Lynk Founder Peggy Choi On The Permanent Beta Mindset

Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
When was the last time you needed quick access to expertise to help you move forward? If you’re running a business, maybe the question should be when was the last time today?
Whether you’re running an SME or a global multinational, all leaders need tailored business intelligence to help them chart the right course. In today’s hyper-connected world, where everyone has access to millions of data points, having the right insights can mean the difference between failure and success.
Which explains why entrepreneur Peggy Choi’s knowledge-as-a-service platform Lynk has grown so rapidly, doubling its workforce to 250 people across eight countries in the last two years, and raising US$29 million in a Series B round earlier in 2021.
But even when you have more than 840,000 experts in your network, there are still some things you have to figure out on your own—like how to build a company culture over Zoom, how to navigate early fundraising rounds as a female founder, and how to grow as a leader, and a person, at the same breakneck speed as your company.
Peggy discusses how she overcame these hurdles and more in a contemplative conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson. On top of that, the pair also discuss skateboards, the importance of a “permanent beta” mindset, and why founders always need to be mindful of the… toilet paper?

RUNNING ORDER:
- Introduction from Gen.T’s regional managing director, Tamara Lamunière
- Quickfire round (1m 50s)
- Coming up with the idea for Lynk (4m 20s)
- Taking the leap into entrepreneurship (7m 20s)
- Measuring success on your own terms (9m 00s)
- Growing as a person as your business grows (10m 10s)
- Adaptive leadership (11m 40s)
- How stress levels change (14m 00s)
- The value of connections (15m 00s)
- Being a sole founder (16m 00s)
- Toughest setbacks faced (17m 30s)
- Finding the right people (19m 40s)
- Growing pains (22m 00s)
- Building company culture through Zoom (23m 30s)
- Permanent beta (26m 10s)
- Getting VCs on board in the early days (29m 10s)
- Interview with Lemuel Lee, BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s Head of Hong Kong Market, about the power of connections (30m 10s)
- Skills you need as a founder (34m 00s)
- Bootstrapping in the early stage (35m 30s)
- The first customer call (36m 30s)
- Would you go the venture route again? (39m 00s)
- Raising money as a female founder (40m 10s)
- Always strive for excellence (42m 40s)
- Give yourself space (45m 20s)
- How art influenced Peggy as an entrepreneur (46m 40s)
- Final thought (48m 00s)

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