MINETTE Navarrete is a familiar face in the Philippines’ startup scene. Since 2012, she has helmed Kickstart Ventures, the corporate venture arm of major telco services provider Globe Telecom. An early player in the space, her team has backed startups such as livestreaming app Kumu and social commerce platform SariSuki.

In this month’s edition of 5 Questions, Navarrete gives us a crash course on the Philippines’ startup scene and its sheer potential to address deep-rooted, systemic challenges.

She also shares lessons from her own career journey which is, in her words, filled with “crooked lines”, and how constraints can sharpen strategy.