Who this is
Damian Maib grew up in Cologne and was already reselling goods from Chinese importers at a Cologne warehouse to classmates and on eBay at the age of 13. After a first trip to China with his father around 2007/2008, he studied Chinese at university in Vallendar and in 2014 sold his first products on Taobao while interning at a German trading company in China. In 2017 he founded his own company: Genuine is an e-commerce and social media agency that takes international brands into China, either as an agency or as a distributor, covering everything from setting up the store and influencer marketing to logistics and customer service. With just over 100 employees in Shanghai, Genuine makes revenue in the tens of millions per year, according to Damian. Since TikTok Shop launched in Germany on 31 March 2025, the company also offers its services in Germany and Europe. Damian also co-hosts the podcast "Made in China".
Episodes
Numbers from the episode
FAQ
What does Damian think of Shein and Temu?
Damian sees Shein and Temu as cross-border models selling cheap products to a very price-sensitive audience, and says they're here to stay. But he expects Europe to change the duty-free threshold for parcels from China and thinks tariffs are fair, since China charges duties the other way round too. TikTok Shop, by contrast, focuses on local commerce and is moving more towards premium. To the episode →
Quotes
„Also China ist basically the fitness center of the world für die Firmen.““China is basically the fitness center of the world for companies.”
„Bei TikTok aber kannst du im zweiten Monat direkt 3 Millionen Euro umsetzen, wenn du willst. Es ist möglich. Auch mit einer Marke, die noch keiner kennt in China.““On TikTok, though, you can do 3 million euros right in your second month if you want. It's possible. Even with a brand nobody in China knows yet.”
„Also basically TikTok Live, TikTok Shop Live ist wie QVC auf Stereoids.““Basically, TikTok Live, TikTok Shop Live, is like QVC on steroids.”
„Ich finde, das ist jetzt momentan die wahnsinnige Opportunity für Brands oder auch für neue Marken.““I think this is a huge opportunity right now for brands, and for new brands too.”