Stephen Tseng
Most Western companies get China wrong.
The market size pulls you in.
The complexity spits you out.
Why Western B2B Companies Struggle
Here's what kills Western B2B companies in China:
- Burning cash before testing → Run small pilots first. Learn what works before betting big.
- Copy-pasting home playbooks → New York strategies don't work in Shanghai. Different market, different rules.
- Misreading digital DNA → WeChat isn't Facebook. It's a super app—messaging, payments, mini-programs, everything.
- Missing user behaviors → Chinese buyers research differently. They buy differently. They trust differently.
- Wrong value proposition → Local pain points need local solutions. What matters to your US clients doesn't matter here.
- Zero focus → Trying to serve everyone = serving no one. Pick your niche and own it.
- Chasing quick wins → China rewards patience. Think years, not quarters.
What Actually Works
Success in China takes two things:
- Patience → Build relationships. Earn trust. Play the long game.
- Fast adaptation → Test. Learn. Pivot. Repeat.
Forget shortcuts.
Lean into learning.
Winners?
They know China is a marathon.
The China Approach
Most companies fail because they treat China like any other market.
It's not.
Here's what works:
- Start small → Pilot programs over big launches
- Hire local → They understand the culture, platforms, and buyers
- Embrace WeChat → It's where business happens
- Build trust first → Relationships beat transactions every time
- Stay flexible → What worked last year might not work today
China isn't impossible.
