App Zaihang offers expert knowledge

Ji Xiaohua, founder of Beijing-based Zaihang. [Photo/VCG]

Previously, there was no model of sharing economy in China. Ji said he had no idea how to provide on-demand consultation services to netizens who still hide behind computer screens to chat on online forums.

"The rise of the sharing economy in China since 2014 has laid a solid foundation for us to introduce the service as more people are used to hiring rides in private vehicles, paying for purchases online and enjoying online-to-offline services. This kind of trust for strangers is the premise of our business," said Ji.

As an innovative model of the sharing economy, Zaihang's first 100 experts were all acquaintances of the company's employees. "Now with the growth of our business, applicants are pouring in, wanting to register as experts on our platform," he said.

To ensure users can truly benefit from the paid sessions, Zaihang has set a high bar with only 15 percent of the applicants passing the evaluation process. "No matter what you do, the key is you must prove that you are really on top of your game," said Ji.

Zhuge Siyuan, one of the most popular experts on Zaihang, is a top-notch expert in "finding and getting acquainted with whoever you want to know"－a one-hour one-on-one course at 588 yuan.

As a co-founder of venture capital and financial advisor firm Jiazhi Touzi, she has made some records in getting the contacts of 30,000 science and engineering professors at the top 50 universities in China in 15 days or flying to an island in New York state to successfully tracking down the retired Robert Rubin, who served as the treasury secretary during the Clinton administration.

"You cannot count on making big money on Zaihang. It is more of the feeling of achievement that makes me do this and you also get to know some really high quality people from a diverse background," she said, adding she meets about 100 students a month, from the children of well-known entrepreneurs to firefighters and interns at some Internet companies.

According to Zaihang, the company has seen its business gain stronger momentum this year with an average of 600 daily orders since Spring Festival.

For Ji, the commercialization of Zaihang has not been brought onto the agenda. "The top priority this year is to make Zaihang a comprehensive platform with an even more abundant pool of experts from what kind of industries you want to find," he said.

For now, Zaihang has already expanded its expert portfolio from Internet-related topics at the beginning to life and leisure, career planning, education, style and psychological consultation. But this is far from enough for the ambitious Ji.