Lillian Li is the writer of Chinese Characteristics, a longform newsletter analyzing Chinese tech’s design philosophies, business strategies and product idiosyncrasies. Before returning to China in 2020, Li was a venture capital investor with Salesforce Ventures and Eight Roads Ventures investing across Europe. While in London, Li also co-founded Diversity VC, a non-profit partnership promoting diversity in venture capital. Li is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics. What follows is a lightly edited Q&A.
Lillian Li.Illustration by Kate Copeland
Q: What was it about the Chinese tech scene that really enticed you there?
A: There were a few things. Firstly, the pace of progress and the scope of ambition were very visible as someone who visited China probably about once a year; from an on-the-ground perspective, to see the pace of change, even in the mainstream, from people going from using cash to social payments to using everything t
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