Dr. SI Xiufen

2021 EMBA Alumna

Co-founder and Chairman of Robest AGV

Meet Dr. SI Xiufen, 2021 EMBA Alumna of Antai College of Economics and Management, SJTU. She ,the Co-founder and Chairman of Robest AGV, shared with us her thoughts on entrepreneurship and family.

1. What was the biggest challenge you faced during the early stage or process of startup, and how did you overcome it? 

The biggest challenge in 10 years of entrepreneurship occurred in 2024. It was incredibly difficult to collect payments from customers, while suppliers were pressing for payments, and salespeople were chasing delivery dates. Every day was filled with immense pressure. I still remember Professor Yu Ying saying in class that an alumnus would tell himself three times every morning "We can do it, we can do it, we can do it". That was exactly my state of mind. Fortunately, I learned the business model of small front-end and large middle platform during my studies at Antai College of Economics and Management (ACEM). Our robotics industry is a heavy delivery industry, and the efficiency of project management determines the success or failure of the project. We’ve formed an ‘iron triangle’ of three teams (sales, solution planning, and project delivery) to create a small front-end unit, allowing them to operate independently and be responsible for their own profits and losses. The entire company has formed more than a dozen such small front-end units. Throughout 2024, the project delivery team was optimized from over 70 members down to 30, while the overall revenue and the collection of payments increased by more than 20%. This is the power of knowledge!

2. In recent years, the robotics industry has become increasingly competitive. How can Robest AGV maintain its competitiveness and stand out in the market?

This is the question we think about every day, and we now have a clear direction. The overall idea is still positioning. The differences among enterprises lie in the differences among entrepreneurs, and the competition among enterprises is the competition among entrepreneurs. As a founder, improving my own cognitive ability, insight, understanding of the industry, and ability to integrate resources is the key to success.

3. After completing your Ph.D., you chose to pursue an EMBA at ACEM. Which courses have left the deepest impression on you or had the greatest impact during your studies at ACEM? What valuable advice on life do you have for female students facing academic and life challenges?

Before coming to ACEM, I had always studied engineering, all the way to Ph.D., and then started a business. As the company grew, I found that my knowledge was insufficient, especially in management and business, so I decided to systematically study management knowledge and enrolled in ACEM's EMBA program. After two years of diligent study in courses such as macroeconomics, business decision-making, strategic management, and leadership, I've come to gain a sense of the basic management framework. Then, in practice, I discovered which areas were weak and delved deeper into them, even repeatedly returning to ACEM to attend classes. I’ve listened to some courses several times, haha, and each time I acquired new insights and perspectives. Based on all of such business knowledge, I now feel confident and assured when communicating and collaborating with senior executives from key customers, better showcasing the strength of my company. 

The courses at ACEM are all excellent, and the professors’ lectures are outstanding. Attending classes at ACEM is a very delightful and wonderful experience. Based on my actual work needs, I have repeatedly attended courses such as "Strategic Management" and "Marketing". These two courses have greatly transformed my way of thinking, allowing me to examine myself, my company, and the competitive environment from a strategic perspective; and from a market perspective, how to accurately position Robest AGV, how to compete in marketing, and how to launch the hit product, “MicroTitan”. After launching our standard product, the “MicroTitan” in 2023, the results over the past two years have been very significant. The “MicroTitan” series now accounts for 70% of our revenue, addressing the industry pain points of difficult and slow delivery. Next, I will also take courses such as "Corporate Finance" and "Financial Management."

I advise my fellow schoolmates to build their own professional knowledge system and framework during their studies, repeatedly verify and refine them in practical work, and gradually develop their own methodology, which is the foundation of their career. Additionally, it’s important to have a clear self-positioning, knowing exactly what you want and what you are good at. Competing with others by using your strengths is a way to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Another important point to share is the balance between career and family. Now is an era where strong, independent women can thrive professionally without sacrificing family happiness. Excellent women can still have a happy family, which requires great wisdom to be flexible and adaptable. At work, we may be the leader, but at home, we need to switch roles and be a wife and a mother. A happy family is the guarantee for a child's healthy growth and also the confidence we need to venture out into the world. I have always been quite independent, believing that having control over my own life gives me a sense of security and allows me to realize my own values. That's why I have always worked hard, both to set an example for my child and because the path upward becomes wider as you go. For example, coming to ACEM, I have met many excellent teachers and alumni, which makes me feel that I need to work even harder and can do better. This is the power of growth.

4. What is the biggest challenge you faced when expanding into international markets, and how did you overcome it?

Robest AGV started going overseas in 2022, initially following our major domestic clients who were building factories abroad. We actively began our overseas expansion in 2024, with me personally leading the effort. Currently, the focus of our overseas expansion is Southeast Asia. Since we already have many clients there, I will first visit them and then use these connections to find potential partners. I have also received a lot of help from ACEM alumni during this process, and I would like to express my gratitude here. The biggest challenge now is to build a local team there, with locals helping us to establish and operate.

5. For women who also wish to start their own businesses, what are the most important pieces of advice you would give? Or perhaps you could provide a few key words?

Keywords for startup: Determination and resilience. Starting a business is extremely difficult now, especially in this era of intense competition. If you haven't made up your mind to fully dedicate yourself to the entrepreneurial journey, it's better not to start. If you are determined to do it, you still need to position yourself and evaluate your own strengths. As mentioned earlier, the difference among enterprises lies in the difference among entrepreneurs, and the competition among enterprises is the competition among entrepreneurs. So what are your competitive advantages? There is a saying that the path you think is a fallback already has 10 million people competing on it. And then it is resilience. We have a senior alumnus who is the general manager of a bank and has always provided loan support to Robest AGV. At an alumni gathering, he told me, as long as you persist with Robest AGV, I will persist in supporting you. If we have resilience and determination, others will also firmly believe in us.