Guest: David Zhou [Head of Perception at Cyngn (Nasdaq: CYN) & CMU]

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/xunda-david-zhou/

Today I will bring you David Zhou, who has fast-tracked his career from grad school at Carnegie Mellon University to becoming the Head of Perception at Cyngn, a Nasdaq-listed company, all in just six years. Cyngn, initially focused on self-driving technology on outdoor geofench application, made a bold pivot to autonomous solutions for industrial material handling in response to the market during pandemic. Throughout this entire transformation, David has led the perception team from the ground up. In this episode, we explore David’s journey at Cyngn, from recruiting top talent to managing a high-performing team that’s pushing the boundaries of autonomous technology. You’ll also hear about his insights on leadership, team dynamics, and personal growth, while playing a pivotal role in Cyngn. Stay tuned as we unpack the fascinating career of David Zhou and his experiences in a rapidly evolving industry. If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and don’t forget to leave a comment! We love hearing from you, and we read every single one.

Host: Lei Zhao

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leizhaostone/
• Twitter: twitter.com/LeiZhao_

Sponsor: SyncMind - your personal AI-powered leadership coach designed to empower you with self-awareness.

• Sign Up Link: https://forms.gle/PnpJR157jbTDr2RZA
• Help Define Product: https://app.lyssna.com/do/4508e7dd20a7/876d

Timestamps

• Introduction (0:00 - 1:05)
• SyncMind (1:05-1:50)
• Podcast Overview (1:50-end, generated by NotebookLM & verified by human)

Other Platforms

• Apple Podcast: @QuestionLabPodcast
• Spotify：@QuestionLabPodcast
• Xiaoyuzhou: @QuestionLabPodcast

Link to Original Podcast (in Mandarin):

• Apple Podcast: 为什么团队有“明星”成员，还远远不够？仅仅6年，如何从研究生到感知团队负责人？和David Zhou [Head of Perception at Cyngn (Nasdaq: CYN)]，从技术看团队。
• Spotify: 为什么团队有“明星”成员，还远远不够？仅仅6年，如何从研究生到感知团队负责人？和David Zhou [Head of Perception at Cyngn (Nasdaq: CYN)]，从技术看团队。

嘉宾：David Zhou [Head of Perception at Cyngn (Nasdaq: CYN) & CMU]

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/xunda-david-zhou/

今天我们请来了David，他从卡内基梅隆大学的研究生，一路快速晋升，仅仅用了六年时间就成为了上市公司Cyngn (sin-gin)的感知部门负责人。Cyngn最初专注于户外geofench应用的自动驾驶技术例如园区，矿区等。但在疫情期间果断转向了工业物料处理的自动化解决方案，快速适应了市场需求。在这整个转型过程中，David有着少有的从零组建感知团队的经验，一步步走到今天。在本期节目中，我们将聊聊他如何招募顶尖人才，管理一支高效团队，推动自动化技术的边界。你还会听到他关于领导力、团队协作和个人成长的见解。如果你喜欢本期节目，不要忘了在Apple Podcasts，Spotify，小宇宙或其他播客平台上面订阅我们，同时别忘了留下评论！我们非常乐意听到你的反馈，而且每条评论我们都会仔细阅读。

主持：Lei Zhao

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leizhaostone/
• Twitter: twitter.com/LeiZhao_

Sponsor: SyncMind 一款帮助你提升自我觉察的领导力AI教练平台

• Help Define Product: https://app.lyssna.com/do/4508e7dd20a7/876d

本期时间戳

• 1:34 公司简介
• 3:39 感知团队的建立
• 5:36 明星员工特质探讨
• 8:40 面试技巧与人才识别
• 11:40 团队建设三要素
• 16:55 关键软技能解析
• 19:41 招聘经验分享
• 26:32 团队层级建设
• 30:36 领导者的自我意识
• 32:37 提升自我意识的方法
• 35:32 导师的价值

Other Platforms 其他平台

• Apple Podcast: @QuestionLabPodcast
• Spotify：@QuestionLabPodcast
• Xiaoyuzhou: @QuestionLabPodcast

Guest: Maggie Yan

maggie@sky9athena.com

Today, we’re excited to have Maggie Yan with us, the Chief Marketing Officer of Sky9 Build. Sky9 Build is a venture studio focusing on AI startups expanding globally, and they specialize in investing in and incubating talented entrepreneurs, helping them achieve product-market fit. Before this, Maggie was the VP of AI Business and Growth at Xmind, a popular mind-mapping and brainstorming software that has thrived for 18 years without any external funding, amassing over 100 million users worldwide. In this episode, Maggie dives into the key differences between growth strategies for productivity tools and non-productivity tools, while also exploring the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into non-productivity solutions. She highlights the importance of reassessing traditional growth metrics, with a special focus on the value of early paying users. Maggie also shares her approach to attracting both core and ‘lottery’ users through a dual strategy, and offers insights into how Xmind achieved massive success without any outside investment.

Host: Lei Zhao

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leizhaostone/
• Twitter: twitter.com/LeiZhao_

Sponsor: SyncMind - your personal AI-powered leadership coach designed to empower you with self-awareness.

• Sign Up Link: https://forms.gle/PnpJR157jbTDr2RZA

Timestamps

• Introduction (0:00 - 1:15)
• SyncMind (1:15-1:59)
• Podcast Overview (1:59-end, generated by NotebookLM & verified by human)

Other Platforms

• Apple Podcast: @QuestionLabPodcast
• Spotify：@QuestionLabPodcast
• Xiaoyuzhou: @QuestionLabPodcast

Link to Original Podcast (in Mandarin):

• Apple Podcast: 消费级AI产品新范式？AI如何和非效率工具产生火花？18年0融资，如何做到过亿用户？和Maggie严格 (Sky9Build的CMO，Xmind) 聊聊GTM in AI Era。
• Spotify: 消费级AI产品新范式？AI如何和非效率工具产生火花？18年0融资，如何做到过亿用户？和Maggie严格 (Sky9Build的CMO，Xmind) 聊聊GTM in AI Era。