Building a successful startup isn't about perfection; it's about embracing imperfection, moving forward with bold ideas, and creating something exciting. The best businesses are born when founders focus on building something useful and pushing boundaries, rather than obsessing over flawless execution. Entrepreneurs often get stuck trying to make everything perfect, but in reality, innovation thrives in environments where risks are taken, mistakes are made, and imperfection is accepted.

In this episode of the Asia Tech Podcast featuring Eli David Rokah, the CEO of StartupBlink, I was struck by his passion for startups, ecosystems, and how he approaches building and scaling his business.

Some of the topics Eli covered in detail included:

• For Eli, building a business is not just about profitability or prestige, but about creating something that excites the founder.
• Startup ecosystems are constantly evolving, with companies emerging and dissolving regularly. Trying to capture every shift in real-time would be an impossible task.
• The importance of a strong team and scaling beyond yourself.
• Startup ecosystems thrive in environments that encourage bold action and a willingness to fail. Perfectionism and fear of failure can be crippling, and startup founders need the audacity to pursue big ideas.
• How legal frameworks and cultural norms influence startup ecosystems. Eli pointed out that countries with lenient bankruptcy laws create a safer environment for entrepreneurs to take risks.
• Global thinking over local innovation is key.