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Why I love electronics industry (6): Labor shortage, tech advancement offer good opportunities

Colley Hwang, DIGITIMES Asia, Taipei 0

The electronics industry is a diverse and ever-changing field, and data assets have become a modern tool for competition. If you are able to accumulate a wealth of assets, how can you complain that there is nothing new in this industry? It'd ideal if you could sit back while running a business, but that would happen only after you've spent your whole life doing it.

The more changes in the industry, the worse the labor shortages and more opportunities for us. We always give top priority to serving our clients, and we're hoping we can contribute to the industry. I don't hate my job or complain about daily hard work.

As soon as an article is published, some people would say "we should talk about it from the grassroots perspective." I know what it's like being on the grassroots levels; I've been there. But running a business is like running a revolution: it's all or nothing. It won't do just by dining and wining.

Many people lament their talents have been overlooked, but in fact, most of them do not know how to manage situations. And data is the key.

What kind of people will fail? Probably those who spend most of their time complaining. I would also complain while working, and over the years I've leaned to complain less and less and to delegate work to others who know the work better than myself. And is not life the same? If everything goes smoothly, would there be fun?

From another point of view, in what kind of situation would people hate their own work. Of course, doing too much in vain, or tying to do the impossible. What if your boss assigns you a lot of wok but ignores you achievements? I hate it when company owners discuss KPI with me all the time. If a service provider could set clear KPI, we would definitely ask for very high prices. But would clients accept them terms? Especially for Taiwanese customers, they would definitely back off when they hear the price.

In Taiwan, it is not difficult to open a small eatery. But if you want to engage in a professional service industry, that'd be a different story. If the boss isn't right, if the company doesn't have a clear positioning, or if an IT firm spends all its efforts on real estate speculation, then you should avoid them. If you work in such companies, you will gain nothing.

Colley Hwang, president of DIGITIMES Asia, is a tech industry analyst with more than three decades of experience under his belt. He has written several books about the trends and developments of the tech industry, including Asian Edge: On the Frontline of the ICT World published in 2019, and Disconnected ICT Supply Chain: New Power Plays Unfolding published in 2020.