How tech firms should spur innovation without their founder

WHEN looking at Asia's tech scene, it's clear that it is full of thriving founder-driven startups. From Grab's Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling to Carousell's Quek Siu Rui and Tokopedia's William Tanuwijaya, rising young entrepreneurs act as key drivers for innovation across the region. As these companies grow in stature, founders naturally become the face of their brand and their personalities and leadership styles are inevitably intertwined with the firm's identity.

With this being the case, what happens to a company when its iconic founder moves on? While this is often a planned transition (Jack Ma to Daniel Zhang at Alibaba comes to mind), what if the founder has to leave the company unexpectedly and suddenly?

Beyond behavioural issues or performance-related reasons, unexpected founder departures can happen for a variety of extenuating circumstances, ranging from oft-cited but generally vague "personal reasons" (for example, Hu Weiwei of Mobike) to untimely death in the most tragic scenarios. With so much importance attached to a company's founder, how can a company cope with their unexpected loss and move forward?