The ascent of Asia has introduced new avenues for entrepreneurship, especially China. Innovation has been a much-vaunted topic by many Asian governments; however, there is scant literature focusing on innovation in China.
Is there innovation in China? What are the examples of innovation in Chinese companies? What is the path that an innovative Chinese private-owned enterprise take? What are the experiences, capabilities that these innovative companies acquire? What is the DNA of these companies? How do these companies experiment with innovative approaches and also manage the risk of innovation? What are the lessons learnt and how would these entrepreneurial innovators advise others who are embarking on the same journey.
The book also has implications for foreign firms. China’s rapid economic growth has made it a vital market. Yet those corporations face their toughest competition not from other multinationals, but from China’s own homegrown businesses, which the book shows to be more nimble and innovative than their foreign counterparts. Chinnovation: How Chinese Innovators Are Changing The World uncovers the common threads with frameworks and probing questions as Chinese innovation and entrepreneurship expand its reach in the world. This is not a book on current best practices, but rather, it distills the truth from the myth, drawing from the journeys of innovative Chinese companies.
The author has interviewed 25 China CEOs and venture capitalists featuring the likes of Li Jiren (CEO, Neusoft), Nick Yang, (Founder, NASDAQ-listed KongZhong, Chinaren.com and Wukong.com), Neil Shen (Managing Director of Sequoia Capital China, Founder of NASDAQ-listed Ctrip), Mr Chua Kee Lock, (Managing Partner, Vertex Ventures and former President, SGX-listed Biosensors), Mr. Richard Chang, (Founder, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, China’s largest semiconductor fab), , Jane Yan, (CEO, Venusinfo Technology), Zhang Tao, (CEO, Dianping – China’s largest User-Review Website), Chaming Zhang (CEO, Ipart – One of China’s largest Web 2.0 Avatar – social networking site), Ray Cheng (CEO, E-hi, China’s innovative car-rental model), Liang Yi (CEO of Mobitex), Wu Jian Guang (CEO of Really Sports, Forbes-listed), Dr. Ta-lin Hsu, (Founder and Chairman of H&Q Asia Pacific), Mr YK Chu, (Managing Partner, Wi Harper)
Pre-order Chinnovation on Amazon, in the meantime, see some of the most popular editorial Chinnovations here.
This is what people say about the book:
Innovation in China has gone through a transformation and now rivals the Silicon Valley in its creativity, entrepreneurship, and human drive. This book hits a nerve. Chinese start-ups are rocking the world! Yinglan Tan captures a snapshot in Chinnovation that most journalists have been blind to. China is not just making cheap imitations, China is thought-leading. It is amazing what free trade, free markets, and a light-touch government can unleash in a society.
Timothy C. Draper
Founder and Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Chinnovation is a must read for anyone interested in what will surely become one of the major stories of the next few decades, as China’s innovators drive up the value curve on the fast line. No one is better placed than Yinglan Tan to provide key insights, directly useful to business people seeking to learn about the China-way of entrepreneurship.
Jonathan Story
Emeritus Professor of International Political Economy, INSEAD
Author China Uncovered
China has transformed tremendously over the last few decades and now, through innovation, its burgeoning Chinese entrepreneurial class are driving China to a whole new level. With Chinnovation, Yinglan Tan delivers to readers well-researched and timely insights on what China has to offer to the world.
Loh Hoon Sun
Managing Director, Phillip Securities Pte Ltd
Chairman, Board of Advisors, OTC Capital
The global innovation landscape is undergoing profound changes and Chinese companies are challenging the traditional innovation concept. Innovation has become a new feature of entrepreneurship in China. Whether you are planning on establishing a partnership with Chinese companies to build global innovation capability, or already a participant of the competition in China market, I highly recommend that you read this book.
Liu Jiren
Chairman and CEO, Neusoft Corporation
The eight R’s of Chinnovation, combined with the Innovation Stack framework is an amazing solution to make innovation in China better understood for corporate executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and educators. Yinglan Tan bridges the key concepts and winning techniques used by Chinese innovators and translates it into a structured process, hence, a joy to read for all stakeholders.
Martin Haemmig
Senior Advisor on Venture Capital, SPRIE, Stanford University
This is a timely and relevant book to review China’s innovation path. Over the years there has been more localization and more adoption of existing technology for implementing in China. With China assuming a greater role in the world’s economy and developing a more powerful domestic market, Chinnovation will surely emerge as a key innovation source for the world.
York Chen
President and Managing Partner, iD TechVentures Ltd.
Innovation in China is a hot topic with global implications. Companies and investors hoping to capitalize on China’s growth may have underestimated the groundswell of innovation happening today. Through his new book, Chinnovation, Yinglan Tan demystifies this topic and provides entrepreneurs, managers, and investors with important knowledge on China’s business market. A compelling read for anyone interested in China’s future and its impact on the global economy.
Jens H. Molbak
Founder and CEO, Coinstar (NASDAQ: CSTR)
Yinglan Tan’s book could not be more timely. China’s success as a factory for the world and the fundamental transformation it has had on global industries and markets, while impressive, is yesterday’s story. Yinglan introduces us to the individuals and firms who are driving tomorrow’s story of China’s emergence as a locus of innovation that will have major implications for consumers, firms, and economies around the world.
Steven White
Associate Professor, School of Economics and Management
Tsinghua University
Informative and entertaining! Brimming with brilliant analysis and actionable insights. How do Chinese entrepreneurs survive in China? They innovate like crazy, in ways that will amaze most Westerners. Hear their authentic voices as they describe the real struggles underlying monster successes like Alibaba and Tencent. This book is a wake-up call, a must-read for anyone fascinated with China!
Po Chi Wu
Adjunct Professor, School of Business and Management
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Since Schumpeter, much has been written on Innovation Economics. Given the growing role of China in the global economy, professionals worldwide, as well as entrepreneurs in China, should read Chinnovation. Based on many real-life cases, this first systematic study of innovation in China offers a broad view, often in lively detail.
You Xing
Chief China Representative, Paris Region Economic Development Agency
Convergent incomes and divergent growth between East and West is the economic story of our times. China leads this charge and is re-establishing itself as a center for global technology and innovation. I love the way Chinnovation draws on the war stories of Chinese entrepreneurs and investors to dispel the myths and proffer practical advice to the next generation of high growth multinationals.
Daniel Heaf
Director of Digital, BBC Worldwide
A great book to shed light on what kind of innovation thrives in China and what makes it work. I highly recommend this book to entrepreneurs who wish to capture Chinese markets. Yinglan Tan has done a remarkable job in analyzing the reasons behind the successes and failures of these new Chinese companies. All are invaluable lessons for the newcomers.
Jennifer Pan
Managing Director, ChinaSense, Inc.
Chinnovation is definitely an exciting read. It shows readers how China’s economic growth has been fuelled by hard working and innovative entrepreneurs, and not just because of government-led policies. Chinnovation proves that the transition from “Made in China” to “Innovated in China” is indeed a reality.
Ikkei Matsuda
President and CEO, Hokkaido Venture Capital, Inc.
Yinglan Tan offers a fresh and unconventional look at innovation and entrepreneurship in the world’s second largest economy. Chinnovation is an insightful project that removes the myths and secrecy to present the true picture of Chinese entrepreneurs and how innovation is driving the country in the 21st century. A must read for all interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, and China.
Irina Anghel
Secretary General
South Eastern Europe Private Equity and Venture Capital Association
As the crucial innovation battleground for high growth businesses of the future, China is both alluring and intimidating, with rapidly changing market conditions and regulatory landscape, intense competition, and unique rules of engagement. Against this backdrop, Chinnovation provides a refreshing, modern Art of War treatise on the Tao of creating successful innovation in China.
Ku Kay Mok
Partner, Gobi Partners
The book brings to life the most intelligent and promising young entrepreneurs in China, demonstrate how local entrepreneurs can succeed with local insights and local executions to address local needs. Yinglan Tan presents a whole new angle to look at innovation in China and how China and the world might benefit from these “chinnovations” and “chinnovators”.
Zhao Hanxi
Director, CITIC Capital
As China progresses through another rapid evolution and transformation of its industries, we see a rapidly growing field of Chinese entrepreneurs that can propel China to possibly top the global tables in creativity and innovation. Chinnovation reveals to readers the truth behind these Chinese start-ups and their journey through innovation. This is a must-read for would-be entrepreneurs and seasoned business leaders alike.
Patrick Lee
Executive Chairman, Sing Lun Holdings Limited
Yinglan Tan takes us on a journey through extraordinary stories of entrepreneurship in China. An easy read, it is sure to make you feel like you have lived and breathed the air of opportunity that China represents today, far beyond the statistics seen in popular press and analyst briefings. You get the unique privilege of getting into the minds of the entrepreneurs, seeing their rapid ingenuous actions and you find yourself celebrating their stupendous results. A must read!
Rajen Makhijani
Management Consultant, Heidrick and Struggles and Award Nominated Bollywood Screenwriter
