Are You Willing to Lose?

Irwin See
Jul 3
3 min read

How Strategic Giving Can Lead to Long-Term Business Gains in ASEAN

In business, we often measure success in immediate wins—sales closed, margins earned, deals secured. But in Southeast Asia, where relationships, trust, and credibility are currency, some of the most successful businesses have learned that long-term success often starts with strategic giving, not taking.

In other words, they were willing to lose first—so they could win bigger later.

The Power of Giving More Than You Take

This isn't about charity or idealism. It's about understanding that in many ASEAN markets, business doesn’t move purely by numbers. It moves through trust, patience, and reputation.

Leaders who are willing to invest early—be it time, resources, or even profit margins—often find themselves in a far stronger position down the line.

They don't lose out. They just delay the win.

Who You Are Speaks Louder Than Any Proposal

Strong business partners look for more than opportunity. They look for alignment in values, mindset, and reputation. Here’s what “who you are” really means in this context:

Your Track Record – Do you follow through? Have you built something before? Are you someone who solves problems or causes them?
Your Intentions – Are you here for a quick win, or do you have a long-term vision? Are you looking to grow with them or off them?
Your Market Understanding – Do you respect their landscape, or are you here to impose your model blindly?
Your Attitude – Are you open, collaborative, and transparent? Or do you come off entitled or purely self-serving?

When partners see your credibility, humility, and commitment—they begin to open up. They start seeing themselves in the journey. And that’s when conversations turn into partnerships.

Case Study: A Singaporean Education Company in the Philippines

A Singapore-based education company offering coding and STEM programs wanted to enter the Philippines. The easy path would have been to find a licensee, sell the rights, and collect fees. But they chose a different route.

They approached top-tier private schools—not to sell, but to offer a full semester of their program for free, including training for teachers, support materials, and curriculum access. They even flew a trainer from Singapore to support on-site.

It wasn’t cheap. The company absorbed all the costs. On paper, it looked like a loss.

But after the program ended, something interesting happened:

The schools didn’t want it to stop.
Parents asked about continuity.
Teachers became advocates.

Within six months, the company signed licensing deals with four schools, all of which came from that initial free offering. They went on to use those schools as proof of concept for further expansion—not just in the Philippines, but in Indonesia and Vietnam.

What looked like a loss turned into a regional growth engine.

Why It Works in ASEAN

Relationships First: In many Southeast Asian markets, people work with those they trust—often over those with the “best” offer.
Proof Matters: Institutions want to see it work in real life before making a commitment. Giving first builds that confidence.
Word Spreads: A single strong reference can lead to entire clusters of deals—especially in tight-knit sectors like education, healthcare, and retail.

Final Thought

Are you willing to give more up front? Are you willing to “lose” a deal, a margin, or time—so you can build something that lasts?

Because in ASEAN, the businesses that win big are often those who gave first.

It’s not weakness. It’s strategy.

About Us

Curt & Co Pte Ltd is a consulting company started amongst a group of business owners who were looking for a consulting company themselves for advice !

Our offices and our focus markets are in Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. With clients ranging from 1 man operating SMEs to listed companies, we are proud to have helped our clients across different industries gain market entry into the South East Asian region.