SCALE UP - Conversation with Andy Waroma, Founder & MD @ Cloud Comrade

07/26/23 • 5 min

This week, my guest is Andy Waroma, the Founder and Managing Director of Cloud Comrade, a prominent public cloud solutions provider across the Asia-Pacific region, recently acquired by ST Telemedia Cloud. Originally from Finland, Andy moved to Singapore in 2000 through an international job assignment at SAP. Little did he know that originally intended short-term stint would turn into a remarkable 23-year journey, and he now happily considers Singapore his second home. Andy's professional journey began as a consultant at Capgemini, where he served SAP as a client. Later on, he made a transition to SAP and dedicated over a decade to building various teams and practices across EMEA and APAC regions. In 2011, recognizing the growing momentum of cloud technology in Asia, he proposed a cloud-related project. Unfortunately, his idea was rejected by SAP, leading him to embark on his first entrepreneurial venture, which ultimately led to the founding of Cloud Comrade. Since then, the company has grown from a team of 0 to 100 employees, serving over 500 clients across the APAC region. During this interview, Andy generously shared valuable life lessons he learned throughout his entrepreneurial journey. He offered insightful advice on managing people and implementing effective organizational practices while scaling a company. Moreover, he delved into his fascinating personal trajectory and shared some of the secrets that contributed to his success. “Authentic and reciprocal relationships go beyond superficial interactions and play a pivotal role in professional networking.” Subscribe to the ⁠bi-weekly newsletter⁠ for detailed write-ups of the interview!

Previous Episode

SCALE UP - July Recap 2023

Here is a recap for the SCALE UP July edition. This month’s theme for me is living with no regrets.

All three of my guests this week have taken bold moves and lived their lives with no regrets. And guess what, those bold moves turn out to be one of the best decisions they have ever made. Eric Hudson, for example, took a chance to decline his MBA offer and pursue a recruiter opportunity right after college, which turned out to be a 13-year stellar career. Lionel Gao, used the #googlelayoffs to master the tradeoffs of time, to self-reflect and actively pursue his interests in mentorship and coaching. And finally, Will Fan🕊 has been fueling his entrepreneurial journey with those tragic life experiences - growing up without a role model and losing his sister to cancer at a young age.

When it comes to scaling up lessons. Exploring alternative paths is something all three guests talked about. There is no textbook or blueprint on the scaling journey. Every company is unique, every business has its own challenges. You can only reference what has worked for others but you gotta reinvent to get what's working for you. So good times or bad times, the winner takes it all. When the traditional route has been blocked, don’t get distressed, don’t get beaten down, open up your eyes because there is always that alternative path lying ahead of you. You just need to know where you wanna go.

Big shoutout 📢 again to this month's guests, next month I am taking you to the world of #deeptech and #AI. Exploring the real lessons from some of the renowned #artificialgeneralintelligence company leaders, and their views on how the AI revolution will ultimately change the future of work. Subscribe to the ⁠⁠bi-weekly newsletter⁠⁠ for detailed write-ups of the interview!

Next Episode

SCALE UP - Conversation with Vanessa Lu, Head of HR @ Google Taiwan

My guest this week is Vanessa Lu, Head of HR @ Google Taiwan. Vanessa's journey has been anything but conventional. She began as a news editor for a TV station, then transitioned to the finance sector, working with renowned banks like Standard Chartered. After completing her graduate studies in the US, she found her calling in HR, where she has thrived for the past decade. Growing up in a conservative Taiwanese society, Vanessa attributes much of her success to her outspoken personality and willingness to take risks.

During the interview, we delved into the talent landscape in Taiwan, as well as the unique challenges and opportunities in the market. We also explored Vanessa's experiences in helping companies scale, discussing the lessons she learned along the way. Lastly, we touched upon her inspiring journey and the secret ingredients that contributed to her success.

“Always be ready to fail. Failure should never be the excuse from us trying to explore new things. But it’s also important to acknowledge that failure is part of the process.” Subscribe to the bi-weekly newsletter for detailed write-ups of the interview!