The Rise of Alibaba in 10 Slides (1 of 2) (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)

Years ago, I started mapping out the evolution of Alibaba with pictures. I was having a hard time keeping all the moving parts in mind. And I was becoming more and more convinced that digital company development is path dependent. What comes next depends on what just happened. Microsoft is only capable of its current […]

Alibaba’s 11 Growth Strategies (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)

I keep an eye on the larger moves by Alibaba. Not the constant stream of announcements and endless initiatives but the larger strategic moves that I think will change the trajectory of the company. This usually means talking with management when I can and following the investor days. A couple of years ago, Maggie Wu […]

Expedia’s Painful Lessons in Money Wars and Other China Tactics. Plus Morgan Stanley.

Expedia’s experience in China is a cautionary tale for any foreign company entering the market. The company made a number of mistakes, including failing to adapt to Chinese culture and underestimating the competition. However, there are also some lessons to be learned from Morgan Stanley, which has been successful in China.

Uber’s China Adventure Has 4 Lessons for Tesla (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)

Uber China’s exit from the market has lessons for Tesla and Silicon Valley.
The company failed to overcome Didi Chuxing’s first-mover advantage, adapt to China’s mobile ecosystem, and navigate government regulation.
Learn from Uber China’s mistakes and avoid making the same ones in your own business.

While Luckin Fights Starbucks, HeyTea Has Lines Out the Door in China (2 of 2)

In Part 1, I argued that Starbucks China most interesting competitor is not Luckin Coffee. It is HeyTea, an upscale Starbucks-type business focused on tea (something Chinese consumers really, really like). And to their credit, HeyTea appears to be mostly focusing not on digital innovation but on product development and continually thrilling their customers. Which […]

Forget Starbucks. The Most Interesting Coffee Retailers Are HeyTea and Luckin (1 of 2)

China / Asia is usually the most dynamic frontier for retail – and especially when it integrates with ecommerce. This is the result of a really big market and never-ending hyper-competition. It means there is always frantic innovating just to stay in the game. It’s a space I generally avoid because of the degree of […]