Since October 2023, the startup company Sounds Great joined in the 1st Batch of LITEON+ Accelerator Program at the X SITE. Their team members became the frequent visitors at the X SITE. The following highlights the content of this interview.
Ted Zhou is the founder of Sounds Great. His professional background and passion for innovative technology have guided his team in developing the world's first semiconductor power chip capable of generating force, thereby ushering in a new era for electronic technology. Beyond his expertise, he has a keen interest in exploring the unknown and applying innovative concepts to product development, which in turn propels the industry to new heights. He firmly believes that continuous learning and innovation are the keys to achieving excellence. Sounds Great is committed to integrating this spirit into every product and service, looking forward to bringing more possibilities to the world.
Ryan Wang is the R&D Manager at Sounds Great, in charge of designing semiconductor acoustic products and communicating with suppliers. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2021, and he is also a serial entrepreneur. During his doctoral studies, he not only published 18 academic papers in international journals but also embarked on student entrepreneurship based on his research topics. He received numerous awards for his efforts and was honored to be featured by China Central Television, presenting his entrepreneurial project to a national audience. In 2020, he was selected for the Jiangsu Province Zhangjiagang City Entrepreneurial Leadership Talent Program. Subsequently, he got married and moved to Taiwan with his wife, choosing to join Sounds Great to continue pursuing his entrepreneurial dream.
Ted: I began entrepreneurship during my student years, initially unsure if it was entrepreneurship. I just knew that my personality wasn't suited for employment. I'm the type of person who excels when passionate about something and lacks motivation when uninterested. Additionally, my father had a background in entrepreneurship, and I spent my childhood playing in his company, which influenced me.
While studying chemistry in college, I worked on materials for bulletproof vests using graphene and spider silk protein. Testing materials with coating and weaving, they were found suitable for speaker diaphragms. This accidental discovery led me to delve into speaker knowledge and experience. After two or three years, I entered the chemistry graduate program at Fu Jen Catholic University. I initially focused on cancer drug research but, due to a lack of experimental funds, switched topics in the third semester. I exchanged the materials I had made at home for my graduation certificate. Later, due to certain circumstances, I transferred to the in-service program in the Department of Life Science.
During this time, I participated in an entrepreneurship competition called FIT under TTA, a project under the National Science Council's 2018 Innovative Entrepreneurial Incentive Program. I formed a team of 14 people from school, achieved a top-ten ranking, and received a cash prize. However, due to issues related to prize distribution, the team disbanded, with only Wu, who studied martial arts, staying to accompany me in entrepreneurship.
We later participated in the Belt and Road Entrepreneurship Competition through connections. Competing with over ten thousand teams in Xiamen, we secured fifth place. We were able to establish a presence with funding from the Chinese government, covering accommodation, living expenses, bonuses, and office space. During the residency, they facilitated connections with enterprises and venture capital. Allen and I spent over a year in Xiamen through this opportunity.
Later, we encountered some technical issues. The original material intended for bulletproof vests couldn't undergo heat pressing, a common method for forming speaker diaphragms. We had to use post-processing to mold it and then apply a coating to enhance the sound quality and volume of the speaker. However, an investor assessed this technology as having 'cabbage-like profits and drug-like risks,' prompting us to consider switching projects.
During an official promotion of China's semiconductor industry, we learned about significant investments in the sector. This sparked the idea of exploring the possibility of using semiconductors in the speaker-related field, eventually leading to the concept of semiconductor speakers. The project gradually matured between 2019 and 2021. However, we were still far from marketization. We needed to surpass traditional speakers in efficiency, size, or sound quality. So, we spent almost two years evaluating which direction would make us more competitive in the market. Currently, our biggest advantage seems to be the superior size and efficiency compared to traditional speakers. We are looking to develop in markets such as smartwatches and smartphones.
Ryan: No. When I submitted my resume, I was already in Taiwan. I pursued mechanical engineering all the way to a Ph.D. in mainland China. I met my Taiwanese wife in mainland China and immigrated to Taiwan through family reunification. When looking for a job, despite applying to larger companies, I intentionally sought out a smaller company because I also wanted to explore the entrepreneurial path.
During my Ph.D., our research projects were technologically advanced in mainland China. Although the market for our technology wasn't as extensive as acoustic products with markets in the tens or hundreds of billions, our technology was leading domestically. We had commercialized products and equipment developed in collaboration with external companies, which we could sell to major enterprises. When I joined, they had been operating for over two decades, focusing on optimizing equipment and processes. During this time, I actively participated in numerous entrepreneurial competitions, presented our projects, and engaged with many investors to explore potential opportunities.
In the last one to two years of my Ph.D., I gradually started getting involved in entrepreneurial activities. Initially, as I wasn't specialized in acoustics, there was a steep learning curve for me. I observed the entire team exploring new concepts, theories, and technologies during the research and development process. Through collaborative learning, I quickly grew and bridged many gaps in the field of acoustics.
Ted: We actually spent a long time considering his resume, and almost missed out on the opportunity. The first interview was conducted online, but due to some reasons, we couldn't schedule the second round for a while. It wasn't until a Sunday at the last minute that we managed to arrange the second interview. Right after the interview, we hoped he would join us. At that time, he was originally scheduled to start at another company the next day. However, he canceled the offer from the other company and joined our team for our project.
Ted: In the process of entrepreneurship, I have been continually learning how to lead a team. One incident triggered deep reflection for me. Personally, I don't like being managed, especially by someone I perceive as weaker than me. I wanted to avoid fostering such a culture in our company. How can you expect someone with weaker capabilities to manage someone more skilled? I believed in letting individuals shine in areas where they excel. However, following this mindset, I elevated one highly capable employee too much, turning him into the de facto opinion leader in the team. This led to distrust from other team members, partly due to my lack of entrepreneurial experience and confidence at the time, resulting in excessive reliance on this employee.
After some events and a team restructuring, this employee and some others left. This incident made me realize the need to adjust my leadership style.
Ted: After coming to LITEON+, the most significant difference is that, since returning from mainland China to Taiwan, we started renting independent offices. It became a routine encounter with the same people, and everyone was engaged in similar activities. Over time, flexibility decreased, and the atmosphere became stagnant. The benefit of a shared office space is the diversity of people you encounter – LITEON employees, startup team members, along with the organization hosting various courses or lectures. The entire atmosphere and mindset are dynamic. Due to this environment, we've successfully negotiated some collaborations, including recent fundraising with Unimicron, Forgrand and PITOTECH. We've also initiated discussions with potential clients for development projects, and these developments have been very positive.
I believe that achieving at least one order with successful shipment is already quite challenging this year. As for the next one to two years, we hope to have at least three different types of products and customers. Looking ahead three to five years, there's a possibility of going public or being acquired. This is our current expectation for the future.
Since October 2023, the startup company Sounds Great joined in the 1st Batch of LITEON+ Accelerator Program at the X SITE. Their team members became the frequent visitors at the X SITE. The following highlights the content of this interview.
Ted: I began entrepreneurship during my student years, initially unsure if it was entrepreneurship. I just knew that my personality wasn't suited for employment. I'm the type of person who excels when passionate about something and lacks motivation when uninterested. Additionally, my father had a background in entrepreneurship, and I spent my childhood playing in his company, which influenced me.
While studying chemistry in college, I worked on materials for bulletproof vests using graphene and spider silk protein. Testing materials with coating and weaving, they were found suitable for speaker diaphragms. This accidental discovery led me to delve into speaker knowledge and experience. After two or three years, I entered the chemistry graduate program at Fu Jen Catholic University. I initially focused on cancer drug research but, due to a lack of experimental funds, switched topics in the third semester. I exchanged the materials I had made at home for my graduation certificate. Later, due to certain circumstances, I transferred to the in-service program in the Department of Life Science.
During this time, I participated in an entrepreneurship competition called FIT under TTA, a project under the National Science Council's 2018 Innovative Entrepreneurial Incentive Program. I formed a team of 14 people from school, achieved a top-ten ranking, and received a cash prize. However, due to issues related to prize distribution, the team disbanded, with only Wu, who studied martial arts, staying to accompany me in entrepreneurship.
We later participated in the Belt and Road Entrepreneurship Competition through connections. Competing with over ten thousand teams in Xiamen, we secured fifth place. We were able to establish a presence with funding from the Chinese government, covering accommodation, living expenses, bonuses, and office space. During the residency, they facilitated connections with enterprises and venture capital. Allen and I spent over a year in Xiamen through this opportunity.
Later, we encountered some technical issues. The original material intended for bulletproof vests couldn't undergo heat pressing, a common method for forming speaker diaphragms. We had to use post-processing to mold it and then apply a coating to enhance the sound quality and volume of the speaker. However, an investor assessed this technology as having 'cabbage-like profits and drug-like risks,' prompting us to consider switching projects.
During an official promotion of China's semiconductor industry, we learned about significant investments in the sector. This sparked the idea of exploring the possibility of using semiconductors in the speaker-related field, eventually leading to the concept of semiconductor speakers. The project gradually matured between 2019 and 2021. However, we were still far from marketization. We needed to surpass traditional speakers in efficiency, size, or sound quality. So, we spent almost two years evaluating which direction would make us more competitive in the market. Currently, our biggest advantage seems to be the superior size and efficiency compared to traditional speakers. We are looking to develop in markets such as smartwatches and smartphones.
Ryan: No. When I submitted my resume, I was already in Taiwan. I pursued mechanical engineering all the way to a Ph.D. in mainland China. I met my Taiwanese wife in mainland China and immigrated to Taiwan through family reunification. When looking for a job, despite applying to larger companies, I intentionally sought out a smaller company because I also wanted to explore the entrepreneurial path.
During my Ph.D., our research projects were technologically advanced in mainland China. Although the market for our technology wasn't as extensive as acoustic products with markets in the tens or hundreds of billions, our technology was leading domestically. We had commercialized products and equipment developed in collaboration with external companies, which we could sell to major enterprises. When I joined, they had been operating for over two decades, focusing on optimizing equipment and processes. During this time, I actively participated in numerous entrepreneurial competitions, presented our projects, and engaged with many investors to explore potential opportunities.
In the last one to two years of my Ph.D., I gradually started getting involved in entrepreneurial activities. Initially, as I wasn't specialized in acoustics, there was a steep learning curve for me. I observed the entire team exploring new concepts, theories, and technologies during the research and development process. Through collaborative learning, I quickly grew and bridged many gaps in the field of acoustics.
Ted: We actually spent a long time considering his resume, and almost missed out on the opportunity. The first interview was conducted online, but due to some reasons, we couldn't schedule the second round for a while. It wasn't until a Sunday at the last minute that we managed to arrange the second interview. Right after the interview, we hoped he would join us. At that time, he was originally scheduled to start at another company the next day. However, he canceled the offer from the other company and joined our team for our project.
Ted: In the process of entrepreneurship, I have been continually learning how to lead a team. One incident triggered deep reflection for me. Personally, I don't like being managed, especially by someone I perceive as weaker than me. I wanted to avoid fostering such a culture in our company. How can you expect someone with weaker capabilities to manage someone more skilled? I believed in letting individuals shine in areas where they excel. However, following this mindset, I elevated one highly capable employee too much, turning him into the de facto opinion leader in the team. This led to distrust from other team members, partly due to my lack of entrepreneurial experience and confidence at the time, resulting in excessive reliance on this employee.
After some events and a team restructuring, this employee and some others left. This incident made me realize the need to adjust my leadership style.
Ted: After coming to LITEON+, the most significant difference is that, since returning from mainland China to Taiwan, we started renting independent offices. It became a routine encounter with the same people, and everyone was engaged in similar activities. Over time, flexibility decreased, and the atmosphere became stagnant. The benefit of a shared office space is the diversity of people you encounter – LITEON employees, startup team members, along with the organization hosting various courses or lectures. The entire atmosphere and mindset are dynamic. Due to this environment, we've successfully negotiated some collaborations, including recent fundraising with Unimicron, Forgrand and PITOTECH. We've also initiated discussions with potential clients for development projects, and these developments have been very positive.
I believe that achieving at least one order with successful shipment is already quite challenging this year. As for the next one to two years, we hope to have at least three different types of products and customers. Looking ahead three to five years, there's a possibility of going public or being acquired. This is our current expectation for the future.
