billy kurniawan

The Business Brewer

Entrepreneur Billy Kurniawan believes that our attitude really determines our altitude. This lesson came into play when his coffeechain business, Kopi Janji Jiwa, scaled up in a way that he had never imagined. In fact, it got big enough to become a full-on corporate entity. There is a certain fear in him that he is chewing more than he can swallow. However, Billy quickly shifted his mind and convinced himself that all challenges will become stepping stones that would, in turn, allow him to see the business world from a new perspective. It was definitely a lifechanging milestone for him, as timing meets opportunity.

For any kind of advancement, whether in trends or technology, Billy believes that businesses and their founders have to focus on being relevant to their customers or audiences. And on that note, he believes that being relevant needs creativity. Billy acknowledges, however, that being creative is not a one-man job; it takes an entire team to explore and study brilliant ideas that come up. For this era of social media and e-commerce, Billy tried to assemble a fun but reliable creative team that can expand new dimensions for their brand and business units. “I see it not as negative pressure but as positive challenges that shape our interaction through the social media aspect and tech side of our business,” adds the Padang born entrepreneur.

At the moment, Billy’s Kopi Janji Jiwa has one of the largest followings on social media for local chain coffee shops and has also won quite a few prestigious awards. Looking ahead, he’s particularly excited to see how advances in renewable energy can allow them to produce an even smaller carbon footprint. Above all else, however, Billy Kurniawan hopes that technology can bring out more transparency and would allow Indonesia to fulfil its full economic potential.