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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
So this is a question that I’ve been investigating for the past 3 years, and that I only have contingent answers to.
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Patrick OShaughnessy
@patrick_oshag
It is so interesting that in the west, focused technology companies have tended to dominate. "swiss army knife" is a pejorative, usually. But Sea, Tencent, etc have won being "all things to all people." Trying to figure out all the reasons why this is the case.
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Bill Stearn
@Dollar_Stearn
Replying to
@ejames_c
It's a complex set of factors, including: 1) The formation of firms (tweet below) 2) The state anointing winners + The Great Firewall
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Michael
@mmay3r
Replying to @patrick_oshag
a guy in China told me that Easterners are naturally more comfortable as part of a hierarchy. So in the west, "the center cannot hold"? Great people constantly break off and start new firms? One top dog with resources can't dominate 10 verticals, each with hungry competitors?
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Bill Stearn
@Dollar_Stearn
Replying to
@Dollar_Stearn
and
@ejames_c
3) Weaker or non-existent consumer protection laws mean consumers will overindex on incumbents w/ pre-existing brand equity & customer service so startups die before they can get any traction even if their product is better from specialization
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Cedric Chin
@ejames_c
Replying to
@Dollar_Stearn
I don't feel comfortable talking about them in public :P I will say that all 3 of the reasons you've proposed don't ring true to me, nor do many of the proposed answers in
@patrick_oshag
's original thread. Right now, the state of my research is still a bit of a mess.
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caleb byrd
@ByrdCaleb
Replying to
@ejames_c
Have you read Asian Godfathers by Joe Studwell? Would be interested in your perspective if you have. Not specifically related to technology companies but focused on conglomerates in Southeast Asia
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