I had the chance to speak with Franck Nazikian during the China 2.0 Tour, that was supported by Franck’s conference/event organizing firm, CHINICT. Here is some notes from that meeting:
1. What was your motivation for starting CHINICT (pronounced “china-eye-see-tee”). Talk about your background and experience and how it brought you to start CHINICT?
I started career in telecom engineer at GemPlus, then went to Silicon Valley to create a Venture Capital fund in 1997-1998 that was invested by limited partners like GemPlus, NTT, Brunei Investment Authority. I later started a company with a friend and sold that company to Oracle.
In 2005, I started CHINICT. For the past 16-20 years, I had a desire to come to China, but I didn’t know how I would do that. I knew Spanish, Portuguese, English, French but not Chinese. My initial model for coming to China was that I would simply come and do some angel investment on my own. Then, based on my success, I would start a fund.
I quickly understood that I didn’t understand anything. I didn’t understand the country, the culture, I had no network. I didn’t know “who was who.” In China, relationships are important. This is not that unique to China. In all countries I’ve worked in, it is very important to know who you can trust or not trust.
My conclusion was that I needed to get connected to the main players in the field. I proceeded to organize an event that I would have wanted to go to, with the right players in six key categories:
- Government
- Media
- Venture capital
- Stock exchange
- Service providers (lawyers/accountants)
- Fortune 100 sized Information Technology companies
2. What is CHINICT’s objective?
Our founding premise of CHINCT was that China would become new “El Dorado” of IT Entrepreneurs. Before, top entrepreneurs would focus on moving to Silicon Valley, but now would move to China and build successful businesses that could expand to the rest of world.
CHINICT’s mission was to support these entrepreneurs. That’s why the core of the event is the “Rising Stars” – the most talked-about companies in the startup community.
Surrounding these “Rising Stars” I want to make sure everyone in each of the six categories (listed above) are sponsors and speakers…and paying money for coming. Companies like Bloomberg, Tencent, People’s Daily, Sina, The European Union Commision for Information Society and Media, The United States Government (Foreign Trade Bureau), and the Beijing Municipality. I also seek top companies and service providers like Price Waterhouse Coopers, Baidu, Alibaba, and Microsoft. Finally, VCs like Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Kleiner Perkins, and Sequoia.
3. Why would you launch a global business from China?
In some ways, its easier to start a company in China than in Silicon Valley. Laws are more flexible, in a way you can do whatever you want. In the United States, there is actually more bureaucracy.
Talented people are also less expensive to hire than in other places. Talent used to be scarce but is now is getting more plentiful. I’m also talking about foreign people-now the best foreign people are coming to China now. With Chinese people I focus on finding people who are loyal.
Thanks Franck! Hope to see you at CHINICT 2009!
photo: CC by-nc-sa CN Reviews
