Phillip An is the Co-founder and COO of Vietnam's Homebase, and they make it easy for anyone to afford to buy their dream home. Just last year, they raised a $30M equity and debt round!

👋🏼  How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

We make homeownership accessible to anyone in Southeast Asia, starting with Vietnam, with a flexible alternative to bank loans. In short, we're helping people achieve their dreams of homeownership.

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🧐  What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

Being a founder at a startup doesn't mean a fancy title gets you authority — oftentimes, you become the Chief Office Cleaner and Intern Coach.

🏆  What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Leaving the well-trodden path after working at companies like Goldman Sachs and McKinsey to build an ambitious startup from the ground up.

🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

PropTech, especially in Asia — it's an industry with incredible growth that's in the largest contribution of GDP in Asia, with among the least innovation, in the fastest-growing part of the world.

💼  What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

‍Talk to users! It's the most fundamental part of building a company as you must find problems to solve that your users have.

🗣  What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

Homebase and the incredible impact that we're making on homeownership across Southeast Asia!

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🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Y Combinator's lectures on building a startup.

🍨  What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

Matcha, with a sprinkle of grit and hard work! 😉