Entrepreneurial Persuasion

This chapter examines the rise of private entrepreneurship in China, tracing its shift from a marginal activity in the 1980s reform era to a central driver of innovation through the lens of relational storytelling. Relational storytelling is treated as a practice through which entrepreneurs build trust, persuade stakeholders, and make entrepreneurial life legible to diverse audiences. The analysis unfolds in three parts: reliance on guanxi—personal connections—that enabled entrepreneurs to navigate institutional uncertainty in post-reform China; the impact of digital platforms on visibility and narrative crafting; and the storytelling scripts in high-tech start-ups, including strategic audience tailoring, embodied performances, and gendered negotiations of credibility. Drawing on field research from 2020–24, including seven months of ethnography in Shenzhen and follow-up visits, the chapter combines historical and anthropological perspectives to show how storytelling functions as both a persuasive tool and a lens for understanding China's economic transformation.