How a 20-Year Tech Entrepreneur Found Inspiration in Her Grandmother to Lead Indonesia’s Digital Revolution

How a Grandmother’s Legacy Shaped a Tech Entrepreneur

Shinta Dhanuwardoyo, founder and CEO of Bubu.com, began her journey as a tech entrepreneur in 1996—before Google, Yahoo, or Facebook existed. Her story isn’t just about building startups; it’s about how one woman’s legacy, her grandmother Ibu Supeni, became the quiet engine behind her resilience and vision in Indonesia’s digital industry.

At the #StartupLokal Meetup v.64, held in honor of Kartini Day, Shinta didn’t just recount her career milestones. She revealed the deeper truth: success in tech isn’t just about code or capital—it’s about identity, memory, and the courage to lead when no one else has.

"I'm not selling anything, I'm selling you. I want you to remember, especially if you're a woman. Remember that we created the trends."

That line wasn’t a pitch. It was a call to action. For women in tech, especially in Indonesia, the message was clear: you are not behind. You are not late. You are the origin.

Why She Calls Herself a Serial Tech Entrepreneur

Shinta didn’t start with a startup. She started with curiosity. In 1996, when most people in Indonesia were still learning what the internet was, she was already building tech ventures. She wasn’t chasing trends—she was creating them.

She didn’t just launch companies. She launched entire ecosystems. Her first venture wasn’t just a product—it was a mindset: that technology could be a tool for change, not just convenience.

"I've been creating startups since 96. So, before there was Google, before there was Yahoo, before all the big players like Facebook, I was already building startups."

This wasn’t bragging. It was grounding. She was reminding the room that the digital revolution in Indonesia didn’t start with a foreign founder or a Silicon Valley blueprint. It started with people like her—homegrown, persistent, and unafraid to fail.

The Power of a Single Picture

At the heart of her talk was one image: a photo of her grandmother, Ibu Supeni.

"She’s my inspiration and she happens to be my grandmother."

Ibu Supeni wasn’t just a family figure. She was a diplomat—Indonesia’s ambassador to the United States during Sukarno’s era. Her name appeared in newspapers, her speeches were recorded, her presence was visible in a country still learning how to speak globally.

Shinta didn’t just admire her. She studied her. She collected her clippings, read her speeches, and kept her library as a personal archive. This wasn’t nostalgia. It was strategy.

"That was my first investment in Nusantara Ventures."

She wasn’t referring to money. She meant: her grandmother’s life was her first lesson in leadership. The courage to speak in foreign capitals. The dignity to represent a nation. The quiet strength to stay in the public eye without losing herself.

This became her blueprint. When she faced rejection, when investors said no, when her startups failed—she remembered Ibu Supeni. Not as a relic, but as a living example of what a woman in power could look like.

The Unseen Work of Women in Tech

Shinta didn’t just talk about her own journey. She spoke about the invisible labor women do—mentoring, building community, and sustaining ecosystems.

She mentioned mentoring Natalia Riantoyo, co-founder of tik.com, and others in the ecosystem. She didn’t say “I helped her.” She said:

"I did a lot of mentoring for Natali and his team, am I right?"

That pause, that soft confirmation, wasn’t humility. It was recognition. She knew her role wasn’t just to build companies. It was to build the next generation.

She’s now an angel investor and advisor. She’s not just funding startups—she’s curating the future of Indonesia’s digital industry. And she does it quietly, without fanfare.

The Truth About Success: It’s Not Linear

One of the most powerful moments came when she admitted:

"Actually, from 1996 to now, it seems like I’ve done a lot of things that sound successful. But the ones that didn’t succeed? They were many."

This wasn’t a confession. It was a revelation. She wasn’t hiding failure. She was normalizing it.

For every Bubu.com, there were half a dozen ideas that died. For every investor who said yes, there were ten who said no. And yet, she kept going.

She didn’t frame failure as a lesson. She framed it as data. Each dead startup taught her something about market timing, team dynamics, or product-market fit. Each rejection sharpened her ability to listen, adapt, and lead.

Why This Matters for Female Founders Today

Shinta’s story isn’t just for women in tech. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong.

She didn’t wait for permission. She didn’t need a role model who looked like her—because her grandmother was enough. She didn’t need a startup that would go public to prove her worth. She measured success by impact, not headlines.

"Let’s change the world."

That was her closing line. Not a slogan. A command. A reminder that innovation doesn’t start with a pitch deck. It starts with a memory. With a picture. With a woman who believed she could do more than her time allowed.

What You Can Do Today

If you’re a founder—especially a woman—here’s what Shinta’s journey teaches:

1. Start with your roots. Your history, your family, your culture—these aren’t distractions. They’re your foundation. Find the woman in your life who made you believe you could lead.

2. Mentor without credit. You don’t need to be famous to change someone’s life. Share your time, your network, your scars. The next generation will remember you not for your valuation, but for your presence.

3. Embrace the non-linear path. Success isn’t a straight line. It’s a series of experiments. Each failure is a step forward. Don’t hide your dead startups. Show them. They’re proof you’re trying.

4. Lead by example, not title. You don’t need to be CEO to be a leader. You don’t need funding to be an innovator. Your voice, your story, your commitment—those are your tools.

5. Remember: you created the trend. You don’t need to follow. You don’t need to catch up. You’re already part of the movement.

Key Takeaways

• Shinta Dhanuwardoyo has been building startups since 1996, long before major tech giants existed in Indonesia.
• Her grandmother, Ibu Supeni, a diplomat during Sukarno’s era, was her primary source of inspiration and leadership model.
• She sees her role not just as a founder but as a mentor and angel investor, actively supporting the next generation of startups.
• Failure is not the opposite of success—it’s part of the journey. She openly acknowledges many of her ventures did not succeed.
• Women in tech don’t need permission to lead. They are already shaping the trends, and their legacy starts with their stories.