Global Entrepreneur, Sinartus Sosrodjojo of Indonesia
Global entrepreneur Sinartus is from Jakarta, Indonesia. When Sinartus was in 3rd grade his parents asked him if he’d like to go to boarding school in CA. Excited by the prospect of a plane ride, Sinartus responded with an enthusiastic YES.
Sinartus went on to complete high school and then college in CA before returning to Jakarta in 2000 as a photojournalist.
Currently, Sinartus is focused as an entrepreneur on the intersection of customer engagement and employee engagement with digitalization, data analysis, and good business processes.
You will not want to miss my conversation with Sinartus if you
- want to do business in Indonesia
- have Indonesians on your team
- are looking for your next travel destination
- like to learn about different cultures
Sinartus will share with us what he learned about
- adjusting to life as a student in the US
- returning home to Indonesia and feeling like a foreigner in his own country
- pivoting his career as the digital world replaced print media
- lessons learned as an entrepreneur with everything on the line
- distinctions between western and eastern cultures and its impact on education, cultural norms and business
- what Indonesians are learning as they watch current US political arena
- travel tips
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Show Notes
[minutes:seconds]
- Moving to the US when he was 9 years old to attend school [4:00]
- what is the major difference between Asia and the US?[8:27]
- You are encouraged to ask “why” in the US
- Seen as challenging in Indonesia
- Individualism and Family Values [13:50]
- Started as a photojournalist in the US and then in 2000 he moved to Indonesia
- Returning to Indonesia after so long in the US [16:00]
- he felt like a foreigner in his own country
- still thinks and talks in English
- What should an American know about your culture and customs when visiting or doing business in Jakarta? [18:00]
- help people save face
- hand something with your right, not your left hand
- when you are a guest, give them your complete attention and accept their gifts of food and drink
- Recommends reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- 1998 riots; Sinartus returned as a photojournalist to document the internal conflicts [22:10]
- His passion for cycling [28:30]
- Entrepreneurial Journey: Started as a photojournalist in the US and then in 1999 he moved to Indonesia [32:00]
- Shifted from photojournalism to his first venture as an entrepreneur. Lesson learned … MVP [36:00]
- His break – provides loyalty CRM for shopping malls in Indonesia [46:00]
- One thing you know now you wish you knew earlier. I wish I read more failure stories [47:14]
- What kind of a world do you see for your children? [51:00]
- What do Indonesians think about current US politics? It is giving us ideas to other countries about what can go wrong. Stems from a lack of understanding and curiosity about others’ views. They see us as trying to bring the worst out of people. [55:00]
About Sinartus Sosrodjojo
Sinartus builds and develops customer-focused companies and organizations with an emphasis on customer engagement, internal human resources development, and business competitiveness. He has over 15 years in leadership, media, team-building, entrepreneurship and digital across a variety of industries including established and startups.
Here is an example of just how creative Sinartus is. In 2011, he pitched the idea to a client to make a video designed to bring back the ‘cool’ appeal of badminton in Indonesia. He envisioned the video as being in the style of a documentary. Here is the link on Youtube (less than 2 minutes) … what do you think?
Connect with Sinartus – Links
About Indonesia
I first visited Indonesia in the 80’s. It is a beautiful and vast archipelago that is the size of the US from the east to the west. Bali, New Guinea, and Java are among the more commonly traveled and familiar places in Indonesia. Jakarta is the capital, with a population in 2014 of over 10 million.
In the early 21st century Indonesia was the most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populous in the world. Many don’t realize that Indonesia is also 89% Muslim.
Inspired Wisdom
Cynder Niemela, MA, MBA is an award-winning author and internationally recognized expert in executive coaching and developing global teams. An American growing up in the Middle East and Europe, Cynder leverages her international experience working in the Middle East as one of a few women permitted to work in Saudi Arabia. First, as a marine biologist followed by years of developing leaders and teams for Saudi-ARAMCO. Mission: Interview people from 100 countries who are working with heart and mind for positive social impact.