China Paradigms

Nicolas Jouvenceau, founder and CEO of PINK Diamonds Boutique, speaks with Matthieu David-Experton about the Chinese market for gemstones. In this episode, Nicolas tells us about the founding and focus of the company, the expense and demand of colored diamonds in China, and the differentiation between PINK and other big jewelry companies. Highlights of this episode include: 2:15 The story behind Nicolas’ coming to China 7:11 Expense of colored diamonds compared to colorless diamonds 9:49 PINK Diamonds Boutique’s activities 10:35 Customizing jewelry with PINK Diamonds Boutique’s diamonds and gems 13:22 How clients discover and interact with PINK Diamonds Boutique in China. 15:41 Defining the Chinese market for diamonds 21:25 How PINK Diamonds Boutique differentiates from big companies 25:48 Process of producing jewelry 27:42 The market in China for buying diamonds as investments 30:44 Nicolas’ experience with EO (entrepreneur’s organization) 34:03 How to scale networking 36:34 Why marketing is not m

Matthieu David-Experton interviews Matt Conger, CEO of Cadence Translate, a company that serves both companies and linguists (which includes translators, interpreters, and transcriptionists) by connecting competent and intellectually curious linguists to businesses. Cadence Translate fulfils over 1000 translation jobs a month globally and has 2,500 linguists at the company. The company prides itself on prioritizing due diligence and ensuring linguists understand the concepts behind the content they are interpreting. Highlights of this episode include: 6:00 How they integrate technology into their business practices 7:15 How the company does matchmaking between client and linguist 9:00 How the benefits of raising investment go beyond cash 10:30 The innovative pricing model of the business 13:00 Quality assurance on a global scale 14:50 How to increase the domain knowledge of financial markets among interpreters and translators 21:00 Managing multiple locations and creating a unified company culture 25:05 Pri

Carlo Dragonetti, Head of Digital & Communications at the Italian Trade Agency, speaks with Matthieu David-Experton about communicating online, supporting Italian companies in China, and insights on how to be an Ambassador for Italy on T-Mall. Highlights of this episode include: 4:16 Origins of Carlo’s speech that went viral through Weibo 9:27 What you have to do as a KOL after going viral 10:11 Opportunity from gaining fame/going viral in China 13:45 Support of Italian companies at the Italian Trade Agency 18:05 Italian Trade Agency’s online campaigning 23:55 Tools that work best for the Italian Trade Agency 28:04 Leveraging interaction offline to online 31:43 Handling the identity of a nation during promotions More about the Italian Trade Agency: https://www.ice.it/en/ ====================================================== 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 client

Michael Simonet is a China eCommerce specialist and entrepreneur. In this interview conducted by Matthieu David, we learn in-depth about his eCommerce experience with cheese during his time at the company Swissmooh, a dairy company that has experienced success in China, climbing to the top of Tmall's cheese sales. Michael's current company, Qingdao Alea E-Commerce Co. Ltd consults international businesses on China e-commerce strategy. Michael has a wealth of knowledge on Tmall, JD, and Xiaohongshu. Highlights of this episode include: 3:30 Why start a business in Qingdao? 10:00 The success story of Swissmooh on Tmall 12:45 What did Swissmooh do to adapt to the Chinese market? 18:15 What happens when a company sells more than they have in stock? 21:00 What makes a Tmall shop successful on Tmall? 25:00 How to earn money on e-commerce 27:40 When is the best time to sell online, and all important shopping holidays to know 38:00 "Growth hacking" what to do and what to avoid, and how to appear credible to shopper

In this episode, Matthieu David interviews Vivian Chang, founder, and CEO at Crush Collection. Created in 2009, the brand is specialized in cashmere garments. Through the story of Crush Collection, Vivian Chang tells us how she managed to start an apparel brand from the sourcing of factories, the relationships with retailers and product understanding. Together, we try to figure out what are the mistakes to avoid when it comes to creating a brand. In this episode, you will learn how to become a successful and promising apparel brand creator from the choice of the business model (very linked to the branding strategy) to the choice of the right distribution channel and the interaction with suppliers. ======================================================= This podcast is sponsored by daxue consulting, a strategic research firm that answers complex business questions on the Chinese market with traditional and tech tools. Since 2012, daxue has served more than 250 clients and completed more than 300 projects.

The fourth episode recorded of China Paradigm, Matthieu David interviews Stephan Grand, Founder & CEO at S.J Grand financial and tax advisory (sjgrand.cn) since 2002. From Taipei, where he is opening a new office, our guest tells us how he started his business in a very regulated industry and what can be done to help clients to manage their accounting. Thanks to Stephan Grand you will discover what are the common mistakes when it comes to do accounting in China and what can be learned from the history of S.J Grand. ======================================================= This podcast is sponsored by daxue consulting, a strategic research firm that answers complex business questions on the Chinese market with traditional and tech tools. Since 2012, daxue has served more than 250 clients and completed more than 300 projects. Subscribe on : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... ======================================================= Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting firm f

In this episode, Matthieu David interviews Thomas Morisset, CEO of madeforgoods. Through the story of madeforgoods, we are exploring how to build and run SaaS product in China. Thomas Morisset explain to us how he found his co-founders, his business model and how to enter the WeChat ecosystem. ======================================================= This podcast is sponsored by daxue consulting, a strategic research firm that answers complex business questions on the Chinese market with traditional and tech tools. Since 2012, daxue has served more than 250 clients and completed more than 300 projects. Subscribe on : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-kaIFTTyeadBt6D0rnbVGAA33icg8OJn ======================================================= 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. Read m

XNode is a Global Platform for Innovation in China. Matthieu David interviewed Matthieu Bodin and Adriana Verde Rios, the international growth director and program director respectively. Learn about what programs are available for entrepreneurs in China, highlights of the episode include: 8:00 What XNode offers for innovation programs 10:30 Business model of XNode 17:30 The mission to find how innovation is done in China 21:30 How they deal with tough competition in China, and their positive view on it 25:00 Experience with Chinese government support 30:00 A corporate innovation project example 35:00 The 360 view XNode provides for clients 40:45 What are the entrepreneur residence and startup weekend programs 48:00 Difference in operation in Hong Kong, Macau and China 49:15 A bit on renewable energy in China More on XNode: http://www.thexnode.com/ ====================================================== Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting firm focusing on the Chinese market. We ar

In the second episode of China Paradigm, Matthieu David interviews J.X. Paulin, Founding partner & Managing director at DBX International. In China since 1994, and specialized in real estate business, he explains to us what means being a foreigner and doing business in the country. During the interview, you will learn how DBX reached 6 million USD sales in 4 years after starting with no initial investment. Through the story of his journey in the country and abroad, we are exploring together how to build a successful partnership with a Chinese partner when you have no equity on the table. Finally, JX Paulin tells us what can be learned from China to do international business and how this founder, from the African diaspora is leveraging his knowledge and experience gained in China and gain traction in Africa. ======================================================= This podcast is sponsored by daxue consulting, a strategic research firm that answers complex business questions on the Chinese market with trad

Matthieu David interviews Claudia Masueger, who started the friendly, casual and fun franchise CHEERS Wine in Beijing. With new stores opening up all over China, we learn the strategy behind the startup, how does Claudia experience so much success in a market that is not known to be welcoming to wine? Highlights of this episode include: 2:00 Size of CHEERS 6:20 Challenges faced in China, moving stores to shopping malls 11:00 How CHEERS keeps the prices in wine so affordable in China 13:20 How Claudia first analyzed the wine market in 2008, what she learned and how she applied it 17:00 How Claudia rebounded after having a factory burn down and how it was a fresh start to get youngsters in China interested in wine 19:00 How the first store achieved positive cash flow in only three weeks 21:30 Staying cash flow positive while opening up many more stores 24:40 What contracts are involved in franchises 29:15 Why some wine players in China fail 31:40 Training employees in China 40:00 How to integrate all of China'

In the very first episode of China Paradigm, Matthieu David interviews Thomas Graziani, founder of WalkTheChat. We are exploring how he switched from an agency model to a SaaS product model, how to build a business in China and what the product WalkTheChat (walkthechat.com) can bring to e-commerce businesses to get access to the Chinese market through Wechat. WalkTheChat has been featured in many blogs, publishers and has been recognized as a top player in the Wechat ecosystem by many international firms based in China. ======================================================= This podcast is sponsored by daxue consulting, a strategic research firm that answers complex business questions on the Chinese market with traditional and tech tools. Since 2012, daxue has served more than 250 clients and completed more than 300 projects. Subscribe on : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... ======================================================= Daxue Consulting is a market research and management consulting f

Adrien Fabry, serial entrepreneur and current general manager of Phoceis Agency in China, explain all the tips, tricks and insights of social commerce in China. In this interview conducted by Matthieu David, we learn not only about different Chinese social media platforms but also practical advice on budgeting, chat boxes, and teamwork. Highlights of this episode include: 3:11 Size of his business 5:45 The minimum budget to be active online in China is 60-100,000USD a year 12:00 WeChat's ecosystem in China 16:25 How do you configure a chatbox and what can it be used for? 21:15 Social commerce new platforms in China 23:45 Livestreaming in China, is it still hot for social commerce? 24:05 How to turn followers into sales 33:15 Minimum spending per day on advertising in China 39:40 How to initiate a creative campaign in China 47:15 Conversion rate during promotions in China 52:35 How Fabry stands out against the competition in China 56:00 Why make an entire team sales-oriented? 1:02:10 Why is it more difficult

Alvin Foo, Managing Director of Reprise Digital China, shares his knowledge on marketing in China including KOL marketing, using micro-influencers, SEO and SEM in China. In this interview with Matthieu David-Experton, he also goes in depth about the differences between Baidu and Google, what different roles they play and why search engines are struggling to stay relevant in China. Highlights of this episode including: 3:00 What is a network agency 6:40 Cases that demonstrate what silent marketing is 12:30 How to define an audience with precision 14:20 How to interact through Douyin 17:20 How to find the right KOLs in China 21:00 Using micro influencers in B2B marketing 27:30 SEO and SEM in China, are search engines dead? 31:00 Why the total number of websites is declining in China, and what this means for marketers 32:30 Can Baidu experience the same success as Google? 36:30 Secret predictions on Google's future, and how it will manage competition with Amazon 40:50 Where is Google strong in China? 46:00 How

Charles Bark, serial entrepreneur in China and CEO and founder of HiNounou shares his dream-driven story with Matthieu David-Experton. HiNounou is a device solution and tech company in China's elderly care market. The company is valued at 25 million USD and has 15 employees in China, Singapore and Hongkong. HiNounou is the preventative solution for China's shortage of 10 million health care workers. Highlights of this episode include: 5:00 The purpose behind creating HiNounou, how to care for elderly parents while away 9:40 China's unique senior care challenge 15:00 The yins and yangs of health care 20:00 How much money Charles had to raise for his business 21:40 Sales and business method 24:30 How the product works, and what innovative tools are involved 33:00 How to find partners and factories in China, with some simple screening questions 39:30 How to convince partners to work with a 'little potato' company 46:40 How a small company can engage large companies 49:00 How HiNounou partnered with Universities

Shimi Azar brought Spotad to China, a platform that simplifies mobile marketing. In this interview led by Matthieu David, we learn about Shimi's entrepreneurial story that started as a one-semester study abroad in Beijing and became an 8-year journey in China. Additionally, we get insight into digital advertising in China, tips and what to avoid. Highlights of this episode include: 4:00 Registering a company in China, opening a bank account, and everything an entrepreneur needs to know 8:50 Current size of the business and how it switched from a creative agency to a tech agency 15:00 Understanding demand-side platform, supply-side platform, and programmatic advertising 25:00 Story of having Ofo as a client 30:00 How ad platforms target users 38:15 Differences in China and the West in advertising 39:20 How to avoid fraud in China, including avoiding buying fake traffic 42:10 The pricing model of Spotad 45:00 Difference between Chinese and foreign clients 46:50 What is the minimum budget of programmatic advert

Jenny Shi, founder of Uniway Consulting, a headhunting firm in China helping businesses find the best candidates to fill their positions. In an interview with Matthieu David-Experton, Jenny explains how she grew her business, and what tactics and tools are used in the headhunting industry in China and around the world. Highlights of this episode include: 10:10 How to scale up on business referrals 13:30 Tools used in China for recruitment 22:30 Is 9-9-6 really a standard in China? 24:20 How do you build your own database of candidates? 25:15 What is the key-account driven business model? 27:15 How do you assess company culture, and decide if a candidate would be a good fit? 43% of candidates leave a company because of poor company culture! 31:50 How to analyze a candidates personality? 40:10 Tips on recruiting in China 43:00 The two main reasons people leave their jobs 50:00 Red flags when hiring headhunters 54:30 The effect of remote work on the industry, and the future of headhunting To learn more about

Fabien Guerin, the CEO and Founder of Talent Fishers, discusses optimizing HR and setting up teams in Asia. What are the recruitment and candidate evaluation techniques employed by Talent Fishers? Learn advice on hiring in Asia for both businesses and job searchers. Highlights of this episode include: 5:00 How to open a new office in China or Asia 8:40 Parameters for finding the right employees in overseas office locations 14:15 How to make cross-border communication with a team go smoothly 24:30 Pricing model of Talent Fishers 29:50 How to run an interview, advice for the interviewee and candidate 34:35 What do candidates in Asia want in a job? 46:40 What technology and tools does Fabien use to evaluate candidates? 58:30 Differences between recruitment in the East vs West 1:06:15 What should foreigners looing to work at Chinese companies consider? Learn more about Talent Fishers: http://www.talent-fishers.com/ ====================================================== This podcast is sponsored by daxue cons

Matthieu David interviews Nicolas Clement, founder of Nego Asia, the China Distributor of one of the global leading sales performance consultancies, Halifax Consulting. He obtained the Stanford Professional Certificate in Strategic Decisions & Risk Management Certificate, and graduated with an MBA from ESSEC Business School. Nicolas Clement emphasizes bringing respect to the negotiation table, and focus on preparation and understanding your counterpart. Highlights of this episode: 5:40 What is negotiation 4.0? The importance of respect 8:45 Sun Zi and other ancient negotiators, and what wisdom we can gain from them 10:45 Why preparation is the most important step to negotiating 12:15 How to best understand the other party 17:00 Is there a need to adapt knowledge and strategy while in China? 19:30 The paradigm of commercial negotiations, and one key difference in China and US negotiations 22:30 Be yourself, but the polite version of yourself 26:15 Is BATNA （Best alternative to negotiated agreement）still rele

Matthieu David-Experton interviews Benjamin Patin, co-founder of Wheat Co. and Sailang. In this interview we learn about both his businesses, one doing China imports and one is a healthy restaurant in Shanghai. Diving deep into the business model of his restaurant, as it includes many interesting elements like meal planning and nutrition advising, we learn every step of starting a restaurant including initial investment, leases, employee management and expansion. Highlights of this episode include: 8:15 The value of an intermediary in trade, and how he decides pricing 14:30 How people switch from import to export business successfully 18:10 How Benjamin transitioned from Sailang to Wheat Co. two companies in very different industries 20:30 Are health restaurants mainstream in China? And misconceptions of what is healthy among Chinese consumers 22:40 How to lease a restaurant space in China 25:45 Cost and management of staff in China 30:00 How much investment is needed for renovation? 33:00 Opening a second

Matthieu David-Experton interviews Andrei Prokhorovich, the founder and General Director of Eurasia Development Ltd. Andrei shares his vision of opening China's market to foreign high-tech companies and his insight on what barriers foreign companies face when entering China and what opportunities they can take advantage of in China. Highlights of this episode include: 5:00 How he got involved in technology exchange between China and Russia 7:35 The size of the company 13:20 How dairy was slowly introduced to China 16:15 How to get a free office in China's technology parks 17:50 How to get Chinese government grants, the requirements for foreign tech companies 22:20 What does Eurasia Development Ltd. do for foreign clients 28:00 How Andrei has built relationships, or guanxi, with experts outside of the company 30:30 Cases of past clients 31:15 How Dodo Pizza entered China in a new retail format 43:00 How he scales his business in China 45:00 Why Yantai is a good place to start a business 1:00 Why communication