i’m heading back to shenzhen, guangzhou, & shanghai for 2 weeks to visit tech HQs & factories producing all kinds of things - hardware, textiles, packaging, & more. why? in 2024, i spent almost every weekend for 6 months taking the high speed rail from hong kong to guangzhou to renovate a 70m^2 apartment in the heart of the city. i worked with a design architect, but sourced every item myself. i visited 100+ factories, warehouses, & showrooms specializing in every individual item - dining tables as hidden extensions within an island, pullout beds from the living room drawers, 4 in 1 door locks (facial recognition, passcode, fingerprint, or key) from tear down to move-in ready, the process took exactly 6 months. it was a tedious process, but the manufacturing flexibility & velocity are truly unmatched by any other place in the world. you do not need to be an expert. you can go to the factory and they will teach you everything. you just need to have an eye for aesthetics and know what you want. you can ship a living environment fully optimized for you in 6 months. think about what you can ship in a year.