Xindanwei | 新单位 A new way of working | 一种新的工作方式

[lang_en]September Featured People: Young Tech Entrepreneur – Gao Chaofan

Interview & Translation / Liu Yan

1.Who are you? What do you do?

My name is Gao Chaofan. I am the founder and managing director of Meige Information Technology, a tech-firm focused on facial recognition technology.

2.What is your background? What makes you do what you do now?

My background is pretty complicated. My university study was the starting point of my tech career. I am graduated from Electronics and Information Technology at Shanghai University of Science and Technology, a not-so-great institution. The major wasn’t what I wanted either. I was interested in business administration because of my family background.

3.And this study was still the starting point of your entrepreneurship?

Yes. I didn’t own a computer before I entrolled in university, internet was unknown at that time. But I was pretty positive about my major and believed the computer skill would be always helpful for me to find a job. So I studied pretty hard in order to acquire many certificates on computer programming including all the Microsoft qualifications, which provided me an internship opportunity at a leading American computer technology company during my second grade. After half year internship, I realized programming job was not something I was passionate about, I was more and more aware that I liked to deal with people not machines. This was a big turning point of my life. After I finished my internship, I started a fake shoe business and made some money out of it. With these money, I had a chance to travel to the UK and visited some of British universities, which again opened my eyes: I realized there were so much to be learned to apply technology in different businesses. Five years later, I quit a high management job at a leading Chinese technology company and went to the UK to pursue my technology entrepreneurship study, which was the foundation of my current business.

4.How was your first job after leaving university?

Because of my outstanding performance during internship, I found a job as a programmer at a leading Chinese technology company. Soon I moved to a business development position and became a product manager. As a little product manager, I have learned everything about the business management from filling a form to designing logistic procurement, from quality control to marketing, from channel development to pricing strategy, etc.

5.How did this job lead to the path of entrepreneurship?

Three years later, I started to feel great about myself. So I left my company and started my own business. Without any experience, I ended up having only one RMB left in my pocket sometimes. With this one RMB, I walked to a client in Xujiahui to sell him our office automation software. He told me to leave right away after I gave him our quotation. But when I left his office, I had a 120-thousand-RMB-value contract in my bag. (laugh) The real reason was, I did the whole analysis for him why he needed to pay the amount I quoted and what kind of potentials and solutions our product could provide to update their information management system. In the end, he was convinced and signed the deal with us.

6.How did you start your current project?

Two years after my first business, I felt I had entered into a bottle neck and needed some time to do some reflection and re-planning to my future. I went to the UK with my girlfriend to study Technology Entrepreneurship at University College London. This master study has led me to my current project. This project was started pure out of interest by my classmates and myself. After I returned to China, we gradually started to realize its commercial value. In August we were able to show investor the real applications of this technology. Our project will focus on virtual make-up as key selling point, including three core technologies: facial recognition, color algorism and image warping. Several investors are supporting this project at this moment.

7.Who are the target customers and how do you satisfy their needs?

Our target customers are the young urban females who love using internet and cosmetic. For instance, you make a photo for yourself with your cell phone and upload it to the computer. We would be able recognize your face and start to put on make-up through simple clicks. The system will tell you what makeup you wear and where you can buy them and how much. In the beginning we have wanted to make it a SNS, but faced too many challenges. So we just focus on our added-values: First, the practical value of being a easy-to-use technology. Second, the commercial value, our ability to turn the curiosity and purchasing intention into real purchase decision.

8.As an entrepreneur, what is the biggest challenge for you? Finding the idea? Finding the team? or finding the investment?

Finding the team is the most difficult part. My current team is really good. There is not a lack of funding in China, what we are in shortage of is good project and good team to implement the project. Idea is just the starting point. How to organize a stable, innovative and hard-working team to realize your idea is the most important part for a startup. If you have a good idea plus a good team, the investment will come to you. Generally speaking, it is not easy to be an entrepreneur, so much pressure. If we fail, my team will lose their jobs. I feel so much responsibilities toward my team, the team will perform greatly if you treat them well and heartily. Many young people don’t understand this.

9.How did you find Xindanwei? How can Xindanwei support you as a startup platform?

I had a good look at your website! haha I really like the atmosphere here. The location is central and easy to reach and the cost is reasonable. To be honest, I didn’t expect too much when we just moved in, we thought it was just a workspace. But on the long term, we sincerely wish to be supported to find the right talents, foreign or Chinese. I heard Xindanwei was very famous among national and local media, we would be love to be promoted through this platform.

To Contact Gao Chaofan:
gaochaofan@hotmail.com[/lang_en]

[lang_cn]人物（九月）：年轻的科技创业者－高超凡

采访和翻译／刘妍

问：能自我介绍一下吗？

答：我叫高超凡，是魅格信息技术有限公司的创始人和总经理。我们致力于脸部识别技术的开发和应用。

问：能介绍一下你的背景吗？

答：我的经历也算是复杂的吧，我是82年生人。要追溯现在的工作，要从我的大学说起，我是上海理工大学毕业的，不是一个特别好的大学，当时我本来第一志愿是复旦或则财大，但是当时落榜了，分数实际上还考得挺不错的，然后进入上海理工。本来我们家是做生意的，我是想去学business这一块，但是莫名其妙进入了电子信息专业，也不知道要学什么，很迷茫。

问：你大学学得这个专业是不是你目前创业的起点的呢？

答：可以说是吧。我大学之前没有电脑，在我们那个时代没有电脑很正常的，除了网吧，没有真正网络。但是我性格比较开朗，虽然对电子信息的理解完全就是学电脑的，但想到电脑反正是未来的一种工具，总应该去学，我就好好学。当时考了很多证书，MCSE，MCSD等等当时挺牛的证，考了将近20门微软的测试，我把微软所有的证全拿到了，而且分数还拿得挺高，所以到02年的时候我就得到一次机会去国际领先的（简称M）公司实习，去协助编写全球题库，在大二的时候。当时对自己的状态挺自豪的，第一，我从一个不懂电脑的人到M认可我，我去给别人出题。第二，作为一个大学生，我实习一天的工资是200元。但是这样做了半年左右，我发现技术应该不是我未来的发展道路，每天对着电脑我会觉得很枯燥，尽管当时是在徐家汇高档写字楼上班，很好的环境，但是短暂的兴奋过后，我发现我更喜欢跟人去打交道，而不是机器。这也是我很重要的一次转变，当时项目也结束了，我就出来回到学校，接着做了很多事，比如：卖盗版运动鞋。发了一笔小财，用这些钱去英国旅游，第一次走出国门，看看外面的世界。当时走了各个大学得open day，我把国内的大学与英国的大学做对比。我发现我还有很多东西要去学，这也是我工作5年之后毅然决定再次出国留学的原因。看到了国外对于信息的运用，明白了IT技术将是未来的所有领域的一套工具。创业并建立自己的事业一直是我的梦想，但是必然要经过很长的一段道路去做准备。

问：大学里毕业第一份工作是怎么样的？

答：因为实习的表现较好，大四出学校我直接进入中国最大的技术公司H公司工作。开始公司因为我的技术背景，想培养我作为技术支持，记得当时我找一位产品总监（就是我第一个老板）去谈谈我想去更多接触市场的部门而不是技术部门，我觉得我的技术专业在一家IT公司的BD将会是我的优势所在。很幸运，他接受我的意见让我进入刚成立的服务器产品事业部做产品专员。刚开始，作为一个小部门得小专员，要做很多少，要和每个部门沟通，什么事情都要做，从最简单的表格到物流设计，品质管理，到最终的市场推广，市场分析到后来作为产品经理的渠道建立，价格策略等等。

问：后来怎么开始创业的呢？

答：三年之后，说实话，作为年轻人，有些飘飘然，觉得自己够强了。所以07年毅然离开公司，开始自己创业做系统集成商。创业需要热情需要经验。最艰难的时候，身上只有一块钱了，公司也弹尽粮绝了，第二天要到徐家汇谈生意，生意谈不下可能就死了，从上海火车站走到徐家汇，进去对方老板让直接报价，我说那OA（办公自动流程软件）五万，他说你回去吧，但是最后我出来的时候，是带了一笔12万的合同出来的，所以有的时候只有你真正经历过才知道你的极限在哪里。他说那个东西不值5万，2、3万就搞定了，但是我最后带了12万的合同出来，是因为我有专业的知识，可以去有针对的去分析他们公司的问题。从今他们公司的第一刻，就开始观察他们的工作环境和流程，去发现问题找出解决方案。可以说，我提出的方案已经把他们公司很多所遇到的问题罗列了，只是他们不知道信息化管理已经可以做到这种程度，也就是说他们需要把方案价值重新估量，我举例说明之前公司OA的使用经验，这些都是我实际使用过并且规划过的东西。

问：你是怎么开始你目前的创业项目的？

答：两年之后，虽然挣了钱，但现实并不完全认同我的价值，这家小公司，很难去做大（当然也是因为遇到金融危机）。对于创业的目的迷茫了。当时觉得应该反省一下过往并且对未来重新规划，同时我和女朋友分别得到了伦敦大学学院和帝国理工大学（都是全球排名前10强的名校）的offer。我硕士学位的专业是Technology Entreprenurership （高科技创业），和现在创业的关联性很强。我的学院叫工程和创新学院，所以我也有机会加入到各种各样的项目里面去，所以接触到很多很好的项目。回国之后，目前的这个项目，开始适合一群技术人员来完成一个程序，渐渐地由单纯的技术热情发现了我们所做的商业价值。直到今年8月份我们做出来的东西才真正赋予了应用能力，有了技术突破。我们之后的项目会以虚拟化妆效果为切入点，主要包括三项技术，人脸识别，颜色算法和形状算法。还是很有意思，目前很多投资机构已经有进入意愿并且在实际操作当中了。

问：你们的目标客户是哪一群人？你们怎么满足她们的需要？

答：我们的目标客户是都市时尚女性，喜欢用网络和化妆品的时尚女性都是我们的目标客户。比如你用手机拍一张你的照片并上传，我们就可以把你的脸部特征识别出来，通过一个按键就可以上妆，然后系统告诉你上了那些妆，这些东西到哪里可以买到，以及相应产品的价格，后面的产业链就形成了。一开始的时候我们想做SNS，受到很多challenge。我们一直在想我们的价值在哪里，第一是有实用价值，很直观的技术。其次是商业价关联性，其实之后的关联很多，因为我们发现使用用户已经非常贴近消费冲动了，我们的产品可以催化购买行为。

问：做为创业者，找到idea，团队，最后融资，你觉得这里面哪一个比较困难？

答：我觉得团队是最困难的，这个算起来是我的第二个团队，我的团队很优秀。我觉得中国的情况是不缺资金，缺的是好项目和项目的执行能力。对于初次创业者，单纯的idea是不够的。一个稳定，有创新能力，有实现能力的团队才能保证你的想法最终被展现，才有可能赢得融资。其实创业总体来讲是很难的，就像我现在，我压力就很大，如果这家公司失败了，将近10个人就要面临失业，现在年轻人工资不高，大部分人都是月光。现在电子产品出来的很快，我们又要去接触它们，花钱很快，所以我的压力就很大，要以心比心的对待你的员工，他们才会用心的为你工作，这是一个互相的过程，这种责任感不是现在刚毕业的年轻人可以体会的，这是需要一次次的磨练。

问：你是怎样找到新单位的？你觉得新单位做为一个平台在那些方面能够帮到你？

答：我先看到你们的网站，觉得这个氛围挺不错。处于市中心，交通适中，成本能够承受。实话实说刚进来的时候没有对新单位平台有太多的了解，更单纯的是把这里作为一个办公场地。一方面也是因为本身我们也是有这方面的资源的，我虽然我的团队是一个技术团队，但是在运营方面并不是特别担忧，而且已经有适当的人才储备。但从长远来看，我们仍然希望得到人才方面的帮助，国内国外的。至于渠道的推广方面，听说你们这里定期的有媒体的在这里的派对，有一些宣传的帮助，至少有人帮你传递出这样的一个信息。

联系高超凡:
gaochaofan@hotmail.com[/lang_cn]