Using Mud as Steps to Reach for Stars and Build Dreams Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment

"Reaching for Stars from Mud: Wu Songyan's Inspiring Journey at Songshan Lake City College Innovation Competition"May 22, 2025, Songshan Lake City College's Double Innovation Competition welcomed a special "star-chaser" – Mr. Wu Songyan, Chairman of Guangdong Yixin Feng Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. and Founder of a national-level specialized, sophisticated, and innovative "little giant" enterprise. As an invited entrepreneurship mentor, he shared his rags-to-riches story from a dropout teenager to an industry leader, delivering a vivid talk on struggle, innovation, and gratitude that drew thunderous applause and praise from faculty and students.Lithium - Ion Battery Equipment

Setting Sail from Mud: Struggle as the Brightest Hue of Youth

"To live is to be grateful for every growth brought by setbacks," Wu opened, immersing the audience in his bumpy yet brilliant entrepreneurial journey. Dropping out at 14, he worked as an apprentice at a Zhengzhou breakfast stall and a mechanic at a Guangdong printing factory, surviving on construction sites and empty stomachs while believing, "One can reach for stars even from muddy ground." He candidly shared how earning just 2 yuan a day and enduring two meatless years forged his "Xiping-born tenacity," teaching him that technology is the code to change fate and learning is an eternal flame.

Innovative Breakthrough: From an 80㎡ Workshop to an Industry Benchmark

"Entrepreneurship isn’t a gamble but a pursuit to polish every product with reverence," Wu said, recounting three business transformations and six relocations: starting from an 80㎡ workshop in 2001 to develop label printing machines, then shifting to lithium battery equipment in 2008, leading his team to conquer over 180 patents and grow output value from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of yuan. He highlighted Yixin Feng’s "globally 首创 physical exfoliation nano-material disperser" and "laser die-cutting winding and flattening integrated machine," illustrating how "innovation is an enterprise’s confidence to race against time."

Mentor’s Advice: Three 'Stars' for Young Entrepreneurs

• Adopt a 'T-shaped Thinking': Deepen expertise in a vertical field while expanding cross-industry vision. Yixin Feng’s transition from traditional printing to new energy capitalized on the lithium battery industry’s "golden decade."
• Apply 'Accounting Thinking': "70% of startups fail due to financial mismanagement." He emphasized cost control and cash flow management, advising students to master basic legal knowledge to avoid risks.
• Hold a 'Star-Chasing Heart' to Give Back: Recalling donations to build hometown roads and support villagers, he urged youth to "never forget their roots when successful, and shine light where it’s needed."
• 

Resonance: Strivers 终将 Light Up the Galaxy

"Mr. Wu’s story shows suffering isn’t an end but a new beginning!" said Li Ran, a mechanical engineering student. Teams even approached him with new energy project proposals, and Wu analyzed technical paths and market pain points, promising internships and resource docking at Yixin Feng for outstanding projects.
"Mr. Wu has spent 30 years embodying the Chinese entrepreneur spirit of rising from dirt to stars," concluded the Vice President of Songshan Lake City College. "His sharing is not just experience but an enlightenment on courage and faith."

Yixin Feng’s Vision for the Future

As a national high-tech enterprise, Yixin Feng continues to deepen its new energy focus, co-building energy storage labs with Wuhan University and planning to open a technology incubation platform for young entrepreneurs. "We’re developing an 'intelligent new energy equipment production line' and welcome more youth to join this green revolution!" Wu revealed.

A Sea of Stars, a Youthful Voyage

This lecture not only ignited students’ entrepreneurial passion but also conveyed a belief: in the tide of time, there are no born winners—only unyielding light-chasers. As Wu said, "If your aim is to reach for stars, mud will become your ladder to the sky!"