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I think a lot of those things can be turned to your advantage. If Chinese laws favor weaker IP protection, start a company that does legal arbitrage between th
by garply 17y ago
I think a lot of those things can be turned to your advantage. If Chinese laws favor weaker IP protection, start a company that does legal arbitrage between the US and China (e.g. Megavideo - which is based in Hong Kong). Weak rule of law and lots of bureaucrats? Spend time building relations and you'll probably pay fewer legal fees than you would in the US. Do you risk having your stuff stolen by employees? Yes, but talent is generally less expensive. I think the challenges are different, but there are probably advantages in China as well.
- megaduck 17y agoWhen I talk about theft, it's bigger than the occasional missing laptop. It's more like coming into your office at night to find a bunch of guys armed with tire irons loading your whole office into a truck. Or perhaps you'll just come to work one day and find yourself locked out and the business "under new management". That's more common. I strongly recommend aspiring China entrepreneurs read "Mr. China" by Tim Clissold. It's about one of the first major investment funds in China, and the problems they encountered. It's pretty mind blowing, and not atypical.
- garply 17y agoI've personally had these types of problems while living in China - I'm sure, as a foreigner, I just scream "sucker" - but in my mind a lot of these problems become less severe if you've developed good relationships with local residents. Are you in Beijing? If so, I'd love to meet up some time and hear specifics about these experiences.