Friday, October 18, 2019
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Silver Lining For China On Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Endgame Scenarios
The Chinese currency is nowhere close to full convertibility. And so Shenzen can not replace Hong Kong for China. Hong Kong has been and will continue to be indispensable to the Chinese mainland. More than 60% of Foreign Direct Investment that goes into China goes through Hong Kong, and that figure is a low point.
But Hong Kong is not the "Silicon Valley" of hardware. That is Shenzen.
Something is cooking up in the Hong Kong Bay Area that is really interesting from the tech and innovation viewpoint. Shenzen is number one for hardware in the world, and there is this thing called the Internet Of Things hanging on the horizon. There are also robotics and drones: physical things.
Hong Kong is not being destroyed. Hong Kong is being rejuvenated. That is how I look at the current protests.
The quickest way to end the protests is for Xi Jinping to say, okay, you can have a directly elected Chief Executive. It beats me as to why he will not do that.
A successful conclusion to the Hong Kong protests will not end one country, two systems and will take free speech in Hong Kong to a whole new level. And there will be much innovation as a result.
The Hong Kong Bay Area reminds me of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Also, South China Sea would be a great place where to build the ocean cities of tomorrow. Don't build on Mars. Build in the South China Sea. It has six key components: gravity, water, air, food, capital and demand.
Tonight you will dream of a Christmas tree. Inside the Christmas tree is a tomato. Inside the tomato is what you are looking for.
— Magic Realism Bot (@MagicRealismBot) October 16, 2019
Silver Lining For China On Hong Kong https://t.co/XWyCJBZyYQ @demosisto @joshuawongcf @nathanlawkc @maryhui @kinlinglo @sumlokkei @rachel_cheung1 @lokinhei @HKDemocrats @WilsonLeungWS @HongKongPLG@jasonyng @BillyOYLi @cng1238 @Fight4HongKong @tedcruz @JohnDrogin @SpeakerPelosi
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
Silicon Valley And Dubai
To: The Crown Prince Of Dubai
Elon Musk's Giant Blind Spot: Human Beings
Silicon Valley And Dubai
One of the keys to the success of Silicon Valley as an ecosystem, is density. Essentially one city that hosts talented entrepreneurs, talented techies, investors across all stages, early adopters and acquirers.
— Yousef M. Hammad (@Yo_Hammad) May 16, 2019
First of all, what is technically Silicon Valley (it is an actual geography ... it's a valley, I have been) is no longer where innovation is happening. The innovation is happening north of that in San Francisco, a big city where young engineers like to live. And, by now, New York is neck and neck. Because, guess what, San Fran has nothing on New York when it comes to big city living. And Dubai makes New York look like a Third World city.
But look at this Founding Father of Silicon Valley. This guy, the first Prime Minister of India, is the primary pusher behind the establishment of IITs across India. No IITs, no Silicon Valley, pure and simple. Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella look visible now, but Indians have always been the majority of the workhorses in the valley tech companies.
You also need capital. Every VC in California gets their money from the pension funds in New York. It is not like the dollar bill in California is a different color from green. Capital is capital. And Dubai has a ton of it.
Culture is big. In San Fran they have a culture where they celebrate failure. They say, fail fast. Fail better next time. But that culture can be cultivated. In other words, be tolerant.
But the truest form of tolerance is cultural diversity, the number one quality I look for in any city. And there Dubai is number one by a wide margin.
The IITs are still producing super smart graduates. But the visa regime in the US has become very unfriendly. Dubai does great there. And if there is room for improvement, it can be fixed by royal decree. I am sure.
Dubai has capital. Dubai can access the same IITs, and only better. Because Dubai is so much closer to home. People like home. Dubai's cultural diversity is the greatest symbol of tolerance there can be.
What is needed is a city inside a city. And I am going to build that. The world is big. The San Francisco Bay Area, or the Hong Kong Bay Area are not big enough for all the innovation the world needs.
And Dubai has excellent location. You have Africa and you have South Asia nearby, the next two Chinas.
To: The Crown Prince Of Dubai
No Techies In Dubai
Elon Musk's Giant Blind Spot: Human Beings
Dubai's Remarkable Economic Transformation
Hello @BECOCapital Just sent you an email with an ask for 100K @afarha @Yo_Hammad
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
Dubai is capable of that "density." Investors in places like NY have become too jaded.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
Silicon Valley And Dubai https://t.co/fsYeYPFdCg @RahulGandhi @priyankagandhi @PrashantKishor
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
@afarha I sent Beco an email. I don't have four weeks. I only have today.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
@VentureSouq Do you not have an email?
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
@MEVPcapital Just sent you an email.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
@VisionVCco Hello
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
@kaisalessa Hello
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
@Dtec_dso I'd like to come visit when I am in Dubai in a few short weeks.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) October 16, 2019
Hi Paramendra feel free to email info@venturesouq.com and one of the team members will respond. All the best
— VentureSouq (@VentureSouq) October 16, 2019