Monday Morning in Bangkok
This story is part of our Monday Morning series, in which startups around the world offer glimpses of what your life could be like if you worked in their city.
DRVR (pronounced ‘driver’) is an IoT startup focused on solving logistics problems in Southeast Asia. Originally founded in Melbourne DRVR is now headquartered in bustling Bangkok. This morning we’re following Australian founder David (right) as he goes about his Monday.
Good morning, Thailand!
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Bangkok? Crazy traffic, even crazier nightlife, floating markets? It might not be the first city you’d associate with high-tech startups, but a thriving startup ecosystem is emerging here in Thailand’s vibrant capital.
The city’s range of co-working spaces is impressive. If you’re into community and social startups, MaD is the place for you. Prefer to hang out with Thai hipsters? Hubba is the one you want. The Hive is the perfect mix of an awesome space and great startups, and that’s where David, DRVR’s CEO, is headed this morning.
As usual, the team meets up for breakfast — it’s a great way to socialize and start the day off on a fun note.
After that, David spends some time responding to emails that have come in overnight from the US or Europe. He also meets with Kris the product owner to walk through the plan for the next sprint. At 11 on the dot the team gathers around the whiteboard for their daily standup.
Time for work (and more food).
The dev team cracks on with coding for the rest of the morning, while David and Kris head off to a partner meeting. Realizing they’re running late, they decide to take a motorcycle taxi — it’s a really fun and quick way to get around town. In most Western countries this would be unthinkable!
Kris and David get back from their meeting just in time for a lunch/Thai lesson combo at a nearby restaurant.
After lunch Kris, David and Kirill have a call with a customer in Yangon. They soak up some much appreciated feedback — every scrap of it is a treasure for any startup worth its salt! The rest of the afternoon is spent preparing for an event taking place the following week. It’s an introduction to IoT workshop, and the whole team gets involved.
After work the guys head up to the rooftop bar at the Hive for a relaxing beer. The team then heads out to W Art Market for more drinks, while David and Arkar sneak off to play some board games. Sounds like a pretty sweet Monday to us!
So you think you’d love to live and work in this fascinating city too? Make it happen—we’ve got jobbaticals for you in Bangkok and around the world.
Previously in our Monday Morning series: Monday Morning at Kuala Lumpur’s Most Delicious Startup.
