You've got to love their name: "Innovation Works".
Innovation works, but genius steals.
good coders code, great reuse
Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
21–30 of 102 posts
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#22Many Russian internet businesses (can't call most of them startups) copy parts of interface, ideas or business models from American [ex]startups.
They never seem to copy the whole experience as a whole, as it seems to be with Chinese ones - but useful bits here and there.
On the other hand, when they don't copy they are accused of that anyway because for some reason Russians value precedence in tech highly.
In all the world the problem seems to boil down to: If there is a business model that works and the niche is vacant in their market, why innovate?
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#23While this example is a little extreme in its similarity with the original, copying a startup idea and implementing it in another market than an English speaking is not just done in China. Here's an article about a bunch of european startups doing the same: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-do-ebay-facebook-and-gro...
its clever because not every us startup works without localisation everywhere. ebay/groupon and to a certain degree facebook need localization and if they arent able to get this fast clones will appear and people will flock to these clones because the idea is great but the us company is incapable/unwilling to cater to different markets than the us fast enough. it seems as if other markets are only an afterthought.
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#24Tumblr will have the last laugh here. There's practically no market for tasteful online advertising or paid software in China. So, while he might rack-up users it will be hard to monetize this.
Not really, since Tumblr doesn't have any ads either. Come to think of it, besides selling premium themes, how else does Tumblr make money? Surely all the trust-fund hipsters on the site don't bring in wheelbarrows of money with their ironic 1-gear eco-bikes, do they?
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#25MS Windows 'borrowed' alot from Mac's UI, and nowadays most smart phones are copying iPhone's concepts. I feel the hidden interest in this thread is more on Chinese/China bashing rather than intellectual property.
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#26I'm not against stealing ideas and methods from other companies, internalising them then IMPROVE upon them. That's part of innovation. But blatant copying?! Even the UI?! C'mon Kai-fu, I'm sure Innovation Work can do better than that. The whole purpose of Innovation Work (which is itself a copy of YC, for those of you who don't know) is to spur entrepreneurialism in the region, but all I see is setting up a very bad…
I'm disappointed with what Kai-Fu Lee is doing; I guess I expect more from him.
Disappointment aside, though, this strategy works. Take something that works, and apply to the China market. Why reinvent the wheel? But I'd argue that they should do a better job with "copying" -- you don't really want to invite criticism for no gain, unless the blatantness of copying is part of the strategy (to show investors that they literally and successfully cut-and-paste working startup businesses, like an assembly line).
Hmm, now that I think about it, perhaps that's the whole point.
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#27MS Windows 'borrowed' alot from Mac's UI, and nowadays most smart phones are copying iPhone's concepts. I feel the hidden interest in this thread is more on Chinese/China bashing rather than intellectual property.
Did Windows clone the Mac UI right down to the color and pixel and then replace the Apple logo? I think the bashing here is well-deserved, above and outside the discussion of whether China has a demonstrated economy of copying (it does).
Also, there's a special place in hell for people who can't just come out and call a clone a clone.
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#28Tumblr will have the last laugh here. There's practically no market for tasteful online advertising or paid software in China. So, while he might rack-up users it will be hard to monetize this.
Not really, since Tumblr doesn't have any ads either. Come to think of it, besides selling premium themes, how else does Tumblr make money? Surely all the trust-fund hipsters on the site don't bring in wheelbarrows of money with their ironic 1-gear eco-bikes, do they?
You were downvoted for adding a snidey remark to a decent question. Next time just ask the question. Since I'm curious as well, how does Tumblr make money besides themes? Does anyone know their monetization strategy?
Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#29Re: Former Google VP Kai-Fu Lee Got a Nickname, Start-Copy Lee
#30Tumblr will have the last laugh here. There's practically no market for tasteful online advertising or paid software in China. So, while he might rack-up users it will be hard to monetize this.
Tencent is the second largest Internet company in the world, and it monetizes primarily through virtual goods, including blog themes. Chinese users don't buy software, but they do pay for online services.