
(Episode in French, let us know below if you’d like an English version!)
What if you could sell your product ten times the market price — and your clients still thanked you for it?
In this episode, we meet Asafumi Yamashita, a Japanese farmer based in France who supplies vegetables to Michelin-starred chefs… on his own terms. No orders, no negotiations. He shows up with what he wants, when he wants, and at the price he decides. And chefs follow.
We dive into:
— How he created value in a world driven by standardization
— Why scarcity isn’t always about quantity
— What it means to reverse the offer-and-demand dynamic
— And how philosophy and pricing often go hand in hand
Interview:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:29) From Bonsai Specialist to Vegetable Farmer
(07:09) Why would a farmer limit who can buy?
(14:16) Why uniformity is the enemy of value
Debrief:
(35:13) You don’t need to compete if you redefine the game
(41:46) Storytelling & Brand Identity
(48:14) User-Centric Innovation & Jobs-to-be-Done
(01:00:06) Strategic Takeaways & Future-Proofing
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Keywords: Michelin Stars, French cuisine, chef-exclusive farming, premium vegetables, farm-to-chef, niche business model, pricing strategy, brand storytelling, blue ocean strategy, product positioning, customer obsession, perceived value, artisanal farming, Japanese vegetables, business model innovation, food supply chain, B2B agriculture, luxury produce, differentiation strategy, user-centric design, strategic narrative, value creation