How did Shopee – a small e-commerce player launched in 2015 – overtake its historic rival Lazada in just a few years to average 281 million visits a month and become the most valuable company in South East Asia in 2021? CEO Forrest Li followed a bold two-sided digital marketing strategy that won over sellers (B2B) and users (B2C).

This case describes a young start-up facing China's bubbling e-business environment.