When I first moved to Thailand in 2006, I didn’t know what I was doing. I signed contracts in Thai I couldn’t read. I navigated government processes I barely understood. More than once, I learned by stubbing my toe first and figuring it out later. Over time, those small risks and constant adjustments turned into a business that still runs today without me. My proudest achievement wasn’t building a company. It was building one that no longer depends on me.

Along the way, I made hiring mistakes. I chased the “smartest” people and watched them leave when they got bored. Eventually, I realized sustainable businesses aren’t built on brilliance alone. They’re built on aligned incentives, cultural understanding, and giving people meaningful challenges so they grow with you. In Thailand especially, you have to understand how people actually work and think, not how you expect them to.

This subscription is built around those real lessons. Not theory. Not shortcuts. But practical insight from years of figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and why. If you want to build something in Thailand that lasts, this gives you a clearer starting point and fewer unnecessary scars along the way.

The Founder  ·  ExpatDen