Podcast Summary: The Investor with Joel Palathinkal
Guest: Chee-We Ng, Partner at Oakseed Ventures
Episode Date: January 3, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Joel Palathinkal sits down with Chee-We Ng, Partner at Oakseed Ventures, to discuss Chee-We’s journey from a self-described “geeky kid” in Singapore with a passion for technology and cybersecurity, to an influential seed-stage venture capitalist focused on AI and cybersecurity. The conversation covers Chee-We’s early experiments with computer viruses, his educational and professional path, the evolution of cybersecurity, what he looks for in founders and startups, and actionable advice for those wishing to break into venture capital or start their own funds.

1. Chee-We Ng’s Journey: From Singapore to Venture Capital

Early Life and Interest in Technology

• Chee-We describes himself as a “geeky kid growing up” in Singapore, fascinated by programming and even writing computer viruses as a teenager.
• “In my teenage days, I started writing computer viruses. And then because of my geekiness, I got to my dream school, which was at MIT.” [01:59]

First Foray into Cybersecurity

• Chee-We’s initial virus, named “Interferon,” was modeled after the biological agent and created as a ‘good’ computer virus to prevent malicious ones:
  • “I created a computer virus to prevent computer viruses from doing the bad stuff. So it's actually a good computer virus. I named it Interferon.” [02:51]

Professional Experience: Building Secure Systems

• After earning a degree from MIT, Chee-We returned to Singapore under a government scholarship, working for Singapore Technologies to build classified encryptors for the government.
  • “I was assigned to build classified encryptors for the Singapore government. So that was my real first professional foray into cybersecurity.” [05:33]

Business Education and Entry into Investing

• Chee-We earned his MBA at Harvard Business School, then joined McKinsey, followed by a stint in corporate venture at Cisco, focusing on the tech industry’s transition from hardware to software.
  • “We were investing in essentially the whole stack of information technology... and then fast forward, it was there I met my partner Brett Hartman... and we started Oakseed Ventures to basically focus on AI and cyber security.” [09:11]

2. The Evolution and Complex Landscape of Cybersecurity (10:59–17:26)

Changing Threat Landscape

• Chee-We traces cybersecurity’s evolution from early virus and firewall days to today’s multi-layered, cloud-centric defenses.
• Key transitions:
  • Perimeter defense ➜ Zero Trust and Beyond
  • Software development's pace introduces new vulnerabilities ("zero days")—every aspect from operating systems to networking equipment is at risk.

Quote:
“The truth is the entire digital world, the Internet, the backbone of Internet, the C programming language, is written in such a vulnerable way... when it was created, it was created for a purpose without thinking about all the security ramifications.” [13:45]

Cybersecurity Today:

• Modern security is not just about defense, but also detection and response.
• Open source proliferation and rapid app updates introduce more vulnerabilities; security is about managing constant risk.

3. How Oakseed Ventures Invests: Diligence and Founder Qualities (17:26–25:44)

Investment Strategy & Diligence

• Oakseed Ventures focuses on seed-stage investments, seeking stealth-mode founders targeting large, unmet technical needs in cybersecurity and AI.
• Thematic, top-down perspective: “We are thematic and so we have a top down perspective on industry—where the pain points, where the gaps, essentially what are CISOs struggling with?” [18:13]

What Makes a Great Cybersecurity Startup?

• A substantial, difficult technical problem that’s a genuine pain point for CISOs
• Uniquely capable teams with both technical & business acumen
• High barriers to entry and true technical differentiation

Founders: Traits That Matter

• Deep motivation: “Founders have to be highly motivated. Starting a company is one of the most difficult things in life, right. You eat, sleep, dream, everything about a company.” [20:22]
• Technical edge: Looking for “that spark,” a founder with unrivaled technical depth and passion.
• Business sense and soft skills: Ability to communicate, win trust, and be adaptable—especially crucial in cybersecurity, where selling to skeptical CISOs demands trust and integrity.

Notable Observation:
“In cybersecurity in particular, trust is very important. You’re selling to a bunch of CISOs who are highly skeptical, highly worried, highly paranoid... if you oversell anything... they won’t ever talk to you again.” [25:44]

4. Career Pivots and Advice for Aspiring VCs (26:14–31:19)

Transitioning Into Venture Investing

• Self-awareness: Find what you truly enjoy and excel at.
  • “Oftentimes with enjoyment, it’s probably what you enjoy most that you bring the most value to.” [26:56]
• Intermediate steps: Embrace career transitions in stages; leverage your current strengths and build toward your target role.
• Relationships matter: Building a strong network and community is essential.

Quote:
“I would say relationships are critically important. The thing that, Joel, you’re doing like community and all that, that’s incredibly important... for transitions that you want to make as well.” [28:43]

5. Building a Fund: Differentiation, Niche, and Fundraising Strategies (31:01–45:43)

Launching Your Own Fund

• Chee-We thinks that “starting a fund is even more challenging than starting a company.” [31:01]
• Fundraising is harder and more opaque compared to startups; you need a niche and a value proposition to stand out among hundreds of new managers.
• “For us, I think having a niche is incredibly important... and I think being value added to founders is critical.” [32:20]

Differentiation:

• Some funds succeed by being mission-oriented or by giving back (e.g., donating carry to charity), which attracts specific mission-driven LPs.
  • “Some of the funds...are, for instance, mission oriented...I’ve seen them have success with certain family offices, for instance, that are passionate around certain missions.” [35:30]

GP Stakes & Anchor LPs

• Discussion of structures where fund managers give up revenue/carry for early, large anchor LPs. The trade-off is between fast capital and long-term economics—ultimately a “very personal choice.” [41:31]

6. Wisdom for Investors and Founders (45:43–48:11)

Find Your Motivational ‘Why’

• Chee-We underlines the importance of understanding your motivation:
  • “Really understanding why we are on this planet. Right. And each of us has a different why.” [45:43]
  • Recognizes that finding one's “why” can take decades and is a process of self-discovery.

Host’s Reflection:

• Joel shares his own career transitions and echoes the value of bringing cumulative experience to shape your unique approach.

7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Hacking for Good:
  “I created a computer virus to prevent computer viruses from doing the bad stuff. So it's actually a good computer virus.” — Chee-We Ng [02:51]
• On the Modern Security Landscape:
  “It’s not a question of if you would experience a breach, it’s a question of when you would experience a breach.”— Chee-We Ng [15:39]
• On Startups and Founder Motivation:
  “Starting a company is one of the most difficult things in life... Everything that can go wrong can go wrong. It will go wrong.” — Chee-We Ng [20:22]
• On the Role of Trust in Cybersecurity Sales:
  “If you oversell anything... they won’t ever talk to you again because, you know, if they bought something from you, they depend on you for their livelihood.” — Chee-We Ng [25:44]
• On Pursuing a VC Career:
  “It's really tough to try to do something that you're not enjoying or not good at.“ — Chee-We Ng [27:03]
• On Career Self-Discovery:
  “It might take a few decades to figure out what your why is. I mean, I'm on my third career right now.” — Joel Palathinkal [47:00]

8. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:59] Chee-We’s early days in Singapore, programming, and “good” computer viruses
• [05:33] Work on classified encryptors for the Singapore government
• [08:16] Pivot to business, Harvard MBA, McKinsey, corporate VC at Cisco
• [10:59] The changing landscape of cybersecurity
• [18:03] Oakseed’s investment philosophy and how they diligence companies
• [20:22] Characteristics and motivations of great founders
• [26:52] Advice for professionals pivoting into VC or PE
• [31:01] Launching a fund: challenges and strategies
• [35:30] Differentiation and innovative fund structures
• [41:31] Discussion of GP stakes and anchor LPs
• [45:43] Life and career advice: discovering your “why”

9. Tone and Style

The conversation is accessible yet deeply insightful, balancing technical depth with practical guidance. Chee-We Ng shares candid stories, industry lessons, and philosophical reflections, while Joel Palathinkal maintains an engaging, community-focused atmosphere, making the episode welcoming to both aspiring investors and seasoned professionals.

For listeners seeking to break into VC, understand the nuances of cybersecurity investing, or reflect on their career ‘why,’ this episode is packed with actionable insight, wisdom, and real talk from someone who has traversed multiple worlds.