One must have a sense of discovery.

　　What is discovery? Discovery is the act of seeing or finding something that no one else has yet discovered, through research, exploration, and other means.
　　The elderly often say, “Everywhere you look, there is something to learn.” In fact, this learning prepares us to spot opportunities. As PCB manufacturing advances at breakneck speed, the processing steps and requirements can vary significantly from one product to another—and our production conditions themselves are subject to change over time, depending on a host of factors. If we fail to pay close attention, remain careless, or lack dedication in the tasks under our responsibility, our work will inevitably fall short of results. Many issues evolve over time; if we don’t identify them promptly and continue operating as before, even seemingly minor matters—such as basic procedural oversights—can lead to losses amounting to hundreds of thousands or even millions. For example, our gold‑plated boards sometimes develop microscopic tin‑solder spots. We’re all aware of this issue and have methods to address it, yet we’ve been unable to implement those solutions consistently. The reason? A mindset that “it’s no big deal,” with little consideration for the customer. As a result, customers end up conducting 100% in‑house inspections, incurring inspection costs far exceeding the value of our products. When asked why we deduct one million yuan annually due to quality problems, the question arises: if we redirected that money toward offering discounts to our customers, how much additional value could we create?
This phenomenon of losing the bigger picture over minor issues is easily resolved—as long as it’s identified early and addressed promptly.
So, how can one cultivate the ability to spot opportunities? The fundamentals boil down to two key points:
　　First, do things right. This is the minimum requirement. Only by getting it right can we deliver quality results. For example, when baking board materials, removing a piece halfway through and forcing it to cool differs from allowing it to cool naturally; similarly, hot‑air‑dried products exhibit different performance characteristics depending on whether they undergo one, two, or even three drying cycles. In engineering projects, file conversions across different versions can lead to discrepancies in internal data and character encoding. Therefore, we must approach our work with professionalism—otherwise, problems may result in scrap, increased processing complexity, or rework, potentially compromising the product’s performance for the customer.
　　Second, we must do the right thing. Everyone knows the story of a lazy man who hung a baked bun around his neck yet still starved to death. Logically speaking, he could have simply opened his mouth to bite the bun or reached out to grab it—there was no reason he should have died of hunger. Why did he perish? Because he chose “laziness” over “survival,” failing to make the right decision and instead opting for an outcome that cost him his life. We might call that man foolish, but we should also examine ourselves: how often do we find ourselves making similar choices? The number of apparent defects reported in a single week can easily run into dozens, reflecting whether we’ve selected the correct procedures at every stage—whether it’s handling, placement, or product turnover—and whether final‑inspection visual checks are being performed properly. As the company’s gatekeeper, I must safeguard our entry point; otherwise, we risk encouraging self‑destructive behavior—counting numbers faster than conducting proper inspections. In the early stages of engineering, the choice is clear: either set things up meticulously according to the customer’s requirements—because our products operate on ratios like 1:100 or even 1:1,000—or adopt a careless attitude, assuming “CAT will take care of it later.” CAT represents the fruits of the production process; as the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Do we choose to work with precision, ensuring smooth processing and delivering qualified products, or do we settle for “close enough”—“You said add three extra layers to the line width, so why not just add copper everywhere, even where it’s unnecessary? Doing it thoroughly takes extra effort and reduces the number of viable units produced, and there’s always the risk of mistakes”? Undoubtedly, this is choosing the wrong approach. When faced with tasks from ourselves or other departments, do we too often fall into the same pattern? We’re all too accustomed to hearing responses like, “That’s not my job,” “I’ve already submitted it,” “I don’t understand,” “I wasn’t aware,” “Who didn’t do their part?”—all of which amount to making the same fatal choice as that lazy man.
　　We may all be capable of avoiding the fate of the lazy—provided, of course, that each of us adopts a professional mindset. Simply put, professionalism means standardizing, formalizing, and institutionalizing one’s approach to work: doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and place. It also requires aligning one’s knowledge, attitudes, skills, and underlying beliefs with established professional norms and standards.
　　Confucius said, “In all your duties, be reverent.” Zhu Xi explained, “To be devoted to one’s work means to concentrate wholeheartedly and devote oneself to the task at hand.” This is what it means to be dedicated to one’s profession. Dedication is the starting point of professionalization. It calls upon us to focus on our responsibilities and to carry out our duties with diligence and integrity. To be dedicated is to do everything that serves the work, elevating it beyond a mere means of livelihood and transforming it into a path for realizing one’s self‑worth. It means giving our utmost in everything we do; those who are truly dedicated will naturally see their efforts bear fruit. And it means attending to every critical detail, identifying problems, and solving them creatively.
　　Whether a person can succeed depends on whether they possess a passionate attitude toward their work. “A lack of passion is like a car without gasoline.” What a fitting analogy! In the professional world, successful individuals consistently guide and shape their lives with the most positive mindset, the most optimistic spirit, and the most fervent dedication.
　　Professionalism is the foundation of one’s career. It encompasses the values and attitudes that an individual demonstrates in their professional activities, serving as an inner source of motivation. The most fundamental indicator of whether a person possesses a professional mindset is, first and foremost, the conscientious and thorough completion of their assigned duties.
　　With our professional expertise, a sense of proactive identification naturally emerges. Today, many members of our company spot potential issues at every stage, helping to prevent losses. For example, Lin Wang often comes to me and asks, “Sister Li, with such a large metal edge—so big that it exceeds the total gold‑plated area on the board—can it really be plated?” Meanwhile, testing staff will point out, “Sister Li, this product has to undergo multiple tests before it can pass, yet each test ends up damaging the board.” Our products are increasingly halogen‑free and feature higher Tg values—does that mean we should reduce the number of layers? And so on—these are all examples of proactive discovery.
　　Thus, it is clear that identifying dedicated individuals within this very stage can yield substantial benefits.
　　When such weighty insights are uncovered, how can we actually make those discoveries? I believe it begins with the courage to question—questioning not merely for the sake of negation, but as a means to refine and improve. The starting point and ultimate goal of questioning are both to drive continuous refinement, prevent trivial and unnecessary mistakes, and thereby maximize one’s own interests. If we liken discovery to the father of value, then skepticism is its mother. To achieve genuine discovery,
　　You have to dare to question and ask “why” several times.
 

Technical Department: Li Xiumin