Shenzhen Superstars – How China’s smartest city is challenging Silicon Valley

It's an OK booklet (60 pages). It's pretty much a rah-rah book on the giant (population 30 million) Chinese tech center or area Shenzen. The author, Johan Nhylander, is clearly enthralled about it. The text is mostly anecdotal information or descriptions of the fantastic growth of the Chinese tech industry over the past 40 years. There is much comparison with the US Silicon Valley of the 1960s - 1990s. Nhylander thinks Silicon Valley is stodgy today compared to Shenzen.There is some statistical information on the Shenzen economic growth and tech successes but it is mostly anecdotal Chinese start-up success stories.

This work was published in 2017, I spent about a year in Shenzhen 2008-09, the city I left not the city he describes, and in the intervening 4 years the leading actor in Shenzhen, Huawei 5G, listed as a ‘possible national security threat’ by Washington that request its European and Asian allies to disengage from the same. Add Hong Kong, his city of residence, dramatically transformed by the anti-government protest of 2019 and, by Beijing’s response, facing uncertainty.But interestingly, little of that matters.For the story he tells --the shifting of Silicon Valley -- that has become the reality of modern times is in full thrust and the rising ‘Greater Bay Area,’ a region comprising nine Guangdong cities, Macau and Hong Kong will be pushing the San Francisco ‘Bay Area’ in new directions. His argument: Silicon Valley Software, Shenzhen Hardware but China expenditures on R&D enormous – uncertainty shifting locale. He aims the book at the budding entrepreneur and lists his e-mail as a gift for purchase a kind gesture.*3 stars*” Send an email to [email protected] with subject FREE GIFT and I’ll send you a list of accelerators, co-working and marker spaces and tech parks.”

This is a short book yet the first half is filled with repetitive quotes and anecdotes that lack much depth. The second half does better by focusing on the story of a couple of companies, but they are rather short. If you want a quick snapshot of Shenzen , this hits the mark but if you to really understand the place, this will leave you wanting.

If the US keeps bickering politics and keeps pointing fingers at each we’ll be a third world country in technology. There’s only a couple of Elon Musks that are making drastic life changes.

A quick read (70 pages). Gives a good background on Shenzhen, the city ready to take over San Francisco / San Jose as the hub of innovation. Although clearly written and informative, there are several repetitive paragraphs in the opening of chapters, which makes it look like a compilation of magazine articles or blog posts. A little editing would've helped.And another nit, it's too short! Hoping for a more in depth book next

An enjoyable and easy read from an author who clearly knows both his topic and this insanely busy city inside out. A short, insightful peek into the world across the border. Would totally recommend this, whether you're in tech/business or just someone who likes a good short story about a part of the world different from your own.

This book provides quick facts and on the ground observations that help to understand the uniqueness of Shenzhen as a city. It is an indispensable reading for anybody who tries to learn about the emergence of China as a new economic power. Underestimating the Chinese experiment, or thinking that it is a temporary phenomenon is part of the perception of China reform in the Western world. This book helps dissipate these prejudices.

As the blurb promises, this is a quick ready about the amazing development of Shenzen from fishing village to high tech Mecca. Although I've visited Shenzen, it was still illuminating to me to read about the number of high tech and innovative companies that are located there, and the amount of original research coming out of it.

I loved this book, although it's hard to call it a book: you can easily go cover to cover in a couple of hours and crave for way more. I really wish the author takes the time to extend it to a longer and deeper version as it is very well written and leaves the reader with uncomfortable feeling of being a privileged slow-paced western. Now I'm going to check when's the next flight to Shenzhen as I ought to be there ASAP...

Johan paints a wonderful portrait of this enigmatic city, delving into it's past to explain how the city grew into what it is today and also describing the latest trends and the growing culture of innovation harboured there.Great read for both a lazy afternoon or and a busy commute!

Captures the story of Shenzhen in a concise and engaging way. Provides good insights into what the future of China will be like

This book provides a perfect snapshot of the challenges and opportunities currently existing in Shenzhen. I strongly recommend it to people who are wondering about China and its future.

Der erste Eindruck ist zwar enttäuschend, wenn man das sehr schmale und kurze Bändchen in Händen hält, „Buch“ scheint da dann doch etwas übertrieben bei den paar Seiten, aber der Inhalt ist dann doch so intensiv, so explosiv, dass man die Bedrohung, das Große, den enormen Vorsprung Shenzhens fast schon körperlich spürt:Auf 60 Seiten wird gezeigt, was im wilden Osten alles möglich ist und halt auch umgesetzt wird, das beginnt damit, dass man auf dem Markt in Shenzhen alle Einzelteile für das damals aktuelle iPhone kaufen und als vollwertiges Telefon zusammenstecken kann, nur halt zu einem Bruchteil des regulären Preises. Silikon Valley ist heute gerade noch ein Software Valley, Shenzhen das neue Silikon Bergmassiv!So angefixt liest sich das Buch recht spannend in einem Rutsch durch, das Englisch ist einfach und verständlich, das Buch ist eine Bereicherung, das Buch zeigt, wo die Zukunft liegt, die sehr nahe Zukunft:Im Osten (genauer an der FestlandKüste vor Hongkong) geht die Sonne auf!