Whit's China Business Blog

Training to Climb an Everest of Digital Data

I saw this fascinating article on Monday in the NYT.  It points to the simply mind-boggling crush of information available to us.  When I was a senior in college, less than 15 years ago, you actually did research with books.  I can remember driving 2 hours to UVA to do research in their library, spending $20 or more on photocopies.  Today I manage a global sales force without ever leaving town.

Robert A. Heinlein wrote, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.  Specialization is for insects.”

I generally agree with Heinlein, but how ultimately do you succeed in the ocean of data without some level of specialization?  The world today is so astoundingly complex that you require experts to help you navigate.  PassageMaker is indeed such a specialist.  China is a virtual sea of humanity, it’s industrial centers so vast they take hours to drive across.  How are you to find your way through this mess without a guide?

Mike Bellamy started PassageMaker to help foreign companies succeed in China.  Give us a call and find out how we can be of assistance.