Ask HN: Where is the next Shenzhen? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Where is the next Shenzhen?

#11

Post by sandGorgon » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 3:28 PM UTC

India. We have a huge domestic market - so you're not just solving "outsourced" problems - one of the largest talent pools in the world, and a reasonable democracy.

India is not going to take the lead in manufacturing anytime soon, but if you look at mobile tech, retail tech, payments, robotics and solar ... there's super exciting stuff happening.

Plus it is a validated market - every month sees billions of dollars of VC investment in India.

It's not perfect - for example we are already at the stage where local, homegrown startups are competing against the valley behemoths ... and gave been found lacking. But the game is just getting heated up.

(I'm a YC startup based out of India )

Re: Ask HN: Where is the next Shenzhen?

#12

Post by rasz_pl » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 4:05 PM UTC

Good timing, major of Shenzhen is on a mission of demolishing last of urban villages and gentrifying Huaqiangbei out of existence. Good luck shopping for parts when rents go up and 'poor working people' move out.

Re: Ask HN: Where is the next Shenzhen?

#13

Post by mathattack » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 4:47 PM UTC

Perhaps Stockholm? [0] Lots of tech companies coming from there. Per-capita it's produced a crazy number of unicorns.

[0] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnol...

Re: Ask HN: Where is the next Shenzhen?

#14

Post by vbit » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 5:08 PM UTC

andrewmb wrote: post #7

As others have mentioned, nothing is even close. For certain types of industries there are cities in the US and Europe that are competitive (eg mil/aero in Los Angeles and DC metros), but for general product development and especially consumer electronics nothing is close. What do you hope to gain out of living in these places? There are plenty of foreigners who have been in Shenzhen for over a decade and are only ma…

> That will be tough since India is missing some absolutely fundamental pre-requisites to the kind of growth China has had.

Interested to hear what you think these are?

Re: Ask HN: Where is the next Shenzhen?

#15

Post by mankash666 » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 6:16 PM UTC

vbit wrote: post #14

andrewmb wrote: post #7

As others have mentioned, nothing is even close. For certain types of industries there are cities in the US and Europe that are competitive (eg mil/aero in Los Angeles and DC metros), but for general product development and especially consumer electronics nothing is close. What do you hope to gain out of living in these places? There are plenty of foreigners who have been in Shenzhen for over a decade and are only ma…

> That will be tough since India is missing some absolutely fundamental pre-requisites to the kind of growth China has had. Interested to hear what you think these are?

India Cons -

1> Infrastructure - You can't get China-like public utilities (road, transport, electricity, water ...) 2> Blatant corruption -> While corruption in China is at the communist party level, every step you take in India requires a bribe, or things move at snail pace. 3> No hardware ecosystem - both the design and manufacturing skills and resources are considerably weaker than China

India Pros - 1> IP protection laws are stronger and more enforcible. 2> English fluency is high - hence communication is less of a barrier 3> Well established software and back-end-office sector. 4> Government policies are not as protectionist. 5> More conducive to free speech, so a Facbook/Google can actually thrive in India

Conclusion - Bangalore/India is the Shenzhen of software, but definitely not close in hardware.

Re: Ask HN: Where is the next Shenzhen?

#16

Post by smilingtom » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 7:56 PM UTC

I've made my riches by buying foreclosed houses from poor people and reselling them at a major profit. It's not right that people lose their homes, but if someone is going to make money off it, it might as well be me.