An American Engineer in China · Not Boring by Packy McCormick
Business, Finance & Industries · Aug 25, 2026
China, especially the Greater Bay Area, is a vast but highly heterogeneous industrial and urban system whose scale is often underestimated, requiring analysts and builders to segment markets by city, supply-chain cluster, policy exposure, and customer population rather than treat the country as uniform.
An American Engineer in China · Not Boring by Packy McCormick
Business, Finance & Industries · Aug 25, 2026
Foreign participation in Shenzhen manufacturing faces structural disadvantages, especially limited access to government subsidies and persistent outsider status, making foreign-run ODMs difficult to sustain; collaborating with Chinese suppliers and supply chains is presented as a more viable strategy.
An American Engineer in China · Not Boring by Packy McCormick
Business, Finance & Industries · Aug 25, 2026
Shenzhen’s edge lies in its exceptionally dense and specialized hardware ecosystem, but companies benefit from it only when they possess strong manufacturing-process expertise or trusted local technical support to assess suppliers, costs, and equipment quotes.