Tell Me Your Startup Idea, I'll Help You Shape It Further
Let’s Shape Your Startup Idea Together
Got a half-baked idea and you're not sure if it’s worth pursuing? Want to work on something but not sure where to start? Stuck at the idea maze?
This event is for you!
Whether you’re just starting to tinker with a concept or stuck figuring out what to do next — join us for a fun and practical session with Hsu Ken Ooi, Managing Partner at Iterative.
With nearly 20 years of startup experience, he’s helped hundreds of founders refine their ideas — now it's your turn.
What You’ll Get Out of This Event
✨ Live Idea Exploration* – Watch real founders share early-stage ideas and see how Hsu Ken helps them think through and unpack them — live.
📚 Learn How to Spot Real Problems – Understand what makes a startup idea worth pursuing, and why most founders focus on the wrong things.
⚠️ Avoid Common Pitfalls – Learn the biggest mistakes founders make when evaluating ideas (hint: there's no such thing as the perfect idea).
*Important Note
This is not a pitch event, and it's not meant for getting feedback on a fully developed startup idea. This session is designed specifically for people who are still exploring or shaping their idea — especially those with a half-baked concept who want help thinking it through more deeply.
Event Details
🗓️ Date: August 19, 2025, Tuesday
🕕 Time: 6:00–7:30 PM SGT
💻 Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Agenda
6:00–6:10 PM – Join the Event
6:10–6:15 PM – Welcome & Introductions
6:15–6:30 PM – Why the Perfect Startup Idea Doesn’t Exist
6:30–7:30 PM – Live Idea Sharing + Q&A
Selected participants will pitch their ideas (1 minute each)
Hsu Ken will refine them live
Open Q&A with the audience
How to Join
You can sign up as a Participant or an Observer.
🎤 Participants – Need Help Thinking Through Your Idea?
Get a chance to share your idea live and receive feedback from Hsu Ken on how to further refine your idea.
How it works:
Shape Your Idea – Use our Define Your Startup Idea Worksheet to clearly articulate your idea. It's okay if the idea is half-baked - Hsu Ken will help you think through it!
Register – Submit your idea when you sign up.
Get Selected – If chosen, you’ll share your idea live (1-minute max)
Get Feedback – Hsu Ken will help you sharpen your idea and ask clarifying questions
Spots are limited — be clear, be concise, and come prepared.
We've run this event before with hundreds of applicants. Even if you’re not selected, there’s a lot you’ll learn just by watching.
👀 Observers – Just Want to Learn?
That’s great too. You’ll still walk away with practical advice, frameworks, and examples you can use to improve your own ideas.
Sign Up Now
This event is open to all — and completely free to attend. Don’t miss your chance to turn your “what-if” into a startup.
Speaker
Hsu Ken Ooi is a Managing Partner at Iterative. He was previously the Chief Product Officer of Workmate, an on-demand blue-collar staffing platform in Southeast Asia. In 2014, he was VP of Product at Weave (YCS14). In 2009, he started Decide.com an early machine-learning company that predicted the future price of consumer goods. It was acquired by eBay in 2013.
About Iterative
Iterative is a YC-style accelerator focused exclusively on Southeast Asia. Iterative invests up to US500K in a batch of startups twice a year. The investment includes 3-months of targeted growth and fundraising support, which culminates in a Demo Day to a network of 400+ investors. Learn more here.
About Startup Academy
Iterative was founded in 2020 for founders, by founders. Our mission is to increase the GDP of Southeast Asia through entrepreneurship. To make this happen, we need to (1) make entrepreneurship more accessible to more people and (2) give founders the tools and support to be successful.
As part of this mission, Startup Academy hosts free events, programs and courses on everything you need to know to be a successful founder.