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- Not a community builder
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Hey royals,
I don't think Southeast Asia has a startup problem.
I think we have a belonging problem.
For years, our entrepreneurial culture has been defined by speed - raise fast, build fast, scale fast.
And to be fair... that season built monsters (in the good way).
But beneath all that acceleration... something quieter has been happening.
Founders are craving connection, not just contacts.
Meaning, not just metrics.
Belonging, not just business.
And once you see it, you can't unsee it.
The moment networking stopped working
A lot of "entrepreneur spaces" today still feel the same:
Everyone smiling.
Everyone pitching.
Everyone performing.
But very few people feel safe enough to be human.
That's why when I experienced how Rainmaker does it... I paused.
Not because it was flashy.
But because it was engineered.
The room wasn't built for card exchanging.
It was built for growth.
Circles, not crowds.
Listening, not flexing.
Reflection, not rushing.
It didn't feel like networking.
It felt like belonging by design.
And that's what inspired me to write this piece on e27:
👉🏻 How leaders are redesigning belonging for Southeast Asia's entrepreneurs
(If you're building anything in 2026, you need to read this.)
Here's the funny thing...
I don't position myself as a "community builder".
But I build communities.
People's Inc. 360 - some might call it a SaaS solution.
But the truth is, it's an ecosystem.
Royal Visionary Society?
Speakers Society?
And now we're even building into Money and AI.
Different worlds. Different people. Different intentions.
But every single one has one thing in common:
âś… Culture.
âś… Values.
âś… Language.
âś… Rituals.
âś… A shared identity that makes people go: "These are my people."
Because that's what makes a community a community.
Not the Telegram group.
Not the WhatsApp chat.
Not the number of members.
It's the invisible architecture.
My real reason for building with AI
Yes, I'm an AI and automation specialist.
Yes, I speak about systems and leverage.
But let me tell you the real reason I do what I do:
I want the system to do the work.
So we have more time to build human connections.
That's the whole point.
Automation is not the end game.
Freedom is.
And freedom is useless if you don't have people.
Community can feel abstract... until it becomes your moat
To some people, "community" sounds far-fetched.
To others, it sounds like fluff.
And to some, it sounds too simple.
But here's the truth: In a world where information is everywhere... belonging becomes the differentiator.
People don't join communities just to learn something. They join to become someone. And when you understand that?
You stop "building an audience"... and start building an ecosystem.
That's why we're not just talking about this. We're building it - live.
If this piece resonated with you...
If you're tired of surface-level networking...
If you want a community that actually compounds trust, revenue, and belonging...
We're going deeper in this workshop: Community That Converts: Build Belonging + Build Revenue
This isn't theory.
It's community architecture - practical, monetisable, and human.
Together with Jeremiah Su, we'll walk you through:
Designing culture intentionally (not accidentally).
Building engagement loops that make people stay.
Monetising without being cringe.
Using AI + systems to support connection - not replace it.
Because community isn't charity.
It's infrastructure.
And when it's built right, it becomes your moat.
🎟 As part of this newsletter, you get a special rate.
Use this link to unlock it: https://luma.com/iqgnagnb?coupon=ROYAL
Seats are limited.
And this room is for builders - not spectators.
If you're serious about creating an ecosystem around your work...
I'll see you inside.
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