180. The Cultural Code: What Every Product Team Needs To Understand

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180. The Cultural Code: What Every Product Team Needs to Understand | Chui Chui Tan

4d ago 46:42

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What if your product isn't failing because of functionality—but because of cultural disconnect?

In this episode of the Productized Podcast, host André Marquet sits down with Chui Chui Tan, cross-cultural strategist and founder of Beyō Global, to unpack what most product teams miss: cultural intelligence. From her work with Spotify, IKEA, and Netflix to real-world lessons in markets like Colombia, Kenya, and India, Chui Chui shares why localization isn’t enough—and how culturalization can make or break a product’s global success.

They explore:

➡️ Why “build first, localize later” often fails

➡️ The stages of cultural maturity in product development

➡️ How Spotify uncovered surprising user behavior in Latin America

➡️ Why product teams must champion cultural risk

➡️ What AI can and can’t do for cultural insight

Whether you're building for global markets or just trying to improve user engagement at home, this episode will reframe how you think about product strategy, organizational culture, and global design.

📌Chapters:

01:26 Meet Chui Chui Tan: Founder of Beyō Global

02:00 Meditation, travel, and daily routines

09:50 Cultural adaptation: Spotify, IKEA, Netflix

12:50 What “culture” really means in product

15:10 Why localization is not enough

19:04 Payments, trust & PIX in Brazil

22:20 M-Pesa in Kenya & ecosystem fit

25:10 Cultural risks in product development

27:19 Real case study: Spotify in Colombia

31:55 Netflix pricing backlash in Portugal

34:20 5 Stages of cultural adaptation

37:00 Can AI understand cultural nuance?

40:20 Tools & frameworks for cultural insight

43:21 The mindset shift PMs need now

45:23 How to connect with Chui Chui

🔗 Where to find Chui Chui:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuichuitan/

Website: https://beyo.global

Books: https://beyo.global/books

🔗 Where to find Andre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquet/

🎉 Mark your calendars for Productized Conference 2025!

Join us for the 10th edition of this premier event where product leaders gather to share, connect, and celebrate. Get your tickets now 👉 https://www.productized.co

Where to find us:

Newsletter 👉 http://bit.ly/3aMvWn2

Website: https://productized.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/productized

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/productized.co/

Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/pt-BR/Productized/

🎧 Listen now and let’s #CreateChangeTogether

#ProductManagement #Localization #CulturalIntelligence #UserExperience #TechLeadership #ProductStrategy #AI #ProductizedPodcast

185 episodes

#Tech #Product Management #Productivity