Tech in Shanghai

EP32: Rina Joosten-Rabou of Seedlink

Release Date: 9/22/2017

Duration: 74 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Rina is the co-founder of Seedlink, a company based in Shanghai that uses AI and machine-learning to assist companies in more effectively managing their HR decisions.  By analyzing the speech patters of candidates, and comparing that to a data set of top performs in different positions throught the company they are working with, Seedlink is able to drastically increase the likelihood that companies will make hires that are better equiped to do the job well, and who are also likely to be a great match with the company culture. Seedlink's technology and approach is also helping to even the playing field for job seekers, helping to remove commone biases based on age, gender, race, education and work experience, and increasing the chances that they will fill a position that they are good at, but also enjoy! Needless to say, in a world where even the largest companies are facing massive disruption, having a tool to help make better and faster hiring (and firing) decisions can be a huge asset. In addition to her company, Rita and I dive in to all the other challenges and unique experiences that result from being a foreign entrepreneur in the Tech industry in China. Enjoy!   To learn more, visit www.seedlinktech.com   www.techinshanghai.com twitter.com/techinshanghai https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw WeChat: TheHungryFoolish

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EP31: Stone Shi of Bon App!

Release Date: 9/4/2017

Duration: 72 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Stone Shi is the founder of the extremely popular social food-discovery app, Bon App!   In this interview we discuss the reasons why Stone decided to walk away from a lucrative corporate career, to jump into the highly uncertain world of tech startups. As well as what the journey has been like as a result, both pros and cons.   We also discuss the many challenges that consumer app startups face in terms of building a broad user base, a passionate community, and of course, a sustainable monetization model.   The road has not been easy for Stone and the team at Bon App!, and as he mentions in the interview, to have any chance of success in this realm, you really need to know and believe in what you are trying to build and create.    What is the point of putting your effort into this? Why is it (the most) meaningful thing to you? If you don’t have those, he explains, your chances of staying the course and persevering when the journey takes (prolonged) unexpected and painful turns, are slim.   To that end, Stone shares how he found his ‘why’ and how doing so has given him the stamina to continue trying to actualize his vision for Bon App!   Of course, he also gives us a sneak peak into some of the exciting things Bon App! has planned for the future!   For more info, check out www.bonapp.net or search "Bon App!” in your app store.     www.techinshanghai.com   www.twitter.com/techinshanghai   WeChat: TheHungryFoolish   YouTube: Tech in Shanghai    

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EP30: Jay Thornhill of Baopals

Release Date: 8/9/2017

Duration: 85 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Jay Thornhil, co-founder of baopals, tells the story of how three best friends are building the e-comerce platform that give the rest of the world access to the 800+ million products and services available on China's taobao and tmall shopping sites. www.baopals.com www.techinshanghai.com twitter.com/techinshanghai WeChat: TheHungryFoolish

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EP29: Brian Tam of Let's Make Great

Release Date: 7/2/2017

Duration: 103 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Brian Tam is the founder of Creativity and Innovation Consultancy, Let’s Make Great, as well as the hot new ’startup card game’, Proto.   Brian is a 3-time Tedx speaker and is on a mission to drive the next 100 years of innovation in China. He is also a super intelligent, articulate and empathetic dude, who know’s who he is, know’s what he’s good at, and has leveraged that awareness to build the business and life that he wants.   In this episode, Brian and I rap pretty broadly on a variety of topics, around personal and professional development, attitude, personal motivation, his experiences in China, and some great advice for aspiring entrepreneurs or adventurers who are interested in coming here and giving it a go.   It’s a bit on the long side, but once we got going I didn’t want to stop! Hope you like it:)   Learn more about what Brian is up to at: www.letsmakegreat.com and www.proto-start.com    For more from us, visit: www.techinshanghai.com   Twitter:    twitter.com/techinshanghai   twitter.com/letsmakegreat    WeChat:   TheHungryFoolish    Brian’s Tedx Talks:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IdD8v4UuhE&t=27s   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXx8G4xyFiM   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_hnORyJKCg&t=6s   Tech in Shanghai on YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

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EP28: Matilda Ho of Bits x Bites

Release Date: 10/17/2016

Duration: 65 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast, I speak with Matilda Ho.   Matilda is the founder and CEO of sustainable farm-to-table e-commerce grocery platform YiMiShiJi (http://www.yimishiji.com) and the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Bits x Bites (http://www.bitsxbites.com), a brand new, Shanghai-based Accelerator program and VC that focuses exclusively on companies that are "shaping the future of ‘good’ food”.   Though Matilda is now in full-on entrepreneur mode, she previously worked at world renowned consulting firms like IDEO and the Boston Consulting Group. With so many people now making the leap from corporate to startup, I asked Matilda to share her thoughts on the transition, compare and contrast her experience with her initial assumptions, and provide some advice to others considering doing the same.   As Matilda and I are both extremely passionate about food that is simulanteously good for the individual, as well as the planet, we had some fun discussing her work with YiMiShiJi, and imagening the potential innovations that may emerge from the new accelerator program.   Of course, I also posed some of my more unusual questions to Matilda, like “If aliens landed on earth and you were responsible for greeting them, what is the first thing you would show them?” Her answer WILL surprise you:)   Matilda is a great example of the new breed of entrepreneur who combines experience, market savy, and emotional intelligence, with a bottom line that holds financial returns and positive impact as equally important performance metrics. In fact she recently received recognition for her oustanding approach to business (and life) by being selected to the class of 2017 TED Fellows (golf clap).   Matilda was honest, open, and shared many experiences that are no doubt to be insightful for aspiring entrepreneurs. I highly recommend you check this one out.   Enjoy!     To learn more, visit www.yimishiji.com and www.bitsxbites.com or follow them on twitter at twitter.com/bitsxbites     www.techinshanghai.com   TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw      

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EP 27: Bobby Lee of BTCC (Round 2)

Release Date: 7/29/2016

Duration: 82 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast I speak with Bobby Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of BTCC.   This is actually the second interview I’ve done with Bobby (I highly recommend listening to the first too!), and I always feel so privileged to have the opportunity to speak with someone who is at the very forefront of something so world-changing.   Seriously, it may be hard to see now, as we are still in the early days of Bitcoin, but make no mistake, this technology is REVOLUTIONARY, and one way or another it's very likely going to have an ENORMOUS influence on our lives at some point in the future. Imagine speaking with the people who first started working with the internet or with the founders of Google in the late nineties? That’s what it feels like to speak with a guy like Bobby today.   On a personal level, Bobby is a friendly, polite, all-around nice guy. He’s always very welcoming when I visit the BTCC office, and always generous in giving me time for our chats, which is amazing given all the things he has on his plate.   Our conversation recently was enjoyable as usual, and we discussed THE D.A.O. excitement and controversy, the recent run-up in the price of Bitcoin, the upcoming block reward halving, what kind of traction Bitcoin has garnered over the past year, the possible influence of AI over Bitcoin, his own investments in Bitcoin startups, the emergence of Craig Wright claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, and lots more.   If you’re not an expert in Bitcoin, don’t worry, Bobby has a knack for making the advanced world of Bitcoin exceedingly easy to understand.   If you want to be ahead of the curve in understanding what money will look like in the future, and why you might want to look into Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies sooner rather than later, this episode is worth a listen. Enjoy!   To learn more visit www.btcc.com     www.techinshanghai.com     TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

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EP26: Grant Horsfield of naked

Release Date: 6/29/2016

Duration: 84 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast I speak with one of China’s most prolific expat entrepreneurs, and the founder of the ’naked’ brand and group of companies, Mr. Grant Horsfield.   For several years Grant and the team at naked have run one of the most popular and environmentally conscious resorts in all of China, which have a strong and loyal following amongst both local and expat clientele.   Then last year in 2015 they made plans to expand their operations. I was first confronted with these plans when I was passing through their original naked co-working space on Fuxing Lu in Shanghai, called nakedHub. I went upstairs and saw six or 7 posters with BEAUTIFUL photos of new projects and accompanying descriptions, as well as a number of scale models for these projects. I was blown away. Not only at how AWESOME the projects looked themselves, but that naked was embarking on such big and bold expansion plans, I loved it.   Among the new projects were several new eco-resorts throughout China, a sailboat product based out of Thailand called naked Sail, an enormous immersive learning complex for both children and adults called naked Discovery, and most obvious to people living in Shanghai, the aforementioned nakedHub co-working spaces, which burst on the scene to tremendous enthusiasm, and which have proliferated to several more locations throughout the city, with apparently at least 10 planned to be operational by the end of the year!   But of course, 'naked' didn’t start as a runaway success, with a diverse portfolio of successful businesses and a brand that customers have come to love. In fact it started with a guy from South Africa, who after living for a year in Shanghai in 2006, was dissatisfied with the lifestyle that was on offer, so much so that he set out to change it. With little money, no hard plans, and a chorus of people telling him he was crazy, Grant set-out into the unknown world of being an entrepreneur in China.    What followed was a wild and chaotic journey of intense struggle and hard-fought triumph that was almost unbelievable.   In this show, Grant and I start by discussing the early days of his journey, and the things that kept him going, when every sign in the universe seemed to be telling him he wasn’t going to be successful. It’s a testament to the type of attributes possessed by the truly great entrepreneurs, of which Grant is certainly one, of grit, determination, hustle, passion and ultimately an unwavering belief in themselves and what they are doing.   If this sounds cliche, keep listening, you’ll see what I mean.   We then fast forward to today, where the big task in front of Grant is not to survive, but to maximize the potential of his brand and company, and continue to be pioneers in creating businesses that people love.   That said, it’s a big leap going from one to several world-class resorts, as well as launching a booming co-working brand, re-imagining education and all the other things naked is now involved in, so I ask Grant what it’s like both personally and organizationally to scale up so boldly and so quickly.   Of course, I also hit Grant with some of my favourite advice questions, which given this guys track record, I highly recommend you stick around to hear.   Enjoy!    Learn more at www.livenaked.com     www.techinshanghai.com    TWITTER: twitter.com/wellnessinchina   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.yo

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EP25: Wolf Illing of Saucepan

Release Date: 5/3/2016

Duration: 82 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the show I speak with Wolf Illing, Co-Founder of local O2O startup, Saucepan. Saucepan is a food delivery company that focuses on providing ready-to-eat, great-tasting, and healthy meals, using the highest quality ingredients. Launched in 2014, Saucepan has slowly but surely begun to refine it’s product and service, to one that is beginning to resonate with an ever-growing contingent of satisfied and loyal customers. The launch of Saucepan also roughly coincides with a Fairly dramatic shift in the mind of local Chinese consumers, toward more healthy diets and lifestyles, and Wolf shares with me his thoughts on this Phenomenon and how Saucepan is (or will be) trying to accommodate this growing market. As more and more companies emerge to try and capitalize on consumer demand for ‘convenient health food’, it’s refreshing to see a company that is so committed to ensuring each of their customers has a great experience with their service, and a positive interaction with their brand. In addition to that, we also talk about the importance of working at a ’SUSTAINABLE’ intensity when involved in a startup, how to compete against more aggressive and better-funded local competitors, how to adapt your service based on customer feedback, why he and his co-founder decided to launch Saucepan in China, and the challenges they have encountered, and lot’s more! Enjoy! www.saucepan.co   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

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EP 24: Tom Liu of ChinaScope

Release Date: 4/16/2016

Duration: 102 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast, I speak with the co-founder and CEO of ChinaScope, Tom Liu. ChinaScope “applies big data technologies and methodologies to financial applications”. Translation? They use machines to sift through an endless amount of data, so investors can use only the most relevant decision-making insights. As Tom proudly describes, it’s a major step towards levelling the playing field between the ‘old boys’ of the financial world, and the average retail investor. In his view, the financial sector is in need of a serious shakeup, and one that NOW appears to be inevitable, despite the industry's traditional resistance to change. Tom hopes that the future of finance is not only more fair and transparent, but that the technologies that will be introduced will serve to limit the excesses in ‘wealth transfer’ that the financial system has created and coveted for so long, and begin a transition that will see the financial system supporting in an ever-more effective and flexible manner, value creation. It’s an ambitious goal, but Tom seems ready for the challenge. I’m equally frustrated by the inertia of the financial system, but am hopeful that a fairly dramatic disruption may be on its way, and Tom and I have a fun time exploring what such a new paradigm might look like. We also get in to Bitcoin, struggles of  doing a FinTech startup in China, how Tom would currently invest 100k in the Chinese stock market, the impact AI may soon have, and lots more. It’s a bit of a long-one, but if Big Data, Machine Learning, AI, FinTech and Bitcoin are up your alley, I highly recommend you check out this episode. Enjoy! finance.chinascope.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

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EP23: 500 Rui Ma and Norman Chang of 500 Startups

Release Date: 3/9/2016

Duration: 52 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast I speak with Rui ma, partner at 500 Startups in Charge of the Greater China region, and her colleague and investment associate at 500, Norman Chang.   Over the past year or so we’ve spoken with a number of great entrepreneurs on the show, but there's been a notable abscence of guests that fall in to the ‘investor’ category.  With fundraising often being a crucial component of the startup process, I’ve been wanting to speak with an investor for a while now, to get a perspective from the other side of the negotiating table. As it turns out, I literally could not have found a more appropriate guest, as in 2015, 500 startups was THE MOST active VC firm globally. With a portfolio of over 800 companies, who better to speak to about all things funding and fundraising?!   Of course, with some much going on for 500 in the greater China region, these two are super busy, so we had to move quickly in this episode. But fear not, we still had time to cover a number of relevant issues that entrepreneurs in ANY region won’t want to miss.    Of particular note, we discuss areas of the tech world they are most actively looking at right now, some of the interesting regional differences in the types of entrepreneurs they have interacted with, the funding landscape, best practices regarding fundraising and a nice discussion on how to approach the inevitable emotional challenges of startup life.   Enjoy!   500.co   www.techinshanghai.com   TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw 

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EP22: Erik Walenza-Slabe of Startup Grind

Release Date: 2/28/2016

Duration: 85 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast I speak with Erik Walenza-Slabe, Director of Startup Grind Shanghai and founder of IoT One, a platform devoted to promoting the adoption of industrial internet solutions. I wanted to have Erik on the show, not only for the interesting work he is doing, and the unique experiences he has compiled during his time in China, but also because as Director of Startup Grind, he is very-much plugged in to the startup community in Shanghai. Unsurprisingly, Erik tells me that the interest in joining the events he organizes and hosts has grown tremendously over the past couple of years, and I probe him for some insight into what kind of people are attending, and what they are hoping to gain by doing so. We also delve in to his latest project, IoT One, and have some fun speculating on what the future holds for an increasingly connected world. Erik came to China at a young age, and worked hard to establish himself in an industry that he is passionate and enthusiastic about. As the story of China’s tech boom continues to develop, there will undoubtedly be many young people from all over the world coming to China to get involved, and Erik had some great advice on how to do just that. Enjoy! Learn more at www.startupgrind.com/shanghai/ and www.iotone.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw  

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EP21: Greg Nance of Dyad

Release Date: 1/28/2016

Duration: 74 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast, I speak with one of Shanghai’s most switched-on and inspiring young entrepreneurs, and CEO of Dyad, Mr. Greg Nance. Dyad is an online, mentorship-based, university admissions preparatory service, and Greg is it’s founder and fearless leader. If you want to dramatically increase your chances of getting into the University and/or program of you choice, be sure to check out Dyad. As for Greg, he’s not really that impressive at all…of course, I’m kidding. Greg is a rare bird, in the best way possible. Sharp as a tack, brimming with confidence, passion, and enthusiasm, Greg is one of those people who after speaking with him, you feel an energy, a charge and an optimism to go out and make stuff happen! As intelligent as Greg is, he also has another common attribute with many of the great entrepreneurs..grit. Call it determination, stubbornness, un-wavering belief, or straight up masochism, Greg is a fighter, who anticipates hardship, and conditions himself for it in advance.   We delve into this concept of ‘building resilience’ in our chat. We also discuss his approach to decision-making, on daily tasks, but also on how, in a world of opportunity, to choose where to place your focus, or more simply, what to fully ‘commit’ to. Dyad has also gone through a round of Venture funding, and Greg had some exceptional, must-hear advice on pitching, handling rejection, and in reference to the whole fundraising process,  ‘starting before you start’. Oh yeah, Greg also runs ultra-marathons, sometimes in the desert..why? Well apart from being a huge believer in the primary importance of physical health and fitness (Side note: The Dyad team does whole-office workouts together), Greg believes pushing oneself physically is integral in building that mental toughness that pays so many dividends as an entrepreneur. Of course we go into lots of practical tips, the morning routine Greg follows to set up his day, the importance in keeping in touch with friends and family (some advice that I desperately needed to hear) and much more. Finally, in the high-stress, emotional roller-coaster life that is entrepreneurship, Greg offers a simple piece of advice, which is. “Do something every day that has no other purpose but to make you smile”. This was one of my favourites, enjoy! Learn more at www.Dyad.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai.com WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw  

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EP20: T.R. Harrington of Darwin Marketing

Release Date: 1/20/2016

Duration: 116 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast I sit down with another vetern of the China tech scene, Mr. T.R. Harrington.   T.R. is the founder and CEO of Darwin Marketing, a company which describes itself as ‘a data company that does marketing’.   T.R. is also an Angel Investor, Start-up advisor and mentor at China’s top accelerator program, Chinaccelerator.   I’ll warn you in advance, this was a long one. With someone as seasoned as T.R. it’s tough not to ask him a million questions, and get his unique perspectives on how things have developed over the past ten years, and more importantly, where they might be headed.   Lots of fascinating takes on the emerging Shanghai startup scene, the (near) future of Chinese tech companies, his perspective on how foreign tech giants should approach China after many notable failures, and some great advice for young entrepreneurs.   T.R. threw himself into the fire by coming to China with no plan, no friends and no mandarin skills, and has emerged a success who has built a business around doing what he loves. Entrepreneurs out there, take note.   Learn more at www.darwinmarketing.com     www.techinshanghai.com   TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw   Editors note: The audio had to be edited due to some sound anomalies during recording, and as a result the audio is a little less clear than usual (though still quite fine in our opinion). Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this and thanks for your understanding!

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EP19: Zennon Kapron of Kapron Asia

Release Date: 11/29/2015

Duration: 103 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode I speak with Zennon Kapron, founder of Kapron Asia and author of the book 'Chomping at the Bitcoin'. Kapron Asia is a well-known financial consulting and market research firm in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Zennon became familiar with Bitcoin through his work as a financial consultant in Shanghai, and watched closely in 2013 when Bitcoin-mania was sweeping through China. Chomping at the Bitcoin gives the first EXCLUSIVE analysis of China’s role in the ongoing Bitcoin saga. In addition to geeking out on Bitcoin, Zennon and I talk about other innovation happening in the financial industry in China and around the world. We discussed the increasingly influential role of the large tech companies, primarily Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent and their role in reshaping the banking, investing and payments landscape (and in fact how such innovation may actually slow Bitcoin's adoption). Zennon also shared with me his observation that it was Blockchain, not Bitcoin, that has been getting all the attention from the mainstream financial community these days. Apparently it’s what’s on the lips of senior people at many of the major financial institutions, and Zennon explains why. Other than that, we get into Shanghai’s volatile stock market, the shadow banking industry, foreign tech companies trying to compete in China and much more. Enjoy! To learn more visit www.kapronasia.com Zennon's Book: Chomping at the Bitcoin   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw     

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EP18: Mark Secchia of Sherpa's

Release Date: 11/25/2015

Duration: 92 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: On this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast I speak with a legend of the Shanghai entrepreneurial community, and an all around nice guy, Mr. Mark Secchia.   Mark is the founder of the extremely well known Shanghai food-delivery service Sherpa's. Mark initially thought it was a bit odd that I wanted to have him on the podcast, as he doesn’t really consider himself as a quote ‘tech’ entrepreneur.   However, with 2013 revenues of over $25 million dollars, most of which coming from online orders, I thought he qualified:) I also thought that it would be timely to hear Marks story, as the food delivery market in China is experiencing a boom at the moment, with all sorts of new startups raising vast sums of money and entering the fray, so I thought it would be interesting to hear from a guy who was doing this stuff WAY before it was cool.   In listening to Mark speak you get a sense for the vastness and variety of experiences he’s accumulated over the years, and a distinct maturity, humility and wisdom that have been the result of starting a business from scratch in 1999 and seeing it through to tremendous success today.   We cover A LOT in this show, but some of the more notable things Mark shared with me included, developing the right mindset for success (especially in China) and setting proper expectations, the importance of contingency planning, how to roll with the punches doing business in China, and some interesting commentary on some of the more modern companies entering the food-delivery market.   I also asked Mark, though now it’s obvious that Sherpa’s is a runaway success, how did he deal with the stress and uncertainty before their success was a forgone conclusion.   As is often the case his answer included, among other things, alcohol, deteriorating health, an indomitable will to succeed and, of course, a little luck. Mark was very open and down-to-earth when we spoke, so hopefully you’ll find it both informative and entertaining. Enjoy   Learn more (or order) at www.sherpa.com.cn     www.techinshanghai.com   TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

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EP17: Vvivi Hu of ebay

Release Date: 10/15/2015

Duration: 80 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast, I speak with Vvivi Hu, Chief Strategy Officer for ebay Greater China. Vvivi is also an Angel Investor through the AngelVest group, a former entrepreneur, a Harvard grad, and a published author. I invited Vvivi on the show so she could share with us her perspective on the role of quote ‘grandfather’ technology companies in the current ecosystem, and soon realized I would be getting much more! Vvivi had some fascinating insights on the differences between Chinese and Western tech entrepreneurs, some very practical advice for pitching Angel Investors, and tops it all off with a few words of wisdom from her new book on how to build HABITS for a healthy, productive and balanced life. I thoroughly enjoyed my chat with Vvivi, and hopefully you will too! Enjoy! Learn more at ebay.cn   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw    

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EP16: Sebastien Gaudin of The CareVoice

Release Date: 9/25/2015

Duration: 59 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode I speak with Sebastien Gaudin, CEO and Co-Founder of The CareVoice.   The CareVoice is an up and coming company based in Shanghai that provides a mobile app where patients can rate as well as read and write reviews for medical care providers in China—effectively creating a ‘yelp’ for healthcare.   Sebastian shared with me a number of the things he and his team have learned since starting, including a unique method he uses to track his teams performance, by identifying correlations between team activity, behaviour or attitude and corresponding peaks and valleys in overall performance or progress.   We also touch on his personal journey to entrepreneurship, and what circumstances led him to finally make the ‘leap’ into founding a startup. This is something an increasing number of people are confronting today, and I believe Sebastian provides some good advice on how to approach it.   Finally, having freshly closed a fundraising round, Sebastian shares with us his fundraising experience and some tips on how to do it successfully—including how much to raise, how to choose investment partners, how long it should take and more.   There’s something in this episode for everyone, so check it out and enjoy!   Learn more at www.thecarevoice.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw     

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EP15: Sam Hwang of New Pathway Education

Release Date: 9/14/2015

Duration: 44 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode I am joined by Sam Hwang, CEO and Founder of New Pathway Education (now part of the EIC Education group).   Sam is a Korean American and represents a great example of a foreign entrepreneur living the quote ‘Chinese dream’.   However prior to his success, Sam encountered many of the same issues that confront so many who take the leap into entrepreneurship in a foreign country.   In this show we discuss how to deal with negative and discouraging feedback from friends and family, and listening to that gut feeling that just tells you to ‘Go for it’.   Sam also shares with us some practical tips based on his own experience on how to overcome the many challenges that await foreign entrepreneurs in China.   Finally, we discuss the mentality of success, and how rather than wanting to sail off in to the sunset, the truly great entrepreneurs (Sam included) are inspired by their success and want to use their experiences, network and capital to push forward into ever bigger challenges.   If you need a little inspiration and some helpful hints, look no further!     Learn more at npathway.com       www.techinshanghai.com   TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai   WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

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EP14: Bunny Yan of The Squirrelz

Release Date: 9/3/2015

Duration: 67 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode we are joined by Bunny Yan, CEO and co-founder of The Squirrelz. The Squirrelz began as a retail shop in Shanghai in 2013, selling a variety of uber-creative ‘up-cycled’ goods (meaning they were made with materials that otherwise may have been destined for the land-fill). In early 2015, The Squirrelz decided that to really have an impact on the huge amount of unwanted or wasted materials being pumped-out on a daily basis by factories, they had to scale. Enter Chinaccelerator. Bunny and the team at The Squirrelz applied for the popular accelerator program in Shanghai and were accepted! They spent the next three months figuring out how to take their philosophy and process of making and selling up-cycled products and bring it to the rest of the world! Since ‘Pitch Day’, The Squirrelz have been busy growing their team, attracting investors and a million other things startups must do to keep the momentum going. This is an extremely important period in the life of any startup, which many entrepreneurs will encounter at some point, so I thought it would be interesting to have Bunny join me to discuss what life is like once the training wheels come off, and how she and the rest of the team are coping with the steep learning curve and myriad challenges that emerge at this time. Bunny is a live one, so the kid’s may need their earmuffs in a few partsJ Enjoy!   Learn more about The Squirrelz at, https://thesquirrelz.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw   

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP13: Bobby Lee of BTCC

Release Date: 8/24/2015

Duration: 85 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode we speak with Bobby Lee, Co-founder and CEO of BTCC (Formerly BTC China), one of the world’s largest and most trusted Bitcoin exchanges (and much more). Bitcoin is an extremely hot topic in the tech world today, and though many have extremely high hopes for it, still others remain confused about how to get it, use it, and how significant of a technology it truly is. We discuss the history of Bitcoin, why it is so revolutionary, and why understanding it (and potentially other ‘cryptocurrencies’) will be an important component of managing your finances and transferring value as we move further into the digital age! Learn more at www.btcc.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw       Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP12: David Chen of Strikingly

Release Date: 1/31/2015

Duration: 130 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description:   In this episode I sit down with David Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Strikingly. Strikingly, based in Shanghai, is a company that makes it easy for anyone to design beautiful, mobile-optimized websites.  Strikingly is also a graduate of the world-renowned Y-Combinator accelerator program. In this show we speak with David about his experiences in going through YC, how his team rebounded from initial rejection, keeping the faith after harsh criticism, being inspired by 1 (yes 1) user to carry on building the company, choosing to set-up shop in China and much, much more. The strikingly story is truly inspirational, and David details for us the ups and downs of start-up life as only someone who has been through it can. Enjoy!   Learn more at www.strikingly.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw  

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP11: Jennifer Xu of Green Apple Health

Release Date: 12/4/2014

Duration: 46 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

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Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP10: Steve Mushero of ChinaNetCloud

Release Date: 11/22/2014

Duration: 90 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode we speak with Steve Mushero, Foudner and CEO of ChinaNetCloud. Steve is a rare guest, who is both a veteran of Silicon Valley in the dot-com days, as well as someone who has been involved in the Chinese Tech industry, from it's initial growth spurt, up to the innovative and globally influential behemoth it is rapidly becomming today. ChinaNetCloud was founded in 2008 and is "China's leading Internet Server Management Company"  Steve and I cover a lot of ground in this episode, looking back at his experiences in Silicon Valley, how they compare to the current Tech and Startup landscape in China, the incredible pace at which things are moving here, and how he sees it developing into the future. Of course, we also discuss his journey as a trailblazing entrepreneur in the notoriously competitive Chinese technology industry, and the personal and professional perspectives and approaches he's used to be successful at it. To learn more, vist www.chinanetcloud.com   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw 

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP9: Bob Zheng of People Squared

Release Date: 11/18/2014

Duration: 80 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode we sit down with Bob Zheng, co-founder of People Squared. People Squared is the first co-working space operator to begin operating in Shanghai, and has since established several locations in China. As always, it's great to get a local perspective, but in this episode we really get to see how the start-up scene in Shanghai has developed over the past couple years. Few people have had more of a birds-eye-view than Bob, hosting, helping and interacting with many of Shanghai's best startups. As a result of the burgeoning start-up scene in Shanghai, People Squared has experienced tremendous growth recently. If you're interested in hearing from the horse's mouth how it all developed, and more importantly, where it is headed, then definately give this episode a listen. For more information, check them out at www.people-squared.com/en/.   www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP8: Simon Kwan and Ed Dean of Qaramel

Release Date: 11/9/2014

Duration: 77 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode we speak with Simon Kwan and Ed Dean, founders of Qaramel. Qaramel designs innovative products that make your Apple product user experiences 'sweeter'. We speak to them about their experience of working with factories in China, a notortiously tricky landscape to maneuver. These two are also famous (in certain circles) for gaming Kickstarter to set themselves up for some free press when they finally launched their "real" project (hint: it involves Star Wars). If you're interested in learning more about hardware in China, or simply interested in getting a birds-eye view of what their experiences of being entrepreneurs in China has been like, be sure to check out this episode in full. Check em out at www.qaramel.com www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP7: Jenny Zhu of OpenLanguage

Release Date: 11/9/2014

Duration: 62 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: In this episode of the Tech in Shanghai podcast we speak with a local podcast celebrity, Jenny Zhu. Born in Shanghai to a hard-core Communist military family, and schooled in Singapore and Australia since 14 years of age, Jenny is a pioneer in online, podcast-based language learning. Jenny was on the founding team of Chinese pod, a wildly popular podcast for learning mandarin. After a successful exit from that venture, she founded OpenLanguage, and language learning platform for multiple popular languages. In speaking with Jenny we get a unique perspective on entrepreneurship from someone who was born and raised in Shanghai, has seen dramatic change in her surroundings, and who represents the many successful and ambitious women in Shanghai and beyond!   www.openlanguage.com  www.techinshanghai.com   TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw    

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP6: Ben Duvall and Liu Kai of linkfluence (formerly actsocial)

Release Date: 11/9/2014

Duration: 69 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Ben Duvall is the the Chief Evangelist Officer for Asia, and Liu Kai is the CTO at linkfluence. Linkfluence Asia is the only global social listening firm fully localized in China and APAC. Their mission is to monitor, analyze and engage the social web. Learn more at www.linkfluence.asia www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP5: Michael Young (w/Todd Embley of Chinaccelerator) of Trans Pacific Medicine

Release Date: 11/9/2014

Duration: 62 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Michael Young is the Founder and CEO of Trans Pacific Medicine. Trans Pacific Medicine is dedicated to helping Chinese patients find trusted, quality health care options in America.  Check them out at www.chuantaiyi.com Chinaccelerator (a member of the Global Accelerator Network) is the first mentorship-driven seed-funding program in China.  Learn more at www.chinaccelerator.com www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP4: Tony Gu of Drink Entrepreneurs

Release Date: 11/9/2014

Duration: 71 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: DrinkEntrepreneurs is a monthly event where entrepreneurs connect in a relaxed way. The event usually runs every first Thursday of the month in Shanghai but also in Paris, London, San Francisco and many other cities. Thousands of entrepreneurs have met partners, co-workers, investors and friends through the event. DrinkEntrepreneurs is different from other events because it's very laid back and informal. It's like having a beer with friends, nothing like overtime. It's non-profit, we do it for fun. There are lots of young startupers and you don't wear a tie unless you plan to use it for a lap dance! Check em out at shanghai.drinkentrepreneurs.com www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP2: Liam Winston of MobileNow Group

Release Date: 11/9/2014

Duration: 52 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Liam Winston is the Co-Founder and Managin Director of MobileNow Group. MobileNow has one goal -- to build the best apps and responsive websites out there, and it's been doing it in China/Asia for a while now. Liam shares with me how his company has weathered the myriad challenges to operating in this market, as well as how he has coped with the personal challenges of being an foreign entrepreneur in a market that waits for nobody.   www.techinshanghai.com WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw   www.mobilenowgroup.com    

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP3: Pascal Coppens of Lets Face

Release Date: 10/30/2014

Duration: 56 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description:   Pascal Coppens is the Founder of Letsface. Letsface is a creative tech company based in Shanghai that has built a platform to create unforgettable digital experiences at live events. Pascal talks about the union of offline and online events, as well as the scale of the opportunity, and the challenges he has encountered trying to capitalize on it. www.techinshanghai.com TWITTER: twitter.com/techinshanghai WECHAT: TheHungryFoolish YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v9ftNF2AFDAOze0uhNrzw

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No

EP1: Alex Duncan of KAWO

Release Date: 10/28/2014

Duration: 54 Mins

Authors: John Vallis

Description: Alex Duncan is the Co-Founder and Product Lead at KAWO. KAWO's goal is to "empore brands using Chinese social media". Over the past few years, the importance of Chinese social media platforms in branding and sales has skyrocketed. For any and all companies looking to play in the China market, social media strategy is one of the most important considerations, as more so than any other major market in the world, THAT is where consumers are influenced. What's more, ecommerce has become seemlessly integrated into social media platforms in China, meaning that the space between the decision to buy, and the act of making a purchase, have never been closer together. Alex and I discuss this dynamic, what it means for brands trying to establish themselves in this market, and how as a 'foreigner' Alex has navigated the entrepreneurial landscape in China to build a lasting business. www.techinshanghai.com twitter.com/techinshanghai WeChat: TheHungryFoolish www.kawo.com twitter.com/kawo WeChat: Kawo

Is Closed Captioned: No

Explicit: No