This will take approximately 15mins to read. All views expressed here are my own.
A Catalyst for collaboration and innovation
My participation in the China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP) began with a surge of excitement. As a product design leader, advisor, and coach, I saw this program as a launchpad for both personal and professional development. The first 24 hours provided immediate and valuable insights, highlighting the vast potential for growth, innovation, and the power of collaboration from cross international borders for ASEAN & APAC.
CAMP (Chinese Australian Millennial Project) officially kicked off on Wednesday March 22nd, 2017 in Shanghai, China.
CAMP kicked off by highlighting the complexities and rewards of the Chinese market. Lynn Zhang’s presentation on foreign investment trends in Shanghai emphasized the vastness and diversity of the region. For startups looking to establish a presence, this translates into a need for thorough pre-market research and a commitment to adaptation. This reinforced a principle I value as an advisor: meticulous preparation and cultural sensitivity are prerequisites for success in any new market. China is no exception, a dynamic landscape where well-informed strategies pave the way for innovation to thrive.
Life Lesson Learned 1: Don’t assume, question everything.
Embracing Growth Through Discomfort and Collaboration
We collect our goodie bags, hoodies, name tags, pins and water bottles from the CAMP team member squad and shuffle on to the two buses destined for Intel offices in Pudong Xinqu, 1.5hr north east of the city. We are welcomed by Andrea Myles the CEO of CAMP. Her enthusiasm and energy is contagious. The room of delegates and speakers are introduced: from Swisse Luke Dillon (GM of Wellness China), Elise Morris (Director of People & Culture), from Invest Shanghai Lynn Zhang (PM Shanghai Foreign Investment Development Board) and Shanghai WE Innovators Brent Li (Founder). From humble beginnings Swisse, the health and wellness company and brainchild of Kevin Ring an organic baker and enthusiast in medicine, in 1969 Melbourne, is truly a great Aussie success story. Luke described the role and scale of current Swisse operations. With their growth expanding and huge success in China, it was interesting to learn of the their future strategy in China, having been bought out recently by Hong Kong company Biostime. Luke encourages us to be active participants in this CAMP journey, sharing that a previous CAMPer Isaac Huang, from the 2015 cohort had joined the Swisse team after meeting and connecting during the CAMP experience.
Life Lesson Learned 2: Opportunities are around every corner, seize every moment, live life to the fullest.
The Power of Networks
CAMP is brilliantly designed to foster organic connections within its cohort. From online introductions before the in-person component to the thoughtful formation of “Think Tank” groups, the program creates a space for meaningful collaboration. The diversity within my ‘Future of Tourism’ group served as a powerful example. We came together, united by a passion for problem-solving and innovation. Sharing our unique journeys, perspectives, and expertise laid the foundation for potent collaboration.
This emphasis on collaboration mirrors my approach to advising startups. They thrive on the combined energy, skill sets, and knowledge base of their teams and a supportive network of mentors. CAMP underscores the importance of creating platforms for knowledge exchange and cross-pollination of ideas, fueling a vibrant ecosystem of innovation.
Lynn launches into the current climate/state/the current trends of Shanghai Foreign investment. 2015 saw 15+Billion USD invested in the service industry. All the major global companies have a foothold here and it’s growing. To manage it all, the team have established 10 major development zones, which include a combination of technology, industry, economic, tourism and trade development parks. She shares cultural and specialisation challenges that businesses have faced entering into this market. China is vast. It’s markets are varied. It’s cities and the people living in them are too. Localisation in Shanghai requires pre-market validation.
Life lesson learned 3# Do your homework. You can not cookie cut here.
Understanding China’s Innovation Ecosystem
Understanding China’s unique approach to innovation is a core aspect of my involvement in CAMP. Speakers like Dr. Edward Tse, a renowned expert on Chinese disruptors, and Dandan Cheng of Sinorbis, a leader in e-commerce solutions, offered fascinating insights.
Particularly noteworthy was the discussion on the dominance of platforms like WeChat and their profound impact on the consumer landscape. Advisors who can help startups navigate these cultural and technological dynamics are invaluable for success in the Chinese market. Understanding these nuances allows for the formulation of effective strategies that leverage the strengths of existing infrastructures.
Elise begins to share her role in Swisse, the founders stories and the traits they had and what to lead with. Isaac is called up to help pen the ‘12 Entrepreneurial tips’. They resonate so much with my journey, and hearing her own challenges and how she overcame them and went on to lead the People and Culture team at Swisse is encouraging. “The only time we grow is in a state of discomfort, embrace fear and that will see you grow”.
Life lesson learned 4# You are what you believe in. Amplify your strengths but don’t ignore your weaknesses. Flip the equation!
Design Thinking for Impactful Solutions
While my experience in product development has given me a solid grounding in design thinking practices, Raphael Hammel’s workshop offered a valuable opportunity to explore alternative approaches and variations in facilitation styles. As advisors, it’s crucial to stay current with evolving methodologies and be able to adapt them for diverse groups.
Design thinking, user-centered research, and rapid iteration are essential tools for startups. As advisors, we play a key role in facilitating these processes. This helps them develop solutions that resonate with target audiences, solve real-world problems, and leave a lasting, positive impact on the market.
Back on Level 9 Andrea says we have a special guest coming, the owner of the WE innovation space we currently are in at Intel, Brent Li. But before she does we have an open Q&A about the CAMP journey so far. It started online a few days earlier as part of the co-collaboration platform, which shares itinerary and framework details about CAMP. It’s an opportunity for CAMPers to just share thoughts and questions about the experience so far. At this stage a lot of the networking has also happened in WeChat and we know of or can connect with other CAMPers and begin conversations about everything already.
Brent Li begins the conversation about Intel his background working at Apple, McAfee, IBM and his aspirations for the WE Accelerator. His words are impassioned and he invites everyone in the room to come back to Shanghai and participate in the accelerator, a chance to work with the programme involving Singularity University.
We then break again for the introductions into our Think Tank teams, which up until this point have been kept secret. Before we started we were given the choice to select 3 Think Tanks we wanted to join out of a total of 15. Andrea calls out the groups and CAMPers depart into the WE Innovation space to begin learning from each other, sharing our thoughts, experiences so far, backgrounds, and vision. I’m lucky as I have my first choice #futureoftourismthinktank and made up 5 CAMPers we begin to share equally our hopes, dreams, aspirations.
It spills over back into the main room and our workshops begin. Alternating group sessions break out into 4 groups sessions. We learn further insights from Sinorbis COO Dandan Cheng in the eco-system of e-commerce within the China landscape. We learn what makes the critical digital strategy required to implement before launching businesses within China. Raphael Hammel the Design and Innovation practitioner at UTS walked through the Design thinking session. As a product designer, who is familiar with the methodologies of user experience research, it’s always interesting to hear alternative approaches and methods.
The climax of the day sees us in a Grand ball room with the chance to learn from the forefather of China innovation space and author of over 200 articles and more recently “China’s Disruptors 2015” and CEO of Gao Feng Advisory Company Dr Edward Tse. He shares the theme of today and sets the tone for the 100 day journey that is CAMP:
Life lesson learned 5# “The world is yours, it continues to expand, the opportunities are right in front of you.”
