Co-Founder, LinkedIn, Manas AI & Inflection AI. Author of Superagency. Investor at Greylock.
Here’s what most people get wrong about competing with China: The factory floors in Shenzhen now crank out BYD’s next-gen EVs, Huawei’s AI-ready phones, and other cutting edge technology that can hold its own in the global market. China is the only place outside of Silicon Valley where the speed and innovation are awe inspiring. That speed comes from a culture geared for invention and manufacturing. Even so, they’re already roboticizing the next wave of manufacturing and making sure to integrate AI in every layer of their workforce. The U.S. won’t out-China China—but we can play to our strengths. Double down on open innovation, world-class chip design, and an immigration policy that pulls every top engineer to Austin or Pittsburgh instead of Shenzhen. Incentivize new types of manufacturing and innovation to be led in the United States. Expand our trusted rule-of-law ecosystem and a North American “friend-shored” supply web, and we keep the edge by playing to our strengths: creativity, talent magnetism, and the freedom to invent at full tilt.
Reid Hoffman you really going to silently let them build a shadow case against me when all I have done is bring unfiltered clarity to your platform?
Is there a chance that some of the IP issues allowed them to cut in line and move to the front and get around paying for innovation?
Reid Hoffman as the only leader of LinkedIn who didn't block me, I'd appreciate you using your voice to clarify the platform's moderation guidelines. My post is waiting for your reply.
i find the idea that the current administration believes in “talent magnetism” to be delusional and really out of touch. the key thing this post doesn’t touch on is that china reinvests into its companies and infrastructure while the u.s. is all about extraction of profit to shareholders. as long as that approach persists, we have no shot in competing.
Loved this perspective Reid Hoffman. In the face of rapid change #creativity will always be our greatest advantage.
💯 Go to ShenZhen and see the focus on the future, it’s incredible - AI, robotics, machine learning. And this isn’t just focused on the manufacturing sector - my daughter worked in ShenZhen in an underwater robotics startup - this focus is across EVERY sector. AI is everyone’s business. Great post Reid Hoffman. Another reason you’re a total rockstar🌟
Reid, great insight, but maybe the solution isn’t just about bringing “clean” manufacturing back or focusing on a single nation’s advantage. The world has shifted, and the future demands more than just isolated competition, it demands global collaboration. Yes, manufacturing has a huge economic multiplier, but so do innovation ecosystems, open-source knowledge, and partnerships across borders. We’re living in an interconnected world where strength lies not in going it alone, but in sharing resources, talent, and technology across nations. It’s not about going back to “who owns what”, it’s about creating a new framework for collaborative growth that benefits everyone. The U.S. can lead, but it doesn’t have to do so by trying to beat the rest of the world at its own game. True leadership comes when countries work together to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, whether in AI, sustainability, or manufacturing.
Talent magnetism is being replaced by talent repulsion in the US. Shenzhen is not super appealing for non-Chinese. Smells like an opportunity for other regions of the world. Where will talents be attracted next?
General Manager
1dThe future belongs to those who know their strengths and lean into them strategically—this piece lays out that playbook clearly.