Robert Wu, CEO of alternative data company Big One Lab, co-editor of the China-focused Baiguan newsletter and Op-Ed contributor to the New York Times, joins the Schelling Point for a debrief on what he saw during his investor tour in Hangzhou, China.
His tour ranges from live-streaming e-commerce studios in empty malls to industrial robot dogs patrolling factories. He also explores AI models built for ecommerce business, not buzz. Discover why family offices from Asia, Europe and Mexico are now boarding the tour buses to quietly visit China. Learn how the country’s venture capital landscape has been completely transformed after 2025.
Key topics covered:
✅ On-The-Ground Reality: From $5 fast-food feasts to live-streaming malls—experiences you won’t get from a tour organized by Goldman Sachs.
✅ Investment Mindset Flip: Why global portfolios are moving from “zero to 5-15%” allocation in China.
✅ The New VC Model: How “kingmaker” VCs and government capital are funding the next wave of hard-tech.
✅ Controversial Takes: Is Tesla Optimus just hype? Is DeepSeek or Anthropic the lab that most AI researchers in China follow?
02:08 – Meet Robert
03:24 – What does it take to write an Op-Ed for the New York Times?
05:08 – Why Are Investors Flocking Back to China?
11:50 – $5 Chinese Fast Food That Impressed Italians
13:15 – Brands for the “New Chinese Consumer”
15:08 – The Hotel That Makes 40% Revenue Selling Mattresses
19:09 – Inside a Ghost Live Stream Mall
23:30 – Qwen’s Advantage: Getting rid of “AI Garbage”
28:07 – How China Captured 95% of a Global Gaming Genre?
34:00 – Meet the Robot Dogs that Are Already Working Inside Chinese Factories.
39:00 – Tesla Optimus: “More Hype Than Substance”?
40:53 – Which AI model do AI researchers in China really look up to?
45:37 – Why Chinese Equities Went From “Uninvestable” to “Must-Invest”?
48:00 – Government as “Kingmaker”
55:09 – What’s Next? Industrial Tours to the “Median China”
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Robert Wu, CEO of alternative data company Big One Lab, co-editor of the China-focused Baiguan newsletter and Op-Ed contributor to the New York Times, joins the Schelling Point for a debrief on what he saw during his investor tour in Hangzhou, China.