I've worked in startups across China and the US for 20 years. The American playbook is easier to follow. Charles Yang has only worked in startups in China and in the US. Charles Yang Charles Yang spent 10 years building a startup in China before moving to the US to start again. He said that China's startup scene feels less structured than in the US. In China, government direction, cultural norms, and community-first values shape how startups are built. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Charles Yang, the founder and CEO of Vibe, a US-based AI workspace startup. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. I started my first company with my friend after finishing my third year at Zhejiang University. I still remember the morning in January 2006. We went to the bank, and my father gave me about $5,000. My friends and I used that sum to start our own gaming company.…