Walking into the office of Yuan Yong, founder of Shenzhen Xunwei Zhilian Technology Co., Ltd., one finds multiple models of children's smartwatches developed by the company neatly displayed. This entrepreneur from Chongqing possesses both the pragmatism and rigor of a technical background and the sharpness and candor honed through years in business. During an exclusive interview with Slkor (slkormicro.com), Mr. Yuan shared how his career journey is closely intertwined with the development trajectory of China's communication industry – from specializing in RF technology R&D during the 3G era, to resolutely embarking on entrepreneurship during the 4G popularization period, to leading Xunwei Zhilian in pioneering innovation within the smart wearable field in the 5G era. He stated that in the upcoming era of the "Internet of Everything," Xunwei Zhilian will encounter increasingly more market opportunities!

Yuan Yong, Co-founder of Shenzhen Xunwei Zhilian Technology Co., Ltd.

Yuan Yong was born in the 1980s and graduated in 2006 from Guangdong Ocean University with a degree in Electronic Information Engineering. From graduation to the present, he has been deeply involved in the communication industry for over ten years. Reflecting on his growth path, Yuan Yong often mentions "serendipity": "Often, we can only do our best, and for the rest, we leave it to fate." But upon closer understanding, one finds that behind each step of his "serendipity" lies accurate judgment and proactive choice. In university, he "stumbled into" choosing Electronic Information Engineering, yet it laid a solid technical foundation for him. After starting work, he switched from software to hardware. Through sheer dedication and a willingness to delve deep, he became the company's lead RF engineer in just one year. In his view, turning points in life are not accidental; rather, they depend on whether you have the capability to seize the opportunity when it comes.

Yuan Yong during the interview

In 2011, influenced by a family business environment, inspired by the CCTV program "Win in China," and encouraged by his former boss's attitude of "supporting brothers to start their own businesses," among other factors, Yuan Yong embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. After much exploration and experience, at the end of 2021, he found like-minded partners and co-founded Xunwei Zhilian. The company name "Xunwei" comes from the idea that "there is much to achieve in the field of communication," demonstrating their determination to delve deeply into this industry.

Tempered by the experiences of his first two entrepreneurial ventures, this time Yuan Yong had a very clear idea of what he wanted to do – firmly follow the "Product-Oriented Factory" route. From front-end design to back-end production, everything is completed independently, achieving true vertical integration. This strategic choice stems from his profound experience from the first two ventures: "Previously, focusing only on solutions easily led to high customer churn. Now, with full control from R&D to manufacturing, we can better guarantee product quality and delivery efficiency."

Internal watch testing at Xunwei Zhilian

Production department checking screen and functionality

Xunwei Zhilian production process

After several years of development, Xunwei Zhilian has become a high-tech enterprise focusing on the R&D, production, and sales of smart wearable products. The company not only provides OEM and ODM services for smart wearable products but also possesses multiple independent intellectual property rights and product patents. With a production base of nearly 2,000 square meters, the company's product lines cover diverse categories including children's smartwatches, smartwatches for the elderly, smart bands, smart reading/writing pens, and pet GPS trackers. Among these, their self-developed children's smartwatch won the "Global Sources Innovation Award" in 2024, and products are sold to dozens of countries and regions in Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Xunwei Zhilian's "Children's Smartwatch" wins the Global Sources Innovation Award

Currently, Xunwei Zhilian's products support functions such as voice interaction, location management, and heart rate monitoring. Yuan Yong emphasized: "The core advantage of Xunwei lies in our ability to understand customer needs; our products can be customized and adjusted according to their requirements." He cited the example of Tecno Mobile's success in the African market, which was precisely based on addressing the subtle yet crucial user pain point of "making black people appear lighter in photos." Xunwei is also attempting collaborations with IP owners, integrating characters like "GG Bond" and "Balala the Fairies" into the design of children's watches, establishing product differentiation through "micro-innovation." He believes that micro-innovation is more practical for small and medium-sized enterprises than disruptive innovation. "It's like Twice-Cooked Pork: in Sichuan, it's made spicy, but in Zhejiang, it's adjusted to a sweet taste. Understanding user needs is more important than blindly pursuing high-end technology."

Xunwei Zhilian Children's Smartwatch

How does one find a foothold in this competitive market? Yuan Yong's answer is two words: "Deep Cultivation" and "Self-Reliance." "The longer you stay in this industry, the deeper your understanding becomes, and only then can you truly grasp its intricacies." This is his philosophy of "Deep Cultivation." He firmly believes that only by continuously focusing on the smart communication track can one maintain sufficient sensitivity to technology and the market, and have the capability to leap up when the opportunity arises. Therefore, even though he tried different directions during his entrepreneurial process, he never left the main path of the communication industry.

And "Self-Reliance" is his requirement for himself and his team. "Especially as a boss, you must learn to be self-reliant. When you yourself are not strong enough, no one can help you." He instills this concept into the company culture, establishing an extremely transparent and goal-oriented team management system. Especially in the production department, the salary and promotion path for every position are openly and transparently posted on the bulletin board. "Do you want to earn five thousand, eight thousand, or ten thousand? I'll tell you very clearly: reach a certain level, and you'll get the corresponding treatment." This approach greatly stimulates employees' self-motivation, allowing the team to grow together with the company.

Yuan Yong, Co-founder of Xunwei Zhilian

Looking towards future development, Yuan Yong and his partner, Mr. Sheng, have planned a clear development path for Xunwei Zhilian: in the first five years (2022–2026), aim to rank among the top three in the smart wearable segment; the second five years might focus on children's phones or health care equipment, striving to become a leading brand. "We have laid a very good foundation these past few years; the next five years might be our period of rapid growth." He also specifically mentioned the potential changes brought by eSIM and 6G technology: "Future devices might no longer need physical SIM cards, and the low latency and high bandwidth of 6G will support brand new application scenarios like VR/AR."

Mr. Sheng (2nd from right) leading employees at the Hong Kong Global Sources Mobile Electronics Show

Looking back, Yuan Yong views his work and entrepreneurial journey as a series of cycles, each about five years long: from five years of accumulating RF technical expertise, to two five-year periods of entrepreneurial trials, to the new development stage that Xunwei Zhilian is now entering. For him, what has changed is his role and stage, but what remains unchanged is his inherent steadiness and perseverance, always able to "dig deep." From technical engineer to enterprise manager, he always believes that no step in life is wasted – every step of deep cultivation accumulates strength for the next leap forward. And Xunwei Zhilian is steadily advancing in this direction.