On a weeknight in Singapore, I found myself in a speakeasy bar sipping cocktails with some of the city’s top startups and investors. As local and expat entrepreneurs mingled, I was struck by how comfortable the expats were in this foreign startup environment and how many had successfully built companies there.

I wanted to know: What was it that drew these expats to such risky endeavors, often leaving behind family and comfortable salaried jobs?

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