Rock Records Founder Encourages NCCU Graduates: 'Maturity is Willingness to Move Forward After Falling'

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 30. Duan Zhong-yi, founder of Rock Records, was invited to speak at the National Chengchi University (NCCU) graduation ceremony today. He pointed out that while Rock Records has published nearly 3,000 albums over the past 45 years, only about 300 were truly profitable. He told graduates that being willing to move forward after falling is what true maturity is about.

At the morning session of the ceremony, Li Rui-hua, former HR head at TSMC and a professor at NCCU Business School, spoke about his career transition from a radiographer to a corporate executive and educator. He admitted that every major turning point was accompanied by struggle, but choosing to step out of his comfort zone opened up broader horizons. He stated that the scariest thing in life is not knowing how to choose, but being afraid to choose.

In the afternoon session, Duan shared his own experiences, noting that he had applied to every advertising agency when he was young but was rejected by all. He emphasized that without the 2,000+ failed albums, there wouldn't be the 300 successful ones. He also mentioned that as AI rapidly changes the world, the ability to ask questions, understand human nature, and judge value is key to creating differentiation.