Technological solutions are becoming increasingly sought after. Today, everyone from the learned individual to members of the worlds largest tech companies are churning out new products year upon year. It seems that this rush of production is only growing. But a spike in any market often means a dip in quality output. As capitalism becomes more cultural, consumers are enticed by glossy marketing strategies and encouraged to purchase products that offer no real improvement to their daily lives. Many commodities promise improvements in productivity, utility, or quality that are never realised. In fact, the world ‘value’ is now so overused that, ironically, its value as a marketing term has been undermined. This is not to say that the tech market is void of valuable commodity. One only need look at the iPhone, first released in 2007, to appreciate how a single product can shift the face of the global tech landscape. Allowing the mass public to interact with portable web, the iPhone single-handedly revolutionised the mobile phone market, and made app development a widespread movement. 

This one product opened the gate for tech development, making the days of an exclusive and unapproachable market a thing of the past. Yet many of the most valuable commodities on todays market are not targeted towards the mass-population. Many work to fulfil specific and personal demands. GPS, for example, changed the face of personal navigation, but it is of less appeal to those utilising public transport. Today, a new product mirrors the GPS system’s success at tapping into a niche market, having gained progressively wider appeal since its release in 2015. The M5Stack is a modular developer kit that aspires to satisfy the growing demand for personal tech solutions, playing to the increasing accessibility of a tech landscape that is making self-made success possible. While these successes undeniably vary in their scale - with some going on to form the worlds largest tech companies, and others simply continuing as hobbyists - the target market for developer kits continues to grow at record pace. The M5Stack fills a gaping hole in this market, extending the growing approachability of tech development by making personal tech solutions easy to carry out. The products sleek design allows users to stack different boards on top of one another, from a basic core to joystick and fingerprint attachment modules. This makes customisation and familiarisation easy, whilst retaining portability with an impressive aesthetic that rivals professional development devices on the current tech market. The extent of customisability that is offered by the M5Stack makes it a key player in drawing together the previously disparate worlds of small and large scale tech production. Such a mixing of markets is invaluable in today's extensive tech landscape.

 

Quan Gan and the need to link up the personal and professional worlds of tech

 

Quan Gan was one of many to notice the potential of the M5Stack, launching his California company, ZTAG, in 2016 following its initial release. As both a hobbyist and an entrepreneur, Gan recognised the need to draw a link between both worlds, and recognised M5Stack’s ability to achieve just this. Gan’s children also helped him to realise M5Stack’s potential in helping young people to engage with one another. As smartphone technology seems intent on expanding, physical interaction between children and adults has taken a hit. M5Stack is not only capable of drawing together the personal and professional worlds of tech, but also the physical and technological landscapes of humanity. In this context, Gan was able to utilise the M5Stack, realising that it’s compact design allowed it to be worn on the wrist. Gan combined this portability with M5Stack’s proximity sensors and mimicked a game of tag that could be enjoyed amongst his young children, generating the foundation of ZTAG. This not only highlights the endless possibilities offered by M5Stack, but also that its technological benefits can be applied in the physical world of interactive play. The business benefits that M5Stack has afforded individuals like Gan extends across the tech community. 

M5Stack has helped multiple other individuals to propel their own businesses. The easily adjustable and customisable technology enables software startups to construct their own hardware products, one utilising M5’s blockchain program to create Bitcoin wallets. With a growing list of business clientele, M5Stack demonstrates its value as a product of revolutionary means , capable of benefitting both the private and professional individual. This product is propelling the tech landscape to new heights whilst aiding the success of other entrepreneurs, and driving technological advancements available for wider public consumption. As such, M5 has established itself as the key tool supporting self-startup companies. This consequently underlines M5’s integral role in the contemporary landscape, not just in technological terms, but in the broader field of capitalist business. As ZTAG proved the M5Stack could appeal to a whole range of age demographics, global interest has been generated. M5Stack’s adaptability and various add-ons mean that this singular product can be used for a multitude of purposes, a benefit that Gan’s initiative helped to promote within broader corporate audiences. The device’s expansive target market is mirrored in its price point, with basic core’s starting at prices as low as $25. The option to purchase additional elements for the main frame enables consumers to pick and choose to suit their specific demands, whilst refraining from breaking the bank. With built in bluetooth, wireless and non-wireless optional settings, M5Stack continues to break the boundaries of tech development software. 

With the help of figures like Gan, its audience continues to grow and its ease of use is promoted. Just as the iPhone transformed modern life for billions, M5Stack reflects the explosion of tech in the mainstream community - and plays to it. From replacing inefficient smart home devices, to customising a child’s video game, M5Stack proves time and time again that it can be shaped to fill any gap in the market. Tech hobbyists see value in its versatility, while entrepreneurs see value in its efficiency. The aspiring tech developer was once recognisable as a member of the high school A/V club, an avid computer specialist. Yet in today’s world, their commonality has made them harder to identify. Tech development has become a dream of the every-man, and M5Stack’s accessible design has finally made this a dream worth following.