The brand is no stranger to pivoting as trends change, but no amount of experience could prepare the company for the coronavirus, which threw a spanner in the works when it came to Casetify’s 2020 plans.

“Casetify was on track to have our biggest year of growth, with many exciting projects in the pipeline, including the opening of our store in the Hong Kong Airport. What should have been another milestone for our direct-to-consumer brand is instead a celebration put on hold,” Ng says. Their ambition to scale their retail presence was also postponed.

Nevertheless, Ng remains optimistic about his company’s future growth. Here, he describes what he’s learnt when it comes to surviving and thriving during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Nobody really saw [the coronavirus] coming. Everyone was worried and I was feeling lost and confused about what was going to happen next. But it’s important to remember to talk to you peers, talk to your mentors and, most importantly, learn to trust your team,” Ng says.

Ng put this mentality into practice two months ago when he was faced with the question of whether he should use his factory connections to make masks when the world was in need of them, but risk being seen as a company capitalising on the pandemic. Ng admits to being conflicted. “I talked to my team in Los Angeles, I talked to the management team in Hong Kong, and they thought that there was nothing wrong with making products that people need. So I learnt to trust them, and at the end we made the masks,” he says.

“In the end, we became a trusted source for masks and we helped people acquire them at a time when they were so difficult to find, he says. “And most importantly, for every mask sold, Casetify donated one to medical workers. It ended up being a very successful campaign, and if I hadn't talked to my team, I don’t think I would have done it.”

“We made sure we had the flexibility to move things around. For example, our team was really innovative in coming up with a UV sanitiser that sanitises your mobile devices and tech gadgets. We were able to launch it to the market in a very, very short time, and 100 percent of the proceeds we make from the UV sanitiser are donated to the coronavirus relief fund.”

“I’m really proud of what my team has done, and I’m definitely not taking it for granted. I’m really grateful to have a team that is so innovative and fast to react.”

“Diversify your marketing channels, your source of production, everything.” My experience during coronavirus has led me to learn the importance of diversifying and building a team structure that allows for flexibility, Ng says.

“When people talk about startups, the mentality is that if you find one channel that works then focus all in, but if you do this, then you risk suffering significantly because you didn’t diversify,” he says.

“And when we’re measuring the time to market, team flexibility is essential. It’s about determining how fast you can launch a product,” he says. Because if you structure your team correctly then you’ll be better prepared in global situations like this, and “you’ll be able to react much quicker and launch timely products. I really believe that this has a lot to do with the structure of a team.”

“Post-pandemic I think the role of a brand will change,” Ng says. “It’s not just about selling your products, it’s about looking after your community. That’s why we launched [UV sanitiser] Casetify Protects, because we wanted to contribute as best we could through the influence we have.”

“I know a lot of entrepreneurs take a lot of risks, but I see this as a good time for us to review our growth strategy—meaning learn to grow slow. The world glorifies fast growth, exponential growth, but that comes with a big downside: your company might not survive the pandemic. So review your growth strategy and learn to grow slow.”

See other honourees from the Technology category of the Gen.T List 2019