Bunnie Huang on China's "Shanzai" Mash-Up Design Shops

saccade.com writes "Bunnie (of XBox hacking and Chumby fame) has written an insightful post about how a new phenomena emerging out of China called 'Shanzai' has impacted the electronics business there. A new class of innovators, they're going beyond merely copying western designs to producing electronic "mash-ups" to create new products. Bootstrapped on small amounts of capital, they range from shops of just a few people to a few hundred. They rapidly create new products, and use an "open source" style design community where design ideas and component lists are shared."

Re:MBA shortsightedness

[chromas]

...whom will the Chinese exploit or outsource their own jobs to?

How about the US?

Re:MBA shortsightedness

[iamdrscience]

Soon the only jobs left on the planet will be: 1) prostitute 2) mercenary 3) bankers who own 1 and 2.

Well, judging from present lack of demand for my sexual services, I don't think I have to worry about being a prostitute. Being a mercenary or prostitute/mercenary-owning banker both sound pretty badass though, sign me up!

Re:USA is losing because we think we're winning

[the white plague]

It amuses me that the average hater of "American Cultural Imperialism" knows more about those shows than I do.

Re:Remind me again, how did Apple start?

[DNS-and-BIND]

Apple started by ripping off designs from existing manufacturers in the 70s? I think you might have done too much acid if that's how you remember things.

Re:Remind me again, how did Apple start?

[DNS-and-BIND]

Shanzhai manufacturers are NOT into sharing with others, not at all. Making a spiffy product, following environmental laws, and not ripping off your workers...no reward for that. Someone sees your product, says "gee, that's nifty!" and proceeds to produce a shabby but just-works-enough copy, undercuts you, dumps all of his byproducts into a hole next to a farming village, and witholds his workers' pay for two months before paying half of it and threatening any complainers with beatdowns.

Yup, just like Apple in the 70s. Innovation at its finest.

Re:Remind me again, how did Apple start?

[Zerth]

Except for the toxic waste bit, that does sound like working for Steve Jobs.

If he goes on chemo, then it will be exactly like working for Steve Jobs.