Spotlight on Sheng Wu - Co-founder of SK Monde

Can you introduce yourself shortly and what you do at SK Monde?

What inspired you to start SK Monde?

Me and my co-founder Kai both worked across different industries in Europe and Asia. Here, we noticed a growing need for digitalization support, but at the same time companies were struggling managing the cross-cultural aspects of international projects. During COVID, the gap between East and West became more apparent and we saw challenges in communication, cultural differences and technology alignment, both between regions and within organizations themselves.

We founded SK Monde to bridge this gap between culture, business and technology. Our mission is two-fold: we help companies expand into Europe and the APAC region with effective go-to-market strategies, and we deliver business value through innovative technologies like cloud, data, AI, and Web3.

What sets SK Monde apart from other consulting firms?

First, we are digital natives with nearly a decade of experience in digitalization strategies and solutions. We understand that traditional strategies are often not suitable in today's fast-evolving world. We build future-proof solutions tailored to target new generations, from Millennials and Gen Z to even Gen Alpha.

Secondly, we position ourselves as a trusted partner for our customers. We work closely with clients providing custom, end-to-end solutions from strategy to execution, ensuring real results, not just PowerPoint slides.

Finally, our team consists of consultants with diverse international backgrounds that speak multiple languages, understand different cultures and come from reputable universities and companies like AWS and McKinsey.

What kind of services are currently most in demand?

Right now, our AI and Web3 services are in high demand. Many companies are experimenting with these emerging technologies, especially in areas where automation can deliver measurable value. A good example is our AI agent Kagea, designed to support SMEs in managing their global communities. Community management requires 24/7 engagement and multilingual support, which is costly with human moderators, especially technical moderators.

Kagea AI acts as a virtual assistant that helps with engagement, answers questions and learns from past interactions to improve over time. Unlike the current chatbots, Kagea AI integrates both internal and external resources, prioritising the client’s own content sources. For example, it can also summarise conversations or track follow ups. We're currently exploring the use of Kagea AI with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce.

What is your long-term vision for SK Monde?

Our vision is to become the go-to consulting partner for SMEs. We want to create real impact by helping SMEs transform and become future proof for the digital era. We also aim to continue bridging the gap between East and West, by empowering companies to expand internationally and make global projects successful again.

Are there major differences in how SMEs and large corporations approach AI and automation?

Yes, absolutely. SMEs tend to focus more on practical automation due to limited budgets. Large corporations, on the other hand, often have the budget to explore new solutions that aren’t necessarily profit driven. They are more open to experimenting and building proof of concepts, even if there is no market traction or proof of demand for the application yet. 

What trends do you see shaping the future of consulting, and how are you adapting to it?

The biggest trend is clearly AI. Information collection has never been easier. That means general consulting is becoming less relevant, as companies can now fill in their own knowledge gaps.

To stay relevant, our value as consultants needs to come from our ability to leverage AI tools, integrate different knowledge sources, apply creative thinking, and use empathy to build relationships. At SK Monde, we use several AI tools to stay up to date with the latest AI developments, or at least we try to stay ahead of our competitors and clients. We have to learn and work with the latest cutting edge technologies to become more effective.

What were the biggest challenges you faced as a young entrepreneur when you started in Hong Kong?

I think the biggest challenge is that companies in Asia prefer to keep operations in-house. In Europe, outsourcing is more common, and trust builds faster. In Asia, cultural habits and the importance of guanxi make it harder to gain traction without an existing network.

Also, as relatively young founders, we don't have a decades-long network that other traditional consultants do have. But we leaned into our strengths – we are digital natives with multicultural experience, and have grown our network from that angle.

Have you ever doubted the decision to build your own company? How did you deal with those moments?

Yes, especially at the beginning when we were figuring everything out from scratch. Starting right after COVID made it even harder, with companies going bankrupt or being more cautious about their budget.

What helped us was going back to why we started. Entrepreneurship is full of uncertainties, and it is important to remind yourself that nothing valuable comes easy. Surrounding myself with like-minded, supportive people has been essential during this period.

How do you build credibility with clients as a young professional in the industry?

It’s not easy to build credibility as a young professional. So, when we just started, we often had to work without upfront payments to prove ourselves. We always went the extra mile to satisfy our clients and that helped us to build trust and credibility. Now, most of our clients come through referrals, which is a good sign that we are on the right track.

Which skills have you had to develop the most since starting SK Monde?

Mainly business development and negotiation skills. I've learned how to communicate effectively with people from different industries, from engineers to executives. A key lesson in negotiation has been creating win-win situations, where both parties walk away feeling satisfied. 

What advice would you give other young professionals that want to become entrepreneurs?

Start as early as possible and try as much as possible. When you are young, your opportunity cost is low. The older you get, the more commitments you have, which makes it harder to take risks. Don’t wait to feel "ready" - you will never feel 100% ready. Take small steps because every action compounds over time and don't be afraid to fail. Every successful entrepreneur has failed at some point.

What are your (personal) goals for the next few years?

I want to continue growing my leadership skills and take on new challenges and innovative projects, both for SK Monde and myself. Besides our consulting firm, we are also trying to expand our AI product, Kagea AI. We're aiming to raise funding and build stronger brand visibility to expand our user base.

On a personal level, I want to maintain a healthy work-life balance. That means investing time in relationships, discovering new hobbies, like finally getting my diving certificate.

Finally, I want to give back to the community by mentoring young professionals and helping them to pursue their ikigai – their meaning of life.