Alice Chen, Analyst (陳彥利 / 分析師)
Alice joined AppWorks in 2022 and is an Analyst covering AppWorks Accelerator and investments. Prior, she spent 3 years working in Alibaba group, helping corporate customers with their growth and operations on Tmall. She also counts various management and marketing stints in global toy manufacturer Mattel and wine delivery startup BottlesXO among her repertoire of e-commerce and retail experience. Alice received her Bachelor of Political Science from National Taiwan University, during which time she initiated several social impact projects to combat food waste and homelessness. Outside the realm of work, Alice loves dogs, techno/rap music, BoJack Horseman, and strongly advocates for gender equality and the LGBTQ community.
(English Below) 嗨，我是 Alice，我一直很著迷於質數的概念：每個數字獨一無二地存在於這個世界，無法像合數一樣被快速複製量產，它純粹且孤獨，是複雜網路金鑰的理論基礎。所以，我想用 4 個質數簡單介紹我自己：
2 個月挑戰：畢業後直接在上海找到工作
2016 年 5 月，台大政治系畢業前夕，我結束了大學時期的創業項目，渴望去了解更大的市場，並體驗不同的價值和生活，決定去上海找工作。我給了自己 2 個月的期限，倘若時限之內無法找到工作，就得乖乖回台。帶著一個行李箱、兩組學長姐手機號碼，我直接飛到這個從未拜訪過的城市，住在上海火車站旁的六人房青年旅舍裡找工作。很幸運的，我在 2 個月後，準時找到了歐洲新創公司 BottlesXO 的 行銷 職位，由此開啟了接下來的魔都人生。
3 份從 0 到 1 的工作
是緣份也是選擇，我過去 3 份工作經驗中，都選擇了從 0 到 1 的單位——不是新創團隊、就是大公司中新成立的部門。
在 BottlesXO 負責從 0 到 1 拓展上海市場，嘗試替App獲取第一批用戶，1 年後我加入 Mattel 擔任儲備幹部，從 0 到 1 搭建 CDP 平台計畫。又 1 年後，阿里巴巴旗下的天貓 App 重組用戶增長的團隊，由於 Mattel 與天貓的合作關係，我很幸運因而加入了天貓。在這些 0 到 1 的歷練中，我熱愛從模糊的現狀中梳理問題、尋找各種解決方案的可能性；熱愛小步快跑去驗證不同的解決方案達成目標，無論方法是從產品設計、行銷、或流量變現；熱愛看著專案一天一天長大，享受在前線衝鋒陷陣，享受挫折，也享受成果。
5 年用戶成長的經歷
工作的這 5 年來，雖然團隊和職稱在變換，唯一不變的是我積累的核心技能——用戶成長。
在第一份工作中，我沒有發現到自己在做的事情叫「用戶成長」，只隱約的感覺自己總是在關注用戶生命週期，不太像傳統的行銷職能。直到在 Mattel 與阿里巴巴的合作中，我才將過去的「點」串連起來——在 BottleXO 通過行銷及各種手段去快速獲取客戶，在 Mattel 的 CRM 部門負責用戶購買轉化及留存，正好覆蓋了用戶生命週期的整段過程。
豁然開朗後，我開始大量閱讀用戶成長的書籍，並察覺對用戶成長而言，厲害的產品能力與大量的用戶數據，是不可缺少的要素，這個覺察促使我離開 Mattel，並加入了阿里的用戶成長團隊。3 年的阿里經驗中，我從一個小產品的運營，到最終負責部門的雙十一專案，在 DAU / MAU 的目標下去拆解用戶週期上的關鍵行為，並通過不同的產品去實踐；在第 3 年時，更開始負責流量變現，包含設計變現方案及定價、廣告及行銷產品工具的開發，以及拓展大型品牌客戶的合作，幫助其電商營收成長。
7 年前的初衷
2021 年，爸爸身體出現狀況，在疫情下難以在兩岸奔波，與此同時，長期高壓高工時，我的身體也已不堪負荷，於是最終決定離開阿里搬回台北。這 5 年來成長與收穫滿滿，給了我莫大的養分，但我開始思考職涯長期的發展——這就是我願傾注ㄧ生熱情的工作？
回想起 7 年前，與朋友在大學時期做創業項目時的熱情、熱愛與不同創業者一起討論交流、熱愛研究不同產業知識和分析商業模式，那些都是非常純粹的快樂。與質數相同，創業者大多是孤獨而無法被複製的，尤其成功的機率更是天時地利人和，由數千百種因子加總而成，才能成就一個成功的事業。對我而言，研究產業、公司、創業者本人，去理解龐大而精密的商業世界運作的本質，這樣的過程與質數一樣讓我著迷。
幾經考慮，我決定放下在「網路業大廠」的職涯道路，重新追尋更有熱情的職涯選擇——加入 AppWorks ，期許成為一名優秀的投資人，與創業者一同成長。如果你對中國的網路業感興趣、對電商策略有熱情，或是想討論用戶成長的策略與手段，都歡迎來找我聊聊！
I have always been obsessed with prime numbers. Not only because of the uniqueness of each number but also because the pure prime number can lead to the complicated RSA encryption used in cybersecurity. There are four prime numbers that define my professional journey thus far.
Two Month Challenge – Find a Job in Shanghai After Graduation
In May 2016, while my friends and I were sitting around a saloon contemplating a social enterprise business model that could reduce food waste, we challenged each other to come up with our own 10-year plans. The more I considered my 10-year plan the more I realized I had to go out of my comfort zone to achieve it. Just one day after my college graduation ceremony, I bought a one-way ticket to Shanghai, a city that I had never visited before and had almost no contact.
I gave myself two months to find a job in Shanghai. For the first six weeks, I stayed at a crowded backpacker’s hostel in an alley, sending out a flurry of applications, and hashed out my plans with other global travelers. This was one of my life’s most arduous yet edifying times. The rejections soon poured in. I was devastated and thought I may have bitten off more than I could chew, but I remained committed to the plan. Fortunately, after two months my intensive networking paid off—I got an ideal marketing job with a foreign-owned wine delivery startup called BottlesXO.
Three Jobs’ Experience Focus on Projects Starting From Zero
I love new challenges and finding solutions in ambiguous situations, especially validating different business models, and enjoy the adrenaline and sense of achievement when starting projects from scratch – that’s why all of my career has been in either a startup, or a brand-new project in a big corporation.
From being the first Mandarin-speaking member in BottlesXO, the wine delivery startup, to joining the Mattel Group CRM program from scratch. At Alibaba, I joined the brand-new Tmall user growth team, which was previously integrated with the Taobao department.
Five Years of Experience in Growth Marketing
Although I have been working with different titles and companies, my expertise is the same – growth marketing. I’m adept at using data analytics to uncover insight with different users, and A/B testing different product features to maximize user retention. At Alibaba, I was a Project Manager overseeing a 50+ person team with product managers and engineers in our department to achieve DAU/MAU targets.
Pursue the Passion That Started Seven Years Ago
In 2021, my dad encountered some serious health issues, and at the same time, I was also overwhelmed by three years of overtime. I appreciate these years of experience in the intensive Internet industry, which empowered me on a big stage to try whatever I wanted to do. However, I was always thinking if there’s a possibility to find a “true love” job – which I would like to do for a lifetime.
Like prime numbers, founders are unique and cannot be duplicated. The factor to determine success has thousands of possibilities, and to research and learn from this intricate business world is as interesting for me as the concept of a prime number. Looking back, I miss the days when I worked on an entrepreneurship project back in university, surrounding myself with the energetic founders’ community and cutting-edge technology. I wanted to start a new chapter in my career that enables me to learn more about front-end tech knowledge, analyze different business models, work in a dynamic and startup environment, and meet with ambitious and talented people from different backgrounds. That’s why I’m here – feel free to DM me if you would like to discuss struggles in user growth or are interested in the e-commerce sector!
