Bought into the 'Chinese can't innovate' myth until I saw Shenzhen's electronics market firsthand

Got a layover in Shenzhen back in 2021, 6 hours to kill. Wandered into Huaqiangbei market by accident. Saw a guy with a makeshift stall selling a phone mod that turned any smartphone into a thermal camera. He built the whole thing himself, parts from three different floors of that building. That moment hit me - I'd been swallowing that tired line for years without ever looking at what was actually happening on the ground. We hear so much about Silicon Valley but nobody talks about how that market cranks out new gadgets every week. Has anyone else had that aha moment where popular opinion collapsed under real life?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_robinson18d ago

Get yourself to Huaqiangbei before you write anything off. Game changer.

evan_dixon6718d ago

My buddy got a fake AirPod there that worked for 3 whole days.