February Shenzhen Trip Update
5 hours ago
- Traveled to Shenzhen to meet 16 vendors and suppliers over 5 days, but got sick on day 6 and canceled meetings.
- Successfully tested the first version (EVT1) of the new watch circuit board, achieving under 100uA average power draw.
- Open source PebbleOS development progressed with 92 new commits; a colleague integrated the nimBLE Bluetooth stack for potential support on existing Pebble watches.
- Shenzhen's supply chain offers unmatched speed and access to components, with business decisions often made within minutes via WeChat.
- In-person meetings are crucial for idea generation, problem-solving, and building trust, despite the convenience of digital communication.
- Now working with wearable ODMs instead of OEMs, as the smartwatch industry has matured since Pebble's early days.
- WeChat's translation feature and acceptance of US credit cards via WeChat Pay/AliPay have greatly simplified travel and communication.