TroubleMaker

25/09/2026

Meet TenPayGo 👋

Coming to China for travel?

TenPayGo is a payment app built by Weixin Pay for overseas visitors to China. Pay wherever Weixin Pay is accepted, using Apple Pay, international cards and supported e-wallets.

Sign up with your email and you’re ready to go.

And there’s more — from translation to metro and bus travel, TenPayGo is built to make everyday life in China easier.

Easy Pay with TenPayGo.

https://tenpaygo.wxpapp.wechatpay.cn

19/09/2026

Our first Nigerian member sends me this message a couple of days after joining TroubleMaker:

Again I want to tell you I've made good progress in just the few days at trouble maker. Very good space. I love it love the environment.
Thanks 🙏

Thank you too, Taiseer! You Rock!

09/09/2026

Last day to save USD 2,700 😁

Get the new Xhorse 3D WM-100 5-axis desktop CNC with USD 2,700 discount!

Hey TroubleMakers!

Today Henk of TroubleMaker joins the Kickstarter launch livestream with the Xhorse marketing team and they have a few crazy surprises lined up for you. 😀

They will show off their new WM-100 5-axis CNC machine.

You can see it live cutting several materials, from wood and stone and even titanium.

They will explain the differences between their first 5-axis XM-100 CNC machine and the new WM-100.

They will answer all your questions live.

And…. Drumroll…. In a random draw, they are giving away a $200 cashback prize to two campaign backers during the livestream. 😎

Their Kickstarter will go live tomorrow 11:00am EDT.

The Super Early Bird offer gives you USD 2,500 discount on the normal retail price.

But… if you want even MORE discount than the Super Early Bird price, then today is your last chance to register as a VIP backer and receive an additional USD 200 discount!

Scan the QR code to become a VIP and save USD 2,700 🎉

14/06/2026

New baby arrived at TroubleMaker!

Our Nestworks C500 desktop CNC arrived on Thursday and we started using it right away!

The machine we received is a late-stage final prototype.

Nestworks is still adding the final touch to the design and firmware of the machine to optimize the user experience before shipping out these beauties to the backers of their Kickstarter campaign.

Talking about Kickstarter, Nestworks raised 12 million US dollars, making it the most successful campaign on Kickstarter for a CNC machine.

And the best thing is: you can still join in, back the campaign, and secure your own C500 with a huge discount.

Link to the campaign in the comments.

29/05/2026

Mark Rober spent years trying to land a rover on Mars.

Now, the former NASA engineer turned science YouTuber with millions of subscribers is launching a new mission: to teach the next generation of big problem solvers.

That’s why he’s spending 60 million dollars to build a STEM curriculum kids actually want. With squirrel obstacle courses, giant lasers and elephant toothpaste explosions, who wouldn't want to learn from YouTube's top engineer?

Mark Rober () spent years trying to land a rover on Mars. Now, the former NASA engineer turned science YouTuber with millions of subscribers is lau...

28/03/2026

Jeannie, our AI Genie, has created a Customer Recruitment Plan 😃

This morning we trained Jeannie as a true TroubleMaker employee:
- We shared our website with her
- Our YouTube channel
- All the pictures of our events and meetings
- and we shared our Brand Guidelines

Jeannie then...
- Created a Company Profile
- Created 5 Customer Avatars
- and a Customer Recruitment Plan to acquire 300 new members in 6 months time

But... that's not all!

What we had NOT shared with her are our financials.

Based on her understanding of TroubleMaker's 10 years experience, her plan assumed we have a corporate marketing budget. 🤭

When we told her we prefer to start on a Zero $ Budget and scale the marketing budget later, she created a "Zero-Budget Acquisition Plan".

She projects 100 new members after 3 months based on 180 hours of work.

What do you think?

One of her skills is posting on X...

Should we give her access to her own X account to help reduce our work?

Would it be interesting to see if she's able to onboard new members?

Let us know in the comments!

PS. This post is written by Henk of TroubleMaker, without the help of AI.

If later we post Jeannie's content, we will make this 100% clear.

Henk cares about his friendship with you and insist on full transparency.

07/03/2026

New book available!
The Hardest Hardware Lessons

TroubleMaker co-founder Hans Stam just published a book about all the things he has learned over his 15 years living in factories.

It's available on our website:
https://troublemakershenzhen.com/books/the-hardest-hardware-lessons/

He immediately got 9 sales in the first 12 hours! It would be awesome if you could share it to others who it may be useful for.

Thanks!

16/02/2026

If you’re heading to Shenzhen to build hardware that actually helps people, whether it’s a medical device, a clean energy solution, or a smarter everyday tool, you’ve probably told yourself:

“I’ll start with one month. Just to test things out.”

That’s what most founders do. And it makes sense! Why commit upfront?

But here’s what rarely gets said:
The biggest bottleneck in Shenzhen isn’t access to tools. It’s knowing who to trust.

You’ll meet well-meaning people in co-working spaces and communities. But their advice is shaped by their goals, not yours. A PCB designer might steer you to a fab house that’s fast for them… but overkill (and overpriced) for your prototype. A fellow founder might rave about a mold shop that’s perfect for toys, but disastrous for anything requiring precision or compliance.

At TroubleMaker, we’ve watched too many talented builders lose weeks (and thousands of dollars) because they started with just a desk and good intentions.

That’s why we created Lab Rat Rebel: Not as a “premium” option, but as risk mitigation for serious builders.
✅ Warm intros to vetted suppliers (no cold calls)
✅ Service Hours for on-demand engineering help
✅ Flexibility to switch between lab and remote mode
✅ Zero financial bias: We don’t take commissions

In short: Rebel gives you the context, connections, and backup that turn Shenzhen from a maze into a launchpad.

We just published a new post explaining why a 3-month Rebel membership is often the smartest first move, even if your budget whispers “just one month.”

👉 Read it here: https://troublemakershenzhen.com/why-a-3-month-lab-rat-rebel-membership-is-the-smartest-way-to-start-hardware-development-in-shenzhen/

P.S. If your product is meant for real users, not just a demo, you owe it to them (and yourself) to start strong. We’re rooting for you.

18/11/2025

We are livestreaming our HLH Prototyping Factory Visit on YouTube!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

20/09/2025

TroubleMaker Startbucks to Feature South Park Commons Principal Ankit Chowdhary to shed light on Early Stage Startup Growth and Funding

TroubleMaker’s first funding related event, both online and in Huaqiangbei, to Focus on all possible varieties of Early-Stage Funding to Support a Successful Hardware Product Introduction

Shenzhen, China – September 20, 2025

TroubleMaker Startbucks, the Community Event Series of TroubleMaker Shenzhen, leading to the introduction of their Early-Stage Hardware Startup Fund in 2026, today announced that acclaimed Principal Ankit Chowdhary of the US based Startup Community “South Park Commons” will join the first edition of the Startbucks Events as an Investor Panelist.

TroubleMaker startbucks will take place on September 26, 2025, at TroubleMaker Huaqiangbei, exploring the various options of securing funding to support sustainable growth of your early-stage hardware startup.

“We back founders at the early stage of -1, many times even before they have fixed on the final idea to build on” said Principal Ankit Chowdhary. “At TroubleMaker Startbucks, I will share my experience of how founders can tap into Startup Communities to drastically improve their chances of successfully introducing new products to the world”

TroubleMaker Startbucks will feature a panel discussion with four powerful panelists, a community dinner, drinks, and networking, designed to provide attendees with actionable strategies to bring their product ideas to life.

Key themes include:

* From -1 to 0: Navigating the world of ideation and product/ market fit.

* The Future of Commons: How communities and access to shared resources shape success.

* Upskilling for Innovation: Practical strategies and checklists to enable effective progression in New Product Development.

The event is hosted by TroubleMaker Shenzhen, a Venture Launch Community dedicated to advancing guidance in product launches. "Our goal is to combine the best of an incubator, a consulate, and a chamber of commerce to make hardware product development accessible to everyone," said Henk Werner, co-founder of Troublemaker. “TroubleMaker Startbucks is a crucial platform for that mission."

Tickets for TroubleMaker Startbucks are now available. For a full schedule and to register, scan the QR code in the poster.

About TroubleMaker
TroubleMaker is a venture launch community, combining the best of an incubator, a consulate, and a chamber of commerce. “Develop your product in a shared environment with mentors, coaches, freelancers, and manufacturers.” Since 2016, TroubleMaker has received over 17,000 people and helped hundreds of founders progressing towards their product launch.