December12,2025, the “Entrepreneur's Talk” event hosted by the Employment and Entrepreneurship Department of the International Students Union (ISU) concluded successfully. This event invited two young entrepreneurs with different backgrounds who have both grown and thrived in China - Chin Sinxuan (Malaysian, master's degree from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, founder of "Moka") and Kelexiang (Congolese, a startup entrepreneur in the fields of cross-border trade and sports management). They conducted in-depth discussions around the themes of "original aspiration for entrepreneurship, overcoming challenges, and future prospects", bringing a sharing session full of resonance and inspiration to the students present.

（Right Chin SinXuan，Middle Chris）

#1 Starting Point of Entrepreneurship

From a global perspective and through multi-dimensional thinking, Chris emphasizes that entrepreneurship is "a response to trends and an integration of resources." He has interned at Alibaba and ByteDance successively, personally experiencing the vigorous vitality and policy opportunities of the Chinese market. Eventually, he chose to establish a company in Hangzhou, engaging in cross-border trade and sports management.

Chin Sinxuan shared that opening a café was not an impulsive decision but a fusion of observing daily life and a desire for self-direction. From the stage to the sports field to the café counter, he has always sought a way to “express himself while running a sustainable venture.” His first step was using 3,000 RMB from a university innovation grant to buy his first bag of coffee beans and start experimenting in his dorm.

#2 From 0 to 1: Courage, Identity, and Uncertainty

Chin Sinxuan recalled that the moment he truly decided to start his business was “the first time a stranger smiled after tasting my coffee.” However, transitioning from student to老板 (boss), his first hurdle was identity. “From a pure student to a student with multiple identities, sometimes I can't figure out what I should or shouldn't do,” he said with a smile, “Back then, I was both a student and an ‘underground coffee operator.’”

For Chris, the biggest uncertainty when founding his first company in Hangzhou wasn’t policy or market—it was “whether I was truly ready to take on all the responsibility.” Despite researching policies across cities, the moment he signed the papers, “the loneliness and weight were mine alone to carry.”

Both agreed that the biggest hurdle from 0 to 1 is overcoming psychological barriers-daring to leave your comfort zone and being willing to embrace uncertainty.

#3 The Darkest Hour: Failure, Misjudgment, and Abandonment

Chris shared a “near-failure crisis” when a partner suddenly pulled out, stalling the project. He overcame it by “reorganizing resources and taking small, quick steps to test solutions.” He also admitted a “key misjudgment”: entering an emerging market too early, only to struggle with localization. “The lesson was: trend does not equal opportunity. Localization is key.”

Chin Sinxuan was frank: entrepreneurship isn’t always happy. His toughest period was “when time was drained yet growth seemed invisible.” He once missed his elder sister's wedding due to the café and lost sleep over profits and losses. “Entrepreneurship is a negotiation with yourself. You learn to accept loss.”

#4 Highlight moment

The moment when Chin Sinxuan felt that "everything was worth it" was when a regular told him, "Your coffee accompanied me through the toughest paper week." That’s when he realized entrepreneurship isn’t just business-it’s human connection.

Chris’s “breakthrough moment” happened when his first cross-border order was successfully delivered, and the client referred new customers to him. “Success isn’t about numbers; it’s about accumulated trust,” he said.

#5 Q&A

During the live Q&A session, both guests engaged in a practical and insightful dialogue with the audience. In response to a question on “how to grow and scale a company,” Chris shared actionable advice based on his cross-border experience, emphasizing the importance of deep localization, building sustainable partner relationships, and maintaining flexibility amid evolving policies.

Audience members also raised questions on topics such as “accessing resources for entrepreneurship in China,” “compliance management for foreign entrepreneurs,” and “team leadership and cultural integration in early-stage startups.” Both Chin Sinxuan and Chris respectively gave practical and strategic responses from the dual perspectives of local entrepreneurship and transnational entrepreneurship, showing young entrepreneurs' understanding of market, policy and humanistic environment.

The Q&A session not only addressed specific challenges but also illustrated the systematic thinking and adaptive intelligence required to thrive as an entrepreneur in China. It provided students interested in joining China’s innovation ecosystem with a clear and structured reference for their own entrepreneurial journeys.