Former Tesla Autopilot and SpaceX Raptor team engineer Zac Valles hopped on a plane to Shenzhen 72 hours after his YC (Y Combinator) pitch day. After spending 8 weeks on the ground and returning to San Francisco with a new piece of hardware, he now urges any hardware founder — even without funding, a team, or a clear idea — to get on a plane to Shenzhen immediately.
https://twitter.com/zacharyvalles/status/2055676910739599462
He distilled his key takeaways for navigating Shenzhen's supply chain. First, use major trade shows as a springboard — they're the most effective way to get a foot in the door with factories. When talking to contract manufacturers, focus on lead times rather than costs early on. The iteration speed of your hardware is bottlenecked by the part with the longest lead time, so locking those in early is critical for setting a realistic timeline.
On supplier selection and design, Valles warns founders to tier their contract manufacturers by capability. He specifically advises against designing parts that require too many manufacturing steps — a component needing 12 post-processing operations is nearly impossible to find a factory to take on. He also recommends setting aside 4 to 6 hours to explore Huaqiangbei, the "micro-city" electronics market, and notes that respecting local business customs — like filling the glass for wine and leaving tea half-empty ("酒满茶半") — can go a long way in smoothing cooperation.