Youcan Robot: Create the ultimate experience with the spirit of craftsmanship

Founded in 2016, Youcan Robot is a comprehensive company of the world's top underwater robot products and a social platform for the exchange of underwater video and image content. With the concept of "Endless of Exploration", the company has continued to innovate and develop in the field of underwater intelligent robots, providing users with comprehensive underwater solutions. At present, Youcan Robot has established agency outlets in 17 countries around the world, and its products are sold to more than 40 countries around the world. The company has established R&D sales centers and supply chain production bases in Shanghai and Zhejiang, China. The R&D fields include key underwater robot technologies such as control, gimbal, high-definition image transmission, VR, binocular, and image stabilization.

The founder, Zhiqin Li, graduated from East China University of Science and Technology with a master's degree in control engineering. He is a core member of the Zhongguancun Service Robot Industry Alliance (RFC) and a member of the China Association of Automation (CAA). He has nearly 20 years of experience in the electronic video processing industry and the TV industry. He has served hardware R&D and manufacturing companies such as Dongjie Electric, Mstar, Techwell, and internationally renowned semiconductor companies. In 2012, he started his business for the first time and established Shoumi Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. to provide customers such as Shanghai Radio and Television with overall solutions for educational machine boards. Intelligent underwater entertainment and exploration robots for diving enthusiasts and explorers.

Creating the ultimate experience with the spirit of craftsmanship

China's service robot and artificial intelligence fields in 2015 are hot spots for VCs. Li Zhiqin brought two new products, a smart follower car and an underwater robot to the exhibition at a Shanghai robot exhibition, but they received completely different attention. No one was interested in the smart follower car, but the underwater robot attracted great enthusiasm and enthusiasm from the audience. He paid attention, and finally he followed the market's choice: put all his energy into the field of underwater robots, and start with consumer-grade underwater robots. This is a brand new field. Even foreign countries with very advanced underwater robot technology have only 2 -3 products of the same type, and the price is very expensive, there is no experience in product shaping and user data to learn from, and there is a lack of a mature supply chain in China.

As a technology-driven technology company, Youcan has its own core technologies in terms of hardware, software and algorithms, especially in image processing technology. The Youcan team has more than ten years of experience. With the accumulation of experience, the Youcan team has completely independently designed all core components, modules, sensors, etc., backed by rich resources and the cooperation of high-quality suppliers and enterprises, the Youcan team has completed the construction of a stable supply chain in the early stage of business.

Technology + user-driven is Youcan's "double carriage". Consumer demand is the basis for product design and iterative innovation. After investing a total of tens of millions of yuan, Youcan has In 2016 and 2018, two underwater drone products were launched respectively. Among the consumer users, there are many extreme players of aerial drones. They have very high requirements for product quality, performance requirements and user experience.

After collecting feedback from users in various fields such as diving, underwater sports, ship testing, water quality testing, oil pipeline testing, underwater search, fishing, aquaculture, marine scientific research, etc. The product and R&D team have sorted out 54 points to be optimized, which have been discussed and tested countless times, and applied to the third-generation products, hoping to launch products that meet the real needs of users and meet users' extreme experience needs. This process is actually very painful and contradictory, because it has to weigh the cost and profit and user needs, market pricing and competitive advantages, scheme design and feasibility verification, but Youcan has always adhered to the belief of polishing products with "artisan spirit", hoping to create a A well-known Chinese underwater drone enterprise brand.

Dialogue with award-winning companies

CEConline: What was the opportunity that drove your company to implement "automation upgrade reform"? What kind of internal and external environment was the company in when the practice was launched?

Li Zhiqin: There are many products "going overseas" in China. We hope to create high-tech "intelligently made in China" products to solve the pain points for consumers and provide a really good product. It also brings them a new way of ocean exploration and ocean entertainment. Product development, manufacturing, marketing and service are a closed loop. Product development is inseparable from consumers' internal needs, and product iterative upgrades are based on consumer feedback. In terms of hard power, we strictly require the R&D department and the production department with "craftsman spirit". An underwater drone contains more than 200 components and more than 35 processing procedures. Every small detail must be as perfect as possible. In terms of soft power, we provide customers with a worry-free after-sales service system, provide global consumers with "7-day return, 15-day exchange, 180-day warranty" service, and timely feedback within 24 hours. Youcan conducts research and return visits to consumers every quarter to understand consumers' feedback and opinions on hardware, software, channels and after-sales service. Our marketing department will analyze consumer data. Once there are complaints about hardware and software or If the feedback exceeds 2%, it will be fed back to the R&D department and the manufacturing department.

This corporate philosophy also stems from my childhood life experiences. I grew up with my grandfather. Grandpa has been a carpenter all his life. All I hear and see are the tools that are stained with the aroma of wood, claw hammers, saws of various sizes, planes, chisels, and threading. With these simple tools, grandpa made carts, tables and chairs built with various mortise and tenon structures, and even the glue that glued the boards was boiled by himself. Under the influence of my grandfather, I will use almost all woodworking tools. My childhood life experience taught me how to be a real "craftsman". After graduating from college, I joined the Shanghai Optoelectronics Center and worked as an assistant R&D engineer. I followed my master to do product development in the laboratory every day, and often worked overtime. In the second half of the night, we often have to repeatedly verify the test for a small technical problem until we are satisfied. This experience drives my subsequent career and entrepreneurial journey.

Technology-driven startups must have their own core technologies. We have accumulated rich experience in video processing, underwater sealing, motion control, positioning, obstacle avoidance, and underwater wireless communication. Experience, in 2 years, we have applied for 3 invention patents, 2 appearance patents, 1 utility model patent, 15 software copyrights, and our products have won numerous awards at home and abroad. In November 2018, Youcan Robot was recognized as a national high-tech enterprise.

The entire underwater drone market is about 100 billion. This market has not yet been fully developed. It is about 100 million. It will grow at a rate of 2-3 times per year in the next 5 years. The blue ocean of underwater drones is very large. At present, sales are concentrated overseas, and there are many Chinese products "going overseas", most of which are concentrated in Shenzhen. As a hardware "going overseas" enterprise in Shanghai, we hope to pass on the temperament and value of China's "intelligent manufacturing" to overseas consumers.

CEConline: How does this management practice relate to your company's corporate strategy or your company's future long-term planning?

Li Zhiqin: The growth of an enterprise requires core cohesion, and products are ultimately made by "people", so there must always be a spiritual concept that runs through the growth process of the enterprise and the values of employees. Only employees who agree with the company's values can grow with the company and create corporate wealth. There are many outstanding representatives of world-class enterprises in China, such as Huawei and DJI. They can be regarded as models in the industry in terms of product R&D and talent training models, and they are very worthy of our startups to learn from. Startup companies need to solve the contradiction between the shortage of funds and the long product development process. To polish a good product, it takes a lot of time. Time and efficiency are often contradictory. Our employees need to move forward under pressure and be efficient. High-quality output of research and development results. Youcan is planning to develop new products. In 1-2 years, we will build our own product manufacturing factory, expand dealer outlets to more than 40 countries and regions around the world, and establish offline experience stores. Such corporate planning requires a value concept. the same team.

CEConline: What positive impact has this management practice had on your company so far?

Li Zhiqin: Three years after the establishment of the company, we have obtained 3 invention patents, 2 appearance patents, 1 utility model patent, 15 software monographs, applied for European trademark registration, CE, FCC , PSE and many other product quality certifications, and has won more than 20 awards at home and abroad, and was recognized as a national high-tech enterprise in November 2018. At present, it has established distributors in 18 countries around the world, and its products are sold to more than 40 countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

CEConline: In your opinion, what are the key capabilities required to create a product with a good user experience?

Li Zhiqin: Good product quality, perfect after-sales service system and quick response are the three elements to create user experience. Quality is the foundation, system is the guarantee, and efficiency is the ability of an enterprise to communicate with customers. At any time, do not ignore the value of users, users are the meaning of the existence of products, no matter the size of the enterprise, we must be good at listening to customers' opinions, continuously optimize the enterprise service system, and improve communication efficiency.

CEConline: From the perspective of the overall environment and enterprise development, what is the breaking point or tipping point in the field of underwater drones?

Li Zhiqin: As far as the current underwater drone market is concerned, most of the product types are consumer-level underwater drones, and the product functions are still very limited, limited to underwater shooting, through 4K The high-definition camera records underwater images and transmits the video back to the shore in real time to assist in hull detection, underwater search and rescue, fish monitoring, ocean exploration, etc. The functionality is not yet perfect. We have done consumer research, and users have given us a lot of product functional requirements, such as installing a robotic arm or a robotic claw, which can be used to salvage underwater items through drones; installing sonar for surveying and mapping, Use sonar navigation in places with low visibility; integrate voice control system; load GPS locator, etc.; from this point of view, functional underwater drones will be the tipping point in the future of underwater drones, targeting industry users Designing and developing functional UAVs that meet specific underwater operations is the key factor to win, and it is also a breakthrough point in the current underwater UAV field, through product differentiation to improve market competitiveness and pricing chips.

CEConline: What is your company's next strategic plan and development goals?

Li Zhiqin: (1) The polishing and upgrading of the existing underwater drone products, including the improvement of hardware performance and the iterative upgrade of the software control system. (2) The research and development of B-end underwater drone products and the development of the B-end market. The demand for the B-end is very large. We hope to help the B-end customers to change the way they operate and explore underwater. (3) Factory construction, we are currently planning to build our own factory with an area of 2,000 square meters, with an annual output of 10,000 units. (4) The construction of global marketing network and brand building, provide our customers with a global service system, and build Youcan into a benchmark enterprise in the industry.

Reviews from review experts

Liu Shaoxuan

Vice Dean of Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiaotong University

As a leader in the field of underwater intelligent robots However, Youcan Robot has always insisted on excellence. It is this "craftsman spirit" that makes this entrepreneurial enterprise emerge, and gradually created its own blue ocean. Only by forming its own unique corporate culture can the company go further and further.

Jingxin Gao

Director of Executive Education Center, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiaotong University

From the perspective of user needs, Youcan Robot sorts out the greatest common divisor of application scenarios, Applying technological innovation to improve product output, attaching great importance to talent training and echelon construction, and being very comprehensive in terms of company strategy, business philosophy, operation management, etc.

Zhang Yulai

Deputy Dean of the Japan Institute of Nankai University

The spirit of craftsmanship is not only the standard of traditional manufacturing, but also in the era of intelligent manufacturing. will not be left behind. Youcan Robot, which has core software and hardware technologies, has created a dual carriage model of "technology + support-driven" because of the establishment of this craftsmanship. This is the secret of its leading position in underwater robots.

Wang Sai

Partner of Kotler Consulting China, well-known growth strategy expert

"Craftsmanship" is promoted by various companies as a gimmick At the time, Youcan Robot truly achieved meticulousness and precision from the inside to the outside, from strategy to execution. The focus of craftsmanship is on "people", which requires employees to conduct behavioral norms internally, and always pays attention to changes in the technical environment externally. In the future, Youcan Robot will need to further work on customer demand management and market channel expansion.

Zhang Zhenghua

Founder of Best Consulting Group, China Enterprise Transformation Expert

The spirit of ingenuity comes from inheritance, which is reflected in the "extreme " pursuit. What Youcan does is not only the persistence of product technology, but also the understanding of customer needs, the construction of related service systems, and the training and construction of internal team talents, all in order to achieve the ultimate pursuit of the ultimate customer experience. effort.

Duan Lei

Chairman of Hanzhe Consulting Group and President of Hanzhe Investment

When it comes to the spirit of craftsmanship, people sometimes feel that it is a kind of traditional manufacturing industry. This kind of expectation. In fact, technology companies and technology products also need craftsmanship. There are many smart watch manufacturers. Most people should not deny that Apple's i-watch is the best user experience. The extreme demands and scrutiny of performance. In fact, it is far better for a technology consumer goods company to make one or two products well at the beginning of its business than to make hundreds or thousands of products without making a profit. Apple, Tesla, and DJI have already set an example for us. . It is hoped that Youcan will uphold the spirit of craftsmanship and become Apple and DJI in the sub-field of underwater robots as soon as possible.

Li Hui

Mercer China Partner

There are many problems in the field of artificial intelligence hardware, two of which are crucial: customers need What and how to balance input and output. The answer to what customers want is sometimes unclear, and market research may not be able to tell the company the answer, but the customer's feedback is the best answer. The balance of input and output requires the company to make its own choice, as well as trial and error.

Xie Zhaohui

Founder of Zhixue Consulting and Chinese Partner of Balanced Scorecard

Youcan is a technology company driven by technology and users , "Craftsman Spirit" is an in-depth interpretation of technology and products to meet the ultimate needs of customers. It not only reflects the inheritance of the company's core values, but also reflects the entrepreneurial team's persistence and wisdom between customer value and enterprise value balance and trade-offs. The technical hard power created by "craftsmen" greatly enhances the company's longer-term core competitiveness.

Ye Xiaosong

India Group-Chairman of Xiamen Hill Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

The case mentioned: technology + user-driven is Youcan's " "Double carriage", consumer demand is the foundation of product design and iterative innovation. It seems to be a technology-driven company, but it is actually a user-driven company—all technologies generate value to better serve users; and to do this, the fundamental logic behind it is still “talent-driven”, and only by attracting and Only by cultivating outstanding talents and realizing the same desire and synchronization of the whole company from top to bottom, can the success of the enterprise be realized.

Liu Jingjing

Mercer Consulting Shenzhen Office General Manager

Li Zhiqin is very clear about the underwater drone market and the future business strategic direction of his company , but also empathizes with the general difficulties in entrepreneurial enterprises. He has very clear and specific measures for his corporate direction and talent strategy, and he aligns with the market benchmark to position his market share.

Picture/Youcan Robot