Michelle Wu (Nyquist AI): From Peking University’s Diplomatic Track to AI in Healthcare — The Power of Humor and Authenticity

Interview by Xiao He (Mother of Success)

Self-Introduction and Entrepreneurial Journey

Xiao He:
Michelle, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and talk today. Could you start by introducing yourself?

Michelle Wu:
Of course. I’m really honored, especially since I’ve been a big fan of you and your previous startup, and we’re kind of in the same industry (laughs). I truly admire you: coming from an art background and entering a not sexy and difficult sector as “Reg Tech”  — that’s impressive. So when you invited me, I said yes immediately.

I’m the cofounder of Nyquist AI, a company that integrates data, artificial intelligence, and workflow automation. We serve clients across medical devices, pharmaceuticals, CROs, hospitals, and non-profits. Our core team has three people, and we currently have about 200 clients globally.

Recently, I was fortunate to be named one of the Global Top 100 Women in AI. The top spot went to my professor, Fei-Fei Li at Stanford, and second place was Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI. To be listed alongside those luminaries was super thrilling for me.

Before that, I  founded two startups during my MBA at Stanford.
The first was a dating app, born out of a personal need (laughs). We got over 800 downloads on the very launch night with a buggy MVP. Two couples later got married through our app!. A potential Investor offered $1 million to me to drop out of Stanford and build it full-time, but as an international student, my options of visa were limited back then, so I had to decline the offer and build the startup while still in school. I eventually realized social apps could scale very fast, but didn’t play to my core strengths, so we merged with another bigger app. By serendipity, this little “Passion Project”  completely altered my life journey for the next five years.

I was the solo founder for my second startup — the idea was “TurboTax for FDA filings.”
From 2016–2017, AI was booming, and Sino-US relations were still good. Both Chinese and American investors were eager to fund AI. It was a classic Silicon Valley story: after a 15-minute coffee chat with a stranger, I walked away with a $1 million check.
Raising money was easy. Building the company wasn’t.
I was a terrible manager then: inexperienced and arrogant. I couldn’t retain talent, and I ran the startup to the ground. I made every mistake one could make.

Prior to Stanford and startups, I worked at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on healthcare strategy and at Novartis before embarking on my startup journey.

Peking University Vietnamese Major: The Seed of a Prospect Diplomat’s  Dream

Xiao He:
You studied Foreign Languages and Diplomacy at Peking University. Looking back, how would you describe that time?

Michelle Wu:
I’m from Zhengzhou city, Henan province. It’s extremely hard for Henan students to get into Tsinghua or Peking University. I was admitted by recommendation — very lucky. At Beida(Peking University’s nickname), I met the "Crème de la crème" and also the super diligent talents who studied non-stop. I was somewhere in between: a bit more diligent than the geniuses, a bit more talented than the hard-workers, and with a sense of humor.

Since childhood, I loved watching foreign ministry press conferences; those spokespeople looked so cool. I come from a working-class family, but my father was very supportive — he’d buy me books on diplomatic history or Thatcher’s biography.  I was immediately captivated by the grand game of "contest and collaboration among great nations"—a breathtaking display of masterful statecraft.

At Beida, I majored in Vietnamese, a minor language. My thinking was simple: major languages like English or Spanish had set paths, but small languages offered freedom — the spirit of “winning big with small.” My favorite childhood fairytale was Japan’s Momotarō. Countries like Japan and Vietnam may be small geographically, but their international influence is profound.

Beida’s education resources were abundant. Our class had only eight students; the school equipped us with one professional, one associate professional, two lecturers, and one TA. Many of China’s top foreign ministry spokespersons and strategists came from Beida. I was among those internally nominated for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Turning Point in Vietnam: Dreams Shattered and Reborn

During my internship at the Chinese Consulate in Vietnam, the rosy lens of my dream of becoming a diplomat came crashing down, revealing a stark reality. Diplomatic work is tedious and bureaucratic — you’re just a cog in a giant machine. I’m too free-spirited to be a good fit for the role.

After the internship, I traveled in Vietnam and had a major accident. I fell from a mountain, covered in blood, and nearly died. Medical conditions were poor there. That accident made me confront the fragility of life for the first time and realize that life science has a real, tangible impact. I switched focus to biopharma and public health and never looked back.

My father didn’t understand me— he was a factory worker who thought a government job was secure and respectable. But I knew that wasn’t in the cards. 

Boston Consulting Group and Professional Growth

After graduation, I joined BCG. Strategy consulting is great for smart young people who don’t want to decide which industry to focus on yet: you get broad exposure fast, but it’s easy to become complacent. I eventually realized it wasn’t me who was amazing — it was the platform. It was BCG brand that was powerful.

Diplomacy and AI Startups: All Roads Lead to Rome (Heart)

Xiao He:
Did your diplomatic training influence your entrepreneurship?

Michelle Wu:

Diplomatic training offers unexpected yet tremendous value in the world of B2B enterprise services. The process—mapping out the various power coalitions, their respective agendas, and budget ownership—feels akin to a multi-nation negotiation. You must discern the pecking order: which unit is the true heavyweight, and which carries a supporting role. It's a David and Goliath situation, and sometimes you just can't go against the grain. The real art lies in maintaining balance without causing concerns. This is precisely where the critical thinking and eloquence I cultivated in my diplomatic training come into play in my work today.

Humor and Authenticity: The Keys to Staying Energized

Xiao He:
You have such a bright personality with high energy. Have you always been this optimistic and funny?

Michelle Wu:
I probably inherited that from my father. He was a small-town worker; life was hard, but he had a great sense of humor. When I was young, I took art, piano, and dance classes —  and whenever there was a school talent show, I was the one doing the comedy skit (laughs). The prettiest girls danced — I did comedy. Using humor as a coping mechanism helped me stay balanced through difficult times.

I don’t think I’m a “superhuman.” So many people around me are extraordinary. I admire them and understand the immense sacrifice behind their success. So I’m content with my own pace.

Facing Hardship and Loss

Xiao He:
I’m curious how you maintain that optimism given all you’ve been through. You mentioned before that there were some really hard times.

Michelle Wu:
Oh yes — plenty. Like this morning: I woke up at five for a completely pointless meeting (laughs). I say how I feel openly; I don’t bottle up my emotions. Emotions need release. If I’m happy, I say it right away; if I’m not, I say that too.

During my startup years, I went through a miscarriage with my first baby and my father’s near-death experience while navigating make-or-break points of my startup. It was hard, but that’s life. Our generation of female founders is already quite lucky to have safer environments and more social recognition.

I've encountered plenty of founders who are next-level—some no longer need to work for economic gains, others are building unicorns. But in my experience, real genius comes with a unique kind of obsession and its own set of pains. I make sure not to let myself get wrecked by overthinking or self-criticism, which is quite common among Asian founders due to our culture. I know the difference between when my body is tired and when my soul is tired. I stay real, I don't fake it—it keeps my conscience clear.

People say I may not be the best CEO, but definitely the funniest one (laughs).

Book Recommendations

Xiao He:
At the end of each interview, we always ask our guests to recommend a book, film, or podcast.

Michelle Wu:
Lately, I’ve been rereading Mo Yan’s Big Breasts and Wide Hips — the strong will of living in that novel is beyond my limited power of words. Another favorite is Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha. I once lived in Switzerland, and that book reminds me of the entrepreneur’s own David Campbell's journey: abandonment, wandering, awakening.

Xiao He:
Beautifully said. Thank you, Michelle, for your sincere sharing!