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The Xiaomi case explores how this Chinese start-up leveraged ubiquitous connectivity and open innovation to revolutionize the mobile phone industry in the global market. In less than five years it became the world’s third largest mobile phone maker and second most valuable start-up. This progress is even more dazzling considering the organization’s business model, which differs considerably from traditional Chinese firms. Investors saw Xiaomi as social media giant capable of mobilizing an enormous fan base in its product development, like many Silicon Valley start-ups. Some even saw Xiaomi as marking a new wave of Chinese companies focused on developing new capabilities rather than manufacturing. Perhaps the strongest endorsement came from a former Android executive, Hugo Barra, who left Google to join Xiaomi in October 2013 to manage the company’s international expansion. Xiaomi - which means 'little rice' or 'millet' in Chinese, may not be that small after all.