Curating An Online Marketplace With Shauna Mei of Aha Life, Live On Stage... Shauna Mei, founder of Aha Life (a platform with unique products from handpicked designers artisans from around the world) joins Pavan Bahl, Rob Sanchez and Marc Raco for FIYBLIVE, recorded in front of a live audience and on location at Rise NY in New York City. Mei shares the nature and genesis of Aha Life. Rob is unusually prepared for Important Industry News, with a story about the effect that Amazon is having on direct consumers and ecommerce, causing smaller merchants to match and respond. Plus, and LED Smart Rope, and the Feed the Animals snacks segment goes awry. Distinction between search and discovery, shopping agendas, a wedding to come, and Rob’s mother-in-law method of clothing. Aha Life envisioned then and now, building content vs. technology, monetizing data as a business model, discovering trends, an app for gift-giving to increase sales, why department stores don’t have gifting departments, three problems with gifting, gift swapping on the Aha Life app, and advertising on subways. Aha Life’s new collaboration with Bradford Shellhammer [Episodes 46 and 47], Mei’s partnering with husband Sachin Devand, the biggest technological hurdle they solved, teaching niche brands to build store fonts, the incredible American Dream similarities between Mei and Olga Vidisheva [Episode 72], the company culture, the hiring lesson Mei learned, and why she listed on an Australian stock exchange. And Off the Grid Questions covers weddings in India, learning English, gifts and storytelling, and anthropologists. References: UPS Rajasthani palaces Holi Kickstarter