๐จ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ: 5 ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ
In October 2017, just a month after getting married, my wife and I packed our bags and moved to Shanghai for a year. I wasn't a stranger to the city, having spent 18 months launching the WeWork brand in Asia, but this time was different. My wifeโs career opportunity brought us there this time, and I was all in.
Here are five lessons I learned that forever changed how I see the world:
๐ฅ 1. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐น
This might sound obvious, but itโs worth emphasising. We often assume that others, regardless of where theyโre from, will share our values or ways of thinking. That couldn't be further from the truth. Experiencing a distinct culture firsthand taught me to appreciate the beauty in these differences rather than impose my worldview.
๐ 2. ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Itโs easy to overlook, but learning the language is vital. I picked up a few phrases here and there, but in hindsight, I wish I had committed more time to it. Working with a large team of local designers, I relied heavily on visuals to communicate. Language wouldโve made the journey smoother and enriched my connections outside of work.
๐ฑ 3. ๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ
If you think contactless payments are convenient, you havenโt seen anything until youโve lived in Shanghai. Everything, from paying rent to splitting a dinner bill, was done through two apps: WeChat and Alipay. Imagine a world where Monzo, Venmo, Instagram, X, and WhatsApp are all rolled into one seamless experience. Thatโs the reality there, and it's been that way for years.
๐ฐ 4. ๐ช๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น
The presence of big Western brands in Shanghai was staggering, from Prada stores on every other corner to the sea of 'Supreme' T-shirts I saw daily. I was struck by the extremes...a rich traditional culture alongside a love for luxury brands. It was a fascinating blend of humble tradition and, at times, flashy high fashion.
๐ฅ 5. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐
Working with local designers was a highlight. Their resourcefulness and efficiency in delivering high-quality work left a lasting impression on me. We spent countless hours refining processes and optimising schedules, and their ability to rapidly iterate and innovate was nothing short of inspiring.
These are just a few lessons I learned during my time in China. The experience broadened my horizons and reshaped my understanding of the world.
Thanks for reading
