Fighting with Bamboo Spears in the Digital Era

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

William Tanuwijaya

The spirit of bambu runcing (bamboo spears) in Indonesia is the spirit of the past, but it has become relevant once again at the hands of millennials. The spirit exists in the heart of a man who migrated from a small town in Sumatra to Jakarta on a ship for four days and three nights. The spirit exists in the courage and persistence of a former Internet café attendant in establishing a digital company.

He is the co-founder and CEO of Tokopedia, William Tanuwijaya, 35. Tokopedia is an online marketplace that became the talk of the nation when it was cited as one of three Indonesian unicorn startups. “Unicorn” is a term for startup with a valuation of more than Rp 13.3 trillion (US$1 billion).