Better, Simpler Strategy

8

Tipping Points

For the past decade, I have served as faculty chair of the Senior Executive Program for China, a flagship HBS program for Chinese managers. In this role I visit China often, and I am used to seeing dramatic changes from one visit to the next. Nevertheless, a recent experience in Shanghai left me dumbfounded. I love dumplings—who doesn’t?—and I make it a point to find restaurants that specialize in this delicacy. On this trip, I found just my kind of spot not too far from Hongqiao train station: a few tables, rickety chairs, and the most delicious dumplings in this part of the universe. At the end of the meal, I handed the cashier my credit card. She shook her head and said the restaurant did not accept cards. I should have known, ...