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One oft-repeated startup mantra is that "execution > ideas"; I think that's further evidence for the thesis that we should copy more - ideas are not protectable and easily copied, whereas execution is almost by definition not.

I do feel that copying exposes one of the more fundamental differences between Western and Eastern culture; in the latter it feels like success is celebrated for its own sake, so the path to getting there matters less. Put another way, I might say that Western culture is process-oriented while Eastern is results-oriented? Curious if others agree.

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Lol

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So true that the west views copying as an affront, yet nearly everything we use day to day is an amalgamation of copying on top of copying. In some ways, China tech is more honest about this, but the question then becomes on what vectors are companies actually competing on?

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'Could be that China-focused VCs prefer to commit type II errors over type I errors.'

Li, can you expand on what the above statement means with an example. I am curious to understand this in contrast to US VCs. Excellent article :)

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I appreciate your combination of ideas here, though I see you've avoided the IP discussion - probably wise. Still, I'm curious about your perspective.

From my way of thinking, IP protection in the U.S. is probably a necessary condition to incentive innovation given American individualism and the strength of law, the unfortunate consequence being a highly litigious culture (music IP cases are especially wild). I feel that strongly enforced IP laws in Vietnam or China, though, would dampen innovation, provide the wrong incentives, and allow the haves to dominate the have-nots to an even greater extent.

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