Your next competitor or customer?

Hi, and happy Thursday.

Please join us for our next masterclass:

In 2017, something unusual happened at Prescouter.

A client didn’t pay an invoice.

This is unusual for us, because we work almost exclusively with multibillion-dollar companies. 

Non-payment is unusual among this group.

So what happened?

This client - a major technology company - had filed for bankruptcy.

While the official line was of a financial crisis from “major project cost overruns”, you can’t help but notice that some of those major projects were in China.

And, allegedly, that Chinese military hackers stole proprietary technical designs and sensitive business information from the company - enough to give Chinese competitors a competitive advantage.

And that same competitive story that manufacturers have faced is now emerging for AI - from open source models to low cost humanoid robots 

But you can’t ignore China.

So, how do you engage with China without putting your competitive advantage at risk?

Apple illustrates one approach: deep integration.

Rather than simply buying inexpensive manufacturing, Apple developed extensive relationships with suppliers in China and invested in the capabilities of its supplier workforce, including technical education and advanced manufacturing skills. 

The strategic trade-off was that the capabilities developed built a stronger supplier ecosystem for competitors too.

At the other end is protection: using tariffs to defend domestic industries against practices governments consider unfair.

But most business leaders cannot replicate Apple’s scale. Nor can they set national trade policy.

They still have to decide which companies to work with, which technologies to watch, and where their next customers might be.

The starting point is knowing who is doing what in China  - and understanding what it means for your company.

At Prescouter, we have been helping clients answer these questions through actual work: identifying potential customers, finding suppliers, and getting better visibility into competitors.

This Tuesday, we’re holding a webinar to share what we’ve learned.

Our team will explore how business  leaders can:

• Identify suppliers: Find relevant companies and assess whether they are credible partners.

• Track competitors: Get visibility into technologies and businesses that could change your market.

• Find customers: Understand where there may be demand for your capabilities and what reaching those customers involves.

As a bonus: Everyone who attends will receive our China playbook, bringing together key lessons from our real world projects, i.e. it's not just a high-level overview.

Tuesday, October 20th 2026

1PM Eastern / 12 PM Central / 10AM Pacific / 7pm CET

Best,

Dino