Li Yi, Fudan MBA alumnus, founder of BUFF X Technology, was ranked in the Top Young Entrepreneurs of The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2020 List.
Li was only 23 years old when he entered the Fudan MBA Program in 2015. "For a project so demanding, I was determined to get it done as early as possible, in a stage of career development when the opportunity cost was not too high."
Driven by clear goals, Li explored his potential during his MBA studies, and realized the transition from a manager in a foreign company to an entrepreneur soon after graduation.
He felt especially inspired by discussions with his thesis advisor, Professor Feng Tianjun, which better prepared him for his later entrepreneurship. "Creating a business is not unlike writing a thesis. Only after completing throughgoing researches on the targeted field, can the execution be carried out effectively on the right track,” Li said. “Entrepreneurs are often endowed with courage and execution ability, but sometimes they lack the calm thinking and the patience to summarize the lesson from the previous experience."
The valuation of Buff X has achieved 1 billion yuan. Now Li is planning to improve the research and development by consulting leading scientists and experts in the industry, thereby building barriers to competitors.
