Everyone knows Alibaba but not everyone knows its middle-eastern arm operating in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. In the newest episode of the Impulso Podcast, we invited Zori Zafirova, COO of Daraz, to talk about being a part of Alibaba Group as well as her personal journey.

In this episode, we have touched upon:

What are shared learnings among various Alibaba Group companies that have played a pivotal role in Daraz's growth?

How onions helped Daraz gain traction in Bangladesh?

How to manage multimarket operations?

As we look ahead to the future, what opportunities and hurdles does the e-commerce world have in 2023?

Join this episode to gain intriguing insights from our guest on operating in the frontier ecommerce world.

In Episode 33 of the Impulso Podcast, we share raw, unfiltered conversations between Chao Gao (CTO of FinAccel), Shaolin Zheng (Co-founder and CTO of NextBillion.ai), and our own Jianggan Li (CEO Momentum Works) about their experiences in tech companies (startup or corporate), why tech companies in US, China and Singapore operate so differently, and how to deal with the difficulties thrown by 2023.

We also touched upon:

Differences in working culture in USA, China, and Singapore: How much certainty in product success a team needs?

Business model design/ no design: When does it work and when doesn’t?

How is founding with Rocket, Alibaba, corporate different from starting on your own?

Burden of a founder: Destined to be lonely?

Year of 2023: Navigating through high cost of capital and risk aversion

If you’ve ever wondered about the human side of tech officers, and how to resonate with them - this episode is for you.

In the latest episode of our podcast, we delve into news that has sent ripples through the world of social media and e-commerce. Indonesia has just introduced a regulation that shakes up the way transactions and payments take place on social media platforms.

 

How will it impact the operations of TikTok Shop which thrives on its massive user base? TikTok Shop’s frictionless experience allowed it to flourish. But with Indonesia slamming the brakes on this practice, TikTok Shops face a significant challenge. How will it affect the business model?

 

In our episode, we explore the motives behind Indonesia's regulatory move. What are the concerns driving this decision, can it serve as a blueprint for other countries’ policy?

 

Moreover, we investigate potential solutions. Indonesia has given a tight deadline of just one week for the issues to be addressed. Are there alternative strategies TikTok Shop can employ to continue its operations?

 

Join us in this episode as we unravel the complexities of Indonesia's new regulation and its impact on TikTok Shop!

Over the last year, TikTok Shop has shown incredible growth and has presence now in 9 markets, including all major markets in Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

After hitting US$4.4 billion GMV in Southeast Asia in 2022, TikTok Shop aims to triple that this year, as part of its overall (ambitious) US$20 billion target.

But what is behind all this growth? Why is TikTok betting so heavily on e-commerce? Would North American consumers watch videos and buy things on TikTok? Also, why would TikTok focus on the US market even as it is facing so much pressure there?

Episode 31 exclusively features the recording of our TikTok Shop event. Tune in as our experts discuss:

What are the 2 strategic focuses of TikTok in e-commerce

The 4 key differences between TikTok Shop and other e-commerce platforms

Should brands work with TikTok Shop, and if the answer is yes, how?

The top selling brand on TikTok Shop - how did they achieve it?

Enjoy the episode!

In this podcast episode, we invited our experts Ada and Vion, who recently attended the annual PE/VC summit. The summit gathers different investors, LPs, and some startup founders.

 

We posed the question to our experts: What are the hot topics in Southeast Asia? The answer was revealing – fintech, SaaS (Software as a Service), and the burgeoning field of agritech are making waves in the region. 

 

We explore the evolving landscape of investments and the intriguing concept of "lighter models." These are investments in tech-driven brands with high gross margins and minimal tangible assets, where the focus is not on massive growth but on sustainable profitability and cash flow.

 

But that's not all – we're taking a global perspective, looking beyond borders to examine the ever-shifting narrative surrounding investments in China. With headlines suggesting China may be becoming "uninvestable," we aim to cut through the noise and explore what lies beneath. Is China truly off the table for investors, or are there still opportunities to seize in this dynamic market?

 

So, stay tuned as we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of finance. You won't want to miss the valuable insights our guests have to offer.

Welcome to the Weekly Recap by Momentum Works, where we dissect business news in China and Southeast Asia. On this episode’s agenda: Luckin x Moutai collab, Lummo liquidation, and Indonesia’s plan to ban TikTok Shop.

 

Luckin, a Chinese coffee company, made headlines by selling in one day more than 5 million cups of an alcohol-infused latte, made in collaboration with Mouitai. Apart from discussing the technology and price of a new drink, we will dive deeper into how Moutai, a well-established brand of premium liquor, benefits from this collaboration, whether this is the first time they are making a liquor-flavored product, and what we can learn from partnership about competitiveness in F&B industry in China.

 

On Wednesday night news about Indonesia’s plan to ban TikTok Shop shook up the e-commerce scene. The government cites monopolistic activities as the reason for the prohibition. We will talk about how likely such a prohibition is to come into force and how it could potentially impact the e-commerce industry in Indonesia, as well as what is needed legally to make it come true.

 

Finally, Indonesian start-up Lummo (previously known as Bukukas) applied for voluntary liquidation after receiving more than USD $130 million from various investors, including Sequoia and Jeff Bezos’ VC firm. A SaaS startup originally offering bookkeeping services for SMEs was unable to generate enough revenue. We discuss the challenges of relying on bookkeeping as a core of a model.

 

Featured material:

The TikTok Shop Playbook | Momentum Works

 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0o96zu5t6ZDlfXVSB5KrS6?si=368314592728461f

 

The Luckin x Moutai partnership that sold 5 mil cups of coffee in one day - The Low Down - Momentum Works

Will Indonesia really ban TikTok Shop? - The Low Down - Momentum Works

TikTok has become synonymous with rapid-fire entertainment and viral content. Recently, this social media giant stepped into the world of commerce, changing the way we shop online. In this episode of the Implulso Podcast, we unravel the intriguing story of TikTok Shop by answering some of the questions from the event where we premiered our new report “TikTok Shop: The Playbook”.

 

Could TikTok Shop integrate vouchers into its platform? Vouchers, often used in e-commerce to incentivize purchases and boost engagement, have been a staple of online shopping. We'll delve into the possibilities and challenges of introducing vouchers to TikTok Shop, discussing how they could enhance the overall shopping experience and how they are implemented in the system of  TikTok’s sister Douyin. Join us as we examine whether vouchers could be the missing piece in TikTok Shop's dynamic ecosystem.

 

TikTok Shop burst onto the scene in Asia, but is it a universal sensation? We'll explore if it might appeal to North American consumers.

 

How does TikTok Shop strategically leverage its vast user base and merge entertainment with commerce, ultimately reshaping the way users discover and purchase products within the app?

 

Tune in to uncover the secrets behind TikTok Shop's innovative approach and how it's changing the way we shop.

Featured report:The TikTok Shop Playbook: The TikTok Shop Playbook | Momentum Works

Welcome back to another weekly recap episode of the Impulso Podcast. This week we dive into big news in the e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia. We invited the authors of a newly released “The TikTok Shop Playbook” to talk about recent developments.

In the dynamic landscape of e-commerce, the market is shifting rapidly. Just a year ago, Shopee reigned as the dominant player. However, the game has since changed, with the emergence of TikTok Shop and its aggressive and ambitious strategy, alongside Temu.

Pinduoduo has recently published their results Q2 results, which was greeted warmly with a 20% share price increase. But what exactly does their P&L unravel about their cost efficiency? Pinduoduo is particularly known for its operational efficiency. Which measures do they resort to to achieve it?

Temi shot down all rumors of entering Southeast Asia with a quiet yet quick launch in the Philippines. The big question on everyone's mind is: Why the Philippines? What could be the factors that contributed to such speed? And what might be their next destination in Southeast Asia?

What about TikTok Shop? Recently they announced an impressive goal of hitting US$20 billion GMV. But how is their consignment model doing? What do suppliers say?

Delving into customer behavior in Southeast Asia, it's a captivating realm. How are consumers shaping the e-commerce landscape in this region? These are some of the intriguing topics we'll be exploring in this episode.

 

Featured this week: 

Pinduoduo has enough $$$ to fund Temu’s Southeast Asia expansion, and more - The Low Down - Momentum Works, Who is Temu? | Momentum Works

 

Temu has entered Southeast Asia, challenging Shopee, Lazada & TikTok Shop - The Low Down - Momentum Works

 

Behind TikTok’s consignment ecommerce model: Progressing amidst chaos and disorder? - The Low Down - Momentum Works

If you haven't heard part one of this in-depth recap, go back to E25 and check it out now!

After a very brief hiatus, the team is back in the studio to recap their recent trip to China. Hear about the companies they visited, where you can pick up a coffee with a machine washable teddy bear attached to it, and what a flying taxi is. 

Learn what it is like to participate in a China Digital Leadership immersion. Details can be found here:

https://www.momentum.academy/innovative-immersions/china-digital-leadership-immersion

and a short description follows below.

 

China is back in business. The country’s consumer businesses, already infused with tech and innovation before the pandemic, have evolved to be more innovative and competitive. When the economy matures and natural growth slows down, tech platforms and other businesses are innovating even faster to stay competitive.

 

Bring your leaders on this practical and experiential immersion journey into China with Momentum Academy, where you will learn the latest technological and innovation trends, converse with industry leaders and practitioners to understand the logic behind, and bring such learnings back to your business.

 

The immersion programme covers a selected spectrum of key topics in innovation, including business models, products, operations, and platform ecosystems (see all our modules below) . We will curate the experience based on your leader’s priorities.

 

The Momentum Academy curriculum facilitate discussions to provide relevant background knowledge, context and behind-the-scene stories. These will ensure the learnings can resonate directly with your unique business landscape.

Welcome back to the Impulso Podcast, we know you've missed us!

After a very brief hiatus, the team is back in the studio to recap their recent trip to China. Hear about the companies they visited, where you can pick up a coffee with a machine washable teddy bear attached to it, and what a flying taxi is. 

In part one of this two-part in-depth recap, learn what it is like to participate in a China Digital Leadership immersion. Details can be found here:

https://www.momentum.academy/innovative-immersions/china-digital-leadership-immersion

and a short description follows below.

 

China is back in business. The country’s consumer businesses, already infused with tech and innovation before the pandemic, have evolved to be more innovative and competitive. When the economy matures and natural growth slows down, tech platforms and other businesses are innovating even faster to stay competitive.

 

Bring your leaders on this practical and experiential immersion journey into China with Momentum Academy, where you will learn the latest technological and innovation trends, converse with industry leaders and practitioners to understand the logic behind, and bring such learnings back to your business.

 

The immersion programme covers a selected spectrum of key topics in innovation, including business models, products, operations, and platform ecosystems (see all our modules below) . We will curate the experience based on your leader’s priorities.

 

The Momentum Academy curriculum facilitate discussions to provide relevant background knowledge, context and behind-the-scene stories. These will ensure the learnings can resonate directly with your unique business landscape.