Global Entrepreneurship Lab 2012

Day Trip to Merak - An Eye Opener

10th of January - we woke at seven for our trip to Merak. It was our second day of work at Pro Energi. Two Pro Energi Sales Managers, Isyanto and Rahmi were taking us to see some their loading facilities that served the Jakarta Region. They have storage facilities that receive products from ships which are later transfered to Pro Energi’s trucks for delivery to customers. Everyone we met was very professional and conveyed command of their work.
We learned intricacies of the handling of the petroleum products downstream supply chain. This visit was fun and brought us great perspective on Pro Energi’s business. It is otherwise difficult to understand the value that downstream traders like Pro Energi brought to the super majors (international oil companies) without seeing first hand the logistics involved in their business.

Indonesian Entrepreneurs: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

Over our team’s g-Lab engagement, we met several Indonesian entrepreneurs. Each one different, there was also a common entrepreneurial bent they shared. They were accomplished and ambitious, driven yet cautious; they were forerunners who readily shared their lessons-learned. They also measured their businesses, and thus themselves, against global standards even as they currently focused keenly on business opportunities in Indonesian markets.

A note on China's Rise

Apparently I’m liking the blogging thing. This will be the last GLab one, but I do feel it’s a good outlet to churn out some of what I’ve been thinking about as I close out this China experience.

After we finished up in Guangzhou, Antonio and I headed up to Macau for a day. Then, I met Laura in Hong Kong starting a trip that would also include Shanghai and Beijing.

As I said in a previous posting, it is often said (wrongly) that Venezuela’s current revolution has a lot of Chinese flavor. So a lot has been on my mind throughout these days as I take on the tiresome task of expanding my understanding of China’s model for growth.