Surely, you all want to achieve financial freedom. You probably already know that investing can be one way to gain financial freedom.

You may be a beginner looking to dive into this sector. Or you are someone who has previous experience in the investment field. Whatever phase you are in the investment world, it doesn’t matter; this book suits you.

“Where is the Money?” is a book discussing digital value investment in Southeast Asia. Published by Jawara Press, this book, written by Alfred Boediman, Raden Aswin Rahadi, Yudo Anggoro, Kurnia Fajar Afgani, and Gun Gun Indrayana, was released in November 2023. This book is the second part of a trilogy. The first book, “Private Equity and Venture Capital in Southeast Asia,” was published last July.

Today’s Investment World

The release of this second book coincides with a dynamic shift in value investing in Southeast Asia. The increasing financial literacy of society today, coupled with the emergence of better and more sophisticated hardware, has caused many people to be interested in entering the world of investment. Besides, digital investment and success stories like Warren Buffett have proven that investing is a real wealth-building strategy and can be done by anyone. However, unfortunately for Indonesia, this potential has not been realized.

“We will soon be the next big thing, but many Indonesians haven’t thought that far,” said Aswin, a lecturer at SBM ITB (14/11).

The lack of references about investment in Southeast Asia has kept the investment barrier to entry relatively high. People are afraid to invest because they don’t know how to measure the value of the opportunity. This causes many missed opportunities, so Southeast Asia loses out to investors from other parts of the world.

There must be a means to support education and community development. The more knowledge is advanced, the greater the opportunity for Indonesia to actualize a circular economy. If this nation is to progress, it should do so in a manner consistently owned and controlled by the nation.

Fulfilling a Big Goal

It is with this knowledge that the five experts wrote this book. The authors are experts in risk management, private equity, governance, property, and startup development. They wrote books that collect theoretical understanding and practical experience (which they have accumulated over many years) into a comprehensive trilogy for beginners and professionals.

“We want this book to be educational and inspiring,” said Alfred, a lecturer at SBM ITB. “We have simplified many complex investment concepts to make them easier to understand while incorporating a combination of our personal experiences.”

This book can also be a practical guide for students, especially at SBM ITB. Comprehensive case studies complement the theory to strengthen the reader’s understanding and increase awareness of the conditions of opportunity in Southeast Asia.

“As a business school, engaging practitioners who substantiate our theories is imperative. Historically, references to investments in Southeast Asia were scarce, limited to financial reports with a notable absence of relevant literature. This presents an opportunity for us to demonstrate that business schools can actively connect with the market.” Gungun added.

So, Where is the money?

The title of this book is unique. When the authors asked about this topic, their answers varied but could be drawn to one conclusion. The money is here, in Indonesia, with you. Now, it just needs to be found.

Indonesia has enormous potential in terms of resources, population, and purchasing power. What hinders this is that people are not used to just investing. This is a collaborative effort where everyone has a role to play. Young people must be ready to become players in the country’s economy, the adult generation must pave the way for new opportunities in the future, and the government must support local businesses through appropriate regulations.

It all starts with increasing your knowledge about investing. You no longer have to bother looking for credible sources; let’s start by reading this book.

“Where is the Money?” can be purchased from the official Jawara Press website and Tokopedia. Interested readers can start with the first book, “Private Equity and Venture Capital in South East Asia.”

“Where is the Money?” is a book discussing digital value investment in Southeast Asia. This book was published by Jawara Press and was written by Alfred Boediman, Gun Gun Indrayana, Raden Aswin Rahadi, Kurnia Fajar Afgani and Yudo Anggoro
Written by Student Reporter (Abdurrafi Prayata Abidin, Management 2024)