In 2009, Jin Yisu rented a 4-square-meter storage space, officially beginning his entrepreneurial journey. With no team, clients, or funding, but driven by firm faith and an indefatigable spirit, he built IntelliPro, now a world-leading human resources solutions company. Nowadays, IntelliPro operates in more than 160 countries and regions, with a robust global network. With a team of more than 1,000 people, the enterprise has become a core HR partner for tech giants such as Google, Meta, Amazon, TikTok, Tencent, and Alibaba.

The entrepreneurial experience of Jin Yisu, the founder of IntelliPro and President of the North American Entrepreneurship Association of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST-NEA), is not only a story of challenging struggles but also a profound enlightenment for Chinese enterprises seeking global expansion. How did he grow to be the founder of a multinational corporation from a plain IT engineer? What’s his secret to success? What’s his insight into enterprises going abroad?

Studying at HUST: Forging character through challenges

Jin Yisu is a member of the 1990 cohort from the School of Mechanical Science & Engineering at HUST. During his studies, he showed strong resilience and a thirst for knowledge, especially in math and physics. He took the initiative to enter the university’s advanced class. Though rejected because of his grades, he didn’t quit and insisted on auditing courses and ranked in the top ten on the final exam. This accomplishment led to his exceptional admission.

The experience not only strengthened his math foundation but also shaped his ability to confront challenges. He learned to find breakthroughs under unfavorable conditions, realizing that success does not come to the smartest, but to those who persevere, those willing to go the extra mile and refuse to quit. The mindset defined his later entrepreneurial journey: once committed, he spared no effort to achieve excellence.

From an employee to a Fortune 500 partner

Jin Yisu was born into an academic family—his father served as a university professor. Though his family was in good financial condition, he wanted to make his own life choices from a young age. In 1997, he independently pursued graduate studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), later establishing himself in Silicon Valley.

Like many other Chinese engineers, Jin began his career in the IT industry. Before starting his own business, he worked at Fortune 500 companies including Oracle, IBM and Cisco, mainly engaging in IT development and project management. The experience not only equipped him with global corporate operations at the highest level, but also gave him an in-depth understanding of the importance of technology and business systems to enterprise growth.

However, unsatisfied with a stable corporate career, he sharply perceived the great potential in human resources and decided to be an entrepreneur, building his own business empire.

IntelliPro’s global talent database

From a one-person company to winning the first client

Jin Yisu came through a tough start. In IntelliPro’s early days, all it had was himself, a small office, several business cards with different positions printed on them, and several e-mail addresses with different identities. Jin was the CEO, the salesman, the customer service representative, and the marketing team. He even used different email identities to assign himself tasks which he would then execute as an employee.

The greatest initial challenge was acquiring customers. During a seemingly hopeless phone call, he sincerely told a Fortune 500 purchasing manager that his company was newly founded with no team, income, or client, which would typically justify rejection. But then Jin added, “Every person begins as a newborn. IntelliPro is my child. If I nurture her, and others believe in her, she will grow strong one day!” His sincerity won IntelliPro its first order.

At first, IntelliPro mainly offered IT outsourcing and consulting services, but soon Jin found that solely depending on software development couldn’t support the company’s rapid expansion. So, he turned to human resources services, helping enterprises recruit and manage global talent. This strategic shift propelled IntelliPro into new markets, establishing it as a world leader in integrated recruitment and employment solutions.

Jin believes a company’s core competitiveness lies not only in its business model and technology, but also in its culture and team cohesion. He maintains that cultural values and team incentive mechanisms are what enable sustainable enterprise growth - the key factors behind IntelliPro’s continued success.

Guided by the cultural principle, IntelliPro adopted a flatter organizational structure, increasing both employee decision-making freedom and sense of responsibility.

Jin Yisu (center) and some employees of IntelliPro

At IntelliPro, there’s only one core standard for promotion—performance and contribution. There’s no “glass ceiling.” Youngsters can advance rapidly if they have the capacity. The mechanism tremendously boosts employee motivation.

Take an ordinary employee as an example: He joined IntelliPro in 2019 as a trainee and rose to partner in just five years, with an annual performance of over 11 million yuan.

Jin understands that excellent talents are more willing to work in a trusted and liberated environment. Thus, IntelliPro has promoted a long-standing “results-oriented” management model rather than “attendance-oriented.” Jin believes that there’s no need to force outstanding employees, because they will take the initiative to shoulder the responsibility and create higher value in a free environment.

Currently, IntelliPro has entered the rapid-growth stage and plans to further expand the global market. Meanwhile, the company is pushing forward the “Global Team One Team” pattern to enhance international business collaboration efficiency. Jin believes that in the global era, a company’s true competitiveness lies in “talent + technology,” and IntelliPro is exactly a pacesetter of this tendency.

In just 15 years, Jin Yisu has expanded his venture from a one-person startup to a business spanning over 160 countries, achieving what many entrepreneurs only dream of. His story not only shows how a company can break through and succeed in global markets, but also provides valuable insights for Chinese businesses looking to expand overseas.

Written by: Su Wanxin

Edited by: Zhan Xinrui, Chang Wen, Peng Yumeng