May 30, 2026 – XPeng founder He Xiaopeng has shared a candid take on his evolving relationship with reading, suggesting that the rapid pace of change in today’s tech landscape has made traditional books increasingly difficult to digest.
Speaking on the talk show Unfinished Promise, He revealed that many books sitting on his desk now get no more than a single chapter before being set aside. “I don’t really enjoy reading overly specific books anymore,” he admitted. His reasoning is straightforward: by the time a book is written, printed, and shipped, the world it describes has already shifted by roughly 10%. Patterns and rules captured in print simply can’t keep up with the speed at which industries are being recombined and reinvented.
Instead of relying on static knowledge, He believes the most effective way to absorb information is through hands-on practice. “What matters most now is figuring out how to run rapid cycles of experimentation on a large enough platform,” he said.
He also drew a sharp contrast between traditional corporate management and AI-driven operations. While companies typically run on the PDCA cycle — Plan, Do, Check, Act — He argued that AI systems demand fully automated loops. In his view, even the “Check” phase should be eliminated, and human involvement minimized at every step to reduce friction and maximize efficiency.
