Corentin Derbré

Books:

Indonesia 2014 – Derek Sivers

ISBN: 9789810786069
Date read: 2018-04-18
How strongly I recommend it: 7/10
(See my list of books, for more.)

Go to the Amazon page for details and reviews.

200 questions about culture and business in Singapore. Precise, short and actionable answers. It would have been nice if it was updated to 2018, when I read it. In short Indonesia seems too messy to operate a business there.

my notes

When in doubt, and when you just can’t keep your mouth shut, try to phrase all of your criticisms as questions. This allows you to speak your mind, but still play innocent if you say something offensive, as you can always claim you were just asking instead of making a statement of fact.

Religion plays a huge role in the day-to-day life of almost every Indonesian.

It is extremely rare to hear an Indonesian say they aren’t religious, or don’t believe in God.

Indonesians are also much more polite when compared to many Asian cultures.

Failing to provide your guests with food and drinks can be seen as very rude.

Saving face can come in many forms. One common one is to never say something to someone they would find unpleasant to hear.

Talking about personal finances is almost always a bad idea.

The right amount of money paid to the right person can usually get you in and out of every situation imaginable.

The three main hurdles to conducting business in Indonesia are corruption, infrastructure and cultural differences.



© 2018 Corentin Derbré.