Timy Space

Author: Timy

  • ADPList: Free Mentorship from Top Mentors Around the World

    I believe the happiest people are those who willingly spend their time sharing knowledge with others. Being generous isn’t only about money; there are many ways to help people. One of the most meaningful ways is sharing what you know and what you’re good at.

    I found ADPList around three years ago. Honestly, I don’t remember how I discovered this platform. As a first-time user, I came to the platform to learn from people who are already pros in their fields. The experience was great: easy to use, welcoming, and mostly free*.

    You can find mentors across many fields and simply book sessions based on their available time slots. Some mentors offer advanced or paid sessions, but many are completely free. You can also see each mentor’s statistics, how many sessions they have, along with reviews and feedback from other mentees.

    Before ADPList existed, many people found mentors through LinkedIn: sending connection requests, writing personal messages, and hoping the person would be willing to mentor them. Most of the time, the mentors we reached out to were from the same region.

    As someone who is introverted and struggles with networking, ADPList helped me a lot. I didn’t need to initiate awkward conversations. I could simply browse mentors and book available sessions. Even better, ADPList connects you with mentors from all over the world, allowing you to learn from people with different backgrounds and market experiences.

    That global perspective is incredibly valuable.

    Thank you to Felix Lee, the co-founder of ADPList, for building such a meaningful platform, one that gives free access to top mentors around the world. And thank you to every mentor on this platform. You share your precious time and knowledge so generously. I truly believe that all of the kindness you put here will come back in something good for you in another way.

    So, if you’re someone looking for a mentor in product management, UI/UX, development, HR, or other fields, or if you want to share your knowledge and help others learn, go register and happy mentorship!

    —
    If you need a +1 on something you’re building, I’m in.

  • Single App Everywhere? Shopee Says No

    While Grab and Lazada offer a seamless experience by allowing users to access their apps across regions without installing a separate app for each country, Shopee takes a very different approach.

    Shopee basically says no to a single app everywhere.

    Hmm… that caught my attention.
    This topic instantly triggered so many whys in my head, haha.

    Whether an app chooses a single global version or multiple regional versions usually depends on its target audience. Some apps are designed to serve users globally, while others focus deeply on localization. In this post, I want to share my experience using apps that operate across Southeast Asia (SEA).

    The first app that feels super useful for me as a traveler is Grab. As a ride-hailing service across SEA, it solves so many travel problems: not knowing public transport routes, avoiding taxi scams, and dealing with language barriers.

    What I really appreciate is that I don’t need to install a new app when visiting another country. Grab automatically switches the regions, while the UI and user flow stay the same as the version I use in Indonesia. Since the payment accepts Visa/Mastercard, there is no problem at all with the payment.

    During a short visit to Thailand, I also explored local e-commerce apps like Lazada and Shopee. Naturally, I chose platforms I already knew.

    This is where I was surprised.

    Lazada works just like Grab. I didn’t need to install Lazada Thailand. I simply switched the region and logged in with the same account I use in Indonesia. That felt like a great user experience.

    But when I tried to access Shopee Thailand, I felt a bit sad : (
    Shopee Thailand wasn’t available in my Google Play Store. To install it, I had to change my Google Play region to Thailand. As an alternative, I searched for a Shopee APK online and installed it manually, not via the Play Store.

    I’m not saying this method is 100% safe, but it worked for me.
    The reason I avoided changing my Google Play region is simple: once you change it, you have to wait one year before you can change it again.

    Shopee and Lazada are competitors, yet they run completely different strategies for regional apps. I read several articles explaining why Shopee chooses to build a separate app for each region. The idea is to give regional teams more freedom to deeply localize the app so it truly resonates with local users. And honestly, they do a great job at localization. Some UI elements and features are clearly different between Shopee Thailand and Shopee Indonesia.

    From a product perspective, this might also make development more efficient. Fixes, experiments, or feature rollouts can happen at a regional level without affecting the global app.

    A related thought
    Why Online Shopping in Thailand Feels Easier Than in Indonesia

    My final thought? As a user, especially as a traveler, I personally prefer one global app. It feels simpler, more efficient, and more convenient. But I understand why Shopee chose a different path.

    How about you?
    Would you rather use one app everywhere, or separate apps for each country?

    Share your thoughts below.



    —
    If you need a +1 on something you’re building, I’m in.

  • Why Online Shopping in Thailand Feels Easier Than in Indonesia

    Online shopping in Thailand genuinely surprised me, especially the payment experience.

    Using QR payments on e-commerce here feels incredibly seamless. I don’t need to input a virtual account number or manually type a bank account for transfers. It’s as simple as paying for street food: scan the QR code, confirm, and done. No copying and pasting numbers, no worrying about entering the wrong digits, just a smooth checkout flow.

    Especially since Thailand receives the cross-border QR, the payments remove so many small frictions. I want to share this experience because, as a tourist, this feature was really helpful.

    I don’t fully know how the online shopping culture works in other countries. But coming from Indonesia, this stood out to me. Most big e-commerce platforms still don’t offer QR payments as a default option.

    In Indonesia, QR payments (QRIS) become popular during the COVID-19 era, mainly to minimize contact when handling cash. Since then, QRIS has grown fast, especially among millennials and Gen Z, myself included.

    I really appreciate apps and platforms that adapt QRIS as a payment option. I hope Indonesian e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Tokopedia will soon add QR payments as a standard option. As of writing this post, Lazada Indonesia has already implemented it.

    Good job, Lazada Indonesia!

    —
    If you need a +1 on something you’re building, I’m in.