#50: 50 Newsletters Later: Here’s What We’ve Learned And Struggled With
A glimpse behind the stories and milestones, and lessons along the way
Welcome to SEAmplified’s newsletter—where we share inspiring stories for you to rethink the grind & discover your why in Southeast Asia!
Reading time: 9 minutes
Hey there, Zhan Tiam here, founder of SEAmplified.
A few days ago, I searched “Southeast Asia youth media platform” on Google—just out of curiosity.
To my surprise, SEAmplified showed up in the search results and Gemini’s AI summary.
It felt surreal.
When SEAmplified started in January 2024, I had no formal background in media or journalism. It was born out of curiosity and a sense that more needs to be done to forge stronger connections between youths across Southeast Asia.
I didn’t have a plan. I began writing articles while juggling academics, sometimes until late at night, wondering if anyone would read them.
Close to 20 months later, we’re now at our 50th edition! With a growing community of more than 1,000 followers across Substack, Instagram, and LinkedIn, this wouldn’t have been possible without my team and readers like yourself.
So for this special edition, I wanted to do something different.
Some time ago, we ran a poll on Instagram to ask what you’d like to see in this edition, and most of you wanted to see what’s behind the scenes at SEAmplified!
So we’re pulling back the curtain and giving you a glimpse into how content is created at SEAmplified. From hour-long interviews to last-minute video edits, and our tiny team of youths holding it together, what have we learned?
Behind The Articles
I didn’t start out knowing how to write good stories. But I felt that there were many inspiring youths across Southeast Asia whose voices rarely get surfaced, and I wanted to highlight them.
The first few editions were quite scrappy.
For Trailblazers, we just spoke to people we found doing interesting things, and tried our best to capture their thoughts in an authentic way. Redefining Work began with showcasing how youths across the region share similar hopes and fears about the future of work.
Over time, I started noticing what makes a story stick. It wasn’t about achievements. It was about how they relate and inspire you to learn what peers in the region are doing, and encourage you to explore different paths.
Today, every analysis or feature we write begins with a thought, a conversation, or something we come across online. Our feature on Miguel’s Heritage Bay happened after I stumbled upon his story online. I visited his office for the interview and spent the whole afternoon hearing about his story and why he started his venture.
The analysis on students going for summer internships was sparked by a university student who announced he had no internship on LinkedIn. It was followed by weeks of research for statistics and chats with university students.
More recently, we began calling for contributors to share their perspectives. I learned how Filipino youths are redefining work from Frankie Nobleza’s story, and reflected on the meaning of work with Gerald Koh’s piece.
But not all of our storytelling happens in words. They’re also captured on camera.
Behind The Videos
“You only see 60 seconds—but each video takes a lot of patience!”
That’s how Sherlyn Ng, who handles most of our reels and video content, puts it. Behind every short video is a long process of scripting, multiple takes (sometimes 10 tries just to land 3 words), and a lot of experimenting with how to make an impact.
There was once where she only had 30 minutes before sunset to wrap up an entire shoot, and it started drizzling. She ended up with only 10 minutes of usable footage, and somehow, under pressure, she pulled it all together.
On average, each 1-minute video takes 20–40 minutes to film and at least an hour to edit.
It’s hard work—but we keep doing it. Not just because we get to showcase the quirky, often overlooked facts about Southeast Asia, but because when we create an episode for SEA Oddities, we’re learning more about the region we call home.
And hopefully, these videos inspire you to discover more about what our region has to offer!
What We’ve Learned So Far
While we’ve been creating content for some time now, we’re still figuring things out along the way. But we’ve also learned a few things about storytelling, community, and ourselves.
1) Good storytelling is more than just featuring successful stories
When we first started telling stories, it felt easier to just focus on the obvious markers of success, such as launching a business, or winning an award.
But over time, we realized that these moments don’t always capture the full picture of a person’s journey. The most memorable ones are often the messy ones: the doubts before a big decision, the trade-off behind choices, or even the setbacks that are not celebrated.
When I interviewed Vanessa How, what struck me was her decision to leave a high-paying consulting career for something that’s more purposeful, more aligned with her values. The decision came amidst several stressors in life—personal skin problems, burnout at work, and a grandmother in ICU. But she chose to rethink the grind and go for a different path, right here in Southeast Asia.
That’s the kind of narrative we want to reflect in our stories. We began to look for pivotal, vulnerable moments that young adults across Southeast Asia can see themselves in. They go beyond achievements, and connect us all because they feel real.
2) A community grows on trust, not virality
It can be tempting to chase virality for the sake of numbers, but trending posts often come and go, and we might not attract the right audience.
Instead, we learned that the most valuable growth is when someone says, “Your content made me discover something new about Southeast Asia,” or “I love what you guys are doing.” These comments keep us going, even if our audience reach is small compared to larger platforms.
But what’s more interesting is how growing a niche and highly engaged community has opened doors to more opportunities for us. Thanks to our audience, we’ve attracted like-minded organizations like OSG Youth Alliance, universities, and Singapore’s National Youth Council to be our content and event partners.
These collaborations have not only sustained us but amplified our impact, allowing us to run events, create more meaningful content, and reach more audiences we could never have reached alone.
3) Running SEAmplified has taught us so much about the region
When we first started, we thought we had to position ourselves as a regional expert to build credibility—but we were wrong. With every article and video we publish at SEAmplified, we realized that we’re learning about our assumptions, blind spots, and how there’s still so much to learn about Southeast Asia.
For instance, at every SEA Oddities episode, we’re often surprised by how everyday food like kaya (sweet coconut jam) can taste different across the region, and how we have common superstitious beliefs like how sweeping the floor at night can bring us bad luck!
But beyond the shared food and traditions, we also learn how our regional friends navigate expectations, and how they create opportunities for themselves.
In Frankie Nobleza’s article on how 7 Filipino youths are redefining work, I learned that while there’s a similar trend on moving away from traditional career paths, cultural values like bayanihan (indigenous spirit of communal cooperation) remains deeply rooted amidst the shift.
These discoveries remind us that the more we uncover, the more we realize that SEAmplified is not here to simply explain what’s happening amongst youths in Southeast Asia. We’re here to explore it with you, with the same curiosity and wonder: What else do we not know yet?
Behind The People
While our content usually takes center stage, we often get asked, “How big is the team behind SEAmplified?”
Most people are surprised when we say it’s a tiny crew of youths juggling this with full-time university studies and other commitments. After working together for some time, I think it’s time that you get to know the team!
📹 Sherlyn Ng, Content Producer and Video Editor
“I joined SEAmplified because I wanted to share more about what Southeast Asia has to offer! Sometimes, the quirkiest facts are the ones closest to us—and I love uncovering them. These days, you’ll find me scripting videos, editing on CapCut, and designing way too many video covers!
Fun fact? I LOVE sashimi—I once had an 8-week Sushiro streak. No regrets.
To me, Southeast Asia is full of untapped stories, wild creativity, and so much potential. It’s exciting to be part of something that celebrates all that.”
📈 Elmer Eng, Business Development
“At SEAmplified, I lead our Business Development efforts, building partnerships with companies, organisations, and institutions across the region.
A fun fact about me—I learnt to cycle in just five minutes at the age of nine.
To me, Southeast Asia’s diversity, growth potential, and the unique strengths of its many countries make it an incredibly dynamic region, and I am thrilled to contribute to its ongoing development!”
📸 Han Ziyi, Content Creator
“I joined because I care deeply about how stories are told—especially in a region as dynamic and diverse as Southeast Asia.
Fun fact: I’m the kind of person who overthinks restaurant menus but ends up ordering the same thing every time.
To me, Southeast Asia is full of rhythm, contrast, and warmth there’s always something new to learn, and I love that SEAmpified gives us space to explore it thoughtfully.”
What’s Next?
As we celebrate this 50th edition, I’m reminded that we’re just getting started.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of the stories, ideas, and opportunities waiting to be discovered across Southeast Asia.
In edition 46, we revealed our tagline: Rethink The Grind, Discover Your Why.
We’re holding space for you to navigate life and explore different possibilities and pathways in Southeast Asia. With the world increasingly uncertain yet faster than ever, our work feels more urgent than ever.
Here’s what lies ahead:
More collaborations: We’re working with organizations and partners to amplify what our region has to offer, while bringing stories from more corners of Southeast Asia we’ve yet to reach.
More community-powered storytelling: Expect more stories by readers, for readers across Southeast Asia. The best narratives comes from lived experiences that resonate.
More events that bring our digital community to real life: From micro-workshops, SEAcret Gatherings, to regional trips, we want to connect you with each other and emerging changemakers across the region.
But we can’t do this alone. If our content has ever made you think differently about Southeast Asia, share them with a friend.
And if you’ve a personal story, a quirky cultural insight from your country, or an idea for a video or article, pitch it to us on Instagram or email hello@seamplified.com. Your voice could inspire someone to chart their own path!
Final Thoughts
Not long ago, a fellow media founder told me, “I’m surprised that your audience is small, because you’re doing good work!” It was a reminder that while numbers matter, it’s the depth of connection with our community that keeps us going.
Here’s to the next 50 editions and beyond—more stories, more connections, and more possibilities in Southeast Asia. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Enjoyed today’s article? Follow SEAmplified on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn for more exciting and exclusive content, hit the subscribe button, and tell us how we did in the poll below!
Have a new idea or lead for a story, feedback on our work, or just want to say hi? Email us at hello@seamplified.com.