At 27 and with no logistics experience, Lai Chang Wen started a company that netted $45m in investments. The learning curve was steep and it meant 22-hour workdays, sleeping in the office, and even sorting parcels and doing deliveries himself.
Ninja Van went on to redefine the industry by enabling next-day door-to-door deliveries for e-commerce firms and their customers And right now Ninja Van is one of the most successful start-up stories in the logistics space. Having grown in a short span to a regional player, Ninja Van has a presence in Southeast Asia. Apart from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, they are operating in Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam too. And they are currently delivering close to 100,000 parcels per day.
Listen to the full discussion here:
- Stream by clicking here.
- Download as an MP3 here.
Connect with the Guest:
Chang Wen Lai: Linkedin | Company Website
Stay tuned as we cover:
- Route Optimization. Would AI be an important factor in improving it?
- Why the founders of Ninja Van work so well together.
- The importance of being hungry to learn and having less ego when working in a start-up.
- If you want to be a successful entrepreneur in South East Asia – Don’t get married!
Show notes:
Part 1 – Industry Trends:
- [01:36] Talking about the journey so far but also what is next for Ninja Van.
- [03:05] Artificial intelligence. Do you think it has the potential to disrupt industry?
- [05:36] Route Optimization. Would AI be an important factor in improving it?
- [06:17] Without accurate address, there’s no route optimization. The question then is how do you get accurate address?
Part 2 – Talent and Recruitment:
- [08:35] The founders of Ninja Van. Tell us a little bit how did you get together? Any secrets for you working together very good as a team?
- [10:52] Fresh blood in the team. Tell us a little bit about skill sets, and what mindset are you looking for when you are recruiting talent to move the company forward?
- [12:17] How can you tell if somebody has the desire, the hunger to learn but at the same time less ego?
Part 3 – Personal success stories and habits:
- [13:55] What does the word ‘entrepreneurship’ mean to you?
- [14:14] It’s always focusing on what’s next and remembering what’s behind which makes you an entrepreneur.
- [15:10] If you are an entrepreneur, you should first “throw away your face” [ego] assuming you have nothing to start with, then you will have everything to gain
- [15:27] Talking about advice you received through your journey as an entrepreneur. That you think was really valuable or it really stuck with you?
- [17:23] Is there any personal habit that you think contributes to your success?
- [19:48] Are there any resources that you keep yourself updated to learn to keep the trains on your desk?
- [20:32] If you can give some advice to somebody graduating university what would it be?
- [20:51] First advice is don’t get married. A little bit funny but why[..]
About the Host:
The host, Radu Palamariu is the co-author of “From Source to Sold – Stories of Leadership in Supply Chain”. He has been named one of the top 3 Global Supply Chain Influencers on LinkedIn and was featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, WEF, Bangkok Post, and MIT Supply Chain Talent magazine. Radu invites executives to share stories and perspectives around technology, logistics, e-commerce, supply chain, and manufacturing, and their views on how the future will look.
Alcott Global connects and upgrades the supply chain ecosystem by finding the right talent through executive search, developing talent through learning solutions, and meeting supply chain technology needs through a comprehensive crunch base marketplace.
The supply chain executive search has been our focus since the very beginning, offering recruitment services for top-tier supply chain roles at every level of the end-to-end supply chain: plan, source / procure, make, and deliver. Our consultants have years of experience in placing top talent, in North America, LATAM, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and APAC, and besides speed, one of our biggest strengths is our network within the supply chain industry, and we capitalize on it to find the best solutions.
Through the years, we have grown as an organization and our offerings with it. One of our initiatives, the learning solutions- training and supply chain academy, is focused on transforming leadership- self-leadership, executive presence, influence capital, and business acumen. Through Supplify, we aim to match corporations with the top technology companies to solve their supply chain and logistics challenges with a focus on innovation and digital transformation.
We are in constant touch with the leaders in supply chain, inviting them to inspire the supply chain professionals in thought-provoking podcast episodes and events, and showcasing what is possible at the yearly Leaders in Supply Chain Awards.
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