Introduction: how the brand that changed the smartphone market
Xiaomi is known to everyone today, from the budget Redmi smartphones to the premium Mi Mix and the smart device ecosystem. But few know that behind this success lies the story of an ambitious startup founded by a group of enthusiasts in 2010. Key figure is Lei Jun, the man often called “China’s Steve Jobs,” whose vision and strategy have transformed Xiaomi from an unknown company to one of the leaders of the global electronics market.
In this article, we will look at who exactly was at the origins of Xiaomi, what difficulties had to overcome at the start, and how a small team was able to overtake giants like Samsung and Apple in terms of growth, you will learn not only the names of the founders, but also their role in the development of the brand, as well as little-known facts about the first years of the company.
Lei Jun: Xiaomi’s “father” and his path to success
Lei Jun is a central figure in Xiaomi’s history, born on December 16, 1969, in Hubei Province, and a childhood tech and programming hobby; in 1992, Lei founded Kingsoft, which later became one of the largest software developers in China; but he rose to prominence after selling Kingsoft and investing in a number of successful startups, including UCWeb (UC Browser browser developer).
The idea for Xiaomi came to Lei in 2010 when he noticed that the Chinese smartphone market was filled with low-quality devices with outdated software. He decided to bet on an innovative business model: selling high-tech smartphones at cost, making money from an ecosystem of services and accessories, an approach that later became the brand’s hallmark.
- 🎓 Education: Graduated from Wuhan University in "Computer Science".
- 💼 Xiaomi career: Kingsoft founder, investor in UCWeb, YY.com and other companies.
- 📱 Contribution to Xiaomi: Developed a strategy of "three iron principles": high quality, fair prices, focus on fans.
- 🏆 Confession: Included in top-100 The most influential people in the world according to Time (2014, 2018).
⚠️ Attention: Lei Jun is often compared to Steve Jobs, but his approach is radically different: If Apple is betting on premium, Xiaomi was initially focused on accessibility without loss of quality.
Lin Bin: Technical Genius and Co-Founder
If Lei Jun is the face of the company, Lin Bin is the tech brain. Born in 1968 in Jiangsu Province, Lin graduated from Shanghai Transport University with a degree in electronics. Before Xiaomi, he worked at Microsoft Research Asia and Google China, where he developed search algorithms and operating systems.
At Xiaomi, Lin Bin was responsible for creating MIUI, the Android-based company shell that has become one of the reasons for the brand’s popularity. His approach to user experience (UX) and software optimization has allowed Xiaomi smartphones to run faster than competitors on even less powerful hardware.
Fun fact: Lin Bin is known for his modesty; unlike Lei Jun, he rarely gives interviews and prefers to stay behind the scenes, focusing on the product; however, it was his decisions that determined Xiaomi’s technical superiority early on.
Other key figures in the founding team
In addition to Lei Jun and Lin Bin, Xiaomi has 6 co-founders, each of whom has made unique contributions, and the most notable of them are:
| Name. | Role in the company | Previous experience | Contribution to Xiaomi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hun Feng | Senior Vice President | UC Browser, founder of UCWeb | Internet services development and global expansion |
| Li Wangqiang | Senior Vice President | Former Kingsoft director | Marketing and Brand Promotion |
| Leu De | Vice President | Former Head of Development at Motorola China | Hardware and production |
| Zhang Guangjun | Vice President | Former Microsoft China Director | Development of the IoT ecosystem |
Hun Feng’s experience in creating UC Browser helped Xiaomi build its own ecosystem of Internet services, including Mi Cloud cloud storage and proprietary browser, which allowed the company to not depend on third-party platforms (for example, Google Services in China).
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If you’re using a Xiaomi smartphone, try enabling Developer Mode via Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) to unlock additional optimization options that Lin Binh originally tested for MIUI.
How Xiaomi Became a Global Brand: A Chronology of Success
The first Xiaomi Mi 1 smartphone was introduced in August 2011. The Qualcomm Snapdragon S3-based device with 1 GB of RAM and an 8 MP camera sold for only 1999 yuan (~$310), which is 2 times cheaper than the flagships of competitors. The success was stunning: in the first 34 hours, 300,000 devices were sold.
Key milestones of the company's development:
- 📅 2012: Mi 2 with Snapdragon processor S4 Pro and launch of the international version MIUI.
- 🌍 2014: Expansion to India, Indonesia and Brazil. - Xiaomi becomes China's most expensive start-up ($45 billion).
- 🤖 2016: Presentation of the first robot vacuum cleaner Mi Robot Vacuum and smart speaker Mi AI Speaker.
- 📈 2018: IPO Hong Kong stock exchange ($54 billion capitalization, European market entry.
- 🚀 2021: Xiaomi ranks 2nd in smartphone sales worldwide (according to Canalys data).
The secret to success was direct sales over the internet (bypassing retailers), active engagement with fans through forums, and weekly feedback-based updates to MIUI, a model that was later copied by many Chinese brands, but Xiaomi remains a pioneer.
Why was the first smartphone called Mi 1, and not Xiaomi 1?
Myths and Reality: What Really Happened to Success
There are many myths around Xiaomi, and let's look at the most common ones.
⚠️ Attention: Many people think that Xiaomi is copying Apple, but this is not quite true. Yes, the first Mi smartphones looked like the iPhone, but the company always emphasized hardware superiority at a lower price. For example, the Mi 2 (2012) had a more powerful processor than the iPhone 5, at a price of 2 times lower.
Myth 1: “Xiaomi sells devices at a loss.” In fact, the company uses a minimum margin (5-10%) on hardware, offsetting this with revenues from services (Mi Cloud, Mi Pay, advertising in MIUI) and accessories (earphones, powerbank, etc.).
Myth 2: "Lei Jun is the sole founder." As we saw earlier, the success is the effort of a team of 8 people, each of whom was an expert in their field.
Myth 3: “Xiaomi is just smartphones.” Today, Xiaomi’s ecosystem includes more than 400 categories of smart devices, from Mi Electric Toothbrush electric toothbrushes to Mi Air Purifier air purifiers and even electric vehicles (the Xiaomi EV project).
Xiaomi’s current position: from startup to tech giant
For 2026, Xiaomi is:
- 📊 3rd place in the world in smartphone sales (after Samsung and Apple).
- 🌐 Presence at 100+ countries including Russia, India, Spain and France.
- 💰 $29 billion in revenue in 2023 (an increase of 14% compared to 2022).
- 🤖 The leader in the number of IoT devices (more than 600 million connected gadgets).
The company continues to innovate: in 2023, the first Xiaomi SU7 electric car (together with BAIC Group) was introduced, as well as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra smartphone with the revolutionary Leica Summilux camera. Lei Jun says that the future of the company is in the development of AIoT (artificial intelligence + Internet of Things) and autonomous vehicles.
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Xiaomi’s top secret is not low prices, but vertical integration: it controls the entire cycle from chip development (with Qualcomm) to production and sales, which minimizes costs and quickly responds to trends.