Enjoy being slow: Why Chinese tech companies are embracing a slower culture

In a movie with Chinese kungfu star Jet Li, Alibaba Group co-founder and executive chairman Jack Ma defeats eight celebrity martial artists in just 20 minutes. Not only does the mini-film try to portray Jack Ma’s unbeatable position in China’s tech industry, it also references the most commonly cited similarity between the tech industry and China’s ancient martial arts: “There is no impregnable defense, only speed defines the winner”.

If you have been tracking the developments in China tech, it’s hard to ignore this trend: the life cycle of emerging industries—an initial boom followed by the multiplication of competitors and finally market consolidation—is dramatically shortened while startups are forced to move faster in a bid to stay ahead. Apart from startups, other parties involved, investors and regulators, for instance, are also forced to keep up with the shift.

Not every company, however, follows these principles. In fact, lots of entrepreneurs believe in something that’s completely the opposite. Instead of aiming for a breakneck development, they prefer a slower—but more deliberate—path.

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