Rui Ma (Tech Buzz China) - Chinese Crossover Brands, C2M Supply Chains and Future of Livestreaming

Presented by Ferret: Ferret is the first relationship intelligence tool for all business savvy investors to know, for the first time, who they can trust Head to [ferret.ai](http://ferret.ai/) using promo code: CONSUMERVC to jump to the top of the waitlist. Presented by Gorgias: Gorgias is the #1 helpdesk for Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce stores, and can turn your customer support into a profit center.If you’re looking to increase your retention for your business, mention Consumer VC and get 2 months of Gorgias for free. Head [Here](https://www.gorgias.com/?gspk=bWlrZWdlbGI4MTk3&gsxid=h9iBxY4DHuTn) to get started. Our guest today is [Rui Ma](https://twitter.com/ruima), who is the founder of [Tech Buzz China](https://www.techbuzzchina.com/) and helps funds identify tech investments in both the U.S. and China. Tech Buzz China is a podcast and a community for those interested in China tech. I've been a fan of Tech Buzz China for a long time and learned so much about the ecommerce innovation that's happening in the east from Rui. As you might be thinking, we're going to discuss the Chinese cross over brands in this episode and talk about C2M businesses and how supply chains have changed over the past few years. 1. What was your initial attraction to technology? 2. You've worked as an investor for a long time, what propelled you to also found Tech Buzz China? 3. What are some of the differences in consumer behavior in China and the United States? 4. What needs to happen in order to bring livestream to the masses in the west? 5. Do you think the creator economy is going to develop like it has in China with livestreamers considering to IPO? 6. How do ecommerce platforms test new features? 7. What do you make of Chinese brands coming to the west and having success?     1. Do you believe Chinese consumer brands today are facing an opportunity like Japanese brands in the 70s (on the cusp of becoming global)     2. If you are an American brand is it more difficult to gain a presence in China? 8. You mention that now it's a super efficient time to build brands in China. Why is this so? 9. Unlike startups in the US may choose to bootstrap and grow their business slowly, many businesses in China just want to make a quick buck, they usually get involved in raising very early. Do you think CPG startup bootstrapping stands any chance in China?  10. Would love your take on valuations / multiples of a traditional business vs a software business. It seems a much more traditional business (like a Starbucks, which has a sizable digital retail component) than a software / platform / digital business? 11. What do you think Americans most misunderstand about the Chinese consumer tech? 12. What's one book that impacted you professionally and one book that impacted you personally? 13. What's the best piece of advice that you've received?