What do you know about Chinese tech companies?

(Photo credit @konkarampelas)

I was on vacation last week and ended up having an accidental but much appreciated digital detox. I went camping and surprisingly, there wasn’t very good cell service (and definitely no wifi). So I was forced to spend my days hiking with the dog, swimming, and reading good novels. I’m committing to myself to take one day a week for the rest of the summer to do the same thing - amazing how much more relaxed I am and how much easier it is to focus my attention. (Though apparently, I am still unsure of what day it is!) One of the things I didn’t miss was social media (mostly) as I continue to observe how much control I don’t have over what appears in my feeds. I ran across this report which highlights China Internet trends for 2020, and thought I’d expand on a few topics here. 

---

#techtopic

China has been a market that many US-founded tech companies want to break into (hello, 1.4billion users) but have continued to fail over and over again. (Great infographic depicting many of these U-turns, along with a full list of blocked tech companies here.) In the absence of many of these tech companies we in the US hear about daily, China has a robust ecosystem of home-grown tech companies that have seen huge success. Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent are the big three -- but Bytedance has been in the news a lot recently as the company that developed the super popular social media app TikTok. 

One huge difference between the US companies and the Chinese companies is their engagement with the government. While next week, the CEOs of 4 of the largest tech companies are testifying in front of Congress about antitrust regulations -- in general, they operate completely independently of government control. In China, there is arguably much more control exerted by their government on tech companies. The extent of that control concerns the US government (and more recently the UK), which has banned Huawei from providing 5G equipment due to fears of Chinese spying on the network. The US Senate moved one step closer to implementing a ban on having TikTok devices on government devices due to concerns of data sharing with the Chinese government. These bans have led to different company responses: the mega-list of actions Huawei has taken, while Bytedance is rumored to be considering a TikTok spinoff to ensure it keeps its US user base. 

---

#video

I know it’s actually an ad for Apple - but it’s just so well-done that I had to share. Go Underdogs!

---

Want a Career in Tech but aren’t sure where to start? Take a look at MY COURSE, ‘TECH SEARCH COMPASS’ FOR STEP-BY-STEP SUPPORT

How to get ahead in an interview

(Photo credit @charlesdeluvio)

You’d be surprised at how many candidates don’t take the time to do the following — and how much value each of these items will provide in any interview situation.

1. When looking to work at any tech company, understand how they make money. 

   • Learn what their business model is, even if at a high level. Here are 53 of them to check out! 

   • For startups: many funders have changed how lenient they are with companies that burn cash for a long period of time without generating revenue, so be aware of how long the runway is for newer startups. Great article on this: How To Vet A Venture-Funded Startup

   • For larger companies: aim to find a role within the money-making part of the company FIRST. Then, once you’ve had success there, it’ll be easier to pivot into another part of the company. 

2. If you’re selected to interview, fill out this template to help you understand how the company works & makes money. 

   • Business Model Canvas template

3. Use that information to answer interview questions with more depth and to ask insightful questions about the company’s growth/stability. 

   • This will help you with interviews for *any* type of role at a tech company and will put you miles ahead of most other interviewees who didn’t take the time.

4. Prepare for the variety of ways that you will be interviewing in your job search.

   • Phone Interview Tips From a Career Expert That'll Get You to Round Two

   • How to Succeed in a Virtual Interview

   • Consider using 1-2 post-it notes as strategic reminders. Maybe you always forget to give results in your PAR answer? Write down the PAR framework on a post-it (Project Action Result) to help you. Just don’t have too many post-its - or you’ll look at them and not your interviewer!

5. When preparing for interviews in tech, one technique that requires a lot of preparation is “disagreeing tactfully with your interviewer.” 

   • This HBR article does a great job of describing 4 steps for how to effectively employ this interview technique: do your homework; give yourself space to think; ask permission to speak candidly, and trust your instincts. 

   • Use this technique because you operate well in a company culture that appreciates discussion & debate. (The best part of the CareerLeader assessment is the MyCultureMatch section. In this sample pdf result, check out pages 13-16 to see the 4 main types of company cultures and see which one(s) align best with your preferences.) 

---

Want personalized interview tips and career guidance? Take a look at my Career Strategy Session options.

Learning About AI, Bias and Humane Design

(Photo credit @photoshobby)

As individuals and companies are navigating how to respond to the robots taking over the world, it’s useful to know that according to a study of 8,370 employees, managers and HR leaders across 10 countries, 64% of people would trust a robot over their manager. “New technologies, according to respondents, will help them master new skills (36%), gain more free time (36%), and expand their current role so that it’s more strategic (28%).” While most of you are not going to bring physical robots to your workplaces anytime soon, the study shows that introducing other AI tools at your workplace might not be as hard as you thought...and that managers still have a looong way to go to earn the trust of their employees.

1. Do some reading to understand at a base level what is artificial intelligence, and how it is possible for it to be biased.

• What is Artificial Intelligence? How Does AI Work?

• We Teach A.I. Systems Everything, Including Our Biases

2. Look to see what your leaders know about AI, whether or not you work at a tech company, as all companies use AI these days. If you are a leader, ask yourself if you know enough about the tech to know what changes should be made.

• What Do We Do About the Biases in AI?

• Dealing With Bias in Artificial Intelligence

3. When you are designing products or working with those who do, ensure they are following humane design frameworks/principles.

• The Center for Humane Technology has a set of tech principles and a Design Guide among other resources.

• Kat Holmes of MisMatch Design has a book, podcast, workshops & other resources to help improve inclusive design. 

4. Look for the groups doing work in AI & diversity

• Black in AI and AI for All are two to start with.

Amazon’s approach to building robot/human trust? Develop a weird Valentine’s video.

---

WANT TO LEARN ABOUT TECH BUT NOT SURE WHERE TO START? SUBSCRIBE HERE TO GET A FREE INSTANT DOWNLOAD ‘3 STEPS TO LEARN ABOUT TECH’