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Shiyan Koh

Shiyan Koh

Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Hustle Fund; experienced operator and investor

shiyankoh
Singapore
Joined January 2026

Network

18.8K connections
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Summary

Shiyan Koh is a highly experienced venture capital investor and co-founder of Hustle Fund, a pre-seed firm. She leverages her background in finance, operations, and corporate development to identify and support early-stage software startups, particularly in Southeast Asia, where she believes there is significant talent and opportunity. shiyankoh+2
She possesses deep operational expertise, honed during her six-year tenure as VP of Business Operations & Corporate Development at NerdWallet, where she was employee #10. She played a pivotal role in scaling the company from $1M to $150M in annual revenue, leading product teams, and managing key business functions, demonstrating a strong ability to drive growth and build successful ventures from the ground up. gov+2
Shiyan is a vocal advocate for entrepreneurs and a mentor in the startup ecosystem. She shares her insights on fundraising, market analysis, and operational strategies through her personal blog, Hustle Fund's content, and various speaking engagements. She actively contributes to community building, including teaching product management at Singapore Management University and engaging with Stanford Alumni. shiyankoh+3
Her intellectual curiosity extends to a range of topics beyond finance and tech, including parenting philosophies and the impact of AI. She uses her personal blog to explore these subjects, often drawing analogies to business and personal development, showcasing a thoughtful and reflective approach to life and work. shiyankoh+2

Work

Education

Projects

Writing

Chef's knife? Or Kiwi peeler?

April 29, 2025

A blog post by Shiyan Koh comparing general-purpose tools (chef's knife) to specific-purpose tools (kiwi peeler) as an analogy for AI applications, startup ideas, and education, emphasizing the need for versatile and adaptable tools in a high-uncertainty world.

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How much reality should you give a child?

October 1, 2024

A blog post by Shiyan Koh reflecting on parenting and encouraging children to develop compelling skills and observe what engages an audience, rather than expecting automatic praise, drawing parallels to performance and audience engagement.

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A year of podcasting

January 1, 2024

A blog post by Shiyan Koh reflecting on her first year of co-hosting a weekly tech podcast, sharing insights on consistency, audience perception, and the importance of topic mix and chemistry in broadcasting.

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Investing in The Right Hustle: How Koh Shiyan Is Tapping into SEA’s Potential

January 15, 2021

An article where Shiyan Koh discusses her journey from building NerdWallet in Silicon Valley to becoming an early-stage investor in Southeast Asia, highlighting her belief in the region's founders and the role of Hustle Fund in supporting nascent startup ecosystems.

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What makes a fund stand out? Shiyan Koh breaks it down

An article authored by Shiyan Koh on the Hustle Fund blog, detailing criteria for evaluating venture capital funds, including sourcing, deal-winning capabilities, post-investment support, team dynamics, economics, and future plans. It reflects her philosophy on investment strategies and fund management.

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Lessons from growing Nerdwallet from seed to Series A

A Hustle Fund blog post attributed to Shiyan Koh, sharing her six key takeaways from her experience at NerdWallet, including embracing an experimental mindset, understanding customer segments, tailoring go-to-market strategies, building balanced teams, measuring progress with data, and achieving milestones for future funding rounds.

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Hobbies

Enjoys playing Padel. shiyankoh+1

Actively involved in her children's upbringing, including managing screen time. shiyankoh+1

Enjoys hunting for the best bak chor mee (a Singaporean noodle dish). hustlefund

Notes

AYAndrew Yangsaid
SKShiyan K.
is one of the most insightful venture capitalists they've worked with.

Jan 8, 2026