10/12/2011
Living-Learning Community students huddled on the cozy couch of the Illinois Street Residence Hall “Garage” Wednesday evening to meet Dr. Bo Q. Zhu, via skype virtual visit....
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By: Lyndsey Taylor
Living-Learning Community students huddled on the cozy couch of the Illinois Street Residence Hall “Garage” Wednesday evening to meet Dr. Bo Q. Zhu, via skype virtual visit.
Zhu is co-founder of Pattern Insight, a company that created software to make de-bugging processes much faster for fixing code. Their software is used by companies such as Cisco, Motorola and Intel.
Zhu obtained his PH.D in computer science at the University of Illinois and created the venture in 2006. The company has been cash flow positive since 2009.
“Five years ago I was in the same room as you guys,” he said. “I always wanted to do a startup. I like to build things.”
The Illinois alum spoke to students about the process of creating Pattern Insight, answered questions and gave insightful advice.
He advised students to “build a foundation” for classes within their college, but also to take classes outside of their field to add to their background, such as some in business.
“You have to have a passion for what you do,” Zhu said. “Pick something (to study) that you're excited about.”
Prior to moving Pattern Insight to Mountain View, Calif., Zhu worked on the venture at the University of Illinois’ incubator, EnterpriseWorks.
Talking about building a startup, Zhu said picking the right team is a crucial part of maintaining success. Identifying what the company needs based on its market will make the process of finding skillful people much easier.
“You want them to be excellent at what they do,” he said.
Getting feedback early and quickly from potential consumers is part of a successful process, he said. “The quickest way to learn is through mistakes.”
Students asked engaging questions while enjoying dessert empanadas.
“I enjoyed learning about a startup,” said freshman Keisha Davis. Davis said she has enjoyed her involvement with Innovation LLC and is interested in learning more in the future about starting her own company.
Jacob Robles, freshman in computer engineering said the Innovation LLC environment has been fun. “It's a very stimulating environment,” he said. “Everyone is really smart. Even our jokes are computer related.”
About the Innovation Living-Learning Community
Innovation LLC is a living-learning community that welcomes students from all majors who share an entrepreneurial spirit. Students who thrive on invention, creative problem-solving, and fostering positive change in the world will feel at home in this inclusive community. Located on one floor in the Illinois Street Residence Halls, Innovation LLC features The Garage, a fully equipped workshop where individuals and teams can collaborate, develop ideas, and put their plans into action. Innovation residents also benefit from access to special courses, guest speakers, and resources to bring their ideas to reality.
If you have any questions about this exciting new community, send us an email at innovation@housing.illinois.edu.