"Building Is No Longer the Bottleneck -- Distribution Is."

A conversation with Jasper Jia on YC, solo founding, and finding your own pace as an entrepreneur in Tokyo

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🧑‍💻 Introduction

When it comes to startups, many young founders dream of getting into Y Combinator (YC), raising funding in San Francisco, and scaling globally. But what happens after that?

This week, we sat down with Jasper Jia, a designer turned founder who has lived in Melbourne, London, San Francisco, and now Tokyo -- to talk about his journey from corporate life to YC startup, and now, to becoming an indie hacker.

We spoke about why building isn't the hardest part anymore, why distribution matters most, and how choosing a personal path over a "VC path" can be a powerful decision.

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🌱 How We Met

We met at a hackathon in Kawasaki, hosted by RevenueCat. We weren't on the same team, but we grabbed dinner afterward and just kept exchanging ideas about no-code, AI, and startups in Japan.

Jasper had just moved to Tokyo earlier this year, after a whirlwind few years living and working across multiple continents. He's part of a new generation of founders who move fluidly between cities, industries, and roles -- following curiosity, not just opportunity.

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🌏 From Melbourne to Tokyo

Born in China and raised in Melbourne, Jasper studied economics at University of Melbourne before switching tracks to design engineering for his master's degree in the UK.

During undergrad, I did an exchange program in Japan. That planted the seed. After graduation, I went into consulting for a year but realized I wanted to be closer to tech and design.

That led him to London -- and eventually to a design role at Snap Inc., where he worked on 3D experiences and game engines. But like many creative technologists, corporate life soon started to feel confining.

I'm a very interest-driven person. When I'm not interested, I burn out quickly. And in a big company, you can't always choose the projects you work on.

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🚀 Entering YC -- And What It Really Felt Like

When Jasper decided to quit, he doubled down on no-code tutorials and freelance app-building -- which organically led to his first startup idea: a no-code chatbot builder.

We applied to YC twice. The first time we got rejected after the interview. The second time, we got in -- literally interviewing in our hotel room during a trip to SF to network.

Once accepted, the intensity hit immediately:

We worked basically 24/7. It felt productive -- but actually, we were just building without validating. We didn't do enough outreach or sales. And because the AI wave moved so fast, our product got left behind.

Jasper's reflection is strikingly honest. Many YC success stories glamorize the grind; few talk about what happens when hard work isn't enough because the direction isn't right.

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🧭 Lessons from YC: "Do Things That Don't Scale"

We were too focused on building. But building isn't the moat anymore -- distribution is.

Jasper emphasizes that today, technical ability is no longer the main bottleneck. With no-code tools and AI copilots, speed to build is faster than ever. The harder part? Getting people to care.

• "Talk to customers early. Hop on calls. Don't over-polish before validation."
• "Put a paywall in front of your MVP. The fastest way to know if someone wants it is to ask them to pay."
• "Think marketing first, not last."

He saw how the best-performing YC teams closed deals manually -- hopping on calls, delivering value one by one -- rather than building a perfect self-serve product upfront.

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🪄 On No-Code and AI: "They're Not Competing -- They're Layering"

Jasper is well known in the no-code community for his tutorials on FlutterFlow, and he's now exploring how AI fits into that ecosystem.

No code is a different abstraction level. It gives people the vocabulary to understand databases, design, and product structure. That makes you a better prompter for AI.

Rather than seeing AI as a replacement for no-code, Jasper sees it as a multiplier for those who already understand how to build.

It's like being a designer who knows how to direct an artist. If you understand structure, AI becomes 10x more powerful.

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🇯🇵 Why Tokyo

I came back to Tokyo because of unfinished business.

Jasper's first time in Japan was as an exchange student in Saitama. Years later, after COVID delayed plans, Tokyo became the perfect place to reset and build at his own pace.

To be honest, it wasn't a 'strategic' business decision. It was personal. I love the feeling of jumping into a country with no connections and building from zero.

Unlike the typical "go big or go home" Silicon Valley narrative, Jasper is intentionally building something sustainable, not hyper-scaled.

I don't need to IPO. A meaningful, profitable business with a strong personal brand is what's fulfilling for me.

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🧍 Indie Hacker Mode

Today, Jasper calls himself an "indie hacker" or "solo founder."

I work solo. I build software. That's it.

While many founders feel pressure to find a co-founder or raise VC money early, Jasper is leaning into solo building as a way to sharpen his skills in marketing, sales, and product -- before growing a team again.

I learned a lot from my previous co-founder. But for now, solo is the best setup. I can move fast, train my weak muscles, and build exactly what I want.

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💡 Advice for Young Founders

Jasper's journey is far from over, but here are the takeaways he hopes students and early-stage founders can internalize:

1. Distribution beats building. Don't hide behind code or design. Talk to real people.
2. Validate with money. A "yes" is cheap. A paid subscription is truth.
3. No code is a learning bridge. Use it to learn structure, vocabulary, and speed.
4. Your path doesn't have to be Silicon Valley's. Tokyo, SF, London -- you can build anywhere.
5. Solo is a season. Use it to grow. Co-founders or teams can come later.

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✨ Closing Thoughts

I think what matters most is knowing what kind of founder you are -- not what the world tells you to be.

For Jasper, Tokyo isn't the end of the journey. It's just the next chapter -- one where speed, curiosity, and personal freedom matter more than raising the biggest round.

And maybe, that's a startup story worth telling.

In the next part of this interview, Jasper opens up about his new venture -- Mixbash -- and why he believes the future of creative tools is agentic, not node-based. We also talk about marketing strategies, underrated no-code tools, and what AI will mean for creators over the next few years. Read Part II here.

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🧠 Guest: Jasper Jia -- Designer, Indie Hacker, Former YC Founder
🎤 Interviewer: Billy Qiu
📍 Location: Cafe in Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan
📅 Date: October 17, 2025

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