«I have never been a model student, in fact, I repeated the second one! I have always found a way to move forward and grow in personality and friendships. The turning point was the fourth, with the year in the United States. That experience allowed me to think big.”
Matteo Argiolas, 36 years old, has lived in Bangkok for eight years. Sardinia is in the heart, but the work speaks Thai: “young”, a word we use, director of a fintech company, mix of technological and financial. «My experience spans various areas, including marketing, product, commercial, legal and strategy» he says. The spark was not only sparked by the USA but also by an inspiring cousin and by family trips to Europe in a camper. The specialist in Sweden, then, is a springboard.
The departure
January 2016, the plane heads east, the returns are once or twice a year and there is new life in Thailand: «I remember waking up in Bangkok. My mind still hadn’t digested being on the other side of the world. The song of a Koel, a very common bird, woke me up, it wasn’t a dream! No culture shock: «I found an international work environment, as well as the city. I was fortunate to live with colleagues in a lively neighborhood, where I met and interacted with many Thais who have travelled, as well as other expats like me.” In Thailand it is easy to live but not to integrate: “You will always be a foreigner and those who decide to live long have to put up with it, but the expatriate community helps you, especially through sport.”
Failures and successes
Difficulties also at work. The horizontal approach, not specializing, is a double-edged sword. «I have been unemployed, I have experienced failed projects, with stress and difficulties due to being away from home». Matteo notes a contrast between the chaos and materialistic life of Bangkok compared to Buddhist philosophy: “People of all social backgrounds walk nearby, but also mega apartments with four swimming pools and shacks a stone’s throw away.”
Learn to reinvent yourself, among young companies and start-ups. Explore industries and sectors, but always with two common denominators, technology and the desire to create something to help others. Projects are born “such as a bank for microcredits for people with low incomes so as not to end up at the mercy of loan sharks, or platforms to help neighbors or campuses, up to projects with the World Bank for electric scooters”. During his returns he also returns to university to talk about his experiences. He succeeds in Cagliari, where he had done the biennial, then in Sweden and in Karachi, Pakistan.
He curiously observes two worlds that live the same life, but in a completely different time: «Bangkok is chaotic, cosmopolitan and Asia aims for innovation, even at the cost of leaving people behind. We are in no hurry and we protect who we are and what we have been as a civilization.”
The challenges
There is no shortage of work challenges: «At the end of 2023 they asked me to take over the company where I work, Masii. It’s my first time as director and so far it’s bringing me satisfaction and games to play.” Among many there is also “being the only foreigner, apart from the founder and investor, and this means having to understand cultural dynamics as well as better master the Thai language”. It is a financial/insurance product comparison platform, which attracts millions of Thais every year. In 2019 it was included in the top 100 Fintechs in the world.
Work success but also philosophy. For those wishing to follow his path, some advice: «Dare and avoid excuses. We grew up in a place that we consider home, our comfort zone, and it is difficult to leave because you question everything and fear takes over. However, going out brings growth and opportunities.” Those also read in a book he keeps on his bedside table, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Among those pages, perhaps, there is a return ticket: «I feel that Asia is a chapter that is closing. I don’t know what will happen next, but coming back is one of the possibilities.”
Nicola Montisci
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