Deep Dive with Hive — Yung-Pin Cheng, Co-Founder & CTO of IsCoolLab
NAME: Yung-Pin Cheng
Title: Co-Founder & CTO, IsCoolLab
1. Short Introduction of yourself and your startup：
Ans:
I am the Co-founder and CTO of IsCoolLab. I am also a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan.
In 2018, IsCoolLab was founded with a test automation product to address the problems of BIOS testing in PC/Server motherboard manufacturing. In 2020, the same technical core was refactored into an industrial RPA (Robotic Process Automation) product called Robotiive, that drives an RPA script from one machine to another. Robotiive uniquely addresses RPA problems, where software installation or networking connection are not allowed in some of the machine tools’ Industrial PC (IPC).
2. What inspired you to develop your idea into a startup?
Ans: Our startup started with a product, named KORAT, to address the problems of BIOS test automation in the EMS industry of PC/Server motherboards. The product originated from a lab project which was funded by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan Government.
3. What’s the biggest challenge you faced when starting a company and how did you overcome it?
Ans: The biggest challenges were funding, people, and raising awareness through marketing. We managed to get angel investors through personal connections and started connecting with venture capital firms for funds. As for people, it is always difficult to hire passionate talents. Fortunately, being a professor exposes me to young, talented minds, who are passionate and excited to make a difference. Without a doubt, marketing has always been an issue and still is, and we continue to find ways to raise awareness of our product and increase sales.
4. What is your dream and aspirations for the company going forward?
Ans: My dream is to build a Taiwan-based global software company, making Taiwan not only known for hardware manufacturing but software as well.
5. Who is your role model, or Which public personalities have you been inspired by in your startup journey?
Ans: Elon Musk. I like his ambition to change the way he lives, and his drive to challenge the status quo.
6. What keeps you awake at night?
Ans: As an entrepreneur, I am constantly thinking about ways to create a strong, united team that produces great products. I believe that our product has to benefit the world and with that, I continue to brainstorm and work on ways to improve product development.
7. What is your motivation that keeps you going every day?
Ans: The motivation is to successfully re-create the industrial-RPA into a new and unique software domain, and for our business to sustain and bloom.
8. What is your strategy when things don’t turn out the way you expect?
Ans: I will analyze the whole problem and identify the possible opportunities to break through. Then, I’ll think of various solutions and activities, which includes starting a new trend, adapting the product or changing my business model.
9. What is the biggest difference you see from the start of your journey to where you are today?
Ans: My mindset has changed — I learned that technical excellence and skills are important, but it is not the key to success.
