Anthony Ng Monica: From Bootstrapping to Breakthroughs in E-Commerce // #60

Forward Obsessed

In this episode of Forward Obsessed, we sit down with Anthony Ng Monica, a visionary entrepreneur whose journey from humble beginnings to leading an internationally recognized e-commerce technology company is nothing short of inspiring. Anthony shares his early entrepreneurial ventures, from pirating software to funding his education by cold-calling businesses. He candidly discusses the lessons learned while building Swogo, a cutting-edge product recommendation engine that has transformed how global retailers drive cross-sell and upsell opportunities.
Join us as Anthony unpacks the critical pivots that defined Swogo’s path to success—from its early B2C focus to becoming a B2B powerhouse and ultimately innovating with AI-driven product bundling. Learn how his cultural heritage, family dynamics, and relentless focus on learning shaped his business acumen. Whether you’re scaling your own venture or looking for strategies to pivot and grow, Anthony’s story is filled with practical advice and game-changing insights.
🔎 Find Out More About Anthony Ng Monica
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyngmonica/

Daily Body Coach: https://www.dailybodycoach.com/
Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Anthony Ng Monica
04:10 - Growing Up Between Cultures: Macau, Portugal, and the UK
08:45 - The Spark for Entrepreneurship: Early Influences
14:30 - Breaking into Business: Cold Calling and Selling Websites
20:20 - Launching Swogo: The Early Days of Product Recommendations
25:15 - The Pivot: Transitioning from B2C to B2B
32:45 - The Big Breakthrough: Solving E-commerce Cross-Selling Challenges
41:10 - Overcoming Challenges: Five Co-Founders and Scaling the Business
50:00 - Lessons from a Global Journey: Focus, Learning, and Resilience
56:30 - Working with Global Clients: Breaking into Major Markets
1:04:20 - Leveraging Accelerator Programs for Growth
1:10:50 - Long-Term Vision and the Future of E-commerce

🔗 Other Links & Resources
Good to Great (book) by Jim Collins: https://a.co/d/eDIM5so
Swogo: https://www.swogo.com/

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#entrepreneurship #ecommerce #startuplife