Why Bali Has Become the World's Most Interesting Place to Build a Business
I moved to Bali with no network. Two years later, I've hosted over 100 events and introduced people who've closed six-figure deals at dinner tables. Here's what most people don't understand about why this island works.
Marina Jaubert
Founder, Ascend to Bali
In this article
- The shift: who's moving to Bali and why now
- What makes the Bali business ecosystem different from Lisbon, Chiang Mai, and Dubai
- The types of founders thriving here
- What Marina has seen across 100+ events
- How to find your room in Bali
The founder community in Bali is unlike anything else in the world. Here's what makes it different, and why serious entrepreneurs are choosing it over Lisbon, Chiang Mai, and Dubai.
Something shifted in Bali around 2022 and it has not slowed down since. The founders who arrived in Lisbon during the pandemic, or Chiang Mai before that, many of them are here now. And the ones arriving for the first time are not the digital nomads of five years ago. They are operators running seven-figure businesses. Investors. Authors. Speakers. People who have choices about where they live and are choosing Bali deliberately.
I moved here with no local network and built one from scratch. After 100+ events and thousands of introductions, I have a clearer picture than most of why this island works for serious builders, and why some of the alternatives have stopped working.
Who is actually moving to Bali right now
The profile has changed. In 2019, Bali attracted freelancers and early remote workers. In 2023 and beyond, it is pulling a different person entirely:
- ✦Founders who have already built something and want to scale while living somewhere with intention
- ✦Coaches and consultants with an established client base who want to run retreats, immersions, and live experiences
- ✦Investors who see Bali real estate as an undervalued asset and want ground-level access
- ✦Entrepreneurs leaving the UAE, Singapore, or London who want more space, more nature, and a slower pace that still produces fast outcomes
- ✦Couples and families who want private schooling, community, and a different kind of life without giving up professional ambition
What makes Bali different from Lisbon, Chiang Mai, and Dubai
| Location | What it gives you | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | Low cost, established nomad infrastructure | More transient, harder to build lasting relationships |
| Lisbon | European time zone, visa options, cosmopolitan energy | Expensive now, more corporate than founder |
| Dubai | Tax-free income, proximity to capital, serious business culture | Expensive, transactional, less community |
| Bali | Nature, cost-quality ratio, high-trust community, creative energy | Visa complexity, requires intentionality to access the right rooms |
Bali's advantage is not the cost. It is the community density relative to quality. In a city of millions, finding your people takes years. In Bali, if you know how to navigate it, you can find them in weeks.
The types of founders thriving here
- ✦They lead with curiosity, not a pitch. The fastest way to close doors in Bali is to walk into a room selling.
- ✦They show up consistently. The community respects presence. Come to one event and you're a visitor. Come to ten and you're part of the fabric.
- ✦They invest in the right rooms. The most valuable connections in Bali are not at open meetups. They are in curated dinners, private masterminds, and invitation-only gatherings.
- ✦They stay long enough. A week tells you nothing about Bali. Six months changes you.
What I have seen across 100+ events
I have hosted founders who arrived in Bali with nothing and built six-figure businesses through introductions made at our dinners. I have watched coaches sell out a two-day retreat within 48 hours of launching, because they were in the right room with the right people at the right moment.
The founders who build the most in Bali are not the most talented or the most experienced. They are the most present.
How to find your room in Bali
- ✦Arrive with a plan to stay at least 3 months. Less than that and you're still in orientation mode when you leave.
- ✦Identify one or two communities worth your time and commit to them consistently.
- ✦Apply for curated events before you arrive. The best rooms in Bali are invitation-based.
- ✦Invest in the right introduction. One warm intro from someone inside the community is worth more than six months of cold networking.
The Bali Insider Guide covers the practical side, areas, visa, community recommendations. If you're planning a move or an extended stay, that's the right starting point.
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