Nadiem Makarim of gojek’s fame crosses to politics, these are what the startup ecosystem has to say

It’s not an uncommon thing to see for a successful businessman making his way to politics as his final career destination (of doom?). But when it comes to gojek, an app we all love to use, really use, and now has come to a point where it’s impossible to go through the minutiae of daily life without it, the name Nadiem Makarim being announced as one of the sitting cabinets leaves such an aftertaste.

Here’s a 35-year old startup success story, an icon for all Millennials and Generation Z, someone whom they’re aspired to be and someone whom they look up to when catching an entrepreneurial bug. Makarim has been idolised and praised by the likes of generations that were born with technology as well as by those who catch up with technology to stay relevant.

It’s, quite simply, the one thing that makes all the fuss about religions and tolerance irrelevant. It gives a new perspective of what Indonesia can achieve if we put that aside.

Makarim’s move is a calculated one, albeit shocking for some. We gathered the sentiments we see around the media and our budding startup community to help you realise just how significant Makarim is and how he could be the dark horse that brings a new dawn to Indonesia’s education system in the next five years.

When your country calls you, you serve

Not sure where the quote was first heard or who said it first, but the quotes seem fitting.

In his own words to his staff, Makarim stated that him receiving the second term-elected President Jokowi’s mandate is “gojek’s next logical step”.

“We work together as a team for a greater good because as soon as it becomes about the individual, things begin to fall apart. Gojek thrives on talent and if Indonesia is to produce more high-quality talent, the country’s educational system is going to have to transform just like the one that began on the streets of Jakarta in 2010 (when gojek was first established),” Makarim is quoted saying.

Also Read: [Updated] Breaking: gojek CEO Nadiem Makarim resigns to join cabinet

“Our schools and academic institutions are going to have to meet the demands of our future economy. That’s why, when I received the mandate to be the Minister of Education and Culture, I knew it was something I had to do,” he concluded.

One of our group chat members pointed out a fairly good point about Makarim’s decision, saying it’s a “tricky timing for Gojek”. “Just as they’re trying to expand to new countries, their CEO left. It seems like slow progress over the year, especially with their Go-Viet head just left the company (again),” the person, who wishes to remain unnamed, said.

However, Rama Mamuaya, founder and CEO of DailySocial, Indonesia’s tech media company, pointed out that Makarim hasn’t been involved in a lot of days to day operations of Gojek for a long time anyway. “Andre Soelistyo, who is the CEO of Gojek Indonesia, does. Makarim was the CEO of Gojek Group. I don’t think it will impact the company as a whole,” Mamuaya said.

The sentiment is proven to be right, as Makarim’s staff email also pointed out Soelistyo as his successor, along with Kevin Aluwi. “I will leave Gojek in the capable hands of Andre Soelistyo and Kevin Aluwi as co-CEOs, both of whom have played central roles in moving the company along its path from that office in South Jakarta onto the global stage. They have been running this company for several years and I have complete faith not just in their technical skills and ability to execute flawlessly, but also in their integrity and their desire to do the right thing every step of the way,” the email reads.

Public and private sector’s intersection

On a more positive note, the Indonesian new cabinet just gained a fresh, forward-thinking mind, an original product of its tech industry.

The placement of the gojek’s CEO into government just sent a huge signal to investors about how open the country is to this kind of thinking. With Indonesia’s plenty of compelling business cases, the pairing of government and disruptive tech makes sense given Makarim’s position as an enabler for other new and young founders.

Critics also have been raving about the fact that Makarim has zero background in education. President Jokowi addressed the issue himself during a press conference on Thursday, October 24.

“There are around 300.000 schools and 50 million students in Indonesia. Makarim’s ability in management and applicative technology could help meet many needs of our country’s education system. Technology makes what used to be impossible possible, and this is something our education needs, a breakthrough,” said the President, as reported by Kompas.

However, some still need convincing that Makarim’s placement is not without a hidden agenda. Some pointed out that it could potentially end the long-standing competition between gojek and another unicorn that dominates Indonesia, Grab, with gojek taking the market as a whole, home.

Grab shared their official congratulations saying, “We congratulate our fellow industry disruptor, Nadiem Makarim on his appointment as Minister of Education & Cultural Affairs. As an inspiring figure to Indonesian youth, we believe he will bring innovative thinking and fresh ideas to elevate Indonesia’s education system.”

Highlighting on how education is the first sector to take care of if we want to see a change in a nation, Makarim also said that he’s looking forward to still carry gojek’s ethos into the government placement. “From the start, gojek’s ethos is all about acting in the best interests of Indonesia and Southeast Asia and making it an even better place to call home,” he ended his statement.

Transparency is more crucial than ever

Panhavuth Chan Heng, Chief Commercial Executive at BookMeBus Cambodia, bus ticket booking startup, pointed out that even if this is a hopeful move, lack of transparency is not tolerable at this point.

“This high-profile transition could set the scene for the new Public-Startup partnership in Southeast Asia as the region is becoming more dependent on the digital economy. I believe this joint force could be the cornerstone of exponential and sustainable growth. It remains interesting to see how it plays out as the market is still very competitive and any sign of bias could become highly sensitive if there is a lack of transparency within the cabinet,” Heng said.

Therefore, Makarim resigning is a good optic, said another anonymous thought leader in our startup group’s conversation.

“Makarim still needs to state that he will not exercise voting rights during his time in government’s office and that any decisions his office makes that can impact his company will have to be approved by the president. That way he can show that he doesn’t profit off it,” the person noted.

The move might be more convenient than the rest of us thought, but Makarim would be one of the firsts to secure such a role in the government, confirming the rumours that have been out there for quite some time.

Minister of Education and Culture

Despite the rejection from gojek’s drivers who made news on Tuesday, October 22, stating that gojek drivers aren’t in a relatively good state income-wise, Makarim was announced as Minister of Education and Culture on Wednesday, October 23.

Another member of our startup group further points out that indeed, education is one part of the bigger picture.

Also Read: [Updated] Breaking: Nadiem Makarim named Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia

“In a sense, you need a golden trinity – education (mindset), infrastructure (ecosystem), and environment (government regulation) for a good startup to thrive. I’d say to get each factor to close to 10/10 takes significant time, with mindsets being the hardest, since it’s generational,” the anonymous member said.

Anisa Menur, our Chief Editor, pointed out the obvious. “Indonesia’s ministry of education has been run by baby boomers for so long that they have lost sight of what is important for the future. With a fresh young mind like Nadiem, hopefully, it can come up with policies that fit what the students need.”

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NTUitive, Alex Lin also gave the nod on the sentiment. “Indonesia is working on mindset change on the country level. This hopefully can be a wakeup call to all the old politicians in the region.”

“What Indonesia will ignite is not just a war for tech talent, but talent. Good talents will see that Indonesia is now a place to change, to build, to be. Talents will flow there to build new business, to find like-minded people, and be with the growth,” Lin added, fueled with optimism.

The country has been considered as a huge growth machine for the Southeast Asia region, and it is coming out of its stealth mode. Some concerns were raised over the country’s notoriety in religious views that’s been blamed for delayed acceleration.

Jiaquan Lu, a freelance writer weighed in on the issue. “So long as religious and racial harmony and tolerances are in place, Indonesia is on a fast track of tech growth,” Lu said.

Aryo Ariotedjo, CEO of wellspaces group, a community-focussed property and service with wellness goal and investor from Indonesian B2B e-procurement startup Bizzy Group, also praised Makarim’s decision.

“Great move for the government! Makarim’s success in building gojek in less than 10 years to become our country’s unicorn will help him to develop more breakthroughs within the Ministry of Education. Hopefully, he will inspire a more agile and responsive style of governance within his department and other governmental bodies too.”

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