Beyond the Night Hawk Program: Choices Matter More Than Effort

Originally published 2021-12-17Robin’s commentary

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English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2021-12-17. Translated 2026-11-05 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

TSMC’s Night Hawk program used round-the-clock shifts of PhDs to break physical limits. Robin argues that doubling effort to compensate for weak strategic thinking no longer suits the times. Choices matter more: creativity and innovation should let excellent researchers fulfill their potential, rather than merely tend machines on shifts.

Key points

TSMC’s Night Hawk program used PhDs working research shifts around the clock to push physical limits.
Extra work cannot compensate for inertia in strategic thinking.
Choices matter more; the future calls for creativity and innovation.
Let PhDs fulfill their research potential rather than merely tend machines.

Distinct modular elements joined into a coordinated, balanced whole. — Management & organizationsThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

TSMC once took great pride in its Night Hawk program, with PhDs working diligently in research shifts around the clock to break one physical limit after another. But times change quickly. Taiwan has long tried to compensate for strategic inertia and limited pioneering thinking through twice the hard work. Businesses and individuals must move with the times. Choices matter more than effort. The future should belong to ideas, innovation, and creativity. Opening new possibilities matters more than working twice as hard within old patterns. Please let Taiwan’s excellent PhDs realize their value, rather than merely work shifts tending machines.

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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