01 / VINKO / Business building
Building Vinko from 0 to 1 across Thailand and Indonesia.
Market strategy · Team building · P&L
Thailand · Indonesia
Business Strategy · Product & GTM · E-commerce · Local Operations
Speed created the first year. Product advantage and operating control must create the next.
Context
Since joining SHD Technology in December 2024, I have led Vinko market development across Thailand and Indonesia. The work started with power banks as the entry category, while I built the local team, channel setup and operating rhythm from the ground up.
The 2025 opportunity came from matching fast product selection with a real market shift: demand for compact, travel-ready power banks accelerated around the CCC conversation. The team used this opening to establish the brand and test a repeatable launch model.
Challenge
In 2025, a market-led product approach produced a strong hit rate. By 2026, the conditions had changed: new launches were easier to copy, product barriers were limited, and the OEM model left less control over cost and differentiation.
The operating challenge was no longer simply how to launch faster. It became how to protect margin, choose fewer and stronger bets, and give customers a reason to choose Vinko beyond price.
Diagnosis
The first-year playbook benefited from timing, speed and channel execution. Those strengths were real, but they could not compensate indefinitely for low product defensibility and supplier-driven economics.
I reframed the problem from launch volume to portfolio quality: demand clarity, functional differentiation, controllable landed cost, margin headroom, a credible content angle and clear channel fit all need to pass before a product earns investment.
Use power banks and CCC-related travel demand to establish the first commercial base.
Low barriers, OEM dependence and weaker cost control reduced the value of launch speed alone.
Raise the bar for differentiation, landed cost, margin headroom, content and channel fit.
Strategy
Use power banks as the entry wedge, then expand the portfolio only where a product adds a distinct role. The Pocket series turned portability, built-in cables and multi-device charging into an easy-to-understand proposition, while later products tested new form factors and charging use cases.
Build an operating sequence: GMV Target → SKU Target → Gross Margin / Profit → Marketing Budget → Affiliate / Creator / Ads → Major Campaign → Business Review.
Execution
Built the local operating team while connecting product planning, launch / GTM, pricing, sales and profit planning, inventory coordination and business reviews across Thailand and Indonesia.
Coordinated Shopee, TikTok Shop, affiliate activity, paid creator collaborations and Meta / CPAS / GMX with the campaign calendar. In Thailand, paid collaborations involved hundreds of creators in the first half of 2026.
Creator briefs used a consistent logic: open with a daily pain point, prove the benefit through real use, and close with a clear buying cue. For Pocket V9 and V9 Pro, the proof focused on compact size, built-in cables, multi-device charging, fast charging and CCC-related travel relevance.
At portfolio level, content was organized into three jobs: Awareness / Topic → Product Benefit / Scenario → Promotion / Conversion.
Start from a real daily pain point.
Show the benefit in use, not as a feature list.
Close with a clear reason and route to buy.
Result
Built the Vinko business and local operating capability from 0 → 1. In Thailand, a hero power-bank listing reached the platform Top 10 during the first year, and December 2025 monthly sales exceeded THB 10M.
In Indonesia, the hero power-bank link held the No. 1 sales position in its TikTok category over an extended period. A separate Shopee snapshot placed the V9 / V10 listing at No. 4 in October 2025.
Learning
Market timing and execution can establish a business quickly. The next stage requires stronger product defensibility, better cost ownership and more disciplined portfolio gates.
Building a market also means building people. The team needs core members who can independently own outcomes, not only complete tasks.