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>Chabuduo mindset [1] is a very real thing IMO high tech cost optimization is like the opposite of chabuduo - it's not half-assing, but over value engineer und
by maxglute 1y ago
>Chabuduo mindset [1] is a very real thing
IMO high tech cost optimization is like the opposite of chabuduo - it's not half-assing, but over value engineer under pressure. The PRC's "amazing" manufacturing system fosters adversarial competition down the supply chain because there are so many competitors, packed with technical talent incentivized to value-engineer the shit out of everything to squeeze out fractions of a RMB more per unit. Some engineering team probably poured thousands of man-hours and retooled $$$ manufacturing lines just to gain a tiny margin edge. Sometimes that backfires. But the pressure isn't about laziness - it's involutionary effort. The result is still a zero-trust environment, since when manufacturing base is so dense, everyone incentivized to cut corners or optimize/tweak silently, they usually do, forcing everyone upstream to stay hyper vigilant. So we end up in default equilibrium where it's cheaper/more optimal to squeeze downstream and inspect.
- themaninthedark 1y agoValue engineering is great and all but that doesn't sound like it is the only factor at play. > and that the product being given to you is even yours (delivering a knockoff at the final step, and reselling yours on the gray market).
- RicoElectrico 1y agoIf you ever watched BigClive, the Chinese often make mistakes that can't be explained by cost optimization.
- lazide 1y agoIt certainly can be explained by some variant of fraud though.
- burnt-resistor 1y agoSpeaking of which, I have a pile of sketchy Chinese AliExpress electrical and electronic gadgets I need to send BigClive. Adds to reminder list.
- bfung 1y ago^^^ is closer to the truth for the swap out; eek out those margins. Culturally, chabuduo is more of an excuse/greed of the lazy to convince you it’s close enough [that it won’t make a difference to you] and they’re too lazy or out of patience, for many reasons they also don’t want to explain to you.
- jacquesm 1y agoIt's one thing to optimize for cost, it's another to commit fraud. Just like knocking over old ladies and running off with their handbags is a potential source of revenue, you just shouldn't do it. The bigger underlying problem is that this sort of fraud goes without penalty.
- mac-mc 1y agoDoes this also partly explain why appliances don't last long, there is no margin of durability for anything?