Evolving in China

Evolve was the event the brought me to China this week and it was aptly named. 2005 was my first visit to China and every visit since then I am amazed at the energy, innovation and how no barrier is too big.

From a tech context it’s fun to look back, in 2005 I went to a tech market and brought a Flip camera – remember those? I was there training teams on PC management and meeting people that would become long life friends.

This week I watched Ruisen Zhang (innovator and leading the VMW EUC team) talk about digital, EUC in context of the local market. In store devices using AI for product placement, mobile apps, intergrading to local China apps. I walked-in on a “traditional” local company getting a briefing on transforming user experience and wanting to accelerate faster. Finally a meeting with a startup building a turn key solution around Horizon to improve education.

China for an Australian is a very different proposition and for a foreigner requires a new mind set and learnings to do business. It’s not the same as any other market and deliberately so, it’s not about selling it’s integrating, sharing, trying, failing, making, innovating and yes, evolving.

The constant here is the friends from 13 years ago and looking forward to my next visit already. For those in Hong Kong, see you at the Evolve event Friday.