What I do

I help companies buy or sell their businesses, or raise funds, or improve their existing operations (AKA Value Creation), I’ve been doing for two decades + across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

I’m passionate about investing and many other tangental things, and some of this gets published through the partnership I am part of.

Writing & Models

I also write and publish personal thoughts on this website. My aim in doing this is to improve my thought process, and also to build an online ‘second brain’ for things I find useful.

To that end I’ve been building a digital library of 80+ mental models with illustrated diagrams. I also document long form notes from non-fiction reading and podcasts that I find impactful.

Photography

Photography has been a constant thread. I got hooked when first working in Hong Kong in 2010. At one point I was an ‘Olympus Visionary’. I shoot landscapes, streets, and occasionally weddings for families and friends.

I mostly shoot on a Leica M these days and I’m also experimenting with Analog. I’m trying to move toward pared-down gear where I’m more in control of the image, and I spend lest time post-processing and more time enjoying the process of capturing images.

Coffee

Coffee has been an addiction for a while and more recently a passion. In 2024, I gravitated towards manual grinding and pour over.

It was living in Indonesia really ignited my passion for coffee – It’s a coffee loving country with some of the best beans in the world.

That said, I don’t see a reliable source for ratings of Indonesian roasts – so I’m building my own catalogue of the best coffees in Indonesia which you can access on this site: with origins, roasters, tasting notes — all mapped into a database with geo-coordinates, reviews, and photos.

Speaking & Media

I’ve co-authored reports for KPMG which have been covered in mainstream media. I often speak at events with corporates, investors, and boards on M&A strategy, capital markets, and sector views.

For interviews or media inquiries, contact:

me@barnabyrobson.org

Personal

I’m closing on two decades living across Asia – I mostly bounce between Hong Kong and Indonesia these days – both of which feel like home.

I’m married, with one daughter — she’s my next sharpest critic after my wife – whose honesty about all my failings is legendary. She’s also my biggest supporter and I’m grateful for that.

Coffee is my spirit fuel. Walking hills my meditation. Colours and contrasts excite me. I’m a technology optimist and very much excited to live in such dynamic times.

Contact Me