Hugo Barra, Xiaomi Global Vice President and formerly Google VP for Android Product Management, stirred excitement in the local tech startup community during his visit in Manila as he shared tips on how new companies can grow their business in the digital space.
In photo (L-R) are Hugo Barra (Xiaomi), Fabian Tilmant (Leanovation), Manny Nepomuceno, Anne Olvido (Xiaomi), Richard Eldridge (Lenddo), Mark Mackenzie (Lenddo), Jonathan Lansangan (Dynamic Objx), Terence Lok (ZAP, hidden), Cristina del Rosario (Sari Software Solutions), Ibba Rasul-Bernardo (Sari Software Solutions), Nix Nolledo (Hatchd), Philip Cheang (By Implication), Sergio Arroyo (Ascendant Technologies) and Kenneth Yu (By Implication).
The meet-up was organized by Xiaomi, represented by PH Product Manager Elizabeth Anne Olvido, and hosted by Kickstart Ventures, Inc., a wholly-owned incubator and investment firm of Globe Telecom, to enable startup companies under its portfolio as well as its local partners to benefit from Barra’s deep understanding of the mobile market.
Kickstart President Minette Navarrete enthused, “Xiaomi’s origins and character resonate with startup founders everywhere in the world: dream big, start small, scale fast. Hugo Barra is widely respected for his skills: he must be one of the best product people in the world! This visit is amazingly helpful, and truly inspirational to the tech community in the Philippines. We’re so pleased to have him come and have these intense and down-to-earth conversations with startup founders here.”
Barra earlier announced that the rapidly-growing Chinese mobile phone firm has chosen the Philippines as its third market in Southeast Asia, a development that augurs well for the tech startups.
During the discussion, Barra advised startup founders to build excellent software, adjust their plans depending on customer uptake, know their customers, and think of the price which users are willing to pay.
Xiaomi knows their target customers well and lets their products grow with them. “The first 10,000 customers matter so much so I have to acquire the right customers,” Barra said, explaining that for Xiaomi, it means that they must build a “loyal, excited, vocal community of tech enthusiasts.”
In 2012, Xiaomi sold 7.2 million smartphones and more than doubled the number the following year by selling 18.7 million handsets.
