Shanghai Today
American entrepreneur transforms recipe-based shopping and cooking with AI tech - July 30, 2024
美国企业家利用人工智能技术改变基于食谱的购物和烹饪方式
When Cadence Hardenbergh moved to Shanghai, she wanted to do something with food. She and a co-founder set up a platform, SideChef, that has been used by many millions of people around the world as an all-in-one home cooking platform.
Cadence Hardenbergh co-founded a platform, SideChef, that has been used by many millions of people around the world as an all-in-one home cooking platform.
Before we talk about SideChef — would you please introduce yourself?
I'm American and I've lived in China for the last 13 years. I grew up outside of Boston. I did my undergrad degree at Williams College studying International Relations, Chinese language, and minored in Leadership Studies and Middle Eastern studies. So basically, I was interested in the world!
I attended grad school at Johns Hopkins SAIS, at the campus in Nanjing. I was studying international relations, and my coursework, books, papers, etc. were all in Chinese. I live in Shanghai with my husband Alex, who used to have a restaurant here in Shanghai (Baoism, for any longtime Shanghai folks!), but closed it seven years ago to focus on wine. He is a winemaker, and planted a vineyard called Miao Lu 淼庐 in Yunnan eight years ago. We have a 3-year-old son who is such a joy.
Why, after living in Shanghai for a few years, did you decide to strike out on your own to build up a business?
I moved to Shanghai wanting to do something with food. Growing up, no one in my family loved to cook -- I thought people who made their own salad dressing were crazy overachievers. In college I started to read the OG food blogs, and seeing step-by-step photos of the cooking process made me think, I can do that! And then once I started cooking I got hooked. But I had really needed a resource to get over that initial intimidation, something to give me confidence. As I learned more, I saw how our food system is fundamental. It informs how we live, connect with others, how our society is and isn't equitable, education, healthcare, and natural resources. I wanted to give people the experience that I had and teach them the basics to feel confident and empowered in the kitchen. After you get over that hump, you are unstoppable.
I met my co-founder Kevin Yu, who was already working with a few engineers out of his apartment on a step-by-step cooking app. He's from California with a background in the video game industry, and I loved the approach of taking the learnings from video games. Specifically, how to welcome and engage people in a digital experience. How do we make cooking a shiny, fun experience instead of a chore you are "supposed" to do? I saw what Kevin was doing and believed in it. Our platform, SideChef, has touched many millions of people around the world as an all-in-one home cooking platform.
SideChef partners with the world's largest retailers, publishers, home-hubs, consumer brands, and kitchen appliance companies including LG, Electrolux, Nestle, Bacardi, Walmart, Amazon, and Marks and Spencer and more to offer home cooks a seamless cooking journey, enabling digital and AI powered meal planning, grocery delivery, and smart kitchen connectivity.
Hardenbergh showcases SideChef's step-by-step cooking app in 2015.
What makes Shanghai's business environment so remarkable?
China is a huge market, so global companies want in, and Chinese companies are looking to connect with the world. You are right in the heart of the action in Shanghai, it's so dynamic and has world-class talent. Our team of 35 is made up of folks from 13 countries. Plus, Chinese consumer tech is so advanced, it's a great place to be thinking, designing, and building future tech experiences.
The SideChef team enjoys an annual offsite meeting in April 2024.
What were you trying to bring to the local community?
The cool thing about software is we can be global right from the start. When we launched the SideChef app, we were in the top 10 most downloaded apps in 91 countries. Without a physical product to manage the logistics of, global distribution is easy. That said, we started an event called Shanghai's Largest Potluck Ever about 10 years ago. We had our first one on a Monday night in a nightclub on Xiangyang Road, and over 200 people turned up bringing homemade food to share. We had sponsors donate prizes and raised money for charity, it was awesome. We have now had nine potlucks in all sorts of cool venues, it's a really fun way to gather the local community.
SideChef team holds a marketing event with Taobao in Guizhou Province, cooking a 10-course Western meal for this 92-year-old's birthday party. It was part of the Rural Taobao 农村淘宝campaign to promote ordering things online in rural areas. One can buy a box with all the ingredients to make this 10-course meal.
What are the biggest challenges setting up a business here? How do you stay motivated?
I love the line — "In China, and Shanghai in particular, everything is possible but everything is mafan." I feel like that captures things really well. Sometimes small things take a lot of effort, but if you have an idea you can basically always make it happen.
What was the moment that made you most proud?
About two weeks before my co-founder was supposed to pitch at a big tech pitch conference in New York City, he got another speaking opportunity and was double booked. He turned to me and said, I need you to fly to New York and pitch SideChef, and I know you can do this. We pre-applied with hundreds of others and were selected as 75 startups to do a live pitch at the event. In the first round there were about 10 companies. I was nervous but focused on being calm and confident and made it to the next round.
Then the final round was in a huge room with about 500 people on stage. There were 11 finalists including two women. I again focused on being calm and confident, knowing just pitching would get us great contacts. One guy literally lit a piece of paper on fire during his pitch, there were some fun dramatic moments. In the end, the judges announced the top three pitches, and I came in first place with SideChef. It really gave me confidence. This is the big leagues, and I was able to communicate our vision and mission in a way that resonated.
Hardenbergh speaks at a food tradeshow in Shanghai.
What are you working on?
This year we have developed three new products leveraging the rapid advances of Gen AI. One of our use cases is you take a picture of a dish and it will create a complete step-by-step recipe for you, including instructional images. We can even make that dish vegan, vegetarian, healthier, etc. for you. And with our tech, that recipe is shoppable, offers nutrition etc. When we tested this nine months ago, the results did not meet our standard, but now they are really good. It's exciting.
Who is a female-role model who inspires you?
So many! I've always admired Michelle Obama and I loved reading her memoir "Becoming." I'm grateful for the details she shared about balancing her career and motherhood. Reshma Saujani is amazing — she started Girls Who Code, ran for office (and lost!), and now has started a new org called Moms First advocating for policies that will push the economy forward by supporting working women. I love how she builds community to change our society from several angles, policy, education, and business.
Locally, Michelle Garnout who started M on the Bund had a vision and just went for it, grabbed an opportunity only she could see and created something amazing. Wendy Saunders, the fabulous and talented architect/co-owner of AIM, she shows me how to create a big life, and not to wait until you have every little thing worked out. I've heard Liz Bao who is building her second company FurReal speak and I think the way she approaches business and growth is so logical and smart. I could really go on, there are so many inspiring women in our community!
Do you have any advice for women entrepreneurs?
On the nitty-gritty business side, make sure to map out your cashflow and your sales/customer acquisition channels as you think about starting and growing your business. How will people discover your product/service? What will you do if it takes longer than you think to make your first sales?
Otherwise, my biggest piece of advice is to find a community, people who are facing similar challenges that you can be honest with, otherwise it can be a lonely ride! I feel lucky to be a part of the IPWS community in Shanghai, and last year joined the Shanghai chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), which has been an amazing place of learning, growth and support. I've also had the opportunity to go to India for an EO conference which was amazing. If you are an entrepreneur in Shanghai I highly encourage you to check it out!
Source: Shanghai Daily
Cadence Hardenbergh co-founded a platform, SideChef, that has been used by many millions of people around the world as an all-in-one home cooking platform.
Before we talk about SideChef — would you please introduce yourself?
I'm American and I've lived in China for the last 13 years. I grew up outside of Boston. I did my undergrad degree at Williams College studying International Relations, Chinese language, and minored in Leadership Studies and Middle Eastern studies. So basically, I was interested in the world!
I attended grad school at Johns Hopkins SAIS, at the campus in Nanjing. I was studying international relations, and my coursework, books, papers, etc. were all in Chinese. I live in Shanghai with my husband Alex, who used to have a restaurant here in Shanghai (Baoism, for any longtime Shanghai folks!), but closed it seven years ago to focus on wine. He is a winemaker, and planted a vineyard called Miao Lu 淼庐 in Yunnan eight years ago. We have a 3-year-old son who is such a joy.
Why, after living in Shanghai for a few years, did you decide to strike out on your own to build up a business?
I moved to Shanghai wanting to do something with food. Growing up, no one in my family loved to cook -- I thought people who made their own salad dressing were crazy overachievers. In college I started to read the OG food blogs, and seeing step-by-step photos of the cooking process made me think, I can do that! And then once I started cooking I got hooked. But I had really needed a resource to get over that initial intimidation, something to give me confidence. As I learned more, I saw how our food system is fundamental. It informs how we live, connect with others, how our society is and isn't equitable, education, healthcare, and natural resources. I wanted to give people the experience that I had and teach them the basics to feel confident and empowered in the kitchen. After you get over that hump, you are unstoppable.
I met my co-founder Kevin Yu, who was already working with a few engineers out of his apartment on a step-by-step cooking app. He's from California with a background in the video game industry, and I loved the approach of taking the learnings from video games. Specifically, how to welcome and engage people in a digital experience. How do we make cooking a shiny, fun experience instead of a chore you are "supposed" to do? I saw what Kevin was doing and believed in it. Our platform, SideChef, has touched many millions of people around the world as an all-in-one home cooking platform.
SideChef partners with the world's largest retailers, publishers, home-hubs, consumer brands, and kitchen appliance companies including LG, Electrolux, Nestle, Bacardi, Walmart, Amazon, and Marks and Spencer and more to offer home cooks a seamless cooking journey, enabling digital and AI powered meal planning, grocery delivery, and smart kitchen connectivity.
Hardenbergh showcases SideChef's step-by-step cooking app in 2015.
What makes Shanghai's business environment so remarkable?
China is a huge market, so global companies want in, and Chinese companies are looking to connect with the world. You are right in the heart of the action in Shanghai, it's so dynamic and has world-class talent. Our team of 35 is made up of folks from 13 countries. Plus, Chinese consumer tech is so advanced, it's a great place to be thinking, designing, and building future tech experiences.
The SideChef team enjoys an annual offsite meeting in April 2024.
What were you trying to bring to the local community?
The cool thing about software is we can be global right from the start. When we launched the SideChef app, we were in the top 10 most downloaded apps in 91 countries. Without a physical product to manage the logistics of, global distribution is easy. That said, we started an event called Shanghai's Largest Potluck Ever about 10 years ago. We had our first one on a Monday night in a nightclub on Xiangyang Road, and over 200 people turned up bringing homemade food to share. We had sponsors donate prizes and raised money for charity, it was awesome. We have now had nine potlucks in all sorts of cool venues, it's a really fun way to gather the local community.
SideChef team holds a marketing event with Taobao in Guizhou Province, cooking a 10-course Western meal for this 92-year-old's birthday party. It was part of the Rural Taobao 农村淘宝campaign to promote ordering things online in rural areas. One can buy a box with all the ingredients to make this 10-course meal.
What are the biggest challenges setting up a business here? How do you stay motivated?
I love the line — "In China, and Shanghai in particular, everything is possible but everything is mafan." I feel like that captures things really well. Sometimes small things take a lot of effort, but if you have an idea you can basically always make it happen.
What was the moment that made you most proud?
About two weeks before my co-founder was supposed to pitch at a big tech pitch conference in New York City, he got another speaking opportunity and was double booked. He turned to me and said, I need you to fly to New York and pitch SideChef, and I know you can do this. We pre-applied with hundreds of others and were selected as 75 startups to do a live pitch at the event. In the first round there were about 10 companies. I was nervous but focused on being calm and confident and made it to the next round.
Then the final round was in a huge room with about 500 people on stage. There were 11 finalists including two women. I again focused on being calm and confident, knowing just pitching would get us great contacts. One guy literally lit a piece of paper on fire during his pitch, there were some fun dramatic moments. In the end, the judges announced the top three pitches, and I came in first place with SideChef. It really gave me confidence. This is the big leagues, and I was able to communicate our vision and mission in a way that resonated.
Hardenbergh speaks at a food tradeshow in Shanghai.
What are you working on?
This year we have developed three new products leveraging the rapid advances of Gen AI. One of our use cases is you take a picture of a dish and it will create a complete step-by-step recipe for you, including instructional images. We can even make that dish vegan, vegetarian, healthier, etc. for you. And with our tech, that recipe is shoppable, offers nutrition etc. When we tested this nine months ago, the results did not meet our standard, but now they are really good. It's exciting.
Who is a female-role model who inspires you?
So many! I've always admired Michelle Obama and I loved reading her memoir "Becoming." I'm grateful for the details she shared about balancing her career and motherhood. Reshma Saujani is amazing — she started Girls Who Code, ran for office (and lost!), and now has started a new org called Moms First advocating for policies that will push the economy forward by supporting working women. I love how she builds community to change our society from several angles, policy, education, and business.
Locally, Michelle Garnout who started M on the Bund had a vision and just went for it, grabbed an opportunity only she could see and created something amazing. Wendy Saunders, the fabulous and talented architect/co-owner of AIM, she shows me how to create a big life, and not to wait until you have every little thing worked out. I've heard Liz Bao who is building her second company FurReal speak and I think the way she approaches business and growth is so logical and smart. I could really go on, there are so many inspiring women in our community!
Do you have any advice for women entrepreneurs?
On the nitty-gritty business side, make sure to map out your cashflow and your sales/customer acquisition channels as you think about starting and growing your business. How will people discover your product/service? What will you do if it takes longer than you think to make your first sales?
Otherwise, my biggest piece of advice is to find a community, people who are facing similar challenges that you can be honest with, otherwise it can be a lonely ride! I feel lucky to be a part of the IPWS community in Shanghai, and last year joined the Shanghai chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), which has been an amazing place of learning, growth and support. I've also had the opportunity to go to India for an EO conference which was amazing. If you are an entrepreneur in Shanghai I highly encourage you to check it out!
Source: Shanghai Daily
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