Why startup in Taiwan?

It was ten months ago when I flew across the world to learn to code and start a new adventure. I landed in China and stayed there for a few days before jumping over to Hong Kong, and then Taiwan. My plan was to give these places a few days and then decide where I was going to stay in for the next little while.

My experience in China was pretty cool. China was the first country I visited in a long time, and my sense of travel bliss was on fire. Everything from the food to the people really amazed me, and China’s story was great to learn about.

Then I flew to Hong Kong, and stayed there for a few days as well. It was very different compared to my experience in China. It was clear what Hong Kong was doing, and it was so cool to see a country so different from China, even though it was surrounded by China on all sides.

Then I flew to Taiwan.

I was instantly blown away. After landing in Taoyuan, I quickly came to realize how different it was here. The Taiwanese people would see me and quickly come over to show off their English skills and ask if I needed help. It must have happened three or four times before I got on the bus from the airport to Taipei. Even the taxi driver made sure I knew which floor the bus terminal was on. I immediately felt like I was home. The bus ride to the city was filled with breathtaking mountain views, farm patches and religious temples. I couldn’t look away.

The rest is history.

What really blew me away about Taiwan is the attention to the environment. Taiwan’s urban development is freaking sexy. Large trees scape the middle of busy streets, Bike Share is used by almost everyone, and Taiwan’s waste management system is one of the best in the world. The list goes on. Trust me.

But what about startups? 

Taiwan is filled with talented people – engineers, designers, marketers, advertisers, social media experts and commerce heads. But what is missing, is founders, entrepreneurs, innovators and so on.

What you have to hear me out on is that Taiwan isn’t literally missing these people, they are just already taken. By the big guys (Hon Hai, Taiwan Semi-conductor, Fubon, Quanta , Cathay), and these Taiwanese people mostly share the same mentality – safety. Go to school, finish school, go to work. Participating in a startup isn’t something most do, because it is risky. These values run back to family and society.

“Times are a changing”

Taiwan is now equipped with so many resources, you might as well just drop your computer right now and get a one way ticket.

The true question to ask, is why not Taiwan.

Taiwan still has a long way to go.