Strong Tuesday

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Tuesday started with that kind of peaceful stillness I really like, where the whole house is still stretching its limbs and I get to be the first spark of movement. I made quick breakfast before my husband prepped for his early meeting and my daughter readied for her class.

Then came my usual “quiet hour” in the bathroom. Yes, let’s be real here: I have chronic constipation and it’s part of my morning routine. I bring my laptop, catch up on a few emails, maybe draft a blog, respond to messages. Today, it was a WhatsApp from Mas Yusuf, assistant to Dr. Eko, an absolute gem of a human. Polite, responsive, full of initiative. He even gently suggested I check in with a urologist because my latest scan showed kidney stones. He also helped me with insurance forms. Excellent!

9am, Titipku team came over to hand-deliver their new healthy frozen food line. We ended up chatting longer than planned, sharing market insights, user behavior, product feedback, and little bits of life. I love when business doesn’t feel like business; just good people trying to build good things.

While waiting for my husband to wrap his call, I tried out the chicken katsu from Titipku in my beloved mini retro oven. It turned out perfectly golden and crispy! We had lunch just the two of us, side by side at the table like we always do when we can steal the moment.

At 1 PM, I hosted offline meeting, connecting Cleansheet and TwoSpaces founders, two partners that I care about. There’s potential collaboration ahead and I’m hopeful. I love when I get to be the bridge for things that make sense together. It gives me joy to watch people and ideas meet and click.

Right after that, the Cleansheet rangers arrived at 3 PM and got straight to work. In just 2 hours, they made every corner of my place sparkle: kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, even the terrace. All without hassle. 

By 5 PM, we had an early dinner—just the three of us. It felt calm and grounding. But there was more ahead: we had to head back to the hospital for two specialist consultations. The past few days have been full of health checkups, scans, and questions. So we ate, packed paperwork, and headed out again.

At 6 PM sharp, we arrived at the hospital. The consultations were serious but thankfully clear. The verdict? Kidney stone removal on Tuesday. Appendicitis surgery on Wednesday. A bit much? Definitely. But I’m also grateful things are getting taken care of. We submitted the pre-admission forms to the insurance and crossed our fingers.

We came home exhausted, but not too tired for a little Netflix time. We watched Dead Poet Society. Carpe diem, right? Seize the day. Suck the marrow out of life, even when it includes constipation, deadlines, and back-to-back hospital visits.

Other stories worth noting

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Being the co-initiator of StartupLokal Community since April 2010, I’ve had the honor of witnessing the unpredictable rhythm of startup life up close. I’ve personally seen how startup founders dream, build, soar, crash, recover, and reinvent.  It’s never linear, it’s rarely easy. But it’s always inspiring. I didn’t just watch from the sidelines; I helped connect them, and I carry these founders’ journeys like pages of a living book. If conventional businesses age like humans, startups age like cats. What takes a traditional business 30 years to mature, a startup might live through in just five. For context: a one-year-old cat is roughly equivalent to a 15-year-old human. By the time a cat turns 10, it’s considered a senior, like a human in their 60s. Similarly, startups that make it to 10 years are practically legends. Many don’t even survive past year three. So when I see a startup hit a decade milestone, I know it’s nothing short of miraculous. That’s why I was grateful to join ...
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Daftar Pertanyaan Sebelum Membeli Properti

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Saat ini aku dan suami memiliki beberapa properti yang tersebar di Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Jatinangor, dan sebentar lagi Bali (doakan lancar!). Aset properti yang kami miliki berupa gedung kost, rumah tinggal, dan unit apartemen. Ada yang dibeli secara tunai keras, nyicil developer, nyicil KPR bank. Beberapa properti kami gunakan sendiri, baik sebagai rumah tinggal atau tempat peristirahatan. Beberapa lagi kami sewakan dan dijadikan pendapatan pasif, seperti gedung kost dan unit apartemen. Kalau mau lihat apa aja yang bisa disewa, cek2 instagramnya @mnv.house ya :) Dari puluhan kali pengalaman transaksi jual beli properti, baik yang berhasil maupun yang gagal, kami mendapatkan banyak sekali pengalaman berharga (baca: mahal! huhu). Beberapa pengalaman itu aku bahas di instagram story, bisa dibaca di highlight instagramku  Why KPR? Di postingan ini aku khusus membahas tentang daftar pertanyaan yang sebaiknya ditanyakan kepada penjual / agen sebelum membeli properti. ...
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I’ve been seriously considering deleting all social media apps from my phone. Lately, I feel like I’m consuming too many “snacks” (i.e. mindless scrolling through feeds) instead of enjoying “real food” like reading in‑depth articles or engaging in deep thinking. Social media has become a buffet of bite‑sized distractions that leave me feeling hungry for something more substantial. Back in 2000, when I first embraced the internet through mIRC chat rooms and blog posts, the online world felt like a safe haven. Only a few could afford to use it, mostly educated and curious people who valued thoughtful discussion. The barrier to entry was high, and that created a community of like‑minded individuals who were genuinely interested in ideas and exchange. Today, that barrier has collapsed. Everyone uses the internet, but rarely with conscience, and while smartphones are smarter than ever, genuine curiosity seems in short supply. The viral nature of social media is both mesmerizing and terrifyi...
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Let’s Walk and Talk

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What started as a simple invite: “let’s go for a walk near my place”, turned into a small, happy gathering. Rhein jumped on board, said it’s one of the nicest parks around, and invited Vio, Jo, Steph, and Hendra.  So there we were, walking and chatting like it was the most natural way to start a Saturday. It wasn’t about steps or fitness goals, just a chance to be present together and talk about life while moving our feet.  We began from private botanic garden, and made our way to a public city park. The air wasn’t exactly fresh, but the company made it easy to ignore that. Somewhere in the middle, we stopped by a café owned by a fellow founder. Ordered drinks, sat around, and just talked. No agenda. No fancy brunch. Just coffee and beer, conversations, and the kind of back-and-forth that fills you up more than food ever could.  Our topics jumped everywhere: startup pains, parenting stories, school choices, house repairs, health hacks. Nothing was off limits, nothing was ...
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What I Learned from Timothy Tiah - Founder of Nuffnang

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Last Sunday when I entered VIP room at JWEF , I was introduced to this guy with his mini version boy on his lap, and his pretty wife with white top and red skirt. We had chit chat and he told me he’d be in Jakarta this Tuesday, and I told him that we’d have 57th #Startuplokal Monthly Meetup on Tuesday night.  To be really honest, only a very few did I know about him until he shared his amazing story on JWEF stage a few minutes later, and get inspired that I took note and now share this with you all.  Timothy Tiah founded Nuffnang with Cheo Ming Shen at 2006 when he was 22 years old, with 150k RM startup capital, partly borrowed from his father. He simply founded it because there’s nobody built it before, while the demand was actually there. The site was launched in February 2007. Sales ≠ cashflow On earlier years, although Nuffnang sales highrocketed, the cashflow was poor. At one point he only has 5k left in bank, while there were invoices need to be paid out urgently. He came to Hon...
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