Cheng Sheng: There was also a time when I felt lost, but people always grow up in an instant

For Cheng Sheng (Senior Product Manager for Advanced Technology, OPPO Research Institute), there are two notable moments of growth in her life. One happened during her school days, and the other was at OPPO.

When she was in middle school, Cheng Sheng was what many parents call "the child of another family," a colloquial way to describe a dream child. She was at the top of her class at one of the best schools in the region, scoring in the top 80 in the province. At that time, Cheng Sheng thought that the rest of her life would be a smooth process, but when it came time to study abroad and choose a major, she began to feel lost and confused.

Holding a thick book of specialized study subjects, she felt like choosing the right major for herself was like looking for a needle in a haystack. "I felt that I could study any of these majors, but I didn't have a firm interest in any of them or the ability to choose one without hesitation." What could she possibly do in the future? It became a question that Cheng Sheng carried in her heart. At the time, unemployment was a concern for many people, so family and friends began to suggest that Cheng Sheng make a "foolproof" choice and select a major with high demand: electronics technology.

Although it was a choice that stemmed from uncertainty, she began to develop a real interest in the subject. One time, a teacher assigned her a project task, which led Cheng Sheng to consider the value of the project. This value became a starting point for her to judge whether to dedicate herself to a project, rather than the technology itself. With this guiding principle, she chose to study industrial design as her second major, and gradually, she came to realize what she wanted to do.

After graduation, Cheng Sheng continued to pursue this passion, serving as a product manager for the Reno and Find series at OPPO. At the time, Cheng Sheng had just entered the workplace and had little professional experience. Like many newcomers in the workplace, she felt a sense of confusion and could not seem to find a sense of accomplishment. Soon afterwards, she learned that the OPPO Research Institute was exploring the development of new products and became very excited and eager to get closer to cutting-edge technology and tap into the value of new products.

Work at the research institute felt like a running marathon, with a long way left to go. Cheng Sheng saw that there was no shortcut to success, and that milestones could only be achieved in stages through hard work. She did not care about short-term gains. She had the patience, ambition and dream to make products that can enhance lives in the future, such as robots.

OPPO's advantages in the robotics race may not be obvious. So, Cheng Sheng and the team changed their thinking and sorted out OPPO’s advantages in the field, unearthing the core control points in hopes of bringing these values to the company’s other products. OPPO Research Institute brings together the most creative teams, creating collaborative opportunities that have won the brand many professional awards. For Cheng Sheng, every day of work is challenging and stimulating. Now, the team’s robotics research and development has entered the 2.0 stage, with products and technologies that are constantly evolving.

Cheng Sheng said: "People are always learning and growing, and along the way, we might have to take a lot of detours. Through experience and trial and error, we find out what we really like." Even if it is a personal hobby, everyone’s energy is limited, so people must narrow their focus to become more specialized in certain interests. This year marks the 18th anniversary of OPPO, and perhaps the maturity of a person is the same as the development of a company – we must grasp the essence of what makes something special, keep our enthusiasm alive, always keep exploring and experience growth over time.

To watch the documentary of Cheng Sheng, please visit https://youtu.be/PG8a4j_dazI.