The Impulso Podcast

Yesterday (24 Jan), it was announced that James Dong, CEO of Lazada, will take over as the Acting CEO of Daraz, the South Asia-ex-India-focused ecommerce platform under the Alibaba International Digital Commerce group (AIDC), with immediate effect. This announcement follows weeks of speculations regarding a leadership change at Daraz, and also comes a few weeks after Lazada’s recent major layoffs, which included several members of its leadership team.   But why did Daraz replace its CEO with Lazada’s CEO? Is this part of Alibaba’s restructuring efforts to simplify the organisation of both companies?   Tune in as we discuss the complexities faced by Lazada and Daraz, the motivation and challenges of Alibaba's ongoing organisational restructuring, and the need for agility in the evolving competitive ecommerce landscape.    Featured materials:  Lazada CEO takes over Daraz, what next?, TheLowDown Interview with COO: How to run ecommerce in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh (all at once), The Impulso Podcast With big layoffs, Lazada is digging in, TheLowDown What’s behind Lazada Layoffs, The Impulso Podcast Lazada layoffs: lessons from history and Jack Ma, The Impulso Podcast [Seeing the unseen] Our thoughts on Alibaba’s major restructuring, TheLowDown Transforming Alibaba: Understanding Alibaba’s most radical changes in history, Momentum Works Why does Alibaba replace Taobao CEO?, The Impulso Podcast

In a candid conversation with Jasper Knoben, CEO of Flywheel Southeast Asia, we delved into the dynamic and evolving landscape of e-commerce in the region. With over a decade of experience, from his early days at Lazada Vietnam to leading Flywheel, Jasper brings a wealth of knowledge and insights about ecommerce in the region as he discusses the challenges and triumphs of navigating the e-commerce market in the region.    Tune into this latest episode, where we explored: the entry of Lazada, Shopee, and Amazon in the early days, shaping the market new ecommerce models like TikTok Shop and the rise of live commerce; the future of generative and general AI in the industry   Jasper also shares his vision for Flywheel and the strategic moves shaping the future of digital commerce in Southeast Asia. Tune in for a candid conversation that sheds light on the past, present, and future of the dynamic e-commerce landscape.   Featured materials:    The TikTokShop Playbook, Momentum Works  Ecommerce in SEA 2023, Momentum Works

In 2020, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive (DPP) won the presidential election in Taiwan for the first time, over its divided opponents. In an interview in May that year, Singapore’s statesman Lee Kuan Yew said: “A word of caution: There is a point beyond which no Chinese leader can survive if Taiwan is seen to be drifting away under his watch.”   Last Saturday, the DPP again won (its 3rd consecutive) presidential election in Taiwan over a divided opposition. China has made it very clear that it does not like the DPP’s incoming leader Lai Ching-te, and has been calling for its armed forces to be ready for war. The US continues to send arms to Taiwan. And the Economist has labelled Taiwan “the most dangerous on earth”.    But what does Taiwan's recent election mean for investors and businesses in the region?   Tune into this latest episode where we delve into Taiwan's transition to democracy, the impact of the recent elections on the geopolitical dynamics between Taiwan, China and the U.S, and lastly, the implications for investors and businesses navigating this complex landscape.    Featured materials:  The most dangerous place on Earth, The Economist Keith Zhai, veteran journalist on China, media and 2024, The Impulso podcast The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China, Jay taylor TRANSCRIPT OF FEER'S INTERVIEW WITH SENIOR MINISTER LEE KUAN YEW ON 26 MAY 2000, Singapore Government Media Release The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China, Jay taylor

If you could wake up 10,000 years in the future, would you?    Tune in as special guest Fernando Pinheiro, internet entrepreneur turned health tech entrepreneur, shares about his journey from Rocket internet to human cryopreservation, current advancements in cryopreservation technology, and the challenges of preserving complex organisms like humans.   We also delve into the intricate psychology behind cryopreservation decisions, as well as the legal, ethical and financial considerations of human cryopreservation, including the potential revival of legally dead individuals.   Join us in a thought-provoking discussion that got us questioning “What if the key to immortality lies in freezing life itself?”   Featured materials:  INSIGHT Magazine, tomorrow.bio r/cryonics, reddit

"The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has always been."  The opening line from the 14th-century Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms above probably resonates well with the considerations behind the recent Lazada layoffs.   The line, which described ancient empires, is applicable to large companies with complex operations - such as Lazada. Certain circumstances may require minimum division of responsibilities or decision making, but after a while such structure will grow rigid, and circumstances will change, causing the pendulum to swing towards centralisation.    In the dynamic ecommerce landscape, the pendulum inevitably oscillates between centralisation and decentralisation - organisations need to be agile to navigate these shifts.   Yet, this shift comes with its set of challenges - in this situation, it is having to lay off employees.   In this latest episode, we dissect the additional details of the Lazada layoffs and hopefully provide an optimistic outlook about 2024 for everyone.    Featured materials:What’s behind Lazada layoffs, The Impulso PodcastHow strong is Pinduoduo’s execution?, TheLowDown Why is Pinduoduo’s execution so strong?, TheLowDown With big layoffs, Lazada is digging in, TheLowDown Seeing the Unseen, Behind Chinese Tech Giants' Global Venturing, Guoli Chen and Jianggan Li How Jack Ma handles big layoffs?, TheLowDown

In Episode 50 of the Impulso Podcast, we dive into the dynamic landscape of media, China, and politics with veteran journalist Keith Zhai.    Keith has been covering China's politics and policies for two decades at established and esteemed publications - The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg, and South China Morning Post.    In this episode, we uncover the evolution of international (and especially Western) media coverage on China from the Beijing Olympics in 2008 to the present, and explore the three distinct phases in this evolution.   We also discuss common misconceptions about China (Hint: the top one is AI related) and the challenges of maintaining objectivity in reporting.    Tune in to here us share about:  The three phases of international media coverage on China over the years Misconceptions about China and media bias  Media’s portrayal of China and its impact on public perception The nuances behind the logic of China

Yesterday (3 Jan), several media outlets reported that Lazada was carrying out a round of layoffs in Singapore. These layoffs were not unique to Singapore but also affected multiple other regional offices, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.   In this latest episode of the Impulso Podcast, we delve into the behind-the-scenes of Lazada's recent wave of layoffs and restructuring, highlighting the company’s objective to centralise functions and become more agile. We also discuss the complexities of Lazada’s operations in the region and explore the company’s potential new strategies to remain competitive in Southeast Asia’s e-commerce scene.   However, as we have emphasised multiple times before, success goes beyond strategy; it hinges on execution—the agility and efficiency of an organisation in executing strategies.   Featured materials:  Lazada cuts staff amid speculation of upcoming IPO, The Straits Times Why does Alibaba replace Taobao CEO?, The Impulso Podcast  Who is Temu, Momentum Works  Temu has entered Southeast Asia, challenging Shopee, Lazada & TikTok Shop, TheLowDown The winners and losers of the TikTok-GoTo deal, The Impulso Podcast

In Episode 48 of the Impulso Podcast, we engage in an unfiltered conversation with seasoned tech journalists, Jon Russell, and Aulia Masna, who have been observing the evolving Southeast Asia tech ecosystem over the past decade.   Join us as we unravel the events leading up to the ban of TikTok Shop in Indonesia and its recent partnership with GoTo. Although this partnership seemingly allows TikTok Shop Indonesia to resume its operations as usual, it's crucial to note that Indonesia still maintains a regulation barring social media platforms from managing ecommerce transactions.   And, of course, the lingering question remains: What about the small businesses the government pledged to safeguard?   In this latest episode, we also discuss:  Our perspective on the TikTok-GoTo deal, and and its implications for GoTo; 2023 in the broader context of the Southeast Asia tech narrative over the past decade; The potential influence of the 2024 Indonesia elections on the tech sector and regional investments; TikTok's expansion strategy, and the challenges of entering different markets   Featured materials: Winners and losers of the TikTok-GoTo deal, TheLowDown E44: The winners and losers of the TikTok-GoTo deal, The Impulso Podcast Tiktok shops suspension was supposed to to help small shop owners in Indonesia—its Tokopedia takeover won’t change a thing, Asia Tech review Who is Temu, Momentum Works  Temu has entered Southeast Asia, challenging Shopee, Lazada & TikTok Shop, TheLowDown

Yesterday (20 Dec), Alibaba Group announced that Eddie Wu, CEO of the Group will also serve as the CEO of Taobao and Tmall Group. This is 3 months after Eddie took over as Group CEO.    In this episode, we delve into:  Alibaba Group’s transformation journey in 2023 - the highs and lows of the organisations restructuring efforts; The external pressure on Alibaba, especially from newer players - Pinduoduo and Bytedance; Alibaba Group’s efforts to remain agile in the ever-changing tech ecosystem; The role AI will play in enhancing the operational efficiency of companies   Happy listening!   Featured materials: Alibaba group announces change of CEO of Taobao and Tmall Group  Alibaba group Announced September Quarter 2023 Results, Alibaba Group Why is Pinduoduo’s execution so strong?, TheLowDown Inside Temu: the fiery culture and a perpetual efficiency machine, TheLowDown

Last weekend, Professor Xiaoou Tang, the founder of sensetime, passed away. As we reflect on the legacy of this pioneering figure, questions arise about the future trajectory of SenseTime, a once-prominent AI company facing turbulent times, especially in China's evolving AI landscape.    In this episode we delve into:  The growth of SenseTime since 2014 to become one of the biggest independent AI company in China; Grizzly reports accusations against SenseTime for engaging in revenue fabrication; The current challenges faced by SenseTime - increasing market competition, tightening data regulations, on-premise deployment requirements, etc.; Lessons to learn from SenseTime’s predicament - importance of product market fit, cautioning against unsustainable cost structures, and pitfalls of meeting growth expectations without a solid foundation.   Featured materials: SenseTime Financial Results    We Believe SenseTime is Artificially (Un)Intelligently Inflating Revenue Through Highly Questionable Revenue Round-Tripping Schemes, Grizzly reports.   https://mmlab.ie.cuhk.edu.hk/