Stage 01
Raw idea
You see a real problem and have started investigating it.
Zero to one. Zero to infinity.
Have an idea worth building?
Send me what you're building. If the idea, founder, and timing fit, we may take it further, together.
All geographies. All industries. Complete submissions are reviewed privately.
15+ marketsbuilt and scaled across
100M+ usersserved by platforms in aggregate
0 → 1hands-on operating experience
Globalall industries and geographies welcome
What you can bring
Bring a raw idea, an early venture, or a new company bet.
Stage 02
Early venture
You have interviews, a prototype, users, revenue, a pilot, or early pull.
Stage 03
New company bet
Your company wants to launch a new product, market, or business model.
What catches my attention
I look at the founder, problem, timing, and idea together.
A problem worth solving
The need is real, specific, and understood from close range.
Commitment
You are prepared to test the idea and do the unglamorous work.
Room to become large
The opportunity can matter far beyond its first narrow use case.
A useful fit
My operating experience, network, and attention can change what happens next.
What together can mean
The relationship follows the opportunity.
- A strategic sounding board
- A venture partner
- An active operator or co-founder
- Help finding a missing co-founder or operator
About Ian
I build where the map is still being drawn.
I have helped build and scale Tiki, OYO, BIGO, and oBike across more than 15 markets. The common thread is zero-to-one work: finding the opening, building the operating path, and turning early signal into something durable.
- Tiki
- OYO
- BIGO
- oBike
What happens next
I review every complete submission myself.
01
Submit
Share the problem, what you know, and why working together could help.
02
Private review
I review every complete submission myself. Your proposal is not posted publicly.
03
Explore
If it fits, I will contact you within 14 calendar days for an exploratory conversation.
Private by default
Your proposal stays private.
Your proposal is reviewed privately. It is not posted publicly or shared for matching without your permission.
I have something to build
Bring the venture.
Raw idea, early venture, or a new company bet—tell me why it should exist.
Submit a ventureI want to help build
Bring your edge.
No idea required. Show me what you are unusually good at and what you want to build next.
Join as an operator