La French Tech Hong Kong and Shenzhen Podcast

Episode 18: Podcast with Stéphane Monsallier - The AI Transformation Action Blueprint: Executive Strategy, Model Independence, and the Future of Work

Struggling to move your organization past the AI hype and into true, operational ROI? From writing his first lines of code at age ten to earning a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence back in 1993, Stéphane Monsallier, Founder & CEO of System in Motion and co-founder of La French Tech Shanghai, has spent decades navigating tech ecosystems across Europe and Asia. In this episode, Stéphane strips away the marketing noise to deliver a pragmatic, execution-first blueprint for corporate AI integration. He unpacks: •⁠ ⁠The 3 Barriers to AI Adoption: How to knock down employee fear, shatter the corporate "imagination barrier," and institute structured thought frameworks across your teams. •⁠ ⁠Why Replacing Humans with AI Fails: The costly mistakes of rushing to eliminate departments, the myth of the one-person billion-dollar revenue company, and why the future belongs to augmented, empowered professionals. •⁠ ⁠Geopolitics & Model Independence: How to build resilient, plug-and-play tech infrastructure that remains independent of underlying models •⁠ ⁠The Blueprint for Fast Integration: Why AI transformation must start with an active 3-hour executive training at the top, and how to scale it instantly using internal, self-motivated "AI Champions." •⁠ ⁠Practical prompt engineering tips: Founders can apply this week to boost productivity. The future doesn't belong to automated algorithms, but to augmented professionals. If you are ready to move past the marketing noise and scale operational ROI, this episode delivers the exact enterprise blueprint needed to securely audit data readiness, establish safe innovation playgrounds, and transform your teams into hyper-productive operators. Listen now to master the realistic future of AI execution. Connect with the Guest: Stéphane Monsallier (Founder & CEO) https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanemonsallier/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanemonsallier/] Connect with the Host: Fiona Yeung (Community Lead, La French Tech Hong Kong - Shenzhen) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/]

Episode 17: Podcast with Dean Pike - The Automation Advantage: From 80% Automated Operations to Thousands of Leads

Planning to transform your business and wondering how automation can empower production, optimize manpower, and cut costs? Already building workflows but seeking better tools and support? Or perhaps you’re running a startup with limited resources and need to scale locally, regionally, and internationally? In this episode, Dean Pike — AI and automation strategist, entrepreneur, and Hong Kong ambassador for n8n, shares how he automated ~80% of his operations, scaled cold outreach from hundreds to thousands of leads per month, and transitioned from corporate leadership to full‑time founder. His journey is a blueprint for entrepreneurs, tech professionals, and founders navigating the challenges of growth, burnout, and resource constraints. The discussion focuses on: •⁠ ⁠From Side Hustle to Scale: Dean’s journey building Prop Sourcer during Covid and making the leap from corporate to founder. •⁠ ⁠The MVP of Automation: How to identify, automate, elevate — start small and reclaim founder focus. •⁠ ⁠The n8n Advantage: Why migrating from Zapier unlocked self hosted, flexible, and cost effective automation at scale. •⁠ ⁠AI Powered Outreach: Personalizing cold outreach at 10x volume without extra headcount. •⁠ ⁠Founder Resilience: Why automation is the antidote to burnout — and how to refocus on strategy. •⁠ ⁠The Entrepreneurial Leap: When to pilot, how to choose tools, and what traction you need before going all in. Listen to the episode to get the step‑by‑step playbook and a practical checklist for running & scaling a leaner, smarter business with automation, locally and globally. Connect with the Guest: Dean Pike (Founder, TidyCuvre & PropSourcer) https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanpike/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanpike/] Connect with the Host: Fiona Yeung (Community Lead, La French Tech Hong Kong - Shenzhen) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/]

Episode 16: Podcast with Antoine Kuhnast — No Money, No Network: How Antoine Built a Deep Tech Startup from Scratch

What does it really take to build a startup from nothing, and scale it internationally? In this episode, Antoine Kuhnast, Founder & CTO of Safehear, shares the unfiltered story behind building a deep tech hardware company, starting as a student with no funding, no network, and no clear roadmap. Through pitching, failures, and real-world testing, he transformed a personal problem into a scalable industrial solution, before expanding from France to Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. 🎧 You’ll learn: • How to go from idea to first traction without resources • How to test a new market before committing resources • What early-stage founders often get wrong about product development • The real differences between Europe and Asia in business execution • Why “expanding too fast” can destroy your startup • Why the GBA is a game-changer for hardware startups A practical episode for founders navigating the hard truth of hardware industrialization. Connect with the Guest: * Antoine Kuhnast (Founder/CTO of Safehear) https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinek-startup/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinek-startup/] Connect with the Host: * Fiona Yeung (Community Lead, La French Tech Hong Kong - Shenzhen) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/]

Episode 15: Podcast with Kelsey Ngai - Going Global Without Guesswork: How SMEs Win in Cross-Border Trade

Going global sounds exciting, but where do you actually start? Going global is no longer about connections. It’s about data, tools, and execution. In this episode, Fiona Yeung sits down with Kelsey Ngai, Senior Marketing Executive (now Partnership Manager) at Alibaba.com [http://Alibaba.com], to unpack how SMEs can expand globally without relying on assumptions, guesswork, or trial and error. Drawing on her experience in cross-border e-commerce, Kelsey explains how businesses can use buyer signals, market data, and practical execution to choose the right markets, improve visibility, and create a more efficient route to growth. From Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to France and beyond, this conversation offers a grounded view of what it takes to scale internationally. This is not theory. It’s a practical, step-by-step framework used by thousands of businesses already scaling across 200+ markets. What You’ll Discover: • How to validate demand before entering a new market• Why the right market is not always the biggest market • How to generate qualified leads in international e-commerce • Why trust, not price, is the real driver of cross-border success • How to use data, AI, and logistics to scale more efficiently • Post-sale strategies to turn one-time buyers into long-term partners Whether you’re just starting or already exporting, this episode gives you clear, actionable moves you can apply immediately. A tactical conversation for entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals who want to build a smarter cross-border e-commerce strategy. Connect with the Guest: * Kelsey Ngai (Senior Marketing Executive, Alibaba.com [http://Alibaba.com]) https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-ngai-1b5704104/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-ngai-1b5704104/] Connect with the Host: * Fiona Yeung (Community Lead, La French Tech Hong Kong - Shenzhen) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/]

Episode 14: Podcast with Peggy Kwok - Hong Kong Fintech 2030: The Roadmap for AI, Payments, and Tokenisation

Hong Kong is entering a new fintech era, and Peggy Kwok, Senior Vice President, Fintech at Invest Hong Kong, breaks down what founders, investors, and institutions need to know now. From Hong Kong’s next-generation data and payment infrastructure to responsible AI adoption, tokenisation, and cross-border connectivity, Peggy shares how the city is positioning itself as a future-ready fintech hub. What You’ll Discover: • What Hong Kong’s fintech ecosystem looks like today, and which sub-sectors are growing fastest • How the city’s stablecoin, tokenisation, and digital asset roadmap is evolving • What fintech founders need to understand before entering Hong Kong or the GBA • How InvestHK helps firms with licensing, partnerships, and market expansion If you are building a fintech company, investing in fintech, or planning regional expansion, this conversation gives you a clear view of where opportunity is opening up and what to prepare for. Connect with the Guest: * Peggy Kwok (Senior Vice President, Fintech, Invest Hong Kong) https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-kwok-51862030/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-kwok-51862030/] Connect with the Host: * Fiona Yeung (Community Lead, La French Tech Hong Kong -Shenzhen) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionayeung/]