Just some quick impressions.
1. If you want to compete with your web service and keep copying from happening, do two things: 1. let users upload streaming, live, video. That drives the censors here nuts. 2. Make your system totally open so your users can leave. The Chinese don’t understand that concept. They love cloning walled garden approaches like Facebook. Even that won’t guarantee success here, they have resources for cloning services that you just wouldn’t believe.
2. If you could make face masks sexy you could make a mint here. The pollution is horrendous. Last time I was here, 11 years ago, it was bad, but now it’s worse and people are starting to wear masks to protect their lungs. I think a good marketing campaign would be all you’d need.
3. American brands are doing very well here. There are tons of Buicks here (GM started with Buick because that was a brand that was in the national consciousness here. There are tons of American brands here from Osh-Kosh to McDonalds to Budweiser (they think it’s better beer than their own beer).
4. I met with quite a few geeks here building companies. It was very rare to find an entrepreneur that had been in Shanghai for more than six years. The amount of new people moving in to build businesses is amazing.
5. The censorship here is an annoyance that everyone makes fun of. It’s sort of like having a boss that randomly turns off websites to try to keep you working on what he wants you to work on. But, when you dig deeper you see it really is a protectionist scheme that keeps businesses from outside China from effectively competing. There are several Facebook clones here that are more popular (and more profitable, even) than Facebook itself.
6. I’ll never complain again about California drivers or California smog laws.
7. Chicken feet are more tasty than one might expect.
More to come soon.
just 1 point: I’ve lived in China over 20years, never seen ppl wear masks to protect their lungs, that’s totally exaggerated. You’ll lose your money if you sell masks here
just 1 point: I’ve lived in China over 20years, never seen ppl wear masks to protect their lungs, that’s totally exaggerated. You’ll lose your money if you sell masks here
Chicken feet, tasty? Chewy, maybe, satisfying, perhaps, but I’m not sure they taste like… anything…
I live in rural China, so most of the rest of your points aren’t the same here (low pollution, the American brands are mostly Oreos and Pepsi, not cars or beer, ec.). But I’ve traveled around other parts of China to know what you mean! (Especially about the driving… scary.)
Chicken feet, tasty? Chewy, maybe, satisfying, perhaps, but I’m not sure they taste like… anything…
I live in rural China, so most of the rest of your points aren’t the same here (low pollution, the American brands are mostly Oreos and Pepsi, not cars or beer, ec.). But I’ve traveled around other parts of China to know what you mean! (Especially about the driving… scary.)
Hi,
All that pollution it’s not good. China has now a great economical power and if they suffer I think we all will feel it.
Thank you
Hi,
All that pollution it’s not good. China has now a great economical power and if they suffer I think we all will feel it.
Thank you
I think People fail to realize that the protectionist censorship philosophy has been rampant in China since China was first open to the west in the early 19th Century as a form of protection from invasion.
Thus the counter if to succeed would also have to philosophically have at its core the task of protecting China from perceived invasion..yes we all hate Xenophobia but in CHina its looke don as a Countries other military..
I think People fail to realize that the protectionist censorship philosophy has been rampant in China since China was first open to the west in the early 19th Century as a form of protection from invasion.
Thus the counter if to succeed would also have to philosophically have at its core the task of protecting China from perceived invasion..yes we all hate Xenophobia but in CHina its looke don as a Countries other military..
> 7. Chicken feet are more tasty than one might expect.
This made me laugh
On the other hand, one already has pretty low expectations to begin with when it comes to chicken feet!
Have you tried the fried bugs yet?
> 7. Chicken feet are more tasty than one might expect.
This made me laugh
On the other hand, one already has pretty low expectations to begin with when it comes to chicken feet!
Have you tried the fried bugs yet?
What are the Facebook clones that are doing well?
What are the Facebook clones that are doing well?
did you make any video of the interior design of the Shenzhen book center?
Would be great to share it, thanks.
did you make any video of the interior design of the Shenzhen book center?
Would be great to share it, thanks.
That’s cool. Nice perception.
That’s cool. Nice perception.
Nice post. But chicken feet! Eyuk. I have a habit of browsing blogs and having my dinner. I’m glad I was done with dinner before reading this post
Nice post. But chicken feet! Eyuk. I have a habit of browsing blogs and having my dinner. I’m glad I was done with dinner before reading this post
Hi,
well Budvar is a Czech pilsner and a fairly good beer and Budweiser is a brown liquid that s marketed in the US as a beer but can be easily avoided if you for a real beer from a microbrewery.
Have fun
Martin
Hi,
well Budvar is a Czech pilsner and a fairly good beer and Budweiser is a brown liquid that s marketed in the US as a beer but can be easily avoided if you for a real beer from a microbrewery.
Have fun
Martin
[...] am releasing this version now because I am hoping to get the attention Robert Scoble, Shel Israel and the rest of the gang on the China 2.0 tour sponsored by Edelman [...]
How were the chicken feet prepared? Fried? Anything tastes good fried.
How were the chicken feet prepared? Fried? Anything tastes good fried.
Ahh, chicken feet. I stayed with family friends once when I was a kid and they served chicken feet. I refused to eat that night.
Years later, as a joke, my parents cooked up some chicken feet and put them in front of me. It was a good joke, but I still didn’t eat them.
Ahh, chicken feet. I stayed with family friends once when I was a kid and they served chicken feet. I refused to eat that night.
Years later, as a joke, my parents cooked up some chicken feet and put them in front of me. It was a good joke, but I still didn’t eat them.
hey – thanks for visiting us at our Web2Asia office, it was a cool session with local entrepreneurs!
hey – thanks for visiting us at our Web2Asia office, it was a cool session with local entrepreneurs!
[...] & investors. Check out Robert Scobles Kyte recordings here, a blog post about his learnings here, some pics from Christine here and our Web2Asia Flickr set here. by [...]
Great! Everone have something to learn from this.
Thanks for writing such a fabulous article
Great! Everone have something to learn from this.
Thanks for writing such a fabulous article
Robert, did you get to see the cover bands in China? They’re amazing (in Singapore too). Everyone wants to be a music star. When I was there in earlier this year , I had serious talks with entrepreneurs about creating a “self publishing” business for these guys. It’s hard to borrow the exact models of US-based music collaboration and publishing startups, but with mild modifications it can definitely be a huge opportunity.
Best,
Ravit
Robert, did you get to see the cover bands in China? They’re amazing (in Singapore too). Everyone wants to be a music star. When I was there in earlier this year , I had serious talks with entrepreneurs about creating a “self publishing” business for these guys. It’s hard to borrow the exact models of US-based music collaboration and publishing startups, but with mild modifications it can definitely be a huge opportunity.
Best,
Ravit
[...] muy real entre nuestras perspectivas sobre la ertad y las suyas. Esto se ha puesto de relieve por Rort scoble durante su visita a China y Paul Glazowski conersó n poco acerca de ello durante el fin de [...]
[...] Now Public) or someone who’s recently travelled to China with an eye towards business like Robert Scoble and/or Mike Butcher or others from the China 2.0 Tour like Dutchproblogger Ernst-Jan [...]