
About this episode
Cindy Mi is the founder and CEO of VIPKID. VIPKID is a 1-on-1 teaching platform where children in China learn english from North American teachers.
Qi Lu is the CEO of YC China and Head of YC Research.
***
Topics
00:23 - Qi's intro
00:38 - Cindy's intro
1:38 - Moving to a new province as a teenager
4:38 - Being an educator and an entrepreneur
8:23 - Starting VIPKid in a hyper-competitive market
14:53 - Metrics for measuring product market fit
21:43 - How did she find the business model?
26:53 - What things did she try that didn't work?
30:38 - Strategy for product expansion
33:03 - Content expansion for Mandarin learning
34:53 - Building global companies
41:23 - Creating a global culture
44:13 - The future of education
48:08 - How should engineers and product managers think about edtech?
51:33 - Thoughts on AI
54:33 - Advice for entrepreneurs
Get every episode summarized
Each time Y Combinator Startup Podcast publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Paul Graham On Startups, Ambition, and Great Founders
Y Combinator Startup Podcast

The World’s Largest Electric Aircraft Just Flew
Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Max Junestrand: You Need The Willingness To Learn Faster Than Anyone Else
Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Susan Kare: Designing Icons & Graphics For the Original Mac
Y Combinator Startup Podcast