Grain Factory researcher Will: How passionate can 'professor-level' Mi fans be?

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Look closely, the man who just picked up the SU7 Founder's Edition is named Kevin. Although he wears a small mask, it doesn't seem to hide the joy on his face.

In fact, Kevin is better known among friends in the group as "Professor."

People call Kevin "Professor" not only because he knows everything about Xiaomi and is often mistaken for a Xiaomi employee or salesperson, but also because he is indeed a professor—a full professor.

Kevin holds dual bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Physics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from Stony Brook University. After graduation, he was recruited by Chongqing University as a "Hongshen Young Scholar" from the U.S. and became a full professor and doctoral advisor at the age of 29. It's worth noting that becoming a full professor at a 985 university at this age is extremely rare nationwide.

The Professor said his first Xiaomi product wasn't a phone but a Xiaomi suitcase that accompanied him throughout his study abroad journey. At Stony Brook, his understanding of Xiaomi expanded from a suitcase to senior Cui Baoqiu in the Computer Science Department, a roommate who timed online purchases for Xiaomi phones, and even a girlfriend who was a fan of Lei Jun. The Professor's Xiaomi products grew in number, and now every friend (especially foreign visitors) who comes to his office for a meeting must first listen to his 10-minute introduction to the Xiaomi ecosystem—including the newly acquired SU7, which has made him the coolest guy at Chongqing University.

The Professor's passion for Xiaomi goes beyond products. His research focuses on IoT, smart homes, and federated learning—or, in terms familiar to Xiaomi shareholders, IoT and AI. Simply put, he researches whatever Xiaomi is moving toward. Beyond aligning his research with Xiaomi, he also encourages his graduate students to apply for internships and jobs at Xiaomi.

As a shareholder, the Professor approaches Xiaomi's fundamentals with academic rigor. Many friends saw the viral post "Netizen Uses Satellite to Photograph Xiaomi's Car Factory"—that netizen was the Professor. He used Jilin Gaofen satellites and Sentinel-2 satellites (both publicly available resources) to track the construction progress of Xiaomi's car factory in real-time. He even measured parking areas at the factory entrance to estimate SU7 production capacity, leaving even Xiaomi officials amazed.

Additionally, to debunk claims that Xiaomi is "just an assembler without core technology," the Professor spent a week reviewing all 238 publicly disclosed patents related to Xiaomi's cars in 2023 and wrote a detailed article analyzing 36 of them. Many details about the SU7 were hidden in these patents. For example, in a September 2023 article, he discovered Xiaomi's self-developed Titan alloy—likely the first person online to do so.

Beyond academics, the Professor's most touching story is his 2022 fundraiser to buy a Xiaomi phone for a blogger diagnosed with M3 leukemia.

Liushuihua was an active illustrator on Weibo and a Xiaomi fan who loved photography and sharing. Due to illness and financial constraints, he couldn't afford the newly released 12S Ultra. With the blogger's consent, the Professor initiated a fundraiser in the shareholder group. Despite having only 150 members at the time, 40 friends quickly contributed and completed the donation—truly making "awesome things happen." When I shared this story with Lei Jun, he was deeply moved.

Two years later, Liushuihua has recovered from leukemia and become a good friend in our shareholder group, often creating artwork for Xiaomi. With his permission, I can now share this story.

The previous story about Lao Xia resonated with many Xiaomi fans, shareholders, and employees, showcasing the growth of an early adopter. Though the Professor's path differs from Lao Xia's, both embody the SU7's target demographic as mentioned by Lei Jun: "elites of the era."

Lao Xia went from an early fan to a car owner; Kevin transitioned from student to professor. Despite these changes, their passion for Xiaomi and the "sense of participation" it drives remain unchanged. This participation embodies "making technology accessible to everyone"—the emotional value of changing the world and democratizing tech, something ordinary luxuries can't replace.

Finally, here's a story the Professor shared during an SU7 pickup interview:

"When I was studying in Shanghai, I once visited the Bund with my parents and saw a high-end car dealership. We wanted to look inside, but the salesperson refused us, saying they weren't accepting customers—even though others were browsing. From that moment, I vowed to buy my parents and myself a stylish, powerful, and extraordinary car when I could. The SU7 gave me that chance because Xiaomi stores would never turn me away. My car is purple inside and out—not just for me, but so my mom can drive it too, as purple suits women especially well. I hope she'll be the most beautiful person on the street in this car."

Grain Factory Researcher Will

April 22, 2024, Hong Kong

Disclaimer: All photos and content in this article have been approved by the Professor, with his Snowball account attached.