A post-95s individual has sold floor-sweeping robots worth tens of billions, standing at the starting line of the AI hardware track. | Emerging 36 People

Source: Intelligent Emergence

Emergence is a key phenomenon in the generative AI wave: When the model scale expands to a critical point, AI will demonstrate human-like intelligence, capable of understanding, learning, and even creating.

Emergence also occurs in the real world - the silicon-based civilization is on the verge of emerging. Entrepreneurs and creators in the AI field are using their wisdom and minds to light up the long journey to achieving AGI.

At the juncture of the alternation of old and new productive forces, "Intelligent Emergence" launches a new column "Emerging 36 People". We will record the new thoughts of this stage through conversations with key figures in the industry.

Written by | Deng Yongyi

Edited by | Su Jianxun

How long does it take to achieve a company's GMV of over 10 billion yuan?

Guo Renjie, who is 27 years old this year, accomplished this in just three years. In 2021, after being a management trainee at Procter & Gamble for 11 months, he joined the cleaning appliance startup Dreame, which had just been established for 4 years.

Guo Renjie is lucky, but he also has the ability to seize the opportunity. At that time, Dreame just started to transform, from OEM to focusing on its own brand, and began to expand the global market. After joining Dreame for three years, Guo Renjie helped Dreame achieve an annual domestic sales of over 10 billion yuan, and he has become a well-known operator in the consumer electronics circle.

In the eyes of outsiders, this is a smooth "overachiever" path: entering university at the age of 15, graduating with a master's degree at 21, earning a million annual salary at 23, and becoming the China regional executive president of a well-known new consumer brand at 26.

But in December 2024, Guo Renjie made a decision: to end this story of achieving fame at a young age and start everything anew.

"I'm 27 now, the so-called China regional executive president, but what's next? Who will I be at 29, and who will I be at 31? But if I come out to start a business, this story ends today, and I define a new beginning by myself."

Exclusive to "Intelligent Emergence", "Leyou Technology" has recently completed its angel round of financing, led by IDG Capital, with Monolith, Matrix Partners China, ZhenFund, Sequoia Capital China Seed Fund, and Oasis Capital participating. The total financing amount is close to 200 million yuan, and the post-investment valuation is approximately 600 million yuan. After this round of financing, Leyou Technology will continue to invest in the research and development of its first product, as well as the establishment of the team and technical reserves.

Choosing the direction of AI hardware stems from Guo Renjie's judgment of his own strengths: to find AI hardware consumer products with a certain degree of certainty that have already demonstrated PMF (Product Market Fit) - suitable for quickly going from 0 to 1 and can be rapidly scaled.

In the past year, the disappointment in large models in the market may only be one aspect. If you cast your gaze to manufacturing powerhouses like Shenzhen and Hangzhou, as well as the just-ended CES on the other side of the ocean, you may see a different booming scene: Categories such as robots and AI glasses have begun to show a trend of "a hundred schools of thought contending", with some categories already achieving sales of over 100 million yuan. And novel products such as AI toys, AI bird-watching devices, and AI walking sticks have been overwhelming.

Compared to the still foggy large models and AI applications, hardware is a field and battlefield that Chinese players are more familiar with. AI hardware entrepreneurs also generally have the ambition of "surpassing Silicon Valley and leading the world".

This confidence also comes from the "refresh" of the appearance of Made in China in the past few years of the hardware export wave.

When Guo Renjie started his new project, we chatted with him. This story is about how a young person seized the dividends of the times, let go of everything, and plunged into an uncertain new wave with a new attitude.

Guo Renjie's growth experience is undoubtedly the kind that investors in the current venture capital circle like - young, having spent a lot of money and achieved victories, bold, and willing to take risks. He also demonstrates a more vigorous entrepreneurial style: Whoever does well, he will surpass them.

For his first entrepreneurship, his goal is simple: choose a sufficiently broad and thick snow track, so that "even if it deviates a bit, it won't slide out", and focus on survival first.

He also does not hide his ambition: "My core ability is to be competitive."

Children are the True AI Native Users

"Intelligent Emergence": From the rumors in 2024 that you were going to come out until you officially announced it, it was actually only 2 months. What was the idea behind starting a business?

Guo Renjie: Around August 2024, I decided and went to talk to Mr. Yu (CEO of Dreame Technology).

In fact, before I came to Dreame, I expressed to Mr. Yu that I wanted to experience the entrepreneurial process, so I wanted to join Dreame. 2024 was a milestone for me. Dreame has become the industry leader, and I have achieved what I wanted to do, so I want to take the next step.

"Intelligent Emergence": Did you hesitate? You left Dreame at this point when it is almost going public.

Guo Renjie: I didn't hesitate.

There are two reasons in my heart. First, I want to experience the entrepreneurial process. I have done well at Dreame, so it's time for me to leave.

Second, I want to break those established paths of "entering university at 15, graduating with a master's degree at 21, and earning a million annual salary at 23". I need to have the courage to break and rebuild, otherwise, I will always be in this track and be carried forward.

I am the China regional executive president at the age of 27. Then what? Who will I be at 29, and who will I be at 31? If I come out to start a business, this story will end today, and I will define a new beginning by myself.

Now I am just a small business owner with only nine employees. There is nothing particularly worth showing off. I just focus on doing what I need to do well.

"Intelligent Emergence": What have you been doing in the few months after leaving?

Guo Renjie: After leaving, I clarified the direction in one or two weeks, and then started this round of financing.

"Intelligent Emergence": Leyou chose the direction of AI hardware. How did you make this judgment?

Guo Renjie: I have several criteria for choosing a track: First, I don't do absolute innovation. I only want to upgrade products in basically verified categories. Then AI software, such as large models and high-precision robots, definitely have nothing to do with me because these tracks are still in the stage of technology investment.

Second, it must be for the global market, with domestic R & D and overseas sales.

The third criterion is that I hope to have a certain combination with AI and robots. Firstly, because I am relatively young, I probably have a faster understanding of new technologies, and it is more in line with the perception of this consumer product.

It's very simple. If you are only purely technologically leading, you may be copied after leading for three months. But if you have a certain combination with new technologies, you may be copied after leading for five months. Those two extra months are crucial to me. Because my business model is based on being competitive. With these two months, I can expand my moat.

Based on the above criteria, I looked for tracks in the current AI hardware field that can demonstrate PMF (Product Market Fit) and can be for the global market.

"Intelligent Emergence": I heard that you want to make products for the children's market?

Guo Renjie: I want to do everything, but I always feel that children are the true AI native users. If I make AI hardware, I can think from the perspective of children to get some inspiration, but the final product is not necessarily only for children.

If I make hardware for you, and you have to choose between a mobile phone and this hardware, you will probably choose a mobile phone. What hardware can be more fun than a mobile phone? When we chat with Doubao now, most of the time it is just a teasing mentality because we think it is just a model.

So this is a very good user profile of AI products: Children are curious about AI products and don't have mobile phones. All mothers' demands are to pull their children out of mobile phones and replace them with other physical devices.

"Intelligent Emergence": The fault tolerance rate of children's products is slightly higher.

Guo Renjie: You are absolutely right. If I make hardware for you, and you play with it twice and then throw it away, and you will angrily post on Xiaohongshu to criticize me. But if children play with something and don't play with it after two times, parents can still accept it.

If you can't make an AI robot hardware for such users, you say you can enter the adult market, I don't believe it.

"Intelligent Emergence": But hardware also has different types, such as emotional companionship or more educational ones. What do you expect your product to be like?

Guo Renjie: Playability is the first aspect that I am more concerned about.

One of my thoughts is that the most core barrier of AI hardware products at this stage is still in the interaction of the hardware, rather than the underlying software. I think the software will eventually be integrated with the hardware.

There are several clear cases. For example, everyone thinks that Tesla's robot has changed the world. But I think in the software underlying, the difference between it and domestic Galaxy, Zhiyuan, and Yushu may not be that big.

But Tesla has done one thing particularly well, which is interaction. It is more like a human, such as expressions and micro-movements, so people will think it is more advanced and naturally have a more friendly feeling.

"Intelligent Emergence": If you want AI hardware to behave more like a human, doesn't it also depend on software?

Guo Renjie: I think the first step should still be hardware. For example, if there is a robot that does not have a mouth and makes sounds through a speaker at the back, it will definitely feel different for children compared to a robot that opens its mouth when speaking.

The interaction of the hardware is still the first step. To do a good job in interaction, the barrier on the hardware may be relatively higher.

"Intelligent Emergence": So is this industry still in the hardware-driven stage?

Guo Renjie: Currently, most of the software for AI hardware is externally connected. I think the most important things from 0 to 1 are first operation, to survive first, and obtain scale and profit. Then I will definitely layout some barriers, such as developing my own motor, lidar, etc., and finally the model software.

"Intelligent Emergence": How do you understand barriers?

Guo Renjie: Barriers only depend on the time difference. If you can do it today, and others can only do it three months later, you can earn the high premium for these three months. When others catch up, you have to find the next one.

I actually don't judge what is a dividend. I only judge whether in this industry, through efficient iteration, a gap can be opened. If it can be opened, it can be done.

Dividends are a subset of opportunities. After judging that there is an opportunity to do something, you then look for dividends, which will be the most efficient.

"Intelligent Emergence": What is your judgment on the current AI hardware market?

Guo Renjie: It is very early and very primary. Some time ago, I saw Anker Innovation talking about its "Shallow Sea Strategy" (attempting to advance to a more significant company through the expansion of more segmented categories), which touched me quite a bit.

I think I need to find products with the "Beach Strategy". What is the beach? It is something that everyone will come to take a look at. Big companies are like ocean waves. They will come to take a look and then leave.

Because they will think this thing is too new, and at most, they will set up a small team of five people to study it. Then the space will be left for small players, and I am also one of the small players.

"Intelligent Emergence": Will investors have doubts about the upper limit of this track?

Guo Renjie: I believe this is a long-term correct and broad snow track. A sufficiently large snow track means that even if I have setbacks in it, I will not be out.

You say whether this track is valuable and whether a strong company can be born. It definitely has potential. Everyone can develop PMF in this track, just like picking up shells on the beach and stringing them together, which is very valuable.

"My Core Ability is to be Competitive"

"Intelligent Emergence": Many people will be curious about your career path: You studied energy and finance in university, and then plunged into the consumer goods industry. You stayed at Procter & Gamble for 11 months and then went to Dreame. You became the China regional president in three years. It is a very "winner in life" path.

Guo Renjie: But for my background, this is not a typical choice.

I studied engineering in university at first and liked to tinker with some practical things. Secondly, when I was studying for a finance graduate degree, I felt that I was not interested in these virtual numbers. What I care about is things that can have a practical impact and that I can control myself. Combining these, the goal is very clear: I want to do business and start a business.

I asked around, and everyone said that the easiest way to understand the business is to go to Procter & Gamble.

"Intelligent Emergence": But you left Procter & Gamble in less than a year and went to Dreame. What did you do there?

Guo Renjie: I only stayed at Procter & Gamble for one year and mainly did two things. The first thing is job rotation, from Marketing to Sales, and later I did a similar product manager job for a period of time.

I tried to stay in different departments as much as possible, such as marketing and sales. For other departments, I learned about them by inviting people to dinner. I invited seven or eight people from each department such as R & D, procurement, and IT to dinner and asked them what they were doing. It took me a few months to figure out how a business operates.

"Intelligent Emergence": You were very young when you went to Dreame, and Yu Hao (CEO of Dreame Technology) asked you to lead the marketing team from the beginning. What impressed him?

Guo Renjie: At that time, everyone was young. I was only 23 years old, and Mr. Yu is 10 years older than me. At the end of the interview, I asked him two questions. The first one was: "I'm so young. Why do you dare to use me, Mr. Yu?"

He said something similar to "The world is a makeshift team". The basic point is: Today's world is not as complicated as it seems, and no one is really that powerful. If young people are twice as smart as others and have an iteration speed five times that of others, then the efficiency is ten times.

He also said that not having worked before is not necessarily a good thing, but it is