Poorly made in China
an insider's account of the tactics behind China's production game
by Paul Midler · first published 2009
71% recommend29% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Eye-opening insider account of China's manufacturing game: broken promises, quietly swapped materials and components, and last-minute changes that leave buyers over a barrel. Suits anyone sourcing products there.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Praise for Poorly Made in China "This fast-paced travelogue through the world of Chinese manufacturing is scary, fascinating, and very funny. Midler is not only a knowledgeable guide to the invisible underbelly of the global economy, he is a sympathetic and astute observer of China, its challenges, and its people. A great read." --PIETRA RIVOLI, author of The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy "Paul Midler takes us for a ride through the fastest-growing economy in the world, revealing what can--and sometimes does--go wrong when U.S. companies shift production to China. Working in
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…was the most amazing human connection I've ever made. I've worked in China in the semiconductor business, stayed there and absorbed some of the things the west does not even know. I recommend reading "Poorly Made in China (2011)" by Paul Midler. It is surprisingly good - factual, objective look of deep issues with China's way of doing things. I resonate with the book with my personal experience. Diplomacy is about being…
on “Dealing with China Isn’t Worth the Moral Cost” ↗For anyone who found this tale interesting, "Poorly Made in China" is a well-written and eye-opening account of similar antics. http://www.amazon.com/Poorly-Made-China-Insiders-Production/... Much like the kickstarter project mentions, this book covers repeatedly…
on “Manufacturing "A Minimal Pen" in China, failures and successes” ↗…history[1] dude. > I had a daily driver in Chengdu for over 1 month who spoke no English, zero, none at all - not even "yes" or "no". We communicated via Google translate (on VPN). > I recommend reading "Poorly Made in China (2011)" by Paul Midler. It is surprisingly good - factual, objective look of deep issues with China's way of doing things. I resonate with the book with my personal experience. > Diplomacy is about being…
on “Dealing with China Isn’t Worth the Moral Cost” ↗There is an excellent book "Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the China Production Game" by Paul Midler [1] for those who want to know more about behind-the-scenes of China's manufacturing. [1] - http://www.amazon.com/Poorly-Made-China-Insiders-Production/...
on “How U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work” ↗Communism does bad things to cultures I read Paul Midler's "What's Wrong With China" recently, the followup to his "Poorly Made In China", and his research seems to indicate that communism and the Great Leap Forward are not the source of those aspects of Chinese culture, that those aspects go back much further. Definitely a fascinating…
on “In Brazil, it is considered rude to be on time to a party” ↗Required reading: "Poorly made in china" by Paul Midler. Truly a great look at exactly how this happens.
on “FAA investigating how counterfeit titanium got into Boeing and Airbus jets” ↗There is an amazing book called Poorly Made in China, by Paul Midler. The title doesn’t do the book justice imho, but it offers some insights into what can go wrong and why. It was a very recognisable and enjoyable read.
on “Lessons Learned Shipping 500 Units of My First Hardware Product” ↗> Manufacturing in the US will never be as good as china. There's a very entertaining book called "Poorly Made in China" that will quickly disabuse you of such notions.
on “Made in China 2025” ↗A good read is 'Poorly Made in China'. The product is different, but the problems are the same. * They drop changes and problems at the last minute, so you're over a barrel with your customers. * Relationships take months, maybe years…
on “The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate Amazon and Apple” ↗China is one of the most polluting nations in the world. I've started to think that avoiding trade with them is a responsibility. Also, the book "Poorly made in China" is extremely interesting.
yep, there's a great book "Poorly made in china" ( https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/5116296 ) that explains how the do it... It's basically making a deal, and them replacing the components until you notice, then making you pay more for more…
on “China allegedly dumps bad chips on Russia” ↗Reading the book poorly made in China was eye opening.
on “Judge rules that Amazon isn't liable for damages caused by a hoverboard it sold” ↗The book 'Poorly Made in China' offers an excellent glimpse in how that process works. A fascinating and harrowing read!
on “A sad update about a scissors maker that went viral” ↗let's better not tell her to read Poorly made in China if she thinks her product will have same ingredients/formula after few months of production, that book perfectly describe daily Chinese reality/mentality if you are interested, can confirm it as someone…
on “What I Learned From Making Hot Sauce at Scale in China” ↗You should read “Poorly made in China”. There are people and companies that do this, but, typically not accessible to small, one off projects.
on “American Entrepreneurs Who Flocked to China Are Heading Home, Disillusioned” ↗