CEO Insights Magazine

The Indonesian startups ecosystem is manifesting resilience despite declining funding last year, thanks to a large, techsavvy, youthful population fostering a growing trend of digital adoption. Indonesia’s vast consumer base, mobile-first behaviors, and government support for the digital economy create enormous opportunities for innovation. By offering customized solutions, focusing on user experience, and forming strategic partnerships, Budi Mulia, Country Manager (Indonesia), Kapture CX, is exhibiting how businesses can make the most out of this milieu. SaaS startup Kapture CX’s growth in the country over the past few years under the aegis of Budi is a great example.

Budi is an analytical expert with over 20 years of experience across trading, IT consulting, business development, leadership, supply chain management, marketing, and customer relationship management. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in IT from BINUS University and has effectively managed startups such as iSeller, DESKERA, etc., clutching his unique problem-solving skills. Budi joins us for an exclusive interview. 

With two decades of extensive experience in the industry, what have been some of the biggest milestones in your career?
Despite having professional experience over two decades, all my efforts turned into achievements in 2017 when I developed a startup brand called ‘iSeller.’ We developed the product from scratch and attracted investors. In the process, I learned a lot about developing products along with sales and marketing, which was my first and biggest stepping stone in the industry. In 2020, I was distributing ‘Deskera’, an ERP system from Singapore sold more than 500 licenses in Indonesia in a span of two years. I noticed the global perspective on the product and learned how to penetrate the Indonesian market with this product. Finally, with Kapture CX, I've been developing the Kapture CX market in Indonesia since 2022. Currently, we have more than 40 clients in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. I carried all my startup experience, particularly with Go to the Market strategies, along with my global perspective with Indonesian viewpoints, combining both insights effectively.

How do you use this experience to ensure that customers return to you for their future needs?
One of my methods usually is that every time we present our products to clients, I always push my team to demonstrate all the capabilities of our products, even when they exceed features beyond the customers’ requirements. Because I believe every company have their own roadmap, the important one is how they see us along the way with their roadmap and they will approach us for an upgrade in the future.

Being on top of the trends is a crucial aspect of providing CX. How do you ensure this?
Constant learning is fundamental for all professionals, regardless of their experience. As we are in the information era, we can obtain almost all information from anywhere using Google, GPT, YouTube, etc. Finally, the key for you to be at the cutting edge of things is the golden triangle. First is staying informed about the news. Secondly, always try to see things from the customer's perspective. Finally, aligning your actions with the company's vision is crucial. By focusing on these three aspects, you will always stay updated on the trends.

For instance, today, one of my biggest goals is to help our customers adopt GenAI in the most useful way that will make a significant difference to them. GenAI is also one of the key products of Kapture CX and it will play a significant role going forward.

What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?
I see myself as a customer-centric leader. I always advise my team that the customer is the heart of our company. Hence, our vision and strategies should revolve around their needs and experiences. I'm trying to create this customer-first mindset in all departments, not limiting to only sales and customer service. I strongly believe that earning customer’s trust is the key to maintaining a longterm relationship. However, customer centricity is not about saying yes to everything customers say, but having empathy, seeing things from the customer’s perspective, and talking in their language.

Based on your extensive experience in the industry, what advice would you give aspiring CX leaders?
Indonesia has a very unique market. Hence, I advise budding leaders who eye Indonesian markets to learn about the people and their culture. Secondly, for the local leaders, I think we need to aim global. Indonesia has many large enterprises that haven't reached the global stage yet. 

Budi Mulia, Country Manager, Kapture CX
With over 20 years of experience in trading, IT consulting, business development, leadership, supply chain management, marketing, and customer relationship management at various companies, Budi has effectively built and managed startups. He is an alumnus of BINUS University.