China Paradigms

Matthieu David interviews Vincent Ghossoub, co-founder & CEO of Falafel Games. Building a company that handles game development and game publishing in China can definitely be a challenge. But how big does this challenge become if your main goal is to develop games for an Arabic market? In this new China Paradigm podcast interview, we learn about Vincent Ghossoub’s journey on his quest to hire Chinese talent for building the best gaming experience in the Middle East.

0:09 Guest introduction and company history

3:37 Falafel Games’ current business model

4:42 Current market size – the lucrative midcore audience

6:18 Midcore vs Hardcore vs Casual

9:42 “China is part of the recipe!” – why Falafel Games was founded in China

11:20 Rise of the Freemium – combating piracy in China and the Middle East

14:02 From freemium back to premium – what has changed?

19:03 Micro-transactions in the freemium model – what do people actually pay for?

28:21 The international mindset - how did Falafel Games start out?

34:22 When it comes to the gaming market “China is a bloodbath”– how cheap is talent really, in China?

37:17 Initial investment – what did it take to get Falafel Games off the ground?

40:21 Developing the first game – investments and payback period targets

44:19 The secret word is “Guanxi” – building a business relationship network and closing the cultural gap

52:16 Live streaming – the cornerstone of Falafel Games’ marketing strategy

1:00:00 US vs China – cracking the interaction between traditional media and interactive gaming

Learn more about Falafel Games: https://www.falafel-games.com/

Listen & Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6...

Website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

Matthieu David interviews Fashionable Futures’ Kate Padget-Koh, a Founder & Consultant, Industry Expert in Fashion, and Kanch Porta Panjabi, a Founder & Entrepreneur. Their company specializes in helping clients build sustainable fashion brands in China. What Fashionable Futures’ definition of sustainability is and what their superpower is when it comes to developing brands will be the topic of discussion for today’s China Paradigm podcast.

Skip to the highlights:

0:10 Guest introduction and company history

1:45 How does Fashionable Futures operate in the present?

4:55 How does Fashionable Futures define sustainability?

8:00 What is leading manufacturers to think about sustainability?

8:56 Converting sustainability into action – how does that work?

11:30 Fashionable Futures’ Superpower – turning complexity into simplicity

13:09 Maneuvering the Trade War – specific cases Fashionable Futures have dealt with

16:44 Ultra-transparency through traceability– China vs The West

21:37 Is there a need to always create a brand around a product or service?

25:35 How does Fashionable Futures know what’s going to be fashionable and what will not?

27:05 Creating brands in the 21st Century – social media and innovation catalysts

30:14 The philosophy of fashion

33:34 Is being active online a requirement for a brand nowadays?

36:18 Are there any already established brands in China that have adopted the sustainability quality that Fashionable Futures provide for their clients?

37:25 What books and podcasts have inspired Kate and Kanch in their entrepreneurial journey?

39:52 What would Kate and Kanch do as a side business should they have extra time on their hands?

41:41 What is an unexpected business success that Kate and Kanch have witnessed in China?

43:11 What is an unexpected business failure that Kate and Kanch have witnessed in China?

43:59 Outro

Learn more about Fashionable Futures: https://www.fashionablefutures.com/

Listen & Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6...

Website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

Matthieu David interviews Greg Nance, CEO of Dyad.com. In this China business podcast, we learn about his company, how Dyad.com has been lucrative on a very powerful niche offering mentorship to students who want to study abroad and need to navigate the vast mechanisms of admissions that ivy league colleges have in place. Knowledge is power and that’s exactly why it is a valuable resource that Dyad.com manages to place at their scholars’ disposal. How Dyad.com can offer quality certified mentorship, how they attract mentors and how they put them in touch with aspiring scholars on a daily basis? We’ll find that out and much more in this podcast!

Skip to the highlights:

0:08 Guest introduction and company history

1:56 Dyad.com – how does this platform work and who is it built for?

3:30 The business model perspective – how does Dyad.com earn revenue?

4:26 The traditional way of studying abroad vs the digital reach of a dot com

6:06 Certified mentors and scalable quality based on feedback – what Dyad.com takes away from the Alibaba model

9:20 A powerful niche - how big is Dyad.com?

11:19 Life is an ultramarathon – Dyad.com’s business philosophy and how they get better and better every cycle

13:13 Client acquisition – a “word of mouth” marketing plan

17:11 Accelerating growth – why creating an engaging and actionable service is important

19:54 The Upvote leads to conversion– where does Dyad.com engage with non-costumers?

21:32 How does Dyad.com get coachable and motivated costumers?

23:06 The conflict of interest and why remaining an honest broker is the best route

25:39 The many iterations of Dyad.com – what was the company initially to what it has become in the present day

27:53 Luck and good fortune – how Dyad.com started out and why they managed to attract and keep investors involved

32:03 Luck surface area – meeting the former CEO of MacDonald’s

36:39 How the current market situation looks for Dyad.com

38:59 Defining the middle-class Chinese family and what their budget is for studying overseas

42:37 How the Trade War is impacting the need students have for studying abroad

44:25 How does Greg Nance stay up to date with business in China? Which resources does he recommend for that and what does he recommend for aspiring entrepreneurs as reading material?

46:03 What productivity tool does Greg use for his business in China?

46:27 What was the most surprising experience that Greg had in China so far?

47:10 What was the most unexpected success Greg has witnessed in China?

48:07 What was the most unexpected failure Greg has witnessed in China?

49:00 Outro

Learn more about Dyad.com: http://www.dyad.com/en

Listen & Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6...

Website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

Matthieu David interviews Laurent Le Pen, Founder, and CEO of Omate. In this China business podcast, we learn about his company, how he managed to earn a million dollars on his Kickstarter campaign for the world’s first “truly smart” watch, and why his company made the switch to wearable as a service. “Less means more” is the philosophy that Omate takes to heart when designing new products for their users. But how much more do we stand to gain by wearing an Omate smartwatch and how many more or fewer features do their products have compared to big brand smartwatches? Let’s find out!

Skip to the highlights:

0:09 Guest introduction and company history

2:05 Omate – current company size and what type of business they are into

6:08 Omate product evolution - from Kickstarter to wearable as a service

11:46 An initial buyer’s profile – who was interested in buying an Omate smartwatch at launch?

13:50 The Snowball Effect – Omate’s initial marketing strategy

15:22 What was the initial investment in order to get Omate off the ground?

16:56 Production logistics – How hard was it to get into mass production?

19:10 Manufacturing in China – a GoPro anecdote

21:26 Manufacturing the prototype

22:35 The Truly Smart Watch vs The iWatch

26:33 Who is Omate selling to? Is Omate a B2B seller or a B2C?

30:15 How is Omate handling software integration with Android?

32:14 The “Less is More” Philosophy - how user-friendly is an Omate smartwatch?

35:37 What are the features of an Omate smartwatch?

37:23 Is the Omate smartwatch built to prevent possible emergencies that users might have?

40:47 From Design to Product – how long does it take Omate to build a new smartwatch?

42:39 No SIM card Required, Hopefully - upcoming products from Omate

46:51 Replacing The Service Enabler – Can the virtual SIM card become a reality?

48:52 Debating Price Policy – why a monthly subscription would not be the best way to go.

49:56 Omate’s business model should the virtual SIM become a reality.

51:32 Raising Money From 500 Startups – was there a need to do that?

53:48 From B2C to B2B – how Omate decided to sell to other businesses.

56:36 A Lesson in Marketing – The B2C2B model and why releasing limited edition products is a valuable marketing strategy

58:40 Outro

Learn more about Omate: https://www.omate.com/

Listen & Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6...

Website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! if you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

In this China business podcast we learn about Daphne Tuiijn's entrepreneurial story starting WebshopinChina.com - a full-service China e-commerce agency with offices in Shanghai and Amsterdam; Chaoly -- a cloud-based data platform, based on the latest technologies that integrate your data together with big data sources from major Chinese platforms. Daphne Tuijn discusses her first experience in the Chinese market; how to open cross-border shops and operate them, switching from a service filed to software and more.

Skip to the highlights:

1:38 Where is the company now

4:00 Daphne Tuijn’s first experience in the Chinese market

6:56 How does Daphne Tuijn manage the business

10:12 What Daphne Tuijn has to do to open cross-border shops and operate them

12:07 What’s the cost platforms ask for and how does company charge 1221

14:13 What about the logistics

18:14 How do Chinese people react to international sales

27:03 Is chatbox has a bright future in China

29:39 What kind of growth-hacking techniques has Daphne Tuijn found in China

33:31 What is Chaoly and what can we get from it

36:31 Is it difficult service company to software company

39:11 how did Daphne Tuijn develop software while she doesn't have the background

43:20 What can the company provide with the platform

47:00 Which book inspires Daphne Tuijn the most in her entrepreneur journey?

48:42 What does Daphne Tuijn read/listen to stay updated about China?

49:34 What book about China does Daphne Tuijn recommend others to read?

50:06What productivity tool does Daphne Tuijn like the most in China?

59:00 An idea Daphne Tuijn would like to work on if she has extra time

52:16 The most surprising experience of Daphne Tuijn in China

53:04 What has Daphne Tuijn done in the past when few people know about her

54:12 The most interesting thing for Daphne Tuijn in China

54:57 An unexpected business success Daphne Tuijn recently witnessed in China

56:08 An unexpected business failure Daphne Tuijn recently witnessed in China

Learn more about Chaoly: http://www.chaoly.com

Listen & Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g

Website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! if you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

Matthieu David interviews Milad Nouri, Co-founder and CEO of YOOSourcing. In this China business podcast, we learn about his company, a collaborative and decentralised solution for global sourcing. It combines the power of trusted social networks with audited and verified transactional data to bring a comprehensive global sourcing solution in the palm of your hands. Milad discusses the business model of YOOSourcing, how they get suppliers, how blockchain is used on YOOSourcing and more.

1:13 The size of the business

2:04 The business model of YOOSourcing

4:50 How did YOOSourcing get their suppliers

9:55 How does YOOSourcing make money

10:33 What features do YOOSourcing provide

12:14 How does blockchain being used on YOOSourcing

21:09 Does Milad feel that there is an issue of trusting of Alibaba?

26:50 How much does YOOSourcing charge for the premium version?

29:46 Which section of YOOSourcing focuses at the beginning?

31:15 Is YOOSourcing charging suppliers for more service?

33:40 What makes Hangzhou attractive to Milad?

36:10 Did Milad benefit from the ecosystem in Hangzhou?

39:56 Which book inspires Milad the most as an entrepreneur?

40:03 What does Milad read/listen to stay updated about China?

41:11 What book about China does Milad recommend others to read?

42:10 What productivity tool does Milad like the best in China?

42:50 An idea Milad would like to work on if he has extra time

43:15 The most surprising experience of Milad in China

44:10 An unexpected business success Milad witnessed in China

45:12 An unexpected business failure Milad witnessed in China

Learn more about YOOSourcing

https://www.yoosourcing.com

Listen & Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g

Website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! if you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

Matthieu David interviews Nicolai Peitersen, Co-founder and Chairman of Wikifactory. In this China business podcast, we learn about his company, a collaborative social platform where creative individuals use digital tools such 3D printers and CNC machines to design and fabricate products themselves and then share them online through the platform to reach out to individuals doing the same thing. Nicolai discusses how his company is making an impact on the production industry by making digital fabrication more prominent and exploring the possibilities and benefits of using it to localize production.

01:38 - Introduction to Wikifactory, its mission and vision

08:55 - How will Wikifactory as a platform, disrupt/alter the production industry?

16:08 - Wikifactory’s business model

18:50 - A collaborative product development social platform for companies and open-source communities

23:59 - What is Fab Lab?

25:39 - Insights on Digital Fabrication

30:30 - How traffic is drawn into the Wikifactory platform?

35:32 - What brought Nicolai Peitersen to Chengdu, China?

36:25 - What is good to do in China and what isn’t?

42:41 - What is a CNC machine and how does it compare to 3D printing?

43:54 - Wikifactory and capitalism, product ownership rights and sharing projects online

51:58 - Ethics, value creation, social issues and Wikifactory’s impact on China

56:54 - Nicolai talks about the social credit system and its link into his work

Connect with Nicolai Peitersen

Linkedin

Twitter

Email: [email protected]

Links

https://wikifactory.com/

Listen & Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/china-paradigms/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2y6ixpQB1WIs6GMdUeoq4g

Website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Thanks for listening! if you like what you hear, do us a favor and write a review on iTunes.

What is China Paradigms Podcast?

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms.

Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting firm focusing on the Chinese market. We are leveraging a multiple-methodology approach in order to support clients’ needs, auctioning traditional methodologies as well as technology-driven tools.

More about Daxue Consulting: https://daxueconsulting.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daxueconsulting/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daxue-consulting/?viewAsMember=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaxueConsulting

Greig Charlton, CEO at 247tickets, speaks with Matthieu David about the event ticket selling business in China. He talks about the business model of 247tickets how does 247tickets uses AI on WeChat. In this China business podcast, we also learn how he organizes his team, creates the community and more.

Highlights of this episode:

1:28 The size of the company

3:50 What’s the business model of 247tickets

7:48 How does Greig organize his team

11:40 Defining the product

17:51 Where is 247tickets sitting? Ticket company or community builder?

19:19 Does Greig under threat of doing so many things beyond only ticket business

27:27 How does 247tickets create its community

34:07 How does 247tickets use AI bot on WeChat platform

38:34 How does AI robot of 247tickets work on WeChat platform

42:02 How does Greig see the change that his users change from foreigners from Chinese

45:55 How and when does Greig raise money

Official website: 247tickets.com

======================================================

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting firm focusing on the Chinese market. We are leveraging a multiple-methodology approach in order to support clients’ needs, auctioning traditional methodologies as well as technology-driven tools.

More about Daxue Consulting: https://daxueconsulting.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daxueconsulting/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daxue-consulting/?viewAsMember=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaxueConsulting

Thomas Knoop, the GM & Co-Founder of Livecom China, speaks with Matthieu David about the leading CustServ AI solution that supports Wechat, Weibo, Insta in China. In this China business podcast, we talk about the business model of Livecom and the story behind it. Knoop also mentions his unique view of AI and more.

Highlights of this episode:

00:36 General introduction of Livecom

6:09 How does the company price

9:25 The story of Livecom

14:30 The holistic view of touchpoint of Weibo

23:25 Where does Thomas develop Livecom and his develop team

24:30 How important is Chinese business to Thomas

26:37 How does Thomas deal with developing a China-centric platform with a foreign development team

30:20 How does Thomas manage across country customers

32:27 What does Livecom do for “饿了吗”

34:08 Why does “饿了吗” choose Livecom and the story behind

45:00 What does Thomas think of AI

56:32 What books inspire Thomas the most on his entrepreneur journey

57:05 What does Thomas read to stay up-to-dated about China

57:44 What books on China would Thomas recommend if any

58:28 What productivity tools does Thomas like to use

59:41 What would be another business Thomas would like to manage if he has extra time

1:00:42 An unexpected success and failure Thomas has witnessed in China

official website: https://www.livecom.cn

======================================================

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting firm focusing on the Chinese market. We are leveraging a multiple-methodology approach in order to support clients’ needs, auctioning traditional methodologies as well as technology-driven tools.

More about Daxue Consulting: https://daxueconsulting.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daxueconsulting/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daxue-consulting/?viewAsMember=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaxueConsulting

Mike Hofmann, Managing Director at Melchers (Beijing) Ltd., speaks with Matthieu David-Experton about supporting the exportation and operations of companies in China.

Highlights of this episode include:

1:02 About Melchers

3:48 Net sales

5:27 Melchers’ case studies that are most illustrative of China

8:09 Competing with other companies

10:06 Elements and circumstances to why companies would use Melchers’ services

12:41 Navigating risks

14:26 Costs of service and business model

16:15 Introducing a premium brand in China

20:31 Training and time investment for selling a luxury product

22:37 Organization and company set up

25:50 Locations

30:35 Standard way of working with malls

31:56 Most successful format for market entry

34:17 Cost of companies having their own shop in premium locations by space

35:09 Budget allocations to opening the first shop

37:40 Managing online presence of luxury brands

40:40 Working with a TP (T-Mall partner)

43:45 Concerns about the TP

44:50 Books that inspired Mike’s China journey

46:05 Staying up to date with China

46:55 Something Mike would do in China if he had extra time

48:34 One unexpected success in China

50:28 One unexpected failure in China

More about Melchers (Beijing) Ltd.: https://melchers-china.com/

======================================================

China Paradigms is the China Business Podcast for entrepreneurs and China watchers. Learn from business professionals in China on our China Paradigms website: http://chinaparadigm.com/

Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting firm focusing on the Chinese market. We are leveraging a multiple-methodology approach in order to support clients’ needs, auctioning traditional methodologies as well as technology-driven tools.

More about Daxue Consulting: https://daxueconsulting.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daxueconsulting/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daxue-consulting/?viewAsMember=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaxueConsultingv