> spending much time in SEAsia, many of the (sometimes trivial) things western people expect from services are really hard for locals to "get" without outside (read western) guidance.
Yes, exactly, same applies for many local businesses (shops, restaurants, service providers) not just Alibaba. Hell, a decent sized private hospital here has a nonfunctional website (like not just bad but actually returning 404's).
Another good example is the real-estate rental market. Many places lack furnishing and lose lots of business over similar competitors, and I mean the types of basics a months rent would cover. I was never able to figure out if this was due to lack of liquid funds (even though it would pay for itself fast) or something cultural.
Any examples? Just curious...