The start of 2020 is not smooth, the global epidemic has not yet ended, and the international situation is treacherous and changeable, and this is a time full of uncertainty. However, no matter what market environment is in, one thing may be to deal with complex minimalist strate

The previous Japan-South Korea trade war made us see that even a recognized chip industry power like South Korea lacks several seemingly inconspicuous Japanese raw materials, the entire factory is facing the dilemma of shutting down production.

The development of the chip industry still requires open cooperation, and finally integrate into the international industrial chain to ensure that you have me and I have you. No one can leave anyone. And it is unrealistic to work behind closed doors.

In the past two years, China has begun to attach great importance to the chip industry. What do you think are our main opportunities?

Yang Chonghe: An era of massive data is coming. The application of artificial intelligence in the fields of Internet of Things, 5G, medical and health care, autonomous driving, etc. will generate unprecedented huge amounts of data. The processing and use of these data will put forward new demands for chips, and they are an important driving force for the great development of the chip industry.

The broad market space has brought new development opportunities to the chip industry, and with the continuous enhancement of domestic companies' technical R&D capabilities, domestic integrated circuit design companies will also discover new development opportunities.

About entrepreneurial experience: Only by "becoming stronger first", can

"becoming bigger again"

initially choose the semiconductor industry?

Yang Chonghe: Because I studied this major in school, I also worked in this industry. Starting a business naturally requires finding a familiar field. As the saying goes, "If you can't do it, you can't do it well."

For almost 30 years, you have been focusing on the semiconductor industry and have always focused on the analog and mixed signal fields in the semiconductor industry. Whether it is Xintao or Lanqi Technology, whether it is making set-top box chips or memory interface chips, why did you choose this segment?

Yang Chonghe: is because I worked in the field of simulation and mixed signals from the beginning. Whether during my doctoral research or later engaged in R&D, I did not change my path. Gradually accumulating knowledge and experience in this field, we naturally continue to do it in this field. Since I left school, I have never left the major I studied. Whether it is work or entrepreneurship, many entrepreneurs are not like this.

How to focus on entrepreneurship along the way? Many people want to expand when they have a little success when starting a business. Have you ever been tempted by this? How to restrain the urge to expand?

Yang Chonghe: I have always believed that only by "being stronger first" can one "become bigger". Find a suitable field, work hard and work hard. When you don’t reach the top two in your own field (because you don’t have meat to eat at the third place, you often have to drink soup), don’t rush to plow other people’s fields. With this concept, you can focus without restraint.

After founding Xintao and completing the merger and acquisition, why did he choose to start a business continuously? Is Xintao not achieving his goal yet?

Yang Chonghe: This is indeed a question I have been thinking about for a long time at that time. Many people invest after successful business. But I may be too deeply trapped in the semiconductor industry and can't get it out. In addition, I also feel that the integrated circuit industry must always be valued and taken off, and it is a promising industry. So after thinking about it, I decided to stay in the industry and continue to start a business.

When you started your second business, you were already in your 40s. You have to start from scratch and face an uncertain market environment. Have you ever been shaken?

Yang Chonghe: that doesn’t. I carefully analyzed the industrial form and economic environment at that time, and felt that the future of the semiconductor industry was very good and I could do a big move. Financial freedom is not contradictory to doing things.

Judging from your life experience, there are many options that do not follow the environment, including choosing Silicon Valley after graduation instead of a higher-paying large enterprise; a few years later, he resolutely returned to China and devoted himself to the domestic chip industry, which is still poor and deserted; after Xintao succeeded, he started his business and started a second time to work in Lanqi Technology. How do you think when making key decisions?

Yang Chonghe: I have a habit of thinking about things that everyone takes for granted. In addition, try to keep your toes and let yourself see far. I have always believed that China's chip industry will have bright prospects. After seeing the light ahead, it is not difficult to make a decision to set sail. The next thing is to persist, regardless of the wind and rain. From design to manufacturing,

chips need to integrate billions of semiconductor devices into the area of ​​the fingernail size, and no errors are allowed. According to Dr. Yin Zhiyao (Chairman and CEO of China Micro Semiconductor), this is the most complex thing that mankind has invented so far. It's really hard to play it well! Only by focusing on one's mind can one have the possibility of success.

When is the most difficult time node for Lanqi Technology?

Yang Chonghe: I don’t know how to answer questions like “most”. Over the past fifteen years, Lanqi Technology has encountered various difficulties in its growth, and we have overcome them and come over them. If you have to answer the word "the hardest", I think it should be: how to defeat the "old me" and meet the challenge when encountering new challenges. I always think that the hardest thing is to overcome and surpass the "old me". When

was developing memory interface chips, Lanqi Technology missed several major opportunities. It took almost ten years to make its current main product, DDR4 memory interface chip. During this period, many competitors gave up or died.Why can Lanqi Technology become a few "surplusers"?

Yang Chonghe: I think there are three things in it. First, see clearly that this is a promising field; second, confirm that you have the ability to make first-class products; third, make sure that you have enough funds to support the marathon research and development of this project.

There were more than a dozen companies competing on this track, and most competitors either couldn't see the prospects clearly, or their technology could not keep up, or they simply lost money. Today there are only 3 companies left, and they become "the remaining ones are king".

Many interviewers once asked me, the most difficult thing in starting a business is whether the funds are facing difficulties. I said that this may be the hardest thing for most companies, but when Lanqi Technology was "the most difficult" in its economy, it also had more than 10 million US dollars in its account. So when some young friends asked me the tips for successful entrepreneurship, I like to answer with a sentence from Professor Gao Bingqiang: Make sure you get more money in than you get out!

is gone, and no matter how good the product and team are, they will be zeroed. Finally, it is also important to point out that we have a board of directors that respects the entrepreneurial team very much. In the ten years of hard work, the board of directors fully supported it without giving up.

Some people say that you have a strong academic temperament. When you were in the United States, you mainly do R&D work in the laboratory. Many technical entrepreneurs will fail the project because they do not understand the market or the operation. What pitfalls did you step into when you first started your business? How to overcome it?

Yang Chonghe: I returned to China in 1994, and the conditions for entrepreneurship in China were far from ripe at that time. So I joined Shanghai Beiling and planned to build Beiling's new product research and development department, developed products during the day, taught engineers at night, and set up accounts and taught apprentices at Fudan University and Jiaotong University. At the same time, I also spent time to understand the market.

Founded Xintao Technology in 1997. I am the youngest of the three start-ups and are responsible for R&D. The CEO is Dr. Cen Yingquan, an experienced entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. Mr. Huang Haoming, my old leader when I worked in Silicon Valley, is responsible for marketing and sales. I learned a lot from them. After the merger of Xintao and IDT, both of them were "liberated". I was "detained" for three years and served as IDT's vice president and general manager of China, and learned a lot.

By the time I started my second business as CEO, I had accumulated rich experience. So, I was lucky to avoid some mistakes that startups would make and some pitfalls that might be trampled on. Of course, the road to entrepreneurship is not smooth sailing for anyone, and it is very important to have firm beliefs and clear ideas. Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a 100-meter sprint. Only by perseverance can you outperform your opponent.

Your previous entrepreneurial experience is basically continuous linearly, and it seems that the future will change from line to surface. Lanqi Technology has started to make server CPUs, and will also make AI chips in data centers in the future. How long has this plan been brewing? Is concentration contradictory to expansion?

Yang Chonghe: I said before, we insist on the strategy of becoming stronger first and then bigger. After more than ten years of hard work, we have already occupied a place in the memory interface segment, so we naturally need to expand our product line. Lanqi Technology focuses on the cloud and data centers, so we have taken a step to the server CPU field. At the same time, we have also begun to study what the next requirements are in AI computing in data centers and clouds? What kind of solutions should the chip provide?

At first glance, these two new directions seem to have no direct relationship with memory interface chips, but in fact they are closely related. They are both on the server side and on the cloud. This layout is like playing Go, first making the corner alive, then occupying the edge, and then expanding to the middle abdomen. Rather than deliberation and planning, it is natural, and there are naturally no contradictions in what happens naturally. What is the long-term vision of

for Lanqi Technology? What kind of company do you hope it will become? Do you have a benchmark company in your mind?

Yang Chonghe: will focus on technological innovation in the field of integrated circuit design, focus on the fields of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, continuously meet customers' demand for high-performance chips, achieve leapfrog development of the enterprise through continuous accumulation, create good returns for shareholders, and contribute beneficial value to society.The company's development goal in the next three years is to enhance the company's market position and influence in segmented industries through continuous R&D and innovation, and contribute to the continuous enhancement of the world status of Chinese chip companies.

You have said that the Silicon Valley spirit has a profound impact on you. Which Silicon Valley company do you most recommend?

Yang Chonghe: The main innovations in the field of electronic technology in the early and mid-20th century were made by laboratories of large companies, such as AT; T's Bell Laboratory, IBM's Watson Research Center, RCA's Shanov Laboratory, etc. But later on, Silicon Valley's innovation capabilities became stronger and stronger, and many new technologies were developed by Silicon Valley startups. Today, Silicon Valley has long replaced the laboratories of these large companies and has become a veritable global science and technology innovation center.

The spirit of Silicon Valley is to allow innovation to create value, and the part that creates value is assisted by venture capital. Value comes from the market, so Silicon Valley has a high sensitivity to the market. Silicon Valley companies follow the market, follow demand, and pay attention to progress and efficiency. What we admire is the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley, but it is not a specific company. Silicon Valley companies are growing and falling, but the spirit of Silicon Valley supports new innovations to emerge.

Many domestic chip companies are single shareholders holding or relying on a giant company, such as Huawei HiSilicon, Tsinghua Unigroup, ZTE Microelectronics. Lanqi Technology is very special, with many shareholders, including both strategic investors and financial investors. What are the considerations when Lanqi Technology chooses shareholders?

Yang Chonghe: Our shareholder structure is more like a Silicon Valley company. In fact, the investment from investors from different backgrounds is an affirmation of the continuous enhancement of Lanqi Technology's strength and core competitiveness, and it also has far-reaching strategic significance for promoting the company's accelerated development. This also indicates that Lanqi Technology is about to enter a new development track.

Along the way, I should have a deep feeling for capital. What experience can I share with latecomers?

Yang Chonghe: The long-lasting development of an enterprise cannot be separated from the support of capital. This time, Lanqi Technology entered the Science and Technology Innovation Board and entered the capital market, providing a better opportunity and a broader stage for Lanqi Technology to further develop and grow. We hope that more and more companies will join in, relying on the advantages of the Shanghai Stock Exchange platform and the support of the capital market, further strengthen and expand, and jointly promote China's scientific and technological innovation.

About personal: stick to "useless things"

Can you share the reasons why you like classical art? What impact does your hobby have on running a business?

Yang Chonghe: John Ruskin once said: "The great nation combines its autobiography with three books: a book that records the lines, a book that carries the words, and a book that art. If you want to understand one of them, you must base it on the other two, and especially a book of art is the most trustworthy." Perhaps this is why I want to understand classical art.

Understand that art is actually “useless”, but people always have to do something useless in their lives. Tang Dynasty art historian Zhang Yanyuan has such expectations for his life: "If I don't do anything for nothing, how can I enjoy my life?" I cannot reach Zhang Yanyuan's realm, but I still have to learn from him in my spare time, so liking ancient paintings has become a specific manifestation of my learning from Zhang Yanyuan. Although reading paintings is an amateur interest, I will gradually experience it after reading them too much. Works that are not impatient, have some control over passion, and have some constraints on imagination often win people's long-term appreciation. The passionate painting gives us an experience more like watching an advertisement, which can instantly capture your eye, but its appeal will decrease over time.

These two styles of paintings may have a subtle influence on me in corporate management and product development. If I want to develop products with high technical and commercial thresholds, I must give up the model of rushing to achieve success and be able to endure loneliness and hard work. Only the products created in this way can occupy a certain share and relatively long-term position in the market. I once told engineers that we should make chips like carpenters in the Ming Dynasty.

is the deep abyss, and the movements are swaying Lanqi. Can this poem that inspired you to name Lanqi Technology?

Yang Chonghe: This poem has nothing to do with my personality. It is chosen to name the company. The company I founded before is called Xintao Technology, and "Tao" is followed by "Lan". "Tao Lanqi" contains the meaning of Lanqi Technology's continuation of Xintao, and has the expectation of "the next wave pushes the previous wave". I also hope that China's chip design industry can push the old wave and flourish.

Are there some things in life that have persisted for many years?

Yang Chonghe: mentioned earlier that a person should do something "useless" in his life. Today everyone is too busy and is busy with useful things, and I am no exception. It is actually not easy to insist on doing something useless. For many years, I often told myself to do something useless and read something useless. But I didn't do well either.

How do you allocate your time? What matters in the company you will ask about personally?

Yang Chonghe: 996 became a hot topic for a while, but when I was young, I often slept once every two days when I was in school or company when I was rushing for projects. No one cared about 996. This is how Silicon Valley was built. Therefore, the allocation of time is actually involuntarily in many cases, even today. Of course, when you are taking a break from your busy schedule, don’t forget to do useless things.

management company according to my opinion, there are two types. One is that the CEO is in the front and the team is supporting the support. This kind of personal heroism is more suitable for geniuses like Steve Jobs; there is another way to be the CEO as a supporter and the team rushes forward. In a sense, the CEO is responsible for building the stage, and the team is the actors, each showing its capabilities. This method seems to be more suitable for ordinary people like me.

How to keep your studies from being out of date? When encountering a problem you don’t understand, is it a person who thinks or asks for advice?

Yang Chonghe: It is important to maintain curiosity about things. Only in this way can we continue to learn and study. This is also the driving force for me to constantly explore and learn, whether it is science and technology or art history. When you encounter a problem you don’t understand, ask the person you understand. It’s not a smart way to keep thinking about it yourself. Only by constantly learning and reflecting can we make progress.

Which entrepreneur has the deepest influence on you?

Yang Chonghe: Bob Noyce. (Note: Bob Noyce is the patent owner of integrated circuits. He founded Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel, which laid the foundation for the industrial characteristics of the early Silicon Valley and was known as the "father of Silicon Valley".) Is

a book that has a profound impact on you?

Yang Chonghe: If the books that have influenced are those books that have been read in teenagers and still can still name them, then I still remember the names of these books:

"Dialogue on the System of Two Worlds" by Galileo "

"History of the Two Worlds" by Einstein and Infield co-authored by "Engineering of Physics "

"Collected Works of Einstein" by Xu Liangying and others

Long Yusheng's "Selected Poems of Famous Masters of Tang and Song

Deng Guangming's "Jiaxuan Ci Annotations"

Xia Chengtao 's "Jiang Baishi's Chronological Annotation"

Cao Xueqin 's " Dream of Red Mansions 's " Dream of Red Mansions 's "

Roman Rolland 's "John Christopher"

Hugo 's " Les Miserables 's

Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"

Of course, there are "Nuke" and "How Steel Is Tempered "... This book list can continue to be listed, it may reflect the shape of the knowledge of some people in our generation. Today's book list should be very different.

The main interest in amateur reading in recent years is in art history and related fields, such as:

Bukhart's "Cultural of the Italian Renaissance"

Pannovsky's "Imaging Research"

Gonbrich's "Art and Illusion"

Fang Wen's "Beyond Reappearance"

Gao Juhan's "Seam Colors"

Shi Shouqian's "Style and Changes in the World"

Fan Jingzhong's "Chinese Bamboo Culture"

Bai Qianshen's "Fu Shan's World"

These books have nothing to do with semiconductors. In a sense, they are books read for "useless things".

What is your personal dream?

Yang Chonghe: I returned to China 25 years ago. At that time, I was young and optimistic, with dreams, and felt that the semiconductor industry in the mainland had the opportunity to catch up with Taiwan and South Korea after working hard for 10 years. Now 1/4th of a century has passed, and we are still far from it. I hope that colleagues in the industry will work together to see if they can realize their dreams in another 10 years.

After sending Lanqi Technology to the Science and Technology Innovation Board, do you have any subsequent goals?

Yang Chonghe: Lanqi Technology is still a small company and there are still many things to do. Looking at the successful large semiconductor companies in the world, they have made great progress after listing, so listing of the company is only a milestone in the development process. Next, my team and I will focus on continuous innovation in this field, continuously meet customers' needs for high-performance chips, achieve leapfrog development of the company through accumulation, create good returns for shareholders, and contribute beneficial value to society.

Our development goal in the next three years is to enhance the company's market position and influence in the industry through R&D and innovation, and do our best to the semiconductor industry.

This article is from Yunfeng Finance