MA: A successful "copy" person

Tencent decade, MA has not stopped the "copy", so that in each of Tencent's products, can find the shadow of well-known Internet products at home and abroad. Tencent has therefore become a Web portal that covers all Web users, and Ma has succeeded. But he doesn't feel relaxed because someone else may copy him at any time.

"Tencent does not have a capital problem. "Facing the industry in the context of the global financial crisis in the background of the Internet industry in question, today's MA, although bookish still, but more calm and dry refining."

The November 11, dubbed "Singles Day" by many singles, was a boiling day for Tencent-a 10-year celebration of Tencent. Also at this time, "Tencent funds tight" the argument diffuse. Tencent's explanation for this is, "This is the misreading of the media, Tencent is not a problem of capital shortage." ”

The reporter from November 13 Tencent released the third quarter of 2008 earnings, Tencent net profit fell 7.8% from the second quarter. However, as much as 810.5 million yuan (118.9 million U.S. dollars) operating earnings still rose 72.3% from the same period last year.

Tencent can achieve today's results, just as no one could have predicted the Chinese internet today, ten years ago. Ten years of Tencent, "copy" too many products, it has too many internet companies shadow. Therefore, Tencent is still a lot of people in the industry positioning as "copy." However, for today's Tencent, whether the "copy", it seems that is not important.

　　Open food: pure imitation only to eat full

Ten years ago, MA, five years after graduating from college, was a software engineer in Shenzhen run Xun company. After work, his biggest hobby is surfing the internet, and thus met a lot of "network Worm" friends. Some of them later became the as Internet, such as the man of the river, such as the Lei ding of NetEase, Jinshan seek Baijun.

November 1998, MA and his college classmate Zhang Zhidong Five people, together 500,000 yuan, registered their own company, this is the embryonic form of Tencent.

Tencent's initial business was to do system integration for some paging stations, and several partners were busy as salespeople and engineers. A chance, MA saw the windows-based system of ICQ demo, ICQ was swept around the world, but there is no Chinese version. As a result, MA began to think, whether can be in China to launch a similar to the ICQ paging, chat, e-mail in one software? It is such a simple idea, MA and his colleagues began to imitate the functions and features of ICQ, developed a Chinese interface instant messaging tools-"online Chinese pager", referred to as "OICQ." No matter from which aspect, OICQ is the one who imitates ICQ in his year, and is also the predecessor of QQ.

However, the birth of the software did not give a lot of surprises to Ma Teng. Because, at that time, "copycat" like Ma is almost everywhere in internet enterprises. At that time there are several similar software, but did not open the market. There was no doubt that Oicq had not given much surprise to the market, and Ma's idea of making money from OICQ was almost dashed.

For the development of OICQ, it was said that Ma was because he saw ICQ sold to the United States from Israel at a "sky-high price" of 287 million dollars, Others say he is seen shouting for free. com company in the other side of the ocean set off the stock market climax, but also some people said he is to see the first group of network heroes in China surging, but also want to take a chance. For these claims, MA Teng noncommittal, "I just feel this chat tool implied huge business opportunities." "At the beginning of 1999, he held to try the mentality, put Oicq on the Internet, from the original directed gift to free download mode, this move should be the students need, free download OICQ in the university campus rage.

The next thing, let Ma Hua teng some overwhelmed. This once not favored by the software, in less than a year to develop 5 million users, which makes MA in the excitement and worry about OICQ survival problem. Because the increase in the number of users, but also means to continue to expand the server. At that time, the one thousand or two thousand-yuan server hosting fee, let the small workshop-style Tencent overwhelmed. In desperation, the horse teng everywhere to rub other people's servers. In the beginning only used a common PC, put the broadband conditions in the room, and then, the program secretly installed in other people's server run. However, this can only temporarily solve the immediate.

That period of time, for Ma is a kind of torment: "Ming know there is income, there is a prospect, can support the development of users, can restrict us is not enough money to buy the server and bandwidth, product reputation is done, can not have funds." "According to one of Tencent's old employees, in November 1999, the company accounted for just over 10,000 yuan."

October 1999, the year after the company operation, Tencent began formal financing. "Before also contacted some VC, even wanted to sell the company, sell Oicq." Ma recalls the situation, and seemed to have lost his heart.

In a letter claiming to be an employee of Tencent, the reporter saw a description of the period: Several founders must have lunch or dinner together every day, and use the time to communicate. For this reason, a few of them often quarrel, still clap table, even ignore each other. However, MA never noisy, only angry, angry when the words mean. At that time, because the company did not have money, everyone's mood is not good, including employees, because no wages have been issued. But, dare not ask the matter, just pray that VCs will patronize Tencent.

At that time, an enterprise financing, either have the core technology, or have good projects. But for Tencent, the only advantage of financing is "users." At that time, OICQ users had been millions, but there was no revenue. VCs Ask Ma, what is your core value? "The Israeli ICQ sold tens of millions of dollars, how many users does it have?" Ma said. We now have more users than them, so we are worth so much money. " By this, Tencent is fortunate enough to pull the 2.2 million dollar investment of IDG and Richard Li's PCCW-tech digital. According to Tencent's 5.5 million dollar valuation at the time, wind investment accounted for 40% of the shares. "For this financing success, there are technical reasons, more luck." Ma made no secret of his luck. "Shenzhen is not like Beijing, Beijing is a circle of returnees, where enterprises are easier to find investors." Financing in Shenzhen was difficult, so we were lucky. ”

According to one of Tencent's employees, during the financing process, MA did two lumbar surgeries. After the second operation, he lay flat on the bed, carrying a laptop office.