An American in Shanghai

By his own account, “Jon Serbin’s”:http://www.foundread.com/admin/contents/body_edit/11419 early business life was the quintessential, “All-American,” sort: Born and raised in New Jersey, he went to college in St. Louis, Missouri; then business school in New York City; followed by law school in Boston before he finally went into… wait for it….investment banking. You couldn’t package a career much better if you tried.

But then Serbin made a very ballsy, and still too-unconventional, career move. He packed-up shop and moved to Shanghai, China where he became an executive for “EBT Mobile”:http://www.ebtmobile.com/ China’s leading mobile phone retail chain. Then in January of this year, Jon cofounded “Duo Guo”:www.duoguo.cn, a new retail vendor of mobile content and services for Chinese consumers. The name translates into “many sweet things,” and as the homepage explains:

“We crave candy. It is simple, satisfying, affordable, accessible and available. At DUO GUO, we see mobile content (games, ringtones and more) in that same vein.”

“When I first visited China,” Jon wrote to Found|READ, “I saw first-hand the rapid growth in the mobile phone market. My background had been in the telecom business. I was a telecom lawyer as well as a telecom-sector investment banker. So, of course, I had a strong interest in the industry. Between my background and the opportunity, (China has 500 million mobile phone users) it seemed to be a good fit.” And so the i-banker went west — very, very far west — and refashioned himself into a founder.

*1) What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?*

First thing in the morning I check my Blackberry. Due to the 12-hour time difference in China, emails from the US usually keep piling up while I am sleeping.

*2) What is your academic background? How does it relate to your business training?*

Education: MBA from Columbia University, JD from Boston University, BA in Economics from Washington University. While I am happy not to be practicing law day-to-day anymore, *having a legal background is very useful for an entrepreneur.* It is extremely efficient to be able to draft or review contracts without having to always consult an outside law firm. This saves time and money, which are both very important for a start-up.

*3) What is the least “founder-like” thing you do on a daily basis?*

The least “founder-like” thing: Un-jamming paper jams, cleaning up floods (infratructure in Shanghai leaves much to be desired, even in office buildings), ordering food for the staff. But, maybe these are actually typical founder-like activities.

*4) What is your most precious possession?*

My Simpsons DVD collection. If I am ever a bit home-sick, it cheers me up immediately.

*5) We get a lot of questions from readers about how to find a co-founder. What was it about your co-founder that told you he was the right person to found your company with you?*

Finding another “true-believer” in the business is key; sharing the same ultimate vision is crucial. I found this person in my cofounder, Joshua Weinstein. Look for someone with a complementary skill set, not someone with the same strengths you already possess. (Joshua has an investment background, too, but also woked at The Walt Disney Company, and as a White House Intern, so his background is different than mine.) Finally, having a similar level of energy and drive is important.

*6) Other than founding your company, what is the most seminal experience you’ve had in life so far?*

My most seminal experience was leaving a secure job in the US and moving to China. Having the opportunity to witness China’s rapid growth over the recent years has been more exciting than I could have ever imagined.

*7) What is your favorite non-business source of inspiration?*

My favorite source of inspiration and activity is traveling. Luckily, China is a big country with many wonderful places to explore. Duo Guo takes an active approach to bonding with staff, including having company outings, barbeques and other activities. We all really like and respect each other. From there, the bonding comes naturally.

*8) Why did you decide to found a “Chinese” company based in Shanghai, rather than launch a US-based company that has an office/staff in China?*

Duo Guo is a retail company. In China, *as anywhere in the world, retail is extremely local.* Understanding local tastes, shopping patterns and consumer behavior is key. Duo Guo was created to fill a market need in China and to serve Chinese customers, so this structure made sense for us.

*9) What is the most challenging thing about living in China, and how do you cope with this challenge?*

I had no cultural primer or language training before I arrived in China. Initially, the language was the most challenging aspect. At first, I did not speak a word of Chinese. I studied every day after work. Now I am proficient. If I could go back in time, I would have started studying Chinese at a very early age. Fluency in Mandarin is a tremendous advantage for a foreigner conducting business in China.

*10) What is the most challenging thing about working/running your company in China? How have you coped with this challenge?*

The most challenging aspect of working in China is being separated from family and friends in the US for long periods of time.

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