This gray relationship between companies and entrepreneurs is just one manifestation of a much broader cultural gap between the East and the West. The West has a “broadcast” view of IP and ownership: good ideas and innovation are credited to a clearly specified set of authors or inventors, and society pays them a royalty for their initiative and good works. China has a “network” view of IP and ownership: one attains the far-reaching sight necessary to create good ideas and innovations by standing on the shoulders of others, and people trade these ideas as favors.

We’ve forgotten that in an age before machines, “craft” was the only way anything of any quality was built. It turns out, however, that traditional craft still matters, because CAD tools haven’t brought about the ability to simulate our mistakes before we make them.