再次回顧一下我們年初團隊參訪日本東京及福岡的心得分享。 這周來到了 #Okinawa 和不同國家城市的加速器或投資者交流到國際團隊如何進入日本及中國市場，很多的觀點其實都可以在這篇文章呼應到。

再次感謝 #PicALife Ariel Chiang 超棒的分享。

人生總會有幾件事的發生，可以讓你跳脫既有的眼光，更看清楚自己的狀態，打開天花板看到更高的可能。這趟由iiiNNO Taiwan領隊，和海內外新創團隊一起前往日本東京福岡的參訪行程，就是其中之一。
The trip led by @iiiNNO Taiwan to visit Japan startup ecosystem with Taiwan and Hong Kong startups is an intensive one that packed with all kinds of inspirations, challenges, and opportunities that challenged my status quo, allowing me to see myself with more clarity and inspiring me to build the characters my team and I need.

「你的特殊優勢是什麼？」在整趟旅行中，不管是在東京Slush展場上，或是在福岡的會議中，這是最常被問以及拿來問別人的一題。我覺得其實每個人、團隊、公司、甚至國家，都很值得思考「你的特殊優勢是什麼？」

特殊優勢（unfair advantage)的定義是：一種短時間難以輕易被複製或獲取的優勢。所以可以被學習的技能、被替換的資源，不一定是能讓恆久的優勢。反之，一個不斷創新的團隊文化、真正在乎並專注在你要解決的問題上的使命感、以及你可以吸引更多人加入你的行列成為支持網絡，這些可能才會是你的核心優勢。
但為什麼是這三個？因為這是這趟旅行感受最鮮明的三個～
Q: What's your unfair advantage?
This is the most frequently asked question throughout the trip, whether it be in the Slush exhibition or in Fukuoka. I was thinking about some hard skills at first like industrial expertise, patent, etc, but by definition: it is something that can't easily be copied and bought, so the hard skills that can be learned may not really fit the definition.
Instead, it may be the innovative mind, authenticity in caring what you're doing, and the supporting network you’re be able to build, among others. These three were the top three I observed during trip.

1.不斷創新的心智
首先在Slush Tokyo國際創業展裡，就充滿著渴慕新知與創新的心智。不僅止於創業者，一般大型企業也不小覷創業新星的創新能量，在跨領域的交流中尋找持續內部創新的啟發。整個策展也由學生義工籌劃執行，他們讓自己可以接觸新創核心，不偏食地吸收各種新知。而我們也透過不斷的交流，探索海外市場的各種可能性。
“不斷創新自己的腦袋，才有空間裝下未來”

The innovative mind.
At Slush Tokyo, you really could feel the huger for knowledge and innovation from the crowd. It’s not just limited to the entrepreneurs but also from the establish, big companies like Panasonic, we met its employees looking for inspiration to innovate the exiting in-car service, and students coming purely for the knowledge & innovative minds outside of their classroom, and myself also got to learn more about Japanese consumer markets through conversations. Keep renovating yourself so you will have room for innovation and the uncertain future.

2.專注在想解決的問題上的使命感與決心
日本對未來創新的決心可以從他們為了新創設立的福岡市新創生態圈窺知一二。
不止於一句旗幟上的標語，日本動用了一整個市府的資源去全力的支持與建構新創生態圈，從政府官員到民間單位，每一個參與在其中的人似乎都為自己能扮演推動全國新創未來的角色而競競業業。
市府人員在我們出發前已做足功課，不僅回答我們自己提出的問題，還站在每個團隊的角度去思考可能需要的資訊來做預備，在回台後也不落拍地回應新提出的問題。
福岡市長更特別排出時間與我們碰面，坐下來認真傾聽每個團隊的介紹。整個市府從事前的預備、當下的用心傾聽、到會後的照顧，完全可以感受到他們對海外創業者的用心，以及一個國家對於扶植新創產業的決心。

2. The determination to do the right things right
As of Japan, its eagerness for an innovative future for the country also revealed in their determination to build a startup ecosystem in Fukuoka.
Fukuoka startup city becomes the fastest growing startup hub since it was designated as the national strategic zone to make it an entrepreneur-friendly city. Everyone involved in this mission, whether they are officials or private parties, all devoted themselves wholeheartedly to push the city forward.

In our visit to Fukuoka city hall, the officers were so well prepared to welcome us and even thought ahead what each team might need and took our questions like theirs.

Moreover, the city mayor even took time to meet with us and listened carefully to each teams’ introductions. It was their respectful attitude for the foreign startups and the determination to do the right things right that really moved and inspired me.

3.可以吸引更多人加入你的行列成為支持網絡
#一個人走的快，一群人走得遠
為了打造新創生態圈，市府也結合民間單位如Startup cafe，提供國內外創業者一站式的服務，來連結他們所需的資源以及進入日本市場的協助，且不限於新創產業。這次@iiiNNO也與市府、福岡市スタートアップカフェ -Startup cafe Fukuoka city-, 明星和樂合辦一場讓台灣新創團隊pitch, 讓我們有一個和當地更深度交流的寶貴機會。

另外我們也拜訪了StartupGoGo-連結新創與企業的關鍵橋樑。新創和企業的合作比起一般異業合作多了更多變數，其中如果有經驗與專業的中間人來引薦催化，更有機會加速帶動整個產業鏈結。這次拜訪他們還抽出假日的時間來與我們會面，都讓我深感日本對海外新創的友好～
3. The supporting network
There’s an old saying that if you wanna go fast, go alone. If you wanna go far, go together. A sustainable startup ecosystem requires the joint forces from the government and the privates. Fukuoka startup city has closed relationship with Startup cafe, an one-stop facility to help startups and new businesses alike with the right resources. This visit they collaborated with iiiNNO Taiwan, Fukuoka startup city, 明星和樂 to arrange an valuable pitching event for us to share ideas and network with the locals. Surprisingly, they didn’t really have cafe at the site, but do have great bar and beer ;)

We also got to visit StartupGoGo, an important connector between the enterprises and the startups, which help smooth their partnerships and accelerate the industrial growth. This visit they even spent the precious weekend time to meet with us and provided helpful insights for us to know more about the Japanese market. Really appreciate their friend ness and kindness to all of us.

在用那之後，我就常想：我自己、我們團隊、我的國家，「你那難以被取代的競爭優勢又是什麼呢？」
其實這趟旅程會讓人像被X光照過一般，把所有平常沒被察覺的優缺點都被顯影出來。對我而言是一趟既痛苦又過癮的經驗，痛苦的是明白自己還有很多生命或性格裡的問題需要對付，過癮的是發現自己還有很多可以被雕塑延展的空間。

幸好這趟旅行有極包容我的創業好夥伴Bo Ray Kong,以及常常指導我們，啟發我看到領袖新高度的ORII團隊Kevin Johan Wong Emile Chan最溫暖的旅店團隊Taipei Sunny Hostel 台北天晴旅店 Lichun Tseng, Vincent Lin, 楊欽堯積極熱心的團隊凝聚者Wendy Liu, 充滿健康自信的Applato Chieh-yen Chen, 創業大前輩INSTO Taiwan Bruce Chen還有促成這一切的強大iiiNNO團隊David Kuo 陳樂樂 (Aileen Chen). 這趟旅行好寶貴的是團隊彼此間的化學效應已經凝聚合一的心，在回國後也延續這樣的情誼彼此支持。

總結這次旅程的學習跟啟發後，我現在覺得我們Pic a Life 繪本 X 生活的競爭優勢應該會是：

1.以使用者的心為心：不會停止創新滿足客戶的團隊文化
2.真心希望協助父母用愛和閱讀，陪伴孩子快樂長大的使命感
3.幸運地可以擁有一群愛我們的客戶與各界的夥伴們：在我們還不完美時就願意支持我們，一起用創新的閱讀體驗來推動親子共讀為要給予孩子最美好的禮物：生存力與愛人的能力。

那你的競爭優勢是什麼呢？

After these visits, this same question has been lingering in my mind, what are the unfair advantages of myself, my team, and my country?
Honestly, sometimes I felt like being x-rayed throughout the trip, all the unseen pros and cons of myself and my team were all revealed. It was a tough but exiting experience to me. The hard part was to realize that there were so many problems yet to be conquered, while the exciting part was to unlock the potential.
Luckily, I have a very tolerant cofounder Bo Ray kung, the coolest mentor Orii cofounders that show me what a good leader could be like, the most heartwarming team Taipei Sunny Hostel, the most proactive, passionate, and humble lady @wendy Liu, the healthy and confident Applato cofounder, the most experienced fintech startup insto, and the amazing iiiNNO team that make this amazing trip happened. One of the best thing in the trip were the friendship and teamwork the teams developed and can extend back to Taiwan.

With all these valuable supports and the lessons learned, now I think the answer for my startup Pic a Life 繪本 X 親子 would be as follows.

The unfair advantages of Pic a Life:
1. An innovative and user-centered team: always think for kids, make for families.
2. Our authentic interest and compelling belief in assisting the parents to raise a happy kid with fun reading and love.
3. Have a group of customers and partners and supporters that love us and are willing to join our moment in creating a new way of reading experience to make parent-kids reading together so easy that kids can build the ability to live and to love one another.

So, what are your unfair advantages?

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