180. The Cultural Code: What Every Product Team Needs to Understand | Chui Chui Tan

What if your product isn't failing because of functionality—but because of cultural disconnect? In this episode of the Productized Podcast, host André Marquet sits down with Chui Chui Tan, cross-cultural strategist and founder of Beyō Global, to unpack what most product teams miss: cultural intelligence. From her work with Spotify, IKEA, and Netflix to real-world lessons in markets like Colombia, Kenya, and India, Chui Chui shares why localization isn’t enough—and how culturalization can make or break a product’s global success. They explore: ➡️ Why “build first, localize later” often fails ➡️ The stages of cultural maturity in product development ➡️ How Spotify uncovered surprising user behavior in Latin America ➡️ Why product teams must champion cultural risk ➡️ What AI can and can’t do for cultural insight Whether you're building for global markets or just trying to improve user engagement at home, this episode will reframe how you think about product strategy, organizational culture, and global design. 📌Chapters: 01:26 Meet Chui Chui Tan: Founder of Beyō Global 02:00 Meditation, travel, and daily routines 09:50 Cultural adaptation: Spotify, IKEA, Netflix 12:50 What “culture” really means in product 15:10 Why localization is not enough 19:04 Payments, trust & PIX in Brazil 22:20 M-Pesa in Kenya & ecosystem fit 25:10 Cultural risks in product development 27:19 Real case study: Spotify in Colombia 31:55 Netflix pricing backlash in Portugal 34:20 5 Stages of cultural adaptation 37:00 Can AI understand cultural nuance? 40:20 Tools & frameworks for cultural insight 43:21 The mindset shift PMs need now 45:23 How to connect with Chui Chui 🔗 Where to find Chui Chui: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuichuitan/ Website: https://beyo.global Books: https://beyo.global/books 🔗 Where to find Andre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquet/ 🎉 Mark your calendars for Productized Conference 2025! Join us for the 10th edition of this premier event where product leaders gather to share, connect, and celebrate. Get your tickets now 👉 https://www.productized.co Where to find us: Newsletter 👉 http://bit.ly/3aMvWn2 Website: https://productized.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/productized Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/productized.co/ Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/pt-BR/Productized/ 🎧 Listen now and let’s #CreateChangeTogether #ProductManagement #Localization #CulturalIntelligence #UserExperience #TechLeadership #ProductStrategy #AI #ProductizedPodcast