HBS classmate's take: 'Americans do business, but the Chinese do survival'

nijfranck · x · 2026-09-15

The author recounts what a Chinese PhD classmate said at Harvard Business School's Launching New Ventures course: "Americans do business, but the Chinese do survival." The point: while US founders obsess over pre-launch details, Chinese founders pounce on any opportunity anywhere in the world, driven by intense domestic competition. He argues this survival instinct explains Chinese founders' edge over Indians globally, who respond by innovating locally, and notes the same dynamic hitting local traders in Lagos.

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