Olympic athletes are talented. But can they achieve anything without working hard and staying focused?
I never went to business school; neither did I receive electronics or electrical engineering training at school - training which is common among industry analysts.
In 1985 when I started my career as an analyst, my supervisors and colleagues were all graduates from bsuiness- or economics-related departments at prestigius universities. The only thing I could do was to do what they didn't do or provided them with more materials in Korean - a language that I speak.
I was really lucky to be working with an amazing group of supervisors and peers at the start of my career. But I knew I couldn't transcend myself by simply following the existing work patterns.
Then I decided that I should do something different to bring complementary benefits for the team. I focused on what my colleagues didn't do and often achieved remarkable results. Over time I earned my supervisors' trust and got promoted. But on top of this, I enjoyed myself more in industrial research and knowledge.
My career path coincided perfectly with the development of the IT industry. I was engaged in industry research at MIC for 12 years from 1985 - when the first PC was introduced to the market - all the way to 1997 when I left MIC as its director. During the period when Taiwan's IT industry took shape, I managed to build up a priceless network of personal connections through my work.
In the early 1990s, I had the opportunities to deliver lectures to IT industrial leaders such as Stan Shih, Morris Chang, and Miao Fengqiang. At that time, there were no Internet services or mobile phones. The fastest way for industry leaders to get information was to contact me directly. For 36 years, I have worked as an analyst, but I've never got slack, particularly over the past few years, because I am running a platform focusing on providing information about the electronics industry in the dark age of traditional media.
Hsieh Su-wei, a 35-year-old Taiwanese tennis player, said after winning her third Wimbledon women's doubles title in 2021 that "I work harder because of my age." World No. 1 women's badminton player Tai Zu-ying says she plays to prove that her life is worth it. As for me, I also hope that my life is worthwhile, and helpful to society.
(Editor's note: This is part of a series by DIGITIMES Asia president Colley Hwang about industry research work.)
