The Venture

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 34:42) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss the importance of a programmatic approach to acquiring and scaling brands, and the multiple advantages of business-building on the world’s largest e- commerce platform–Amazon. JJ Chai, CEO and cofounder of Rainforest, a Singapore-based, e-commerce brand aggregator, shares how his previous start-up experience helps him identify, acquire, and scale Asian “solopreneurs” targeting US consumers on Amazon’s marketplace. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 45:19) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss the importance of establishing dominance in the core business before branching out, key success factors for a company to win in new marketplaces, and the need to constantly reexamine your key differentiator. Lai Chang Wen, CEO and cofounder of Ninja Van, a Singapore-based express delivery company in Southeast Asia, shares how the company has thrived due to a vast addressable market, an equal emphasis on technology and human nature, and a commitment to relentless innovation. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 40:41) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss the challenge of launching a traditional utility player on a path of innovation and how an organization can build sustainability into its strategy, promote a culture of innovation within the organization, and reinvent its business for the future. Austin Bryan, senior director of innovation for CLP Holdings, a Hong Kong–based regional energy supplier, shares his commitment to transform a 120-year-old company through digitization and decarbonization into an innovative provider of sustainable energy that helps customers reduce consumption. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode of The Venture, we discuss the challenge of entering a highly competitive Chinese market without a local partner, the importance of being data driven to understand the customer, and how to embrace a culture of failing and learning in order to scale. Jesper Jos Olsson, group CEO and founding partner of White Peak Real Estate, explains the company's unshakeable commitment to green and sustainable development and its innovative, community-based concept for urban living. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 21:53) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss how to introduce a proven business model in different markets, localize that model for the new region, and fertilize it to become the market leader. Joel Leong, CEO and cofounder of ShopBack, explains how the company positioned itself as a pre-shopping destination to cement user loyalty, how it used performance marketing to unearth and exploit unexpected customer segments, and its upending of the established pay-per-click model with a cost-per-sale approach—one it intends to transplant into the offline space. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Dive into the essentials of building and scaling businesses with frameworks focusing on breakout strategies and localizing innovation, particularly in Southeast Asia. Explore the balancing act between profitability and growth, emphasizing sustainable practices over just funded expansion. Uncover how team dynamics and collaboration are crucial for success, illustrated by a case study involving Astra and GoJek. Finally, learn about value capture stages in unicorn startups and the importance of preparing for future market disruptions.

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 39:11) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss the role of VCs in new businesses - how they evolve to be more value add and how is their relationship different from the incumbent and new business. Pieter Kemps, Principal at Sequoia Capital explains why it sometimes makes sense to delay monetization to focus on growth, the difference between “type one” and “type two” decisions, and the importance of being customer obsessed. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 35:41) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss how incumbents collaborate with start-ups to build an innovation ecosystem across all business units. Anne O'Riordan and Michael Poon from Jardine Matheson, a 188- year-old Asian conglomerate, share the company’s journey to bring speed, capability building, and innovation methodology of test and learn to support their portfolio businesses. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 35:47) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss why building new businesses is essential for growth and reinvention for large organizations. Bernd Vindevogel, chief analytics officer at True Digital Group, shares the company’s journey to building and scaling an in-house analytics organization from scratch. We also discuss the critical dynamics between a new business unit and its parent organization. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 30:39) >  In this episode of The Venture, we discuss why culture matters to drive long term impact. Glenn Estrella from Globe Telecommunications' corporate incubator, 917Ventures, explains how Globe has become the largest mobile network operator in the Philippines. We also discuss how corporates can leverage their existing partnerships and assets, and build an innovative culture within their organization. Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information