What Big Companies Do Not Want to Do: TapPay and the Opportunity for Small Businesses

Originally published 2022-08-28Robin’s commentary plus another person’s perspective (quoted source unidentified; as of August 2022)

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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2022-08-28. Translated 2026-10-30 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

Robin offers a recent example: TapPay, which PChome had just acquired, according to the post; acquisition details are not given. TapPay began with work that large companies considered low-margin and labor-intensive. Over time, it became a gateway to online checkout, transforming its value. The accompanying text argues that many activities do not suit large companies because they are unprofitable and thankless. But declining to do them creates opportunities for smaller companies, which can displace the incumbents once they grow.

Key points

TapPay began with work that large companies considered low-margin.
Over time, it became an online checkout gateway, changing its value.
Work that big companies decline creates opportunities for smaller ones.
Smaller companies may displace large ones once they grow.

One clear path continues into the distance among several branching routes, suggesting choice and focus. — Entrepreneurship & strategyThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

A recent example I heard about is TapPay, which PChome has just acquired. TapPay also began with work that large companies considered low-margin and labor-intensive. But as it kept at it, it became a gateway page for online checkout, and its value was no longer remotely the same. ---- Many things are not a good fit for large companies because there is no profit in them and they are labor-intensive and thankless. But if you do not want to do them, you give smaller companies an opportunity. Once those smaller companies grow, they will displace you.

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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