Entrepreneurship Corner of Silicon Power Technology

Insights for semiconductor Entrepreneurs

This is the first of what will be weekly commentary on best practices for semiconductor entrepreneurs in China today. Tune in each Monday for a new edition!

Becoming an entrepreneur in the semiconductor industry carries significant risks; team risk, design risk, financial risk, market risk and of course the unforeseen risk. Entrepreneurs must face these risks head on and not push them to the side. Addressing these risks requires personal fortitude, brave decision making and most importantly a network of advisors.

Too many entrepreneurs believe that starting a company requires that everything must be done by thee entrepreneur themselves. The reality is the opposite. The most successful entrepreneurs are talented at networking, seeking diverse opinions, listening to criticism, adjusting accordingly and pushing forward toward one’s goal.

Normally, we all operate in a forest of different opinions and recommendations. The successful entrepreneur is one who can differentiate the valuable tree from the less valuable tree. Analyzing the forest will not produce a clear path. Only by locating the valuable trees can one find the best path out of the forest!

These are notable comments, but how do we actually translate them into action? My first recommendation is to look inward. Entrepreneurs need to understand their personal motivation for becoming an entrepreneur. What is the core motivation? What are you actually trying to accomplish? Is your goal to strike it rich? Is your goal to achieve a significant design breakthrough? Locate this core motivation and plan your entrepreneurial path accordingly.

My second recommendation is to anchor yourself in reality. If you think an IC design will take 6 months and 3 million RMB to complete, don’t believe yourself. Consider what the backup plan could be. Consider where the problems are likely to occur? Consider whether your team has the appropriate talent or not? Don’t gloss over the details. The details are where the problems will develop.

My third recommendation is to learn to parallel process at the macro level and the micro level. As an entrepreneur, you will have to focus on the details of your chip design as well as simultaneously engage with investors to raise capital. This is not a simple skill to acquire. It takes practice and trial and error to achieve. Practice more, fail more and you will succeed more.

Finally, don’t be overly concerned with your company’s equity Cap Table in the beginning. Of course, you should retain as much equity as possible, but you should also consider using equity to attract the best talent, the best partners and the best early stage investors.

Next Week’s topic: How do I take the first step in creating my own company ?

矽能科技创业角：

话题：给半导体创业者的一些建议

这篇短评是针对当下中国半导体创业的系列文章的第一篇，在今后的每周一会持续刊载！

半导体创业者承担着巨大的风险，比如团队、芯片设计、财务、市场，以及其他难以预见的方面。创业者除了迎面而上以外，似乎没有可以回避这些风险的万全之策。而化解这些风险，除了需要创业者的信念、做决策的果敢，最重要的可能是顾问们带来的帮助。

许多创业者认为在创业的路上要事必躬亲，然而现实往往有悖于这种想法。那些最成功的创业者十分擅长拓宽人脉、接纳不同的观点、接受批评，并不断调整以朝着目标前进。

通常而言，我们都置身于充斥着不同观点和建议的“森林”中。成功的创业者则能在两棵“树木”中辨别哪一棵更有价值。分析整片“森林”不会为我们指出一条清晰的路径，只有去投身其中并去寻找那些更有价值的“树木”，才会找寻出一条最好的路。

这些是值得重视的建议，然而最终要怎样将建议转化为行动呢？我的第一个建议是：深入思考。创业者需要明晰他们创业的个人动机，诸如创业的内在动力是什么？想要实现什么？目标是致富，还是在设计上实现巨大的突破？依照着这些内在动机，去规划创业的路吧。

我的第二个建议是：脚踏实地。如果你认为一款IC设计的完成需要6个月时间以及3百万人民币支持即可，那你可能错了。你需要考虑备选方案是什么？如果出了问题，问题出在哪里？团队的技能储备是否匹配这个目标？不要忽略了细节，从细节处浮现问题。

我的第三个建议是：兼顾宏观及微观地处理事务。作为一个创业者，你需要同时兼顾芯片设计的细节处理，以及接触投资人以募集未来的融资。这可并不简单。这需要不断的尝试及试错。多尝试、多经历失败，你会更有可能成功。

最后，不要在刚开始时过于在意公司的股权结构。当然，在融资的过程中应用尽量少的股权去融到更多资本，不过也不要吝惜通过股权去招揽最优秀的人才、最好的合作伙伴、还有最专业的早期投资人。