Chinnovation

Innovation in China is among the most discussed topics in international business today but well understood by few. Even fewer are those Chinese entrepreneurs who have innovated successfully and profitably. You hear about the successes, but what is the real story behind them? How do these entrepreneurs innovate on their ideas and turn them into commercially viable ventures? What is the expertise required to translate ideas into world-class companies? What are the most important changes to the people and processes required to be successful in China?

The new book by Tan Yinglan, “Chinnovation: How Chinese Innovators are Changing the World,” (ISBN: 978-0-470-82796-3; John Wiley & Sons) provides a primer on what some of China’s best innovative business leaders have in common and showcases examples for China in its transition from “Made in China” to “Innovated in China.”

From high-profile young executives taking companies public to mainland entrepreneurs who are redefining the norms of daily activity, this book traces the humble beginnings of entrepreneurial innovation and the backstories of some now well-established consumer goods firms from Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution through the self-made Internet era to the Middle Kingdom’s rapid growth. Within these pages, you will learn: 

• What is the path that an innovative Chinese private-owned enterprise take? 
• What are the capabilities that these innovative companies acquire?
• How do these companies experiment with innovative approaches and also manage the risk of innovation?
• How do blue-chip innovators remix business models successfully in China?
• How they harness the necessary resources and navigate around legal restrictions?
• How do they attract, train and retain talent?
• What are the lessons learnt and how would these entrepreneurial innovators advise others who are embarking on the same journey?

“Chinnovation takes readers into this world of translating ideas into globally competitive companies,” said the author. For those who want to innovate like the best, this book distills key points from real-life innovation experiences, revealing the unique strategies, the implementation mechanisms, and the measurements the best innovators use. It discusses some of the best and worst experiences, the pitfalls inevitably encountered when risks are taken, and the ways individuals can use the lessons they’ve learned.

Tim Draper, Founder and Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and an investor in Baidu, has this to say about Chinnovation: “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 thoughtleading. It is amazing what free trade, free markets and a light-touch government can unleash in a society.”

China's rapid economic growth has made it a crucial market but multinational corporations are now competing with China's own homegrown businesses. Chinnovation uncovers the common threads amongst Chinese entrepreneurs as they reach into a wider 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.

Check out the author’s website at: http://www.chinnovate.com