How Airfrov keeps its eyes on the customer

This week, Tech in Asia Jobs shares insights into how successful companies operate, hire, and more.

The mid-morning chatter trailed off as Airfrov CEO and co-founder Cai Li walked into the room and reached for a bell perched on a cabinet. 

The bell rings. 

The 10-odd members of the product and marketing teams rise to their feet for their daily standup meeting. I rise with them. 

A user joins in the daily standup meetings as far as possible. / Photo credit: Sim Yanting

An Airfrov user joins the team’s daily standup meeting whenever schedules align. I was the user in the hot seat that day. After a brief round of introductions, Cai turns to me and asks, “So, what do you not like about Airfrov, and how can it be improved?”

The story of Airfrov

The name Airfrov represents the sharing economy enabled by frequent air travelers. It also plays on Cai’s inexplicable love for the Afro hairstyle. / Photo credit: Sim Yanting

Airfrov is a C2C marketplace that connects travelers with buyers seeking goods from their destinations.

Founded in 2015 by Cai and Robi Ng, the concept was born from an opportunity that Cai spotted while working in a job that required frequent traveling. Every time he traveled, his friends and girlfriend would request for items exclusive to these countries. Through Airfrov, travelers can now get a small monetary incentive for purchasing items requested by buyers. In exchange, buyers get to enjoy imported products without having to pay hefty shipping fees.

The platform is now operational in Singapore and Indonesia, and processes over 800 requests daily.

Keeping users at the forefront of decision-making

Cai credits Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ concept of “the empty chair” for Airfrov’s daily user sit-in sessions. Bezos is known to leave an empty seat at meetings to represent the Amazon customer, “the most important person in the room.”

Cai, however, tweaked that idea for Airfrov. “Instead of keeping the seat empty, I thought, why not invite a real customer?” he says.

Users are constantly dropping by the Airfrov office to deposit or collect items, allowing Cai to involve them in the research and development process.

The next steps

Improvements to the product development process