While organizing earlier blog posts from 2008, I notice how immature I was back then — but looking at the transitions and broader experiences since, it seems I’ve grown, even if just a little.
In January 2011, just before hitting my seventh year, I made a major decision: to leave a very familiar work environment. In some ways, it meant stepping out of my comfort zone — essentially resetting myself. What guided the decision was an unexpected opportunity to work at a multinational foreign company. That opportunity matched a few things I’d been thinking about:
- A multinational company, to broaden my perspective
- An R&D team, to continue growing my technical experience
- A team in transition, where I could step up and make a difference
And so began the second chapter of my career in a completely new environment. The first month felt nothing like the disorientation of being fresh out of school — I was almost over-energized, browsing the company intranet voraciously, everything fresh and exciting. After three months, I was given the actual role of Team Leader, managing a team on a real project: international conference calls, writing technical documents according to company SOP.
Beyond the essential work, I kept planning and identifying R&D projects that wouldn’t conflict with other teams. My goal was straightforward — to establish a firmware team that would strengthen the Taiwan R&D team’s competitive edge.
Drawing from my first job’s experience, if you could bring together electronics, mechanical, and software/firmware talent, and build products that integrated photomechatronics, the barrier to entry rises and the visibility of the Taiwan team increases significantly.
In September 2011, I proposed such a project, hoping to execute it according to my vision. Unfortunately, the company’s strategy at the time couldn’t support it. What I could do was execute existing projects more perfectly, build more chips, and continue refining the proposal until the timing was right.
Then in mid-November, an opportunity appeared — I met the CEO of the company I now work for. Robert is young — the same age or a year younger than me. His way of running a company was something I’d never seen before. Even he himself was constantly experimenting in management. His energy and drive made me feel like I was partnering with a real founder-builder. I had to see where this would go.
The R&D flexibility was enormous, driven by disciplined engineers who own their own work — an ideal environment for someone with ideas and a drive for self-realization. So in December, I made the decision to leave for my current company. It wasn’t easy, and I felt some guilt toward my previous employer. But if I’m going to let someone else control my future — I’d rather it be myself.
More than a year in now. The development pace here is incredibly fast. The Taiwan team is highly efficient, and I’ve learned many new concepts from the international R&D team. Working with people from such different backgrounds and cultures — where the starting points often differ completely — creates productive friction. Though there’s often conflict, the sparks that fly make me believe there’s a real chance for continuous growth ahead.
Heading toward ten years — I look forward to becoming more mature, and expanding my perspective further.
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