Insights from Japan and beyond, exploring the crossroads of startups, venture capital, real estate, and economic trends.https://www.yulishein.com/https://www.yulishein.com/post/why-korean-startups-keep-failing-in-japan-and-why-it-s-usually-not-the-product/https://www.yulishein.com/post/why-korean-startups-keep-failing-in-japan-and-why-it-s-usually-not-the-product/Korean startups with strong products and funding struggle in Japan due to execution challenges rather than technology issues.Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/social-media-in-japan-how-it-differs-from-the-west/https://www.yulishein.com/post/social-media-in-japan-how-it-differs-from-the-west/Japan's social media landscape differs significantly from Western markets, with LINE, X, and YouTube central while LinkedIn has minimal impact.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/the-2026-startup-rankings-just-dropped-the-most-shocking-story-asia-is-not-capturing-enough-of-the/https://www.yulishein.com/post/the-2026-startup-rankings-just-dropped-the-most-shocking-story-asia-is-not-capturing-enough-of-the/Analysis of the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026: the startup economy is recovering with AI generating value, but Asia is not capturing enough.Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/why-andreessen-horowitz-chose-tokyo-for-its-first-overseas-office-and-what-it-means-for-founders-acr/https://www.yulishein.com/post/why-andreessen-horowitz-chose-tokyo-for-its-first-overseas-office-and-what-it-means-for-founders-acr/a16z opened its first international office in Tokyo, signaling Tokyo's growing importance.Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/cross-border-fundraising-what-apac-founders-need-to-know-about-raising-from-global-vcs/https://www.yulishein.com/post/cross-border-fundraising-what-apac-founders-need-to-know-about-raising-from-global-vcs/Founders outside Silicon Valley face distinct fundraising challenges when approaching global investors.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/cold-outreach-vs-warm-introductions-what-actually-gets-vc-attention/https://www.yulishein.com/post/cold-outreach-vs-warm-introductions-what-actually-gets-vc-attention/How investors discover startups: cold outreach vs warm introductions.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/why-most-founders-fail-at-cold-outreach-before-they-even-send-the-first-message/https://www.yulishein.com/post/why-most-founders-fail-at-cold-outreach-before-they-even-send-the-first-message/Founders fail at cold outreach due to preparation issues that precede messaging.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/what-venture-institute-is-really-like-behind-the-scenes-and-how-to-prepare-if-you-want-to-break-into/https://www.yulishein.com/post/what-venture-institute-is-really-like-behind-the-scenes-and-how-to-prepare-if-you-want-to-break-into/First-hand account of Venture Institute Cohort 6.Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/how-startups-enter-japan-3-proven-paths/https://www.yulishein.com/post/how-startups-enter-japan-3-proven-paths/Successful Japan-entry patterns from dozens of market entries.Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/cold-outreach-that-actually-works-lessons-from-arzoo-of-treeo-vc/https://www.yulishein.com/post/cold-outreach-that-actually-works-lessons-from-arzoo-of-treeo-vc/Cold outreach strategies for emerging fund managers, insights from Treeo VC's Arzoo and Sarah Lacy.Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/are-all-ai-wrappers-bad-businesses/https://www.yulishein.com/post/are-all-ai-wrappers-bad-businesses/AI wrapper businesses built on LLM APIs and their structural weaknesses.Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/going-global-from-japan-the-funding-gap-the-glass-ceiling-and-the-allocator-question/https://www.yulishein.com/post/going-global-from-japan-the-funding-gap-the-glass-ceiling-and-the-allocator-question/Japanese startups expanding globally; JIC research on structural funding challenges.Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/what-the-boj-s-0-75-hike-really-means-for-home-loans-in-2026-and-how-to-prepare/https://www.yulishein.com/post/what-the-boj-s-0-75-hike-really-means-for-home-loans-in-2026-and-how-to-prepare/BOJ's Dec 19, 2025 rate increase to 0.75% and implications for homeowners.Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/is-japan-really-anti-immigration-the-truth-behind-the-headlines/https://www.yulishein.com/post/is-japan-really-anti-immigration-the-truth-behind-the-headlines/Challenges media portrayals of Japan as xenophobic.Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/japan-s-startup-visa-just-changed-dramatically-what-every-entrepreneur-must-know-in-2026/https://www.yulishein.com/post/japan-s-startup-visa-just-changed-dramatically-what-every-entrepreneur-must-know-in-2026/October 2025 changes to Japan's startup visa requirements.Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/series-a-is-f-ed-today-but-late-stage-is-on-fire/https://www.yulishein.com/post/series-a-is-f-ed-today-but-late-stage-is-on-fire/2025 VC dynamics: early-stage squeezed, late-stage AI on fire.Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/trump-s-tariff-impact-on-japan-what-it-means-for-the-economy-yen-and-everyday-life/https://www.yulishein.com/post/trump-s-tariff-impact-on-japan-what-it-means-for-the-economy-yen-and-everyday-life/U.S. tariff implications for Japan's industries, stock market, currency, daily life.Thu, 08 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/invisible-vacant-apartments-japan-s-new-urban-akiya-problem/https://www.yulishein.com/post/invisible-vacant-apartments-japan-s-new-urban-akiya-problem/Unoccupied urban condos distorting Tokyo's real estate market.Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/9-million-seniors-in-greater-tokyo-the-inheritance-wave-that-could-reshape-japan-s-real-estate-mark/https://www.yulishein.com/post/9-million-seniors-in-greater-tokyo-the-inheritance-wave-that-could-reshape-japan-s-real-estate-mark/9M seniors in Greater Tokyo, 9M vacant homes nationwide; generational real estate shifts.Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/travelling-during-pandemic-here-s-what-you-need-to-know-before-you-travel/https://www.yulishein.com/post/travelling-during-pandemic-here-s-what-you-need-to-know-before-you-travel/Pandemic-era travel guide.Mon, 27 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/are-21st-century-humans-hackable/https://www.yulishein.com/post/are-21st-century-humans-hackable/Reflections on decision making in the algorithm age, inspired by Yuval Noah Harari's Homo Deus: with enough biometric data and computing power, algorithms can know us better than we know ourselves and manipulate our daily decisions.Tue, 08 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.yulishein.com/post/one-in-millions-journey-my-biography/https://www.yulishein.com/post/one-in-millions-journey-my-biography/Yu Li Shein's bilingual (English/Burmese) autobiography, tracing her journey from a small island in southern Myanmar through Yangon, Computer University, and her first job to an international career in India, Japan, and the United States.Tue, 25 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT