GoTo is a digital platform that combines the services of two of Indonesia’s largest tech companies: Gojek and Tokopedia. The company has a strong presence in the country’s e-commerce and ride-hailing markets, and it is growing rapidly. However, GoTo faces stiff competition from other tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent.
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the importance of growth and digital operating basics for sustainable success in the tech industry. He argues that most sustainable growth is based on 1-2 strong cores that continually adapt, and that companies should focus on investing in R&D, tech, and infrastructure to improve their user experience and operating efficiency.
In Part 1 and Part 2, I gave some background on sports apparel in China and detailed my visit to the first Tmall – Intersport store in Beijing. It was pretty great. With lots of new digital initiatives. Note: the above picture is what happens when you change the gender setting on the magic mirror. […]
Several years ago, I got a message (via LinkedIn) from Robin Trebbe, who was at that time the Managing Director for China / Asia Pacific for Intersport International. They had a new project with Alibaba that was trying to digitize the sports apparel business. I jumped at the chance to do a visit. Note: I […]
Will “new retail” change sports apparel? It turns out it’s a really interesting question. Sports apparel retail is people buying running shoes, Nike gear, yoga pants, sweatshirts and so on. At first glance it looks like pretty standard apparel retail. Requiring lots of stores, good inventory management and effective marketing. So that certainly presents lots […]
Southeast Asian tech giant Grab is facing a difficult choice: should it focus on profitability or growth? This article explores the pros and cons of each strategy and discusses the potential outcomes for Grab. Ultimately, the decision of whether to focus on profitability or growth will depend on a number of factors, including the company’s financial situation, its competitive landscape, and its long-term goals.
Several years ago, I took some Peking University students for a Q&A with Warren Buffett in Omaha (see write-up here). And one of the most interesting parts of the visit was his comments on how to be a better person. And on the importance of becoming the best version of yourself. I thought I would […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses how Uniswap’s protocol is a threat to Coinbase’s PPH marketplace. He argues that Uniswap is more decentralized and efficient than Coinbase, and that it is likely to attract more users and liquidity. Ultimately, the success of Uniswap and Coinbase will depend on a number of factors, including the adoption of decentralized finance, the regulatory environment, and the competition from other exchanges.
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses how customer capture can be a competitive advantage in digital businesses. He explains the different levels of competition and provides a checklist for building a competitive advantage. Towson argues that customer capture is becoming increasingly important in the digital age, as businesses compete for attention and loyalty. He provides examples of companies that have successfully built competitive advantages through customer capture, such as Amazon and Netflix.
China’s consumers are now a 1 billion person digital network. This is a massive shift from the past when China’s consumers were largely disconnected from each other. This article explores the implications of this massive digital network for China’s economy and the world.