資訊工程博士林玉堂：因為LEAP，看見國際企業的大格局
資訊工程博士林玉堂，面對自己創業的公司，產品賣得不上不下，開始思考國際化的重要性。他從「LEAP博士創新之星計畫」的研習當中，看到經營國際市場的格局。
即使待過知名科技公司，也曾被國內大企業招聘，但資訊工程博士林玉堂一心想創業，與同學合資創立飛象資訊，開發國內電商平台使用的軟體工具。
「我們沒有做得很成功，產品賣得不上不下，所以開始思考如何做到國際化。」林玉堂說自己的家境不是特別好，無法支持他出國研修，然而科技部推出了「LEAP博士創新之星計畫」，正好給了他一線機會。
獲得LEAP的支持後，林玉堂前往美國洛杉磯，進入全美第三大廣告公司、網路內容搜尋平臺的Taboola，擔任資料科學家，運用AI技術將網路新聞文字分類、建立資料屬性與網路訊息的連結，為文字進行加值、設計廣告產品。
在Taboola工作期間，林玉堂時常向成功創業七次的Taboola副總裁俞寧寧，請教開發題目的想法，「但是她說我提出的新題目，太小、不夠大。」
創業的動機，往往也會定義經營的格局。林玉堂曾經聽過LEAP導師的演講，對於導師提醒創業者應該想得更大、思考全球化的可行性、做出差異化，謹記在心。而他在Taboola觀察到第一手前沿技術的發展、應用，以及學習最新的技術後，回顧過去的創業，也認為自己卻想得不夠大、未思考經營全球市場、產品差異化程度不足。
林玉堂進一步表示，若是在創業之前，先到Taboola實習受訓，將會幫助他在創業上少走許多彎路，提高勝率。後來結束LEAP計畫後，他繼續為Taboola效力，返台推動業務。
「如果你是有心想要創業的人，我強烈推薦參加LEAP計畫。」林玉堂強調，身為土博士的他，是LEAP讓他有機會遠赴海外，了解國際市場的需求，而這一番歷練，也是立下培養大格局的量尺。
Lin Yutang, Ph.D. in Information Engineering: LEAP Program helped me see the full picture of international enterprises
Even though he had worked in a well-known technology company and been recruited by some domestic large enterprises, Dr. Lin Yutang was still passionate about starting his own business. He cofounded FlyElephant Information with his classmate, developing software tools used by the domestic e-commerce platform.
"We didn't launch the business very successfully. The products couldn't sell well, so we started thinking about how to be international." Lin Yutang said that his family is not well-off enough to support him to study abroad. However, the LEAP Program sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology gave him a glimpse of chance.
After getting support from the LEAP Program, Lin Yutang went to Los Angeles and entered Taboola, the third-largest advertising company and online content search platform in the US to be a data scientist. He used AI technology to classify online news texts, establish the links between data attributes and online information to add value to texts and design advertising products.
While working at Taboola, Lin Yutang often turned to Taboola ’s Vice President Yu Ningning, who had started business successfully for seven times, to ask for ideas on developing topics. “But she said that the new topic I proposed was too limited and not substantial enough.”
The motivation to start a business often also defines the business pattern. Lin Yutang once heard the lecture of a LEAP mentor and remembered the mentor’s reminder of entrepreneurs to think bigger, to think about the feasibility of globalization, and to make a difference. After observing the development and application of first-hand cutting-edge technology in Taboola, and learning the latest technology, he reflected on his past entrepreneurship and understood that he did not consider targeting the global market. His scope was not big enough, and the degree of his product differentiation was insufficient.
Lin Yutang further stated that if he went to Taboola for internship training before starting his own business, it would help him take fewer detours and increase the winning rate. After completing the LEAP program, he continued to work for Taboola and promote its business in Taiwan.
"If you are a person who has a desire to start a business, I highly recommend you applying for the LEAP program." Lin Yutang emphasized that as a Ph.D. trained in Taiwan’s academia, LEAP allowed him to go overseas to understand the needs of the international market. All of the experience and training he obtained from the LEAP Program cultivates his grand scope of vision.