You cannot think like a local

2 min read –

You cannot think like a local –

But you don’t need to –

See why below ⬇️ –

Last month, some friends of ours lost their 17-year-old son in a car accident.

A tragic event.

Last week, I was driving my family in Jakarta, my wife, sister-in-law, her son, and my mother-in-law, and we were discussing that accident.

There were four passengers in that car. Only one died. The others were able to explain what happened.

Apparently, the car had been racing with a truck on the highway. For fun? For pride? We don’t know. It does not matter anymore.

One of the vehicles was racing on the emergency lane.

In Indonesia, emergency lanes are often used like normal ones.

We talked about how people drive here, how licenses are obtained (I’ll write about that another time), and how extra caution is needed on the roads.

It became clear: the main cause of the accident was speeding.

So I suggested to the backseat passengers to buckle their seatbelts.

That’s when my sister-in-law replied: “Why put on the seatbelt? You’re not racing, are you?”

That moment struck me. I expected concern, agreement, and even support. I got none of that.

At first I thought she was being careless.

Then I realized she was seeing things through a different lens.

That’s the point: people see, think, and act differently.

I have numerous stories like this in Indonesia, both in daily life and in business.

And my point here is not about who is right or wrong, what is good or bad.

In business, there is no good nor bad. There is strategy, top line (revenue) and bottom line (profit).

I have lived for more than 15 years based in Asia, and my first trip to Asia was in 1996.

Still, I cannot fully think like a local, and that is fine.

When you come to visit Indonesia, it’s the same and even more difficult for you since you probably come only 2-3 times a year.

In business, people’s reactions and weak signals are more difficult to catch than in daily life activities like driving or buying groceries.

Cultural misunderstandings are invisible until they cost you a deal.

Missing a deal is not a sudden death like in a car accident.

But it can mean a slow death of your company.

So how do you adapt if you can’t think like a local?

➡️ You partner with people who can.

At CINTASIA, we do just that. Our leadership is both local and international:

Sandyani Sulistyaningtyas, co-founder and owner of Cintasia Indonesia, provides the local approach.

I, ILANN AMRAM, co-founder and owner of Cintasia France, bring the Western mindset.

We work together to help Western technical companies succeed in Indonesia.

If you are planning to expand into Indonesia, need to grow, or fix an operational issue, let’s talk.

We are CINTASIA. We bring your technology and industrial equipment to Indonesia, with insight, care, and local expertise.

👉 Visit News & Insights – Cintasia for 100+ articles on business in Indonesia.

PS: When in Indonesia, don’t drive yourself. Hire a local driver. It’s safer and smarter.

Picture: Grok