spk_0:
00:00
All right. So I’ve got a treat today. I’ve got my old high school buddy Sean holes joining me. We’re going to talk about Cove in 19 in India. He’s stuck in India right now, running a team of developers, and we’re gonna have fun talking about e commerce in the future as it relates to the Amazon, India E commerce and general. All right, so now joined by Sean Hall. Shawn, it’s good to talk with you. Um, over the years, we’ve kind of kept in touch here, and our journeys have taken us to other sides of the world. So right now, as I understand it, you’re in India. And what was it? Just a couple days ago, India announced it’s completely shut down. So I’m sure our listeners would love to hear and understand what is going on over there.
spk_1:
00:47
Hey, Steve, Thanks for having me Great to, uh, catch up again. What is going on out here is it’s a good question. Some of us want to know that, too. There’s there’s, ah, been a lot of sudden movements. There was one day that things were open and that was, I think, the 15th of March or maybe just before that. And then everybody who had businesses got together and said, Wait, what’s actually happening? Including, you know, some of the politicians. And then it wasn’t almost overnight. Um, shut everything down and it was shut down to the degree my, my, my mom and my sister were planning on making a trip out here to visit me, and and a day or two before their flight came, all international visas got canceled. So and then they also said, Hey, you can’t leave either. Um, so you got
spk_0:
01:36
your family not get to you, but you can’t get to your family.
spk_1:
01:40
Oh, yeah. And they can’t even ship because my mom being my mom, you know, she was, like, coming. I’m gonna send you supplies. I mean, to send you supplies and so hee
spk_0:
01:49
underwear over there. Sean, they don’t have your son because it’s true. So it’s difficult, I’m sure. Sure,
spk_1:
02:02
it’s been Ah, a little chaotic. And and it’s been disheartening. You know, I’m, uh, Christian oriented guy, and it’s been really disheartening actually to see on the street, because when you have, um, as there’s over a 1,000,000,000 people in this country, right and a lot of vulnerable people. But many, many, many deep hole only a day’s wage and they can pay for their food and maybe get some lodging. Or or they live in slums, right? But these people assumes that lock down happened. They’re out there starving in the streets and and that’s been hard for me to sit, sit up here and feel good on instagram and doing the whole quarantine at home thing. Because, um, I’m seeing people just outside my window, you know, on the streets, suffering and dying because they can’t they can’t make any money. And then beyond that, it’s difficult because when they can’t make money, what’s happened is they’re trying to migrate back to their villages so they can eat least eat. But you’re getting massive congregations, and I mean, while we’re social distancing over here, people privilege, I should say these migrant workers air huddled in bus stations and there’s hundreds of thousands of them and they’re going to actually be infecting each other. Think about this and then taking it back to rural India, where there isn’t medical access, so it’s a huge problem, and it’s as a humanitarian that’s been kind of what I’ve been trying to over the last few days say, Hey, it’s nice being in the ivory tower, But how can I, um how can I help these folks out there? That’s that’s been one of the things that’s been eating at me.
spk_0:
03:33
That is rather difficult. I mean, I’m in the Georgia area and it’s, you know, testing is not even really a thing right now in the States. There’s, ah, you know, a lack of testing. But most of the government shut down. Most businesses have shut down except essentials, but the culture is totally different over here. Where is what you kind of talked about with the migrants? Um, culture in India? There’s literally hundreds of thousands of people that air stranded right now. Is that Is that true?
spk_1:
04:03
Yeah, it’s true because the government realized that they were going to go back to rural communities, and they said it became a social media disaster because everybody was looking at these bus stations saying, Wait a second, we’re about to send these back to rule India, so it actually got worse, and that once the people got to the bus stations, they didn’t let the buses leave. So really, you just have these well, which makes sense. You don’t want them crossing borders into places that are there gonna take this virus, especially after what they’ve been through with the crowding like you don’t want them to go. But at the same time, you now essentially have, and I don’t want to like, really over use this word. But it’s It’s like a concentration camp of migrant workers, and they’re just stranded and they’re in a situation that’s highly ineffective for quarantine or controlling this virus. So I think India is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s I was looking the numbers and 20 days ago, I think March 10th the U. S. Had 1000 known cases, which is where India’s at now, and that has now gone up to 160,000 in the U. S. So 20 days from now, what I’m interested in is to see if India has surpassed us numbers and I’m I’m pretty sure that they will.
spk_0:
05:14
I think it’s a question of testing, you know, in the US, the numbers have got to be five x up to 10 x, what they truly have been reported because you mean you get to be in, like in I C. U unit right now to get a test in the States and most most part, so who knows what India’s health care infrastructure can do? But, you know, it’s interesting that they announced that 21 day shut down instead of 14 which is what kind of the U. S and money other countries lead with. And then we all know that 14 days gonna turn into 30 and more, but they’re
spk_1:
05:43
talking about they’re talking about extend this 21 day after three months. Um,
spk_0:
05:48
that’s that’s gotta be a totally new world you’re living in right out.
spk_1:
05:53
It’s interesting for sure. I wasn’t planning on going back, so I I was I came out here, Steve, to work on having a Devil team. There’s a lot of people who want to have offshore development, but they don’t want to interface with a team that doesn’t have a native English speaker and like a professional English speaker, a translator for less. And I’ve been writing code now since I was, you know, well, professionally for about 14 years and before that as a hobby for six years. Um, so people love interfacing with me because, Yes, I I have this team, but they have some guy that they trust on the other end. And I can manage and code myself. So they’re not saying, Hey, we’re just in the hands of this group that has no face. Um, so I wasn’t planning on leaving, but one stuff that started happening I did make a call to the
spk_0:
06:42
Took a look at it. Yeah,
spk_1:
06:44
I I called the embassy. I I made a call to the embassy
spk_0:
06:47
on the first day. I called an embassy before,
spk_1:
06:50
actually, Yeah. And it’s funny because we’re what? When I arrived, many, many people were like, You got to call the embassy, just get in touch. It’s like, uh, I think I’m okay. I got it. You know, I’ve traveled a lot, so I’m good. But this time I did call the embassy and they’re saying they were like, Hey, we’re trying to get some flights for repatriation that I wasn’t anxious to go. I was serious. Flights out that they’re arranging. First off their strange You can’t just charge it to a card. You have to sign a promissory note to the government, which I didn’t realize. You can’t you have to. It’s just like a note. And, um, the flights were $6000 for a seat in Coach. Wow. And to put that in perspective, I got out here for the first time I came out here. I think my one way was 375 bucks. And then when I flew back in December for Christmas, I got upgraded to business class pass, and that was like 800 bucks to basically be first class the whole way. And now you know, just to get back home if I wanted to come back to the U. S would be a solid six grand. So I think I’m hunkering down here for a minute until that goes down,
spk_0:
08:03
that that’s quite the choice. I mean, man, there’s that’s a tough spot to be in. So So what? Things shut down right now. Are you still developing our other workers Still working in some areas?
spk_1:
08:17
Tech hasn’t. So I guess I just step back and say my specialty and tech is has been med tech and medicine and specifically skilled nursing facilities, and they need us more than ever. So So I haven’t I’ve seen people’s pump the brakes with, you know, new projects, anything like that. But what we’re maintaining and what we’ve been doing has been pretty consistent. And people are still needing that. Um, especially right now, you know, because I think of 11 application we did that reaches out to, uh to seniors who have recently exited a skilled nursing facility. And that’s more important now than ever because these people are vulnerable. They’re scared, right? And so it’s It’s nice to say OK, the software that we’ve been doing is having a great impact on the people who need it most right now. And so young people are still developing in our field. I haven’t seen a ton of shift, but obviously, if we’re talking about just the sheer volume of people who are going to be affected by this, there’s no doubt that we’re gonna experience economic slowdown. And it’s only a matter of time. It might need me now, but if the if the economy starts to collapse or anything like that, it’s only a matter of time for everybody is affected.
spk_1:
09:32
matter what vertical urine
spk_0:
09:34
I feel like this is a once in a 100 year event. There’s no doubt about that. Um, you know, I think Amazon specifically is probably recession proof e commerce in general. Probably, You know, least a little bit recession proof. And even if it’s not, I think e commerce is gonna be the first sector that recovers. Um, you know, the question is, you know, and you’re in your particular vertical in development work. Some of those things have kind of like a run rate or or a business development cycle. I would I would imagine so the projects that you’re going to start in three months or six months from now, that’s probably when you’ll see the hit. Yeah. Yeah, you think
spk_1:
10:15
about I think the hit has already in a sense, happened it then they hit so much, it’s been increased scrutiny on what we’ve been doing.
spk_0:
10:26
Oh, yes. Cost control and yeah,
spk_1:
10:29
yeah, I’ve seen a lot of that and there might be a hit on future work. You’re absolutely right. I’m prospecting now, you know, for future work and trying to do that. Luckily, I’m at a place where I’ve gone through and done enough goodwill with people for the last 10 years and help people out that I don’t feel scared. Um, but, you know, you’re absolutely right in saying that we’re going to the 3 to 6 months where things could drastically change the shape or other things. Just a drastic change in shape and form. I have one friend who was about to kick off a project with me, and he just said, Hey, wait a second that he has, like, 50 brick and mortar locations across the USA. And he said, Wait a second. Nobody can come to my store. We got we got a halt development for at least a few months until marketing dollars are gonna allow for this to make sense.
spk_0:
11:17
Yeah, there. There are people ordering online today that have never ordered online before because they literally can’t goto a retail store at the moment. And that’s why we’re seeing a lot of high exceptional announced that demand specific to Amazon. Um, so yeah, there’s there’s a huge amount of effect. I think I think this year is one for the books. No doubt, Um, all right, so let’s let’s take a step back. So So Sean and I, um, went to high school together in Utah, and we’ve known each other for, you know, a long, long time. And so I wantto I want to bring us back just a little bit too. Kind of kind of where our career past, Wentz and then Wolf. Well, then answer. Ask the big question. Why India? Why why’d you end up in India? So So let’s go back a little bit. So, um, what got you first interested in development work when it became kind of a hobby.
spk_1:
12:10
All right, Steve, you’ll appreciate this. Good. You mentioned high school. Um, I love Steve because I think a cz cool as we’ve become and whatever we’ve done our life, I think it’s safe to say, in retrospect that we weren’t the coolest guys in high school.
spk_0:
12:25
Okay, So easily I e I I’ll put my my one thing out there most. The very same thing I did in school. I ran for student body officer every year of my entire junior high and high school, and never once was elected that Sahwas.
spk_1:
12:43
You sound like actually actually the case with almost everybody who runs for office. Um I mean, How many times did Ah, geez. Kayne ran. It seemed like 800 times he ran as many years as he was alive,
spk_0:
12:58
which is 800 times.
spk_1:
13:01
But, um, now, Steven, I knew each other. Like we were big time chess players. We got in the chest together to show you the level of cool. We were at
spk_0:
13:09
love. Dirtiness. Yeah. Uh huh.
spk_1:
13:12
And so I would say, actually, what happened was I was always a geek with computers when I was a kid, like, five or six years old, My parents out of Windows 3.1 a machine, and they didn’t know how to use it. But I I learned all the typing keystrokes on that. And really, when I got in the coating, it was because I was un cool in high school and I had a lot of spare time on my summers. Um, I think that’s even before we met Steve. I think we met one of the summer. I walked outside and we happened to be a 20. It’s
spk_0:
13:39
playing basketball. Basketball? Yeah. Yeah, it was one of our neighbors houses.
spk_1:
13:44
Good tailor. Lincoln is nice, kid. I still talk to Lincoln occasionally.
spk_0:
13:49
he’s Allstate agent Now. I think that our brother went broke.
spk_1:
13:53
Good, good time to be in that market. Maybe. Well, I mean, in the five years living up, the Utah market has blown out. Um, so that’s that’s kind of what led to be taking on. And it’s funny that and I’ll just little upside Is that code? Back then, I used to sit and try and work out the code and try and make it work like the examples. And I just remember crying and saying, This is so hard. I can’t make it work like it This seems like it should be easy. I’m looking at the example. Mine doesn’t work that way. It took me, like, 10 years for the state of the industry to advance to a point to realize that what I was working with back then were the nascent phases of this coding languages, and it sucked. That’s what was happening is like now the code back then was brutally bad, and the reason it wasn’t working is because these languages, like nobody marking what they were doing.
spk_0:
14:46
Yeah, I took a job in high school. I didn’t know what I was doing either. Yeah,
spk_1:
14:51
the guy who wrote PHP, the guy who made it, He did it because he hacked it together. It’s like, Well, this works for May. And he never meant for it to become a program language. And now there’s 24% of the Web or maybe 40%. It was something crazy like that is running on WordPress, which is based off BHP. So you looking for today? We’re
spk_0:
15:13
so much, I think. Shopify. Anybody listening to this if you’re not on Shopify and you’re on wordpress I’m so sorry for you guys. That’s rough. Really.
spk_1:
15:23
I’ll give a contrary an opinion on that. I think it really depends on what you’re what you’re doing with your business. Because, um, the difference between a Shopify citing a WordPress site is the difference. And ownership. If I have a wordpress infrastructure and that text ac, I own it. And no matter what Shopify does with their business, I’m in. You walk away and say, Okay, I’m not I’m not subject to their plans. S o. If you need to have more control of your business than I would say, stay away from shop fight if you want to if you’re running a store and you’re running a business in this working great and you want it to be kind of all the text taken care of for you give a shop of 500%. But if you need that control and you want to say Okay, I’m gonna walk away and I’m gonna have, um, this hook into this day, the source of this data source. The other thing is a lot of the plug ins on shop fire, monthly subscriptions.
spk_0:
16:13
So I heard everything you just mentioned. It’s just a question of how much control do you want to pay for, Right? Right. And and then also WordPress is constantly breaking on my sights. That’s why I threw that. It’s just constantly breaking. So
spk_1:
16:26
that’s because us developers need to ensure our future job security,
spk_0:
16:30
I guess I guess something like that. All right, So you did stuff through high school, took on some special projects, was there, was there? Ah, turning point or some sort of golden moment in your life were like, Yeah, I’m gonna do this rest of my life.
spk_1:
16:45
Um, yes, there’s been a few. There was one when I kind of mentioned how in 10 years everything drastically shifted. When I was 18 I meet my buddy a website, and at a certain point that’s changed. And I’m talking about where it became the response of Web on and all of a sudden, everything sponsored and you just had to remake websites differently. And so people had made some sites for when I was a little younger. Um, they came and they said, Hey, our sights no longer really working this responsive web can you helps out. So I had to sort of re learn what I’d learned. And there was this point where I think I was 20 or 21 where I said, Okay, I’ve gotten really good at building HTML static websites. I got some database stuff figured out. I know PHP. What am I missing? And that’s when the beauty of Java script and writing really interactive pages came to me. And I think once I started getting into Java script, that helped a lot because all of a sudden I was able to create an experience for a user rather than just showing them something. Um, and that was cool. There was also a night there’s a few poignant moments. It’s to get There was a night where I was on. If you guys remember stumble upon, it was a little widget that you throw in Firefox. They would just take you to a random page that some somebody had curated and thought was neat.
spk_0:
18:04
Quite quite the throwback. Yeah,
spk_1:
18:06
yeah, a lot of stuff. Well, I love Stumble, but I spent this one night just board and stumbling, and I realized 95% of the Web looked like total crap and offended
spk_0:
18:17
and fastest us
spk_1:
18:19
is dead. It still does, but it’s gotten so much better, but it kind of offended me, is just like a visual person. I was like, This is not good and I wanted to do better. Um, so that was one thing that drove me to do a lot of stuff. I wasn’t good enough to do much outside of helping like nonprofits and that kind of thing for a while. And I did a lot of low hanging fruit, but good, good work for good people sort of thing to get my chops up. And then I had this bump in a coffee shop that changed my life. forever. It was with my buddy James Johnson, who’s just He’s a brilliant machine learning program or whatever you wanna call him. He works mostly in, like this really high, like Haskell. Interesting languages, does machine learning that kind of thing. And you just a coffee shop And he sat down and looked at my work and he blew my mind, introduced me to angular. He’s like, If I were you, I would just start learning this today and go do that. I ran with that. In the last eight years, I’ve been working with angular, angular one to all the way up through. Now they’re nine as the time of this podcast and the best decision ever in terms of career because it was interesting. There’s basically angular and reactor where everything’s getting made in these days, and I moved to Los Angeles. Not this is last year I moved to Los Angeles to go work on my career and develop out there. It was super interesting. I had just happened. Everybody and everybody in L. A was doing react, and I happened to be the guy that did angular. It was just a weird market thing, so that worked out phenomenally for me because reactors in Vogue but angular still has this really, really huge place. Um, you know, that’s kind of what happened in terms of the career path, in terms. In terms of the formative moments,
spk_0:
20:07
you’ve had a few formidable moments that have happened. And then one day you end up in India. Why India? What brought you there?
spk_1:
20:17
Oh, good question. It’s not just one day. I’ve been here three times. This is my third trip. It’s my first time living in here. Um, when I was 25 This is this is kind of a deeper thing, but maybe 26. 25 26. I was, um my best buddy from University of Utah is an Indian national citizen. He’s He’s a genius. He owns a company called Lattice Innovations in Delhi. And I came out to visit him just to go be a tourist. India. Back when I was 25 he was throwing um back. Then they threw hackathons with Massachusetts General Health Lattice through hackathons Massachusetts General Health. And so my first landing point India was at a HACKATHON. We were working on the problem of diabetes, which is a huge killer in India, so he was kinda everywhere. But in India, it’s like one out of every five people is gonna develop diabetes due to the diet. Jesus. Yeah, which I think is it’s substantially more really, maybe three times more than the US numbers. But it is not
spk_0:
21:21
on par with that.
spk_1:
21:24
You will be You will be. If you’re not, it’s it’s just a nup upward trend. So I did a lot of work there, met great people in the context of working on innovations. Um, met a lot of great people from Massachusetts General Health. But I still talk to, and they became very important for what happened next. Three days into the hackathon. I got a cold and it was a minor head cold. And then But I had to get on a flight. I was going somewhere else, and I had to get on a flight, and it was like an old dinky Indiana Jones propeller jet kind of plays. It was so old. I was going thio these islands just tow travel. That and during descent. I’m not sure if the plane wasn’t pressurized properly or what, but I had this horrible pressure in my school, and it first it just felt like it was like Okay, maybe, like I just got a pop, my ears, But it didn’t go away. And as we went further and further in closer towards the Earth, the pressure just became profound. And I was I was basically immobilized in pain. It was, and it felt like every every filling in my mouth wanted to pop out like the pressure in my school app. Well, what happens is your you stash your station tube, if that’s what regulates your pressure in your body and around atmosphere pressure any time. But if you can’t regulate that, it stays in your skull. So what happened was all my Sinuses imploded, and I was alone during this moment, and it also happened that might my ear drums went and I could just hear ocean sounds. I couldn’t hear what anybody was saying. Not sure it would have mattered because they were speaking in different languages. But I couldn’t get help, and I was just almost
spk_0:
23:09
feels like a near death experience. G’s
spk_1:
23:11
It was, It was, and I was crying in this airport because I was on a layover and I’m crying this airport. There’s people, guards with machine guns thinking this kid’s messed up or something. He’s just crying on the floor here, my phone, the adaptors not plugging in so I can’t get in touch with my friends. It’s just a weird outlet, and I’m like, This is this is heavy and as I’m looking around Steve, and this was the thing that changed my life. I’m in the worst pain in my life and I look around and I’m not the only person collapsed on the floor and I’m seeing people. And I’m not just one person, two people. I’m seeing many people in this scene who are in worse pain than me, and that was a significant eye opener. I didn’t really go to India looking for enlightenment, but that was an enlightening moment where I said, Whoa, the worst pain in my life isn’t the worst pain in this room. And at that point in time, I decided if I ever recovered, I wanted to make my next steps in my career to be about helping people and to be in the medical industry. So so that was a huge thing that happened in India because of that has always been my heart because there is so much suffering here. So part of why I came back this time was because I just knew a s if you build my business and help out in the U. S. But I also felt my value would be very helpful here because I have a lot to offer people here a swell.
spk_0:
24:37
So So that is a pretty terrifying series of events that led you to choose to stay in India, so to speak and make it a permanent fixture in your life. I mean, that’s that’s crazy. So So what was the recovery like on that?
spk_1:
24:55
It’s never been a full recovery. In fact, I still get flare ups. And if I’m ever on a flight or if I ever have a cold, even remotely near flight, um, I canceled the flight typically nowadays because I still get pressure almost every time I fly. There’s a surgery for it, but I haven’t exactly wanted Thio.
spk_0:
25:18
I’ve done no surgery twice. It is awful.
spk_1:
25:21
Yeah, I’ve done it once and I’m not rushing to that because it’s something I can basically manage nowadays. But I’ll tell you. The recovery of that was actually very brutal. Um, and kind of illustrates both the good and bad of India, which was, uh, typically speaking. The Indian health care is much more available. Um, I shouldn’t say available. It’s much more affordable than the United States health care. And it’s high quality because there’s so many patients. So you go to a search on the guys down a 1,000,000,000 of these surgeries, right? Yeah, very, very highly skilled. The ability to get into those appointments is what’s difficult because there’s so many people. Um So when I landed, I was going to these islands and I finally did get my phone to work. And hey, I just I called up my doctor friend who is Thank goodness I have him, um, on it, Bob, if you’re listening. Thank you. He basically had me hand the phone over to the guy at the pharmacy at the airport, and he told him to get me basically narcotics, which were available because he was a doctor and I was in the situation. I waas and I took those and all of a sudden I had some relief, but I was still like it was just managing it. And I had to jump on another flight because it’s like, uh
spk_0:
26:35
and I thought that was painted up on another flight. Jesus,
spk_1:
26:39
I did because I was like, Why had I can’t stay at this other place? I have no, like my hotels at the next place. I’m already in this, like, horrible pain. I might as well just take this flight. Um, And what happens, though, when you The pain never got worse that day. But what happened was the Sinuses have imploded, so there’s blood inside your canals, and that’s kind of like a good gross thing. But then that congeals. And so the pressure never left. How? Um and so I managed for a few days. Okay, I’m going next to Calcutta, which is a really trippy city. It’s It was It’s like still Britain in 1950. They love British. The British had such influence there. I’m sure they drink not one. Do they drink tea? They have remade a replica of the Big Ben. They have, like a giant big been themselves. They love it, and it’s all 19 fifties ambassador cabs. It’s super interesting, but I got there and there was a religious ceremony going on called Durga Puja, which was a lot of fun. But the whole town, including doctors, was closed for like, two weeks. I couldn’t see a doctor, Um, and this was one of those things. It’s like This is a really great time. I’ve had a great time, but I’m in horrible pain every day and I cannot get to a doctor because they’re all on vacation, which is I don’t think that would ever happen in the United States, where an entire country or entire region shut down for two weeks so that we could go celebrate, like maybe Christmas. But you could surprise, still get some, like, two minutes. So in two days,
spk_0:
28:11
yeah, but not like a full, weaker, long
spk_1:
28:14
two weeks. This is two weeks, and we’re trying every day. It’s
spk_0:
28:17
like a very Asian thing. Even China shuts down for like a month. It’s crazy.
spk_1:
28:22
I’m so I actually had to take another flight to Delhi, Um, before I got to see any anti and when I saw an anti he goes, I’ve been I’ve been doing this all my life. He was, like, 70. I’ve never seen a case of aero sinusitis. That’s what I had. Or Barrow trauma. I’ve never seen a case this bad. There’s no way you should have flown more than once. When is your next flight? And I was like, I’m going back to America. And three days and he goes, Oh, no, you need to be, like on steam. And, um, all these blood thinners you need to be on this for a least two months before you fly again was like, Well, I got split two days, and he’s just size and guest. Well, good
spk_0:
28:58
luck. Hey. Hey. He knew at that point there was nothing he could say to change what you were going to dio. And that’s I’m sure a lot of doctors feel that way all the time. Ah, sometimes is the agency owner. I’m like, Hey, Mr Client. Mrs. Client, we got it. We need to make these changes in, and they’re like, Well, x y z reason we can’t do a b c. And I’m like, Okay, good luck. Yeah, that happens to you to second relate
spk_1:
29:24
s. So that’s the story of what brought me out to India. And then this last time there I’m not gonna say that Hollywood was shallow. I spent some time in Hollywood. I made a lot of great friends. I just realized that Hollywood had its base is more less covered in a lot of ways. Whereas India there was a lot of growth and development that could contribute Thio. So that’s sort of the story about India.
spk_0:
29:47
So So let’s let’s talk about one last thing and then we’ll wrap up here. So where do you think the future is? Is going with e commerce development? Just any future outlook. You think, you know, Let’s think post Corona virus impact. Where do you think the future the world’s going?
spk_1:
30:05
Oh, man, What a great question, I think touching back on what you mentioned earlier. E commerce is not only recession proof. I think this has shown us that without e commerce, we all be screwed. Um, we would be like, I’m seriously living right now on food delivery because I guess I had assumed during this locked down I wasn’t gonna be a four order because the grocery store was gonna stay open, that sort of thing on, that’s what was publicized that you wouldn’t have to panic. You know, like, please don’t panic. The grocery stores will stay open
spk_0:
30:38
when they tell you to stop hoarding. That’s when you know you need to be hoarding. Ah, that’s a prepper mentality.
spk_1:
30:45
In ah, retrospect, I might have done that, but, you know, and everything was going as planned for the 1st 5 days of state home or whatever. And then there was reports just yesterday or two days ago that the colony over had an outbreak at a mosque, Um, where they were, like, 1400 people. So now I think they’re coming door to door and testing. And I noticed when I went out to get, um, some essentials actually did need a fire starter for my stove, so I can cook. I ended up with matches, but, um, they the grocery stores suddenly closed. I’m like, Oh, no, because now they’re worried it’s a colony over, so they’re not showing up for work. Um, which makes a lot of sense. Obviously don’t want these people to get sick, but, you know, it’s, um uh, without Amazon. I’m not sure what I’d be doing and not so much Amazon, but without the food delivery and without e commerce. I think we just be the honesty. The situation’s made me think about what I’d do if I was forced back into hunter gatherer society and if I’d even make it
spk_0:
31:48
roots. Yeah, I know I wouldn’t. I got a problem with a woodpecker damaging my chimney right now, and I’m like, Could I even hit that if I needed to? Yeah. Yeah,
spk_1:
32:00
right now, I don’t know what I would do. And it’s been really humbling to think about how many people in humanity lived without it. I mean, we are so privileged to sense that I’m not sure I would know where to start. Um, so I’m obviously grateful for God and everything he’s given us and and where we’re at, um, yeah, economist. The future be commerce is interesting, and I will bring it back to India. Um, I’ve done some work out here or just met a friend with this group called Indian Clusters, and she’s written some very interesting papers on kind of where India’s at and your people should be thinking about this tooth as Steve India’s. Basically her analysis is that basically the market for India e commerce is only hit about 2% of where it could go. Wow. So we have room for so much growth and this is these are people who could be used. They could jump on Amazon. They could do it other ways. They could do it through their own system, whatever. But this sheer amount of materials and products that are sitting on streets being sold in traditional market place settings that could work in an e commerce setting is pretty profound. And it would really shift the way that India looked in terms of their economy. So So that’s something that I think here, at least we’re going to see people embrace the commerce more and say, Hey, we can’t live without this and then start to see some radical shift and that number goes from 2% to 10%. We’re talking about adding, I mean that that adds 140 million new, um, customers, people, customers to to your base, which is, I think, 1/3 of the size of the U. S. So
spk_0:
33:44
so real quick on Amazon in India. How how big of a platform is that from your perspective today and you know, like how many people use it.
spk_1:
33:52
Everybody uses it.
spk_0:
33:54
So So the Amazons, big in India, then
spk_1:
33:57
Not only is Amazon big in India, it makes me want to buy more stock in Amazon. Because the thing is is that I don’t want to see people are lazy, but people left convenience, and they’re more willing to pay for convenience than quality. And a lot of times nowadays, um, which doesn’t say you can’t get high quality products, it’s more about the convenience side of this. There are ways to get the same product cheaper by going to the market for sure in India. But when I was getting my house set up, I went Amazon all the way because of walk to them. All right, in terms of my hourly rate, cost me more than it, right more than I would say our But Amazon is still charging American prices in India. So So it was one of those things where I was like, huh? I’m not getting the price break that I get everywhere else in India. The cost of living price break through Amazon, and they they’re just gonna keep growing here. So I was like that Amazon stock’s gonna keep going up, boys, because there’s gonna be that sort of thing all over the world and is more and more people become economically capable of buying things off Amazon here, which I think is down to happen. It’s just gonna grow. And India, it must be one country amongst 50. That has to say in scenario. So,
spk_0:
35:12
yeah, they’re getting it off in the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Middle East has been a big push the Middle East in the last 30 days as well. Do you eat a So we’ll see what happens. Well, Sean, it was awesome, um, catching up with you and terrifying at the same time to hear about your your flight in and Sinus issues. That’s terrifying. But ah, God bless with the with your efforts to help out in India while you’re there. And while you’re there by choice or stuck, I’m not sure which at the moment. But But God bless you, sir.
spk_1:
35:46
Hey, thanks for having me, Stephen. And good luck with everything in all of your of your customers as well. I hope you guys have great success and try not to sell the toilet paper. You might need some yourself
spk_0:
35:56
I do have a toilet paper client. And yes, they stocked out. They sold out. All right, Well, thank you guys. That is theme I Amazon Guy podcast. And my name is Stephen Pope on the founder of You Need any Amazon consulting Goto my Amazon guy dot com And we hope you send it this podcast. Three people, three people is all it takes to spread the word. Thanks so much.
