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Working 1 year in China is worth 3 years in the US.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stevewtsai_working-1-year-in-china-is-worth-3-years-share-7453105175256412160-Zaie?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAACqICfIBDnVCtKiuX6gsoBWZSJ9pAt341yg

I believed that when I moved to Shanghai 15 years ago today and I still believe it today.

Everything all started with a business trip. I was sent to China back in 2010 because I was the only person on the team who was both technical and spoke Mandarin. The assignment was pretty simple. I was to set up the distribution channel, train our partners, and then fly home.

Fortunately, life had other plans for me. At that time, China's economy was on fire and everyone knew it. Decisions got made fast, sometimes without half the information you'd want, because the market moved too quickly for anyone to wait around feeling ready. In the US, there was still a 9-to-5 rhythm. Follow the process. Wait for sign-off. Move when you're sure. That would have buried you in China.

You worked until the job was done. You made calls without a complete picture. And somewhere in that pressure, you built a business instinct that you simply can't develop in a comfortable environment.

One thing became clear on that trip. Staying in the US meant learning at the US pace. Moving to China meant I'd grow faster, or I wouldn't last. So I moved. 15 years and two countries later, I have zero regrets.

The sharpest lessons of my career didn't come from a program or a classroom. They came from a market that didn't slow down for anyone.