaluApp, where I can contribute more actively to the ACG industry in Indonesia. 

I find that Indonesia has plenty of diverse and different talents that are not yet recognized but would if the right tools, culture, and platforms were in place. It has given me great satisfaction to continually develop people through this business.

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

Most definitely, AI and its adjacencies. And to some extent, blockchain.

I think the right factors are coming into place for a transformative and evolutionary step up in AI. 

And it's something that's exciting for the digital-first and largely hyper-visual ACG industry. We have a huge belief in ACG—enough to convince the HaluApp team to charge forward on this path and leave behind our old lives.

We'd like to push this ideal and optimism into the ecosystem—to encourage more creators and partners to play a much more active role, exert greater involvement, and shape the culture and output of Indonesia's ACG industry, such that we are viewed with higher standing internationally. 

Our interactions with the people here and all the feedback shared on the ground have given us confidence that there's something exciting about AI and ACG.

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

Do it together with a team. 

Assemble a side with the right knowledge, experience, and strength of character that'd give you the confidence to cross the bridge (from whichever industry or psychological safety state you're in), enter the race, and compete to win. 

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

I appreciate listening and understanding about various new businesses and industries.

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🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show? 

There are so many fresh, well-written anime and shows with great storytelling on Netflix.

Some of my personal favorites are: Erased, Zom 100, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Your Name, Weathering With You, Full-Time Wife Escapist, and One Punch Man.

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

Not ice cream, but similar. My go-to comfort dessert is iced frozen yogurt with a tinge of honey.

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FYI. We've edited this interview for clarity.