Asia Startup Pulse

“I was feeling completely drained, drained of energy and mental strength. Just being empty going through the days trying to cope with my daily work.” This is just one story we heard from entrepreneurs. While entrepreneurs are determined to change the world, they often don’t realize they are losing sleep and endangering their mental well-being during the process. Even worse, societal stigmas surrounding depression and anxiety prevent them from acknowledging their symptoms, much less getting the help they need.

In this episode, we invited Enoch Li, author of "Stress in the City: Playing My Way Out of Depression” and Founder of BEARAPY to share her own struggles with mental health and the importance of taking care of employees' mental wellbeing. Mentors and investors also need to take on the role of creating a healthy environment for entrepreneurs.

BEARAPY was founded with the mission to reduce burnout and mental health issues in the community through helping adults access their inner playfulness. Their work with startups and small companies and how to implement a healthy workplace culture, what it means to be playful in the company and what it means to care ut mental health of employees can be found in Enoch’s book.

Show Notes:

[01:40] Introduction of Enoch and BEARAPY

[03:23] The idea behind BEARAPY and its contribution to the community

[04:34] Burnout and mental health challenges in China

[05:57] Lack of awareness in China inhibits mental health care

[07:15] Traditional Chinese approach to mental health

[08:00] China “996” culture results in what consequences and impact

[10:38] High turnover affects the awareness of mental healthcare in business

[12:21] Mental health and wellness responsibility: employee or organization?

[13:58] How to recognize mental health problems

[15:32] Individual approach to cultivating wellbeing for entrepreneurs

[17:27] Redefining and using ‘play’ for positive mental health

[23:30] Investor role in mental health and wellbeing

[29:57] Check out Enoch’s book: "Stress in the City: Playing My Way Out of Depression”（ http://bearapy.me/books/）

To connect with Enoch and BEARAPY, follow the WeChat account Bearapy小熊创意法.

Many thanks to our host Ryan Shuken and Oscar Ramos, guest Enoch Li, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!

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Email us: [email protected]
Music Credits: Adam Place founder of NUSIC （https://nusic.com.cn/）

Random seating at the hot desk area, flexible working style in a diverse environment and open interactions in a borderless office – these are just the tip of the iceberg as to what a co-working space actually entails! In this episode, Yintao Feng, Founder of MIXPACE, a Chinese co-working space brand, will give us a detailed breakdown of the co-working landscape and people’s working experience in China.

To curate a well-connected community is not something you can do with a snap of your fingers. In China, the situation is very different from the west. You need an active community manager to orchestrate these activities and break down several layers of ice before people are comfortable with one another. This interaction is vital as most of the guys there are street-smart and resourceful when it comes to dealing with the challenges in today’s market.  

Currently, MIXPACE has more than 20 sites in Shanghai and Beijing with more in the pipeline. MIXPACE received A round investment in 2017 and B round investment of 400 million RMB in 2018.

Show notes:

[01:53] Introducing Yintao Feng

[04:28] His perspectives on starting a company in China  

[05:18] Rising trend of urbanization  

[06:57] Connecting to Chinese customers with new technology

[08:32] Biggest mental shift from corporate to startup

[09:55] Comparing rules and regulations inside and outside of China

[10:57] His unusual transition from banking to co-working space

[13:05] Catching a glimpse of the co-working scene in China

[16:14] What are the benefits for small companies?

[18:53] Bringing attention to the “996” phenomenon

[20:35] Switching of working style from corporate to startup

[22:15] Having more interactions: helpful or harmful?

[25:05] Lets talk about the second tier cities

[26:28] Improving user’s experience through technology

Many thanks to our host Ryan Shuken and Oscar Ramos, guest Yintao Feng, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com 

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!

Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/ 

Email us: [email protected] 

More thoughts are required when cultivating the relationship between the brands and users, from a level of “friendship” to being part of a one big “family”. As such, how can businesses deliver better experiences in this environment? Our guest Michael Lai has a diverse background with over 10 years consulting experience in the areas of branding, interaction design, service design, and experience design. We will learn more from this interview in terms of how he understands the importance of segmenting your customers, maintaining your perspective and moving at the right speed in today’s society.

TANG is an experience strategy and design consultancy focusing on helping clients build a holistic ideal experience for their customers, whose clients have included Fortune 500 companies, startups, nonprofit organizations from financial, consumer electronics, automotive, and education industries.

Show notes:

[03:38] Introduction of TANG

[08:36] Desire for “consumption upgrade”

[11:35] Maintaining your perspective in a fast-paced society

[15:25] Most interesting learning from Michael’s book: “The relationship model”

[18:16] Human resources vs technology component in China

[21:03] Innovate in China, implement it elsewhere out of China

[23:50] Types of companies that are working with TANG

[28:04] Moving at the right speed: speeding up or slowing down  

[31:25] One lesson for startups: segmenting your customers

[34:48] Knowing more about Michael’s book

Many thanks to our host Ryan Shuken and Oscar Ramos, guest Michael Lai, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website https://chinaccelerator.com/china-startup-pulse-podcast/

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share the favorite moment with your friends!

Check more exciting episodes on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/

Email us: [email protected]

Welcome back to the FINAL episode of Chinaccelerator 8X8 Speakers Series 2019 Spring with Maggie Tan, Former Co-head of Strategy & Planning, Uber China, Russell Flannery, Chief Editor of Forbes China, and Michael Lai, Partner & Dean of X Academy TANG.

Now, stop for a second. Hold your breath and imagine yourself burning 20 million RMB per hour. Unbelievable? That’s what Uber and Didi actually did. Ultimately, burning money is a choice and Maggie advised that one should do the math before venturing into it. How do you actually pitch your company to the media in an impactful manner? For this, Russell provided us with some sage advice on how to stay ahead of the pack and carve your existence successfully. Lastly, the final chapter of this speaker series ends with a book. Michael revealed the essence of x-thinking, and how lessons learned from writing a book could also be applied to the domain of entrepreneurship.

Don’t miss out the amazing insights they shared in this episode!
 
Show Notes:
 
[01:53] Maggie’s talk 

Maggie’s presentation slide: 

https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DYCH0b4Qrai4BxiTu7cB
 
[10:40] Russell’s talk 

Russell’s presentation slide: 

https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DS21l40Qrai4Bxiku7cB
 
[26:40] Michael’s talk 

Michael’s presentation slide: 

https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DSU0GocQrai4Bxieu7cB
 
Many thanks to our speakers Maggie Tan, Russell Flannery, and Michael Lai, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com.

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!
Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/
Email us: [email protected]
About 8x8: https://chinaccelerator.com/chinacceleraor-8x8-speakers-series/

Welcome back! We are heading to the 3rd episode of Chinaccelerator 8X8 Speakers Series with Alvin Graylin, China President of HTC, Neil Liang, Chief Product Officer & Co-founder of The Carevoice, and Lucas Englehardt, CEO of xixilab.

Price, Product, Place, Promotion. Sounds familiar? Wait till you see how Alvin raised the bar for this business strategy by doubling it to 8Ps. The path of entrepreneurship, in all its variation, still holds some key principles for those who wish to embark on it. “The simpler u made your customer journey, the more likely your customers will actually repeat that journey,” remarked by Neil. In fact, good customer experience can even be regarded as a baseline that either makes or breaks your business. Finally, Lucas believed in the power of focusing on one thing that works. No buzzwords, no fancy terms. We are going to do things one step at a time and examine for ourselves the beauty in simplicity.

Don’t miss out the amazing insights they shared in this episode!

Show Notes:

[01:50] Alvin’s talk 

(Alvin’s presentation slides: https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DSzVz24Qrai4Bxii1LQB)

[12:43] Neil’s talk 

(Neil’s presentation slides: https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/De8gdOAQrai4BxiY1bQB)

[19:19] Lucas’s Talk 

(Lucas’s presentation slides: https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DZJhjl4Qrai4BxiT1bQB)

Many thanks to our speakers Alvin Graylin, Neil Liang and Lucas Englehardt, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com.

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!

Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/

Email us: [email protected]

This week, we shall continue with the second part of Chinaccelerator 8X8 Speakers Series with Lu Guo, Founder and CEO, USHOPAL, Jane Lin-Baden, Managing Partner of APAC, Publicis Group and Yintao Feng, Founder of MIXPACE.

What does it take to be a capable CEO? Lu recalled how she had to raise a few hundred million RMB within a period of 12 months during her coldest winter. Despite all those setbacks, she managed to get the results done and keep the company afloat. Fear of pressure, fear of being unnoticed and fear of falling. Aside from the fear, Jane also revealed to us the secret of flying high above the crowd and bringing out the best quality of yourself even when no one is watching at all. Yintao walked us through the time when he experienced a culture shock after returning back to China. Sharing his transition from corporate to startup, we can get to learn how he adapted to this new environment and what were his techniques in managing and working with people.
 
Show Notes:

[01:50] Lu Guo’s talk (No slides)

[10:01] Jane Lin-Baden’s talk 

- Jane’s presentation slide: 

https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DdBZIIsQrai4Bxigr7EB

[19:22] Yintao Feng’s Talk 

- Yintao’s presentation slide: 

https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DdTJ8uEQrai4Bxikr7EB
 
Many thanks to our speakers Lu Guo, Jane Lin-Baden and Yintao Feng, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com.
 
If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!
Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/
Email us: [email protected]

Last month, we just hosted Chinaccelerator 8X8 Speakers Series where we invited 8 of our mentors - serial entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors - to share their personal stories about entrepreneurship in Beijing and Shanghai, from where we selected several talks for our podcast listeners who couldn’t join us in person. Today we would like to present the first 3 talks delivered by Dirk Eschenbacher, Co-founder of Zanadu Travel & Media, Rhea See, Co-founder & COO of She Loves Tech and Jaeson Ma, Co-founder of 88rising.

What comes first into Dirk’s mind when he looked back on his startup journey is an important lesson he learned - knowing your customers and focusing on the problem, not the solution. As a female entrepreneur, Rhea zeroed in on the female community and suggested entrepreneurs not to accept the conventional image and sell themselves short. Jaeson Ma brought the house down with his passion and vision to represent Asia media in mainstream culture the right way.

Check out more suggestions they shared in the episode.

Show Notes:

[02:01] Dirk Eschenbacher’s Talk

[09:00] Rhea See’s Talk (Rhea’s presentation slide: https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DUf9NkoQrai4BxjqkK4B)

[15:50] Jaeson Ma’s Talk (Jaeson’s presentation slide: https://www.jianguoyun.com/p/DZ4JsIQQrai4BxjwkK4B)

Many thanks to our speakers Dirk Eschenbacher, Rhea See and Jaeson Ma, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com.

If you like us, please give us likes and share with your friends!

Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/

Email us: [email protected]

What is your first impression when you think of a co-working space? Ricky Ng-Adam and Frederic Bazin envisioned it to be an open community of developers in a shared physical space focused on creating successful engineering team.

It may sound ironic but the process of building software would necessitate social activities, and this requires a wide range of talented people. Coderbunker is right now having huge momentum and getting other non-developers into this community as well. The question is: could this business model be happening in other industries and become a game changer in the future of work?

Show notes:

[2:48] How does Coderbunker define community?

[4:36] How to maintain a community

[5:50] Recommended traits for those who want to be in it

[8:52] Take care of the people first, followed by the project

[13:04] Portfolio of people in this community

[14:59] Difficulty in finding project owners

[16:19] Getting the talented people onboard

[18:26] Examples of big companies trying out this working style

[20:54] Is this the future of all work?

[22:47] Working onsite vs working remotely

[26:30] Will this happen in other industries too?

[27:47] Spreading of this model to other areas of a company

[29:11] Growing a worldwide network

[30:57] What about the issue of copycats?

Many thanks to our host Ryan Shuken and Oscar Ramos, guest Ricky Adam and Frederic Bazin, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!

Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/

Email us: [email protected]

Behind the Scenes of China Music Industry with Kenny Bloom, 40-year Music Guru and “Zero-man” for Warner in China

许多人猜测下一次中国企业赴美IPO将是腾讯音乐，其估值已经奖金200亿。中国的音乐市场发生了什么？

今天我们邀请了带华纳兄弟进入中国的第一人并有着40多年在全球娱乐媒体领域工作经验的Kenny Bloom作为演讲嘉宾。Kenny曾在20世纪80/90年代一手打造了摇滚明星崔健，联合发行了湖南卫视最早也是最流行的音乐比赛“超级女声”。在本期播客中，Kenny带我们回顾了20世纪80年代至今中国音乐产业的发展历程，并分享了他对市场各个方面的观察。下一个机会在哪里？Kenny认为是技术。

Tencent Music, China’s answer to Spotify, is expected to be the next big U.S. IPO from China with its soaring valuation at approximately $20 billion. What is happening in China music and entertainment industry? 

Today we have Kenny Bloom who has 40-year experience in the global entertainment media space as the “Zero-man” for Warner in China to walk us through the history of China music industry from 1980s until now and share his observations from every angle of the market. Once controlling 85% of the international music market in China and producing the #1 Chinese rock star Cuijian, Kenny is telling us the next big opportunities to succeed in this competitive market.

“If you think you can come to China and become a concert promoter, don’t come; if you want to start a record label, don’t come; but if you get innovative technology, this is a really great place to use as a launchpad to test.”

Show notes:

[2:53] Introduction of Kenny Bloom

[4:42] Reception and Censorship

[7:12] What were the Unique Opportunities that Kenny Saw?

[11:22] Having a Simple Business Model that Actually Works

[15:25] Evolution and Valuation of Baidu and other Big Boys 

[21:05] Is there Room for Creativity and Ideas in Today's Music Market? 

[24:08] You Just Don't Make Money off the Content 

[28:06] Getting Visibility in a Massive Chinese Market

[29:14] Consumer is the Biggest Winner

[31:40] What are the Opportunities in this Industry Now?

[34:07] Chinese Bands and Music Outside of China

Many thanks to our host Ryan Shuken and Oscar Ramos, guest Kenny Bloom, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!

Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/

Email us: [email protected]

本期播客我们非常荣幸在世界移动大会巴塞罗那2019与以色列科技教父和创新创业活动4YFN的主席Yossi Vardi展开了一次深入的对话。Yossi Vardi是以色列最早进入科技领域的创业者和投资人之一，他也是全球首个即时通信公司ICQ的创造者。ICQ是QQ和微信诞生的启发来源。在此次访谈中，我们的主播Oscar Ramos邀请Yossi分享了其对Copycat、创新、知识产权保护、以色列科技生态系统以及中国创业环境的见解。正如他所说，“就Copycat本身而言没有好坏之分，我们应该考虑整个图景和计划”。

世界移动大会20194FYN上海开放1000张免费门票给China Startup Pulse播客的听众们，填写问卷预留门票：www.wjx.top/jq/35116917.aspx

With his five-decade experience co-founding and investing in over 90 IT companies, Yossi is unofficially titled with “Israeli hi-tech godfather” and twice received the Prime Minister Award for life achievements in the high tech area. He is also the creator of ICQ, the world’s first instant messaging company, which inspired many messaging products including QQ in China.

We are honored to have Yossi to be on China Startup Pulse Podcast today where he shared his thoughts about the copycat, innovation, IP protection, Israeli tech ecosystem, and Chinese startups. As he mentioned, “We have to evaluate the whole picture...not just good or bad to be a copycat".

MWC Shanghai 2019 4YFN Startup Event now is opening 1000 free tickets to Chinaccelerator and China Startup Pulse fans! Fill in this form to reserve your seats in advance: www.wjx.top/jq/35116917.aspx

Show Notes:

[01:45] Introduction of Yossi Vardi, Founder of ICQ

[02:26] Transition from a Geek to an Investor

[05:02] What is ICQ?

[07:40] Why is ICQ so Special?

[10:15] Is Copycat a Cause of Concern for Ecosystem in China?

[13:00] How much can We Protect Companies that are Trying to Create New Things?

[15:11] Make in China, Clone for Others?

[17:51] Israel & its "Deep Complicated Technologies"

[20:54] Barriers for Startups Entering China & How to Overcome Them

[25:11] Further Expansion of Chinese Startups Across the Globe

[27:51] The Impressive Chinese Phenomenon

[28:30] Essential Fundamentals of an Economy in the Long Run

[29:44] Future Plans by Yossi Vardi

Many thanks to our host Oscar Ramos, guest Yossi Vardi, editor David and Geep, producer Eva Shi, organizer Chinaccelerator and sponsor People Squared. Be sure to check out our website www.chinaccelerator.com

If you like us, please give us a 5-star review and share with your friends!

Follow us on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-china-startup-pulse/

Email us: [email protected]