10 days to validate what you're building.
An immersive residency for solopreneurs, creators and independent builders — co-work, pressure-test your ideas, and see China's innovation ecosystem from the inside.
Building alone is clarifying — until it isn't.
Most independent builders don't lack ideas. What they lack is a room of people who will challenge them honestly, and an environment where an idea can become a realistic business by being tested inside this market.
The residency creates that room for ten days: focused work, sharp feedback, and a city that constantly reframes what's possible.
A live lab for new business models.
Speed you can feel
Products, brands and business models move here at a pace that recalibrates your own sense of what's fast.
Ecosystem access
Studios, startups, factories, retail concepts and creators — all within a single metro ride.
Perspective shift
See the market beyond the headlines and take home a genuinely different lens.
Ten days, built around momentum.
Deep work mornings
Dedicated co-working time with the cohort — quiet, focused, accountable.
Validation sessions
Structured hot seats where your idea meets honest, useful pressure.
Company visits
Field visits into companies and neighborhoods shaping the market.
Founder dinners
Long-table dinners with local builders, operators and creators.
City exploration
Curated walks through the districts where culture and commerce collide.
Reflection & next steps
Close the loop: decide what you're doing next, with the group behind you.
The arc of the ten days.
See China Beyond Headlines
Day 01Understand China's business landscape through local founders, market experts, and conversations that go beyond international media narratives.
Go Behind Fast-Growing Chinese Brands
Day 02Visit innovative companies, observe consumer behavior, and explore how Chinese businesses scale quickly.
Hot Seat — Challenge Your Ideas with Local Founders
Day 04Present your project, receive honest feedback, and validate your ideas with entrepreneurs building in Shanghai.
Build Alongside the Community
Day 06Spend a day co-working with local builders, exchanging ideas, and exploring collaborations.
Leave with Your China Action Plan
Day 07Turn ten days of input into a concrete plan you can act on the moment you land back home.
Everything that makes the ten days work.
- Co-working access for the full residency
- Curated company and studio visits
- Founder dinners and community gatherings
- Facilitated validation and feedback sessions
- Local guidance and on-the-ground support
- Cohort community access after the residency
A small room of serious builders.
- Solopreneurs running or starting an independent business
- Future founders with an idea that needs pressure-testing
- Creators turning expertise into products and offers
- Builders curious about China's market and ecosystem
- Looking for a guided tourist trip
- Expecting done-for-you consulting
- Not ready to share work in progress
What you leave with.
A sharper direction
Your idea, stress-tested and narrowed into something you can act on.
A real peer group
A small circle of builders who know your work and keep showing up.
A new market lens
First-hand understanding of how things get built and sold here.
Your host
Solopreneur Shanghai is hosted by Alina and builders living and working in the city — connecting international independents with the local ecosystem, and designing the residency around what actually moves work forward.
Small by design
A limited cohort so every person gets real attention.
Honest feedback
Kind, direct, and specific — no polite vagueness.
Show the work
Progress over polish. Come with something in motion.
Curiosity first
Arrive ready to have your assumptions rearranged.
Questions, answered.
How long is the residency?
Ten days in Shanghai, with the community continuing online afterwards.
Do I need to speak Chinese?
No. The residency runs in English and local support is provided throughout.
What stage should I be at?
Anywhere from a serious idea to an established solo business — as long as you're actively building.
Are flights and accommodation included?
No. We share recommended options and neighborhoods once you're accepted.
How do I apply?
Share your email below and we'll send application details and upcoming cohort dates.
Ready to build somewhere new?
Leave your email and we'll send you the application, dates and full residency details.