💡 Taiwan: Silicon Valley Vibes vs. Traditional IT

In Taiwan’s software industry (especially within the startup ecosystem), the culture and pace are heavily influenced by Silicon Valley. Calling colleagues by their English names and maintaining flat hierarchies is the norm. However, if you work in the software department of a traditional industry—such as banking IT or telecommunications—the culture remains deeply hierarchical beneath the surface.

💡 Taiwan: Code Reviews and “Saving Face”

When giving feedback during a code review, Taiwanese engineers will typically offer a compliment before pointing out an issue. Bluntly saying “this is written wrong” is often perceived as rude or not giving someone “face” (面子, miànzi). Additionally, if a colleague says “let’s discuss this later” (這個我們再討論这个我们再讨论, zhège wǒmen zài tǎolùn), it is usually a polite, euphemistic rejection rather than a genuine invitation to debate.

💡 China: The Reality of “Rapid Iteration”

In China’s major tech firms (like Alibaba, Tencent, or ByteDance), the pace is notoriously extreme. The mantra of “rapid iteration” (快速迭代快速迭代, kuàisù diédài) often serves as code for normalized, high-intensity overtime. Even seemingly open corporate values—such as ByteDance’s “Context, not Control”—come with immense underlying pressure to execute and deliver results.

💡 China: The Power of Product Managers

In the Chinese tech ecosystem, Product Managers (PMs) wield significantly more power than they typically do in Taiwan. They function almost like mini-bosses, and engineers are generally expected to show a much higher degree of compliance and obedience to a PM’s product requirements and directives.

💡 China: Tech Jargon and “Aligning”

Chinese tech giants have their own distinct corporate speak. A prime example is the heavy use of the word “align” (對齊对齐, duìqí). Meetings begin with “aligning on goals” and move on to “aligning on schedules.” It is a highly ritualistic form of communication that often leaves outsiders and foreign engineers thoroughly confused.