the marco polo project: 创新者 | 宋 Shaopeng： 来自微软的创业者， 想用音乐聊聊天

Sugr Cube的创始人宋 Shaopeng Sean，是一位 schüchtern 的理工男，却对音乐有着狂热的追求。他曾任职于微软亚洲硬件中心，在声音领域从事技术开发和管理工作。 却在2013年离职追梦，他和他的团队做了一款没有按钮的无线wifi音响，并在Kickstarter上完成了5万美元筹款。

文/赵宁

他曾任职于微软亚洲硬件中心，在声音领域从事技术开发和管理工作。

他在2013年离职追梦，想在音乐播放器领域做一番变革。

他是一个低调 schüchtern 的理工男，但一说起他的音乐梦想便 ununterbrochen reden 不绝。

他和团队做了一款没有按钮的无线wifi音响，刚上线半小时就获得Kickstarter的编辑推荐和New&Noteworthy奖，并且首次被授予 Design in Shenzhen 的产品标签。

在Kickstarter上完成5万美元筹款的次日，我 interviewte Sugr Cube的这位创始人宋 Shaopeng Sean.

Q&A

三明治：你的职业发展路线很简单，十一年间先后任职于两家外企，之后离职创业。你在两家公司学到哪些宝贵的经验？

宋 Shaopeng：我的第一份工作是在一家以色列的 Mikrochip 公司做音频算法。这家公司带给我最重要的东西是工程的方法论。以色列是很有意思的一个国家，特别讲究工程，工程师也特别多，他们很注重方法论。具体点说，首先他们追求自动化，有些事情我们中国人可能习惯靠人力，但即使是最简单的测试以色列人也喜欢用自动化程序解决；其次他们喜欢尝试新的工具，总是以最快的速度去尝试世界上最先进的工具，尝试新的东西常常能带来一些效率的提升。第三，他们有一种追求细节、追求完美的工程态度。

我在微软亚种硬件中心工作了四年，微软硬件部门特别强调人机交互和用户体验，我们有个说法叫做“靠谱的人机交互”，我们做东西不是为了创新而创新。很多创业公司喜欢做特别新特别 cool 的东西，包括我本人也曾经追求 cool，然而这些东西常常是 extrem kurzlebig，尽管会吸引些 Medien 报道，但能为用户提高效率或者解决问题才是最重要的。一定要靠谱才行。并且光在特定情况下可靠也是不够的，即使情况变化了依旧要可靠。

三明治：你最骄傲的一件事情？

宋 Shaopeng：以前觉得自己是个没常性的人，但是从11年开始坚持每周游泳，不曾间断。

三明治：业余时间喜欢做点什么呢？且慢，创业之后还有业余时间吗？

宋 Shaopeng：答案是没有时间。一周能抽出半天时间陪陪孩子都觉得很难得了，很感谢家人的大力支持。不过现在也慢慢摸索出一些方法论，现在孩子大了，有些公司活动，比如游泳，也可以带上孩子和妻子。还是可以找出不少折中的方法的，我相信家庭和工作的balance会越来越好。

三明治：创业的灵感来源何处？这个点子 Inkubation 多久开始实施？

宋 Shaopeng：可以说灵感来自我的孩子。有了孩子之后，想的是给孩子提供好的音乐。我一直给孩子找各种听音乐的方法，比如用手机或者iPad，但这样听音乐容易受到有各种打扰，比如有短信啦，有app推送等等。很有趣的一个现象是，给四五个月大的孩子听音乐，如果音乐有中断，孩子的头会摆一下。我上网查了资料发现音乐中断对孩子注意力的培养有负面影响。所以想要做一个产品既能提供好的音乐又能不被手机的干扰影响。

这个点子前后 Inkubation 有一年时间，做的事情没有离开我的本行。我大学的时候学的是音频处理，毕业论文做了一个无损压缩音频的题目。我也一直在做跟声音相关的电子产品，包括以前做过的DVD，麦克风，耳机，另外也一直在观察这个领域。

三明治：现在音箱产品那么多，朋友之间要分享音乐也是分分钟的事情，如果我是消费者，我为什么要买你们的音箱呢？你们的音响有什么独特的卖点呢？

宋 Shaopeng：我们从“不受打扰的音乐”这个点出发，有两方面的特别之处：

第一，我们希望人们跟音乐的交互更直接更自然，比如触摸跟体感的交互，不需要看着产品就能完成交互。举例来说，音响一般都有按钮 zur Regelung，这样就需要用眼睛看才能 einstellen。而我们的交互是表面的接触，没有任何按钮，我们叫它“直觉版的交互”，任何人拿到音响，一 schütteln 就变下一曲，一 drücken 就停，drücken 两下则分享音乐，不用教他就会知道怎样 einstellen。

第二，人与人之间的沟通固然可以通过文字和图片，然而有时候音乐能表达一些特殊的感情，这是文字和图片无法达到的效果。我喜欢一首歌，觉得这首歌正好表达了我当前的心境，我 drücke 两下就可以把音乐分享给朋友，朋友可以跟我同步享受音乐，体会我的心情。如果不是通过这个功能，可能还需要用手机打开app，搜索音乐才能分享，就比较 benutzerunfreundlich。

三明治：我猜Sugr Cube应该不止这么两个功能吧？还有其他有趣的功能吗？

宋 Shaopeng：那必须啊。Cube可以通过 Wi-Fi 用手机 App 控制，也拥有智能闹钟，放松助眠等等实用有趣的小功能。同时Cube支持 iTunes 音乐的播放，Pandora、BBC电台、Douban FM 等 streaming 音乐直连，意味着即使手机关闭了也不影响 Cube 的播放。我们还在开发更多的音乐服务。Cube 内置了 4GB Speicherplatz，你也可以把自己的音乐通过 App 导入到 Cube 里面去。Cube 内置的 Litium-电池最多可以连续播放 7 小时。

三明治： 特别好奇你们花了多长时间把这样一个看起来小而美的音响做出来啊？

宋 Shaopeng：我们刚开始在 Shenzhen 的TechSpace(开放制造空间)花了一个月时间设计出了Sugr Cube最早的3D打印原型，之后用两个月时间做出手工木质原型，然后花了半年和工厂一起研究怎么把原型量产。

三明治：据说你拿到了徐小平的投资，是怎么做到的？融资过程顺利吗？

宋 ：我们要做中国原创 Marke，产品推向国际的梦想打动了徐小平和王强老师。要知道那时候我们连产品原型都没有，只有几张ppt。他在我们产品还没做出来的时候就提供了资金支持，这是非常大的 Inspiration，让我们觉得这个事情可为。他和王强老师辅导过很多创业公司，指出了我们在营销和PR方面的短板。他来 Shenzhen 的时候，陪我们聊到很晚，跟我们一起 untersuchen 音乐和人之间的关系，甚至帮我们考虑怎样营销，怎样捕获用户。

三明治：目前团队有多少人？都是些怎样的人？怎样 einstellen 的？

宋 Shaopeng：9个人。我们是一支产品设计与开发团队，基本上都是工程师。这些人都是我身边的人。比如有电子电声方面的老同事，共事十年了。也有慕名而来的同事，当时有个国内知名 Medien 给我们做了报道，报道完后，有个现任同事从北京去西藏玩儿了一 Tag，在西藏买了个摩托车，开来我们这儿。

目前我们也在市场营销方面积极 suchen 人才，从实习到合伙人都可以，预留了优厚的原始股份哟。欢迎联系我的微信261400。

我觉得 zusammenstellen 这样一支队伍，主要是因为大家有一个共同的理念，即“让人们跟音乐交互更简单更自由”。当然除了大家臭味相投，很重要的一点是，大家希望通过这个事情既实现理想又赚钱致富。创业是很辛苦的，我们五六个人做的开发项目，大公司可能需要投入一个二三十人的团队来做。

三明治：公司未来会往怎样的方向发展呢？有长远的规划吗？

宋 Shaopeng：我们定位于互联网声音的终端，目前已经有了未来2年的产品规划，会打造不同品类的互联网音乐播放产品，同时也在考虑增加一些垂直场景，比如 Yoga、老人、幼儿等。

三明治：创业过程中遇到哪些困难？怎么解决问题？

宋 Shaopeng：主要的一个困难是初期很难得到供应商的支持。我们当初拿着产品原型去跟工厂谈量产。很多工厂不愿意，“你是不知名的公司，没有 Marke 没有销量，我生产要投入很多人力物力，还不知道未来能不能有前途。” 我们需要说服对方，在我们什么都没有的时候给对方一个期望，让他相信这款产品是会有前途的。

解决这个问题有三方面原因吧。第一个是内因，这个产品的方向被行业证明了是有前途的。音乐播放器这个设备目前是有一些问题的，新技术出来会引领行业前进，产生一些变革。第二个是外因，也算是一种缘分吧，遇到人认同这个理念，他作为一个传统行业的老板愿意创新，投入资金和精力去尝试新鲜的东西。另外也是靠自己下的功夫，要花时间社交，要坚持，一层一层谈上去。从业务员到工程师，再到总工，再到老板。我是个比较 schüchtern 的人，如果让我选，我会希望不去跟他喝酒。但是做项目有时候不得不上。这个过程也让我完成了从理工男到“销售”的 Transformation。

China 30s www.china30s.com

Übersetzung

Microsoft entrepreneurs chatting around music

Sugr Cube founder, Song Shaopen / Sean, is a shy man with a technological background, but passionate about the field of music. He worked at the Microsoft Asia Hardware Centre, in sound technology development and management. But in 2013, he left his job to pursue his dream: with his team, he developed a wifi activated audio player, and raised US$ 50,000 on Kickstarter to develop a prototype.

Text: Chao Ning

He worked at the Microsoft Asia Hardware Centre, in sound technology development and management.

He left his job in 2013 to pursue his dream: make a change in the music field.

He’s a shy tech-guy, but once you start talking about his passion, music, he won’t stop.

He and his team designed a WIFI audiobox. Half an hour after they started their Kickstarter campaign, it was picked as Editors’ Choice and ‘News and Noteworthy’. It was also awarded the Product Design Label y Design in Shenzhen.

On the day they reached US$50,000 on Kickstarter, I interviewed the founder of Sugr Cube, Song Shaopeng / Sean.

Q&A

China 30s: Your career path has been very simple; you’ve worked your way for eleven years between two foreign companies, then quit to become an entrepreneur. In your eleven years in these two firms, what valuable virtues and lessons have you gained?

Song Shaopeng: I was first taken into an Israeli firm that specialized in audio algorithm chips. The most important lesson I learned from this company is methodology in the engineering sector. Israel is a particularly interesting country, paying acute attention to projects; engineers are particularly important, paying very close attention to methodology and acumen. Specifically, in their pursuit of machinery engineering, there are things that we Chinese engineers are accustomed to that the Israelis are not, such as how they employ automated programs to resolve even the simplest issues. The Israelis are also keen to try the most modern tools, they’re the fastest to try the most advanced machinery, and in the process discover efficiencies in the said machinery. At last, they have a specific type of pursuit, which is the pursuit of the perfect working place attitude.

I worked at Microsoft for four years, at a hardware center. At the Microsoft hardware department, they placed special emphasis on human-computer interaction and user experience; among the department, we had a special saying called “reliable interactive” – the goal of innovation isn’t innovation itself, but to make the users comfortable and convenient when they use our products. Many startup companies tend to lean towards doing something cool, special and full of awe, but these dreams are often short-lived, attracting some media attention at most; I myself wanted to do something “cool” and “special” when I first started. The most important this is to improve efficiency and solve problems for users, not to create all these gimmicks. When you do it, be sure to do it right. In particular cases it is not enough to make the product more reliable, even if the situation changes the product must be reliable. In every case, we have to make sure the product is most reliable.

China 30s: What are you most proud of?

Song Shaopeng: In the past I used to change focus all the time, but since 2011, I’ve become constant, swimming every week and never skipping once.

China 30s: What are your favorite hobbies to do in your spare time? Wait…have you even have any spare time after you started up your career?

Song Shaopeng: The answer is, I have no time, it is very difficult to have half a day of leisure time in one week to spend with my children, and I’m sincerely sorry about that. I’m thankful for all the support my family has given me. Now I’m slowly learning more about organisation, and as my children grow up, some company activities, including swimming competitions, which allow me to bring my family. I believe I can keep the balance between my family and my career if I make a few compromises.

China30s: Where did the inspiration to start your own career come from? How much time did you dedicate to it before you started?

Song Shaopeng: The inspiration is from my children. After having children, I want to provide better music for my children. I am always looking for the method of listening to music,such as using mobile phones and iPad. However, it’s easy to be interrupted, when you receive messages and or an App pop up. A very interesting phenomenon is that a four or five months old baby will shake his head once when the music he listens to stops. I searched on the internet and found that this has a negative effect on the children’s attention. This inspired me to make a product which can both provide high quality music and would not be affected by other programs on the mobile phone.

I have prepared for this idea for one year, the thing I did is my specialty. My specialty during college was audio processing. My graduation thesis was on audio compression without loss. I kept studying electronic products related to sound, including DVDs,microphones and mobile phones.

China 30s: There are many audio products, it’s very convenient to share music between friends. If I’m the consumer, please give me the reason why your product is better than others’ and unique.

Song Shaopeng: We focus on “listening to music without being disturbed”, with two special aspects.

Firstly, we want people to interact with music in a more direct and natural way, in particular the way they interact with the product, we want that to be directly connected to the body and the sense of touch. For example, most music devices have buttons that control the level of sound, therefore forcing us to look directly at the product. Our form of interaction is a contact surface, where no buttons are present. We call it “intuitive interactive version”, so that anyone can use the product, by the means of shaking the device to change the song, pressing it once to stop, and twice for device sharing.

Second, people can communicate through text and images, but sometimes, music is able to express special emotions that text and image cannot capture. Sometimes there’s a song I love, I feel that it really captures my state of mind, and in a second, I can share it with my friends, my friends can listen to it, and understand what’s in my heart then. Without this function, you’d have to open the app, look for the music, send it – it’s not user friendly.

China30s: I guess Sugr Cube has more than these two functionalities, right? What are some other exciting features?

Song Shaopeng: Of course it does! You can control Cube from a mobile APP through Wi-Fi, and it includes an alarm clock, a sleeping-relaxation functions, and other such small practical features. Cube can also directly connect to various streaming music channels like itunes, Pandora, BBC radio, Douban FM, etc, so that you can still use Cube even when the mobile phone is off. Cube has 4GB of storage space, so you can import your music directly through the App, and store it. Cube’s built-in Lithium battery allows for 7 hours of continuous use.

China30s: I’m particularly curious to know how much time you spent on developing such a ‘small but beautiful’ sound system.

Song Shaopeng: We started at the Shenzhen TechSpace (an open manufacturing space), and it took us a month to design the first 3D printed Sugr Cube prototype. Two months later, we made a wooden prototype, and then we spent six months working with the factory on production systems.

China30s: Word on the street is that you received investment from Xu Xiaoping – is that the case? How is the funding process going?

Song Shaopeng: We want to develop an original Chinese brand, and our product found the interest of Xu Xiaoping and Wang Qiang. You must know that at the time, we had no prototype, only a few powerpoint slides. They gave us financial support before our product even came out, and that was a huge inspiration, it made us believe that the project could work. He and Wang Qiang mentored many start ups, and he pointed out our short-comings in terms of marketing and PR. When he came to Shenzhen, he spoke with us till late in the night, deeper exploring the relationship between people and music, and helped us think more about ways to market the produce and reach out to the users.

China30s: How many people do you have in the team today? What are some of their profiles? How did you recruit them?

Song Shaopeng: There’s nine of us. We’re a product design and development team – basically all engineers. The team is all people I used to know. For instance, in electronic sound, there’s an old colleague of mine, we’ve worked together for ten years. Some colleagues also came became they admired what we do. Not long ago, a famous paper ran an article about us. When the article came out, one of the people now working with us had been from Beijing to Tibet for a holiday. He bought a motorbike in Tibet, and drove all the way to us.

Currently, we’re actively looking to recruit a marketing team, and exploring various options, from internships to partnerships, and we’ve set aside a generous amount of shares for that. Feel free to contact me on WeiXin, 261400.

I think the main thing about the team is that we all have one principle in common, we all want to let people interact with music more easily and freely. Of course, in addition to the fact that we’re all like-minded, we all hope that this project will both satisfy our ideals, and make us rich. Entrepreneurship is very hard, the development projects that we’re doing with five or six people, large companies would assign teams of twenty or thirty people to do them.

China30s: What’s the future direction of the company? What are your long-term plans?

Song Shaopeng: We’re positioned within the audio and internet sector. We’ve already planned product development for two years ahead, and plan to develop diverse types of players for online music. We’re also considering a number of vertical expansion scenarios, such as products for yoga practice, elderly people, children, etc.

China30s: What difficulties did you have during the development process? How did you solve them?

Song Shaopeng: One major difficulty at the start was gaining support from vendors. We took our prototype around factories. Many factories were not interested: “You’re not an established company, you’ve got no brand or customer base, should I put so many resources to produce your goods when I don’t know if there’s a future to it?” We had to convince them, when we had nothing to offer but a plan for the future, make them believe that there was hope.

We’ve solved this problem in three different ways. The first one is internal. This type of product is promising within our industry. Music players are still currently having problems, but it is one of the technologies that will lead the industry forward, and bring about change. The second is external, we might even call it fate, I happened to meet a person who liked this idea. He’s the boss of a business in a traditional industry, but wants to innovate, and has the funds and energy to try out new things. And another is to rely on my own efforts, take time to network, and patiently explain the product, layer by layer. From salesman to engineer, then back to chief product designer, then back to CEO. I’m a rather shy person, and when given the choice, I’d rather not go out and drink with people. But sometimes, I just had to go and do it. This process also allowed me to complete my metamorphosis from engineer to ‘salesperson’.

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