Indonesia Is a Great Nation: Why The Best Are Building Elsewhere
@jonathanfilbert International 7 min read
On talent, geography, and the uncomfortable data behind a question nobody wants to ask. Every time the conversation comes up — why don't more foreign companies build in Indonesia?
— the answers are always the same: Corruption. Regulatory uncertainty.
The weakening Rupiah. These are real problems, and I won't pretend otherwise.
But they are also the most convenient answers. They let everyone point at the government, nod in agreement, and go home.
What they don't do is explain why companies are flooding into Vietnam, India, and even markets with equally messy institutions — but not here. I'm talking specifically about high-value team-building: R&D hubs, engineering centers, knowledge work.