Looking to 2013

The start of a new year is exciting to everyone. Just like the beginning of a new day, a new week, its another chance. We think of the previous time, think of where we are in life, and make plans for our future year.

For me, I think back to my 5 years in China / Asia / entrepreneurship, and below I try to summarize them up below:

• 2007 – Quit Wall Street job in March, spend summer in California doing import/export + e-commerce, move to China end of the year.
• 2008 – First full year in China. Everything is so foreign, new, adventure! Learn how much it sucks to buy from Chinese factories!
• 2009 – Still in China, but move fully into SEO / internet marketing.
• 2010 – Why am I doing English internet marketing from China (GFW, inflation, language, google china leaving)? In Philippines most of the year.
• 2011 – Return to China! E-commerce / SEO / social media consulting for Chinese
• 2012 – Transition to focus on 1 business, social media in China, Weibo Agent –> Social Agent

So what is 2013? 100% China internet startup as a westerner. For so many reasons, because people say it cannot be done, because so many westerners “gave up on China”, because the West must look to the “east” for economic upside, + the world is FLAT! Also because so many Chinese entrepreneurs need to be motivated to start their own startups, I want to learn firsthand how China business works as a entrepreneur. I have heard so many sad stories about business in China as a small startup – how the big boys destroy you. So its about both sides, (1) the Western businesses in China, and (2) the Chinese entrepreneurs.

Leadership by example.