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Why there aren't many innovators in China

joezhou.posterous.com

1–10 of 29 posts

Re: Why there aren't many innovators in China

#3
The reason I think - China is choked for capital. Yes, there is money, but not a lot. Unless you are doing are doing a government contract (i.e. building infrastructure) or are in real estate, you don't get much capital. Interest rates are artificially low, but only if you can get a loan - i.e. you look very very safe. Why bother investing in business, when you can borrow at a low rate and invest it in houses?

Chinese businessmen look rich. Some of them do have a lot of money, but most are just richer than the average Chinese worker. And because the poor Chinese workers are poor, they can't bootstrap their way up so easily.

Re: Why there aren't many innovators in China

#4
Sorry, can't read the article, blocked here(China). There is plenty of money here, especially if you've got a good idea and whats needed, no shortage.

But China in general doesn't do different or new or innovative. They do better at the same thing, where better usually means cheaper, but not always. If they can't compete in that way, then they just try to get the government to crush any non-Chinese competition.

Re: Why there aren't many innovators in China

#6

Sorry, can't read the article, blocked here(China). There is plenty of money here, especially if you've got a good idea and whats needed, no shortage. But China in general doesn't do different or new or innovative. They do better at the same thing, where better usually means cheaper, but not always. If they can't compete in that way, then they just try to get the government to crush any non-Chinese competition.

I'd like to know if Posterous itself is blocked in China or just the blog page?

Re: Why there aren't many innovators in China

#7

Sorry, can't read the article, blocked here(China). There is plenty of money here, especially if you've got a good idea and whats needed, no shortage. But China in general doesn't do different or new or innovative. They do better at the same thing, where better usually means cheaper, but not always. If they can't compete in that way, then they just try to get the government to crush any non-Chinese competition.

I'd like to know if Posterous itself is blocked in China or just the blog page?

Posterous. I had to use VPN to post. Seriously

Re: Why there aren't many innovators in China

#8
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to know if Posterous itself is blocked in China or just the blog page?

Posterous. I had to use VPN to post. Seriously

Trying to run a web startup on a censored internet is like trying to build a skyscraper on a foundation which magically disappears.

Re: Why there aren't many innovators in China

#9
I'm a Chinese Malaysian and pretty familiar with Chinese culture and their ways. For those of you who might be skeptical, I think this article quite accurate.

I've tried hard to think of recent Chinese tech inventions that are truly new, and not a ripoff of a popular existing product, and could never come up with any, until just recently. I bought one of these "Air Fly Mouse" http://www.airflymouse.com/ and it works as advertised! Here's to more innovation coming from China.

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