China's own Steve Jobs set to lead voice technology sector(3)

In 2008, the company staged its initial public offering (IPO) and floated on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the first college student-initiated business to be listed in China.

FROM SCIENTIST TO MANAGER

Born into a family of modest means in Jing County, in the eastern China province of Anhui, Liu outshone his classmates during high school in mathematics and physics. His academic achievements saw him enrolling at the renowned USTC at 17, at least one year younger than most of his fellow freshmen.

At the dawn of his career, Liu admitted, he preferred talking to machines than to people.

"I didn't intend to be a chairman, which I thought lacked creativity" Liu said, "I thought that research, developing algorithms and making real products was innovative. As a scientist, I could go to sleep at midnight and wake up at noon, but you don't have that freedom as a chairman."

But the cruelty of the market and low workplace morale taught him that he could not bank on others managing the company's marketing, finance and operational arms without risking the startup's prospects. It was then that he took on the chairmanship.

Fifteen years on, and defying all odds, Liu has seen the small startup develop into an industry leader

Liu loves climbing mountains and he often draws a parallel between the activity and his company's struggle to get the top.

"We are a good company, but we are not yet great. We are still climbing the mountain. In the Internet era, people only remember first place, not the runner-up," he said.