In this class, I talk about the difficulty of moving luxury into ecommerce. And how Chinese consumers will likely determine who finally cracks this problem. Secoo and Farfetch are two companies that are on this frontier right now. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . Question: Will Farfetch or Secoo win in luxury ecommerce in China? Three factors to consider: What do consumers care about most? What do large luxury brands care about most? What do small luxury brands a...
Jul 13, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 38
In this class, we go through 6 digital superpowers, which is a simple high-level checklist for when digital tools can significantly change the competitive dynamics of a business. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . Which of the 6 Digital Superpowers does the company have? If any. Dramatically transform the user experience Enable a platform business model Network effects Other competitive advantage Virality Scalable Related podcasts and articles: How Did Alibaba Beat...
Jul 05, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 37
In this class, I talk about the share of the consumer mind as a revenue competitive advantage. And how companies like WeChat and TikTok are changing this with digital tools. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . Related podcasts and articles: Why Didi Needs Driver Switching Costs. Uber Too. (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 23) This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5 , with a focus on: #24: Share of the Consumer Mind in a Digital Age Concepts for this class: Competi...
Jun 28, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 36
In this class, I go into the how digital native education companies like LAIX are challenging traditional companies like New Oriental. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . Which of the 6 Digital Superpowers does LAIX have? If any. Dramatically transform the user experience Enable a platform business model Network effects Other competitive advantage Virality Scalable Related podcasts and articles: Review: The Sexy But Dangerous Economics of Digital (Jeff’s Asia Tech C...
Jun 22, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In this class, I go into the increasing dimensions of operational marathons. I call these the SMILE marathon. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . SMILE Marathons. Competing every day on which dimensions? Scale, Scope, Efficiency and Effectiveness Machine Learning / AI Factories and Zero-Human Operations Innovation Rate of Learning Ecosystem Orchestration and Management Related podcasts and articles: What Should Starbucks China Have Done About Luckin Coffee? (Jeff’s ...
Jun 14, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In this class, I talk about ways AI and cheap prediction are being used in fashion and apparel. From my interview with Dr. Tao Mei, Vice President of Cloud & AI at JD.com. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . Related podcasts and articles: How Big Will Ant Financial / Alipay Become? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 28) Products with Personalities? My Interview with JD About Conversational AI (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 31) This is part of Learning Goals: L...
Jun 08, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In this class, I go through some of the basics of Grab, GoJek and Lazada. And the different approaches for capturing local services in SE Asia. You can listen here or at my webpage . Which are the most important 1-2 factors for the competition in SE Asia services? Consumer engagement and experience. Capturing a share of the consumer mind. Merchant engagement and experience. Being strong with service providers. Platform business models and their advantages (subsidized pricing, growing interaction...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In this class, I talk about my interview with He Xiaodong of JD. And about how chatbots are evolving into conversational AI. Plus the basics of AI economics. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . CORRECTION. In this podcast, I mentioned that JD's Smart Customer Service has the personality of a young woman. Xiaodong was actually referreing to Microsoft's Xiaolce. My apologies. Related podcasts and articles: JD and Competitive Advantages vs. Entry Barriers in China Reta...
May 25, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In this class, I talk about what can be done with Luckin Coffee post-scandal. Should another company or investor buy it? You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . Who should buy Luckin Coffee? Choose an option. Starbucks 711 or other convenience store HeyTea Alibaba or other ecommcerce company Financial investors Related podcasts and articles on Luckin and Heytea: What Should Starbucks China Have Done About Luckin Coffee? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 3) Will Luckin, ...
May 18, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In this class, I talk about Shopee (ecommerce) and Garena (online gaming) in SE Asia - and the complementary platform businesses Sea Limited is building. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . The previous articles and books I cite are: Platform Revolution (book) This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5 , with a focus on: #20 The Basics of Garena / Shopee and Audience Builder Platforms Concepts for this class: Audience Builder Platforms Complementary Platforms Arms Ra...
May 11, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In this class, I talk about Ant Financial / Alipay, AI factories and the basics of payment platforms. You can listen here or at my website for this podcast. The graphic discussed is shown here . The previous articles I cite are: From Big, Dumb Bureaucracies to Zero-Human Operations: The Holy Grail of the Digital Age (pt 1 of 2) How Ant Financial / Alipay is Building an AI Factory in Financial Services (pt 2 of 2) This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5 , with a focus on: #19 The Basics of Ant ...
May 06, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In this class, I talk about Meituan and the evolution toward more advanced types of services marketplaces. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . What Should Meituan Do?: Geographic expansion Focus on transportation services (i.e., Didi) Focus on hospitality services (i.e., Ctrip) Jump into an ancillary opportunity: Financial Services or Cloud Services Advance into more complicated services (i.e., market networks) The previous podcast on the subject is: Meituan vs. Ctr...
Apr 26, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In this class, I talk about networks vs. ecosystems. And how networks have evolved from physical to virtual / digital. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5 , with a focus on: #17 Basics of Baidu and Physical and Virtual Networks A lot of the AT&T information comes from the book The Business of Platforms . Concepts for this class: Network Effects Networks and Ecosystems Complementary Products, Services and Platforms Compan...
Apr 19, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In this class, I talk about Lazada, the SE Asia ecommerce champion. And about how it is a good example of how Asia is both at scale and becoming increasingly interconnected. You can listen here or at iTunes , Google Podcasts and Himalaya . Podcast on the future of digital is located here . Why Digital Is Disrupting Business, Politics, Culture and Society (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 11) The McKinsey Global Institute papers about the future of asia are here . Note: The term emerging markets ...
Apr 13, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 25
In this class, I talk about the basics of Didi and the importance of switching costs on the supplier side of the platform. This is part of Learning Goals: Level 3 , with a focus on: #15 Basics of Didi and Switching Costs Concepts for this class: Switching Costs Network Effects Digital Platforms: Marketplaces for Services Companies for this class: Didi Uber Meituan Ctrip ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and sub...
Mar 29, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 23
In this class, I talk about the crazy collision of Ctrip, Meituan and Alibaba in services in China, particularly in hotels. You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya . How do Ctrip and Meituan compare in the following aspects? Bundling of services The Assets of a Marketplace Platform: Users, Activity and Data Network Effect Switching Costs This is part of Learning Goals: Level 3 , with a focus on: #16 Basics of Ctrip, Meituan and Marketplace Platforms for Services Concepts for this class: Di...
Mar 23, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 22
In this class, I talk about why Zoom has been so successful in video communications. Choose two options for why Zoom has been so successful. Good Product. Reliable, easy-to-use, high quality video communications. Viral service Collaboration / Coordination Platform Network Effect Switching Costs Correction/Clarification: Zoom has been blocked in China for the last couple of months. I know lots of people who are using it because of coronavirus but that is via VPN. So not the same thing. I'm not su...
Mar 15, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In this class, I talk about why TikTok / Douyin took off so rapidly and powerfully. Choose two options for why TikTok / Douyin has grown so fast? Addictive Product. Short personalized videos focused on memes, comedy, and lip syncs are a psychological hack. Easy to Use and Highly Shareable Content Types. Tap into CDCN. Audience-Builder Digital Platform Network Effect, including data network effect (also called learning effect) First mover in new space AI and Digitized Operating Model. Learning Go...
Mar 08, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this class, I talk about how live-streaming and KOLs (especially Taobao Live) are activating the China Digital Consumer Network (CDCN). And how the coronavirus quarantine economy is supercharging this. Correction. I mistakenly said Scott Gottlieb was former CDC head. I meant FDA. You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya . Learning Goal for this class: #11 the Basics of CDCN, Social Media and KOLs Concepts for this class: China Digital Consumer Network Networks and Ecosystems Digital Plat...
Mar 01, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In this class, I talk about how online retailers like JD and marketplace platforms like Alibaba compete on different dimensions. You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya . Alibaba and marketplace platforms compete on: Cost and / or difficulty of entry - including the chicken-and-egg problem and the cost of the logistics network. Competitive advantages - including network effects (main one) and economies of scale in logistics, marketing and IT. JD and online retailers compete on: Cost and / ...
Feb 23, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this class, we review the basics of digital platforms, which is one of the key learning goals for Level 2. You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya . Concepts for this class: Pipelines vs. Platforms ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech companies. This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and o...
Feb 10, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this class, we review the basics of digital economics, which is one of the key learning goals for Level 2. You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya . Concepts for this class: Digital and Information Economics ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech companies. This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The informa...
Feb 04, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this class, I discuss my visit to the WeChat Open Class. And why Allen Zhang and the WeChat team are doing so much better than Facebook and Apple. You can listen at my website or at iTunes and Himalaya . Allen Zhang's video from the event is here . ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech companies. This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is...
Jan 15, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this class, I discuss some of the theory behind ecosystems, firms and coordination costs. And why digital platforms are having such a big impact on business, culture / media, politics / government and society. You can listen at my website or at iTunes and Himalaya . ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech companies. This content (articles, podcasts...
Jan 05, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this class, I discuss my visit to JD's new 50,000 sqm e-space in Chongqing - and the question of what new retail (i.e., online-merge-offline) will mean for department stores and shopping malls. You can listen at my website or at iTunes and Himalaya . ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech companies. This content (articles, podcasts, website info) ...
Dec 29, 2019•51 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this class, I discuss bike-sharing company Ofo. And their spectacular rise and fall in China. You can listen here or at iTunes here . The exercise for this class is: What should Ofo have done? 1) Partner with a major digital platform ASAP. No matter what it takes. 2) Copy Hellobike. Avoid the competition. Go to markets or segments with little competition and try to get to operating break-even. 3) Split the company into a good co and bad co. Fund the good company and don't tie it to the cash d...
Dec 15, 2019•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 8
In this class, I discuss Vipshop and JD. And how smaller ecommerce sites can compete with larger players in China, especially in logistics. You can sign-up for my Asia Tech course here . Or at my website www.jefftowson.com . With a 30-day free trial. You can subscribe at iTunes at the above button. The exercise for this class is: Which of these three options make sense for Vipshop in logistics? 1) Copy JD: Build an in-house logistics and delivery network. 2) Copy Alibaba: Work with multiple part...
Dec 11, 2019•57 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this class, I discuss Didi, Luckin and Mobike and how to predict if they will ever be profitable. Exercise for this class: For Mobike, Luckin or Didi, think about the following two aspects. Consumer view: What do they care about? What is their journey for buying and using? Competitor: Could a well-funded, well-run competitor take 10-20% of their business? Five forces and competitive advantage are useful here. Digital economics: Do any of the following really change their business? Or your ans...
Dec 01, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This is the fifth episode of my Asia tech class. It is a summary of my time with Alibaba on Singles' Day in China. ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech companies. This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. T...
Nov 15, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 5
This is the fourth episode of my Asia tech class. It is an introduction to Alibaba and platform business models. Exercise: For a shopping mall, credit card and conference (or convention), decide who are the core users, what is the type of interaction, and what is the frequency of interaction? Write it down. ———- I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends. I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class , a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech comp...
Nov 03, 2019•57 min•Season 1Ep. 4
