An AI founder friend in Beijing shared an observation with me: this constant disruption means major US companies never know when their position might be threatened. As a result, top executives maintain humility, personally engaging with emerging trends. When small startups build impressive products, industry leaders will directly message unknown founders: “Can I get an invite code?” Silicon Valley titans regularly reach out to small companies asking to try their products.
In China, disruption alone isn’t enough—you need government support, cutthroat competition, and overwhelming resource deployment. H: Exactly. Despite decades of reform, China retains strong planning instincts. People believe you need systematic approaches, targeting industry leaders to achieve success. But Silicon Valley doesn’t operate this way—that’s the fundamental misunderstanding.
Afra: Among top talent you’ve encountered, which types does China lack? I think figures like Demis Hassabis, who span philosophy, neuroscience, AI, game design, and entrepreneurship, are extraordinarily rare, and hard to systematically cultivate within any single country’s institutions, not to mention in China domestically. China’s tech understanding is overly utilitarian. The prevailing mindset treats entrepreneurship as “making everyone rich,” reflecting fundamental thinking limitations.
Afra: Why do you think North American arrows converge so rapidly, forming such a combined force? H: Partly because America’s industrial history is mature—habits are established. “Open source,” for instance, requires education in China but exists like air, water, sunlight in America.
