AI in China ④: "My Interviewer Isn't Human? Isn't Human!" | A Conversation with Gongjun Liang: Founder of Hina AI

AI in China ④: "My Interviewer Isn't Human? Isn't Human!" | A Conversation with Gongjun Liang: Founder of Hina AI

November 17, 2024

This week's guest on "Crossroads" is Gongjun Liang. His company, Hina AI, is helping SF Express, Walmart, Luckin Coffee, and other enterprises use AI to interview employees — an estimated 8.5 million interviews in 2024.

"Crossroads" runs a content series called "AI in China," which closely tracks how AI is being implemented across Chinese industries. Together with our audience, we observe how AI is genuinely impacting our work and daily lives. Gongjun Liang and Hina AI are the fourth installment of this series.

Koji: "My connection with Gongjun Liang dates back to my 'Wudaokou era.' I had just graduated from Beihang University during the web 2.0 wave, working under Xing Wang as a product manager for Fanfou and Hainei. My entire life — work, entertainment, socializing — unfolded within a one-kilometer radius of Wudaokou, centered on Huaqing Jiayuan. It was here that I first met Gongjun Liang. At the time, he was founder of XianGuo, a beloved RSS reader rivaling Zhuaxia, used by virtually every serious reader in China."

When we learned that Gongjun had founded Hina AI, our first reaction was disbelief. A founder who had built a killer consumer product for China's intellectual elite — how did he end up charging into B2B? And in blue-collar recruitment of all places, such a grounded, unglamorous track.

This week on "Crossroads," we'll talk with Gongjun Liang about his journey as a founder — how to choose, how to trade off, how to persist — lessons that should resonate with all working professionals. We'll also discuss AI, B2B, and business management, hearing from a proven AI entrepreneur about his insights, methods, and secrets.

🆕 What will the world look like in 2027? You wake up immersed in a personalized morning video. Your AI assistant arranges your optimal work plan. In games, you're both player and director. When shopping, AI not only selects the best products but anticipates and solves your future needs.

November 30 marks ChatGPT's second anniversary. We're still at AI's starting line, everything in chaos. But there are always far-sighted, active creators who let us glimpse the future ahead of time.

On November 24 (next Sunday) afternoon, "Crossroads" is partnering with AI-native advertising platform Abotify and a16z's games fund to host our first Beijing in-person AI gathering at the Stanford Center at Peking University. 👬🏻 We're bringing in a16z partner Troy Kirwin and Abotify co-founder Jason to discuss the future of AI applications, plus 15 of the most forward-looking speakers in open-mic format, sharing how they're building the future at the intersection of AI with consumer content and entertainment (generative video, gaming, productivity tools), marketing, and going global.

↓↓↓ Scan the QR code below for event details and registration ↓↓↓

🟢 Part 1: A Founder's Choices and Positioning (01:57) Gongjun Liang shares his decision to pivot from B2C to B2B, systematically identifying AI as one of the most important variables of the next decade. In HR, he broke down over 300 process steps and discovered that talent standardization was the core constraint holding the industry back — becoming Hina AI's primary breakthrough point.

🟢 Part 2: Hina AI's Business Model and Breakthrough (17:50) Hina AI uses AI to solve traditional recruitment pain points, with a low-cost pricing strategy of 10–20 RMB per interview. The company achieved its landmark breakthrough when SF Express fully adopted the system. The team emphasizes that finding like-minded "destined partners" is crucial to company development.

🟢 Part 3: Founder Mindset and Advice (30:05) Founders must dare to negate their past and not be weighed down by historical baggage. Drawing from his own experience, he shares the unique challenges of B2B and offers several pieces of advice for fellow entrepreneurs.

Welcome to the "Crossroads" podcast 🚦 We track the industry shifts and entrepreneurial opportunities brought by the new wave of AI technology. "Crossroads" is Steve Jobs' metaphor for Apple — standing at the intersection of technology and liberal arts, where great products are born. AI is transforming every industry. We seek out, interview, and bring together "active doers" of the AI era to explore and embrace new changes and possibilities together.

👦🏻 Host Koji: Co-founder of The Fair and Tangdao. I believe technology, especially AI, will fundamentally transform society and empower humanity. Welcome to reach out, exchange ideas, and connect on what's next. Koji on Jike, Koji's website

👧🏻 Host Ronghui: Works at a tech VC, former Silicon Valley correspondent for Yicai Weekly. Ronghui on Jike

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