Youku CEO Koo: first team and fund to start a business

The YouTube video site, which was set up in the United States in February 2005, has now uploaded up to 35,000 daily content, with a daily viewing volume of 35 million. In 2006, YouTube was bought by Google at a price of 1.6 billion dollars.

And in China, from a "steamed bun" caused by the controversy began, people also began to see the impact of video.

"The age of a national video is coming. "Youku president Koo saw China's huge market space.

　　The video provided by the broadband may

Koo now remember, when he was in Sohu, we look at the more and more rich text, while lamenting because the speed is too slow and intermittent video, do not know when that small window to smooth up.

"Now it's all right, with bandwidth technology, 35 trillion videos just a little bit." "Koo smiled and said," I also play video, a lot of collection, and friends often pass. The previous speed is slow, now just click, the sound of a thump passed. ”

Koo sits in the public space of Youku headquarters and draws to reporters, behind him is Youku's logo--, a cartoon-image camera and a small screen.

In March 2005 after the outgoing vice president Sohu, Koo has been "to avoid public view, low-key sneak." He went back to the Internet with a search fund in 2006, but this time he was no longer a graphic, but a video.

After getting the search fund, Koo spent almost half a year watching a lot of internet-related projects. In the end, Clang, a third-generation internet pioneer, chose "micro-video".

Koo's family has a DV, and he sometimes pats something. He said he was not good enough to be as Hugo as he was. But for a senior person like him in the first generation of the Internet, there are huge business opportunities lurking behind those or funny videos.

　　Not just "steamed bun"

May 2006, Youku just finished the beta, the site's staff found that film director Lu Chuan's own filming of the "Kekexili" of the trailer to the website. "Everyone was very surprised, and a lot of people gathered around to see it. Zhangfeng, the vice president of Youku, remembers the scene. Later, he took some of his own films and a new MV for the Dadawa guide, because the MV has not yet been released, so Lu Chuan only allow friends to watch the circle.

"Later, we contacted Luchuan, and he said that a friend of his had told him about the site, and he put out some of the flowers and interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits that were nowhere to be published." "Zhang Fenglei said.

Koo said that he made the Youku platform, only to do micro-video and give up the long film. The so-called micro-video refers to those who grow in 20 minutes of video clips, such films do not have copyright problems.

"However, micro-video is not only the Hugo of the ' steamed bun ' category of work." Koo said, "Can create a few, more is like to collect video from everywhere netizens, especially those who like to watch video." Our platform has the ability to create a professional studio, there are ordinary netizens everywhere to collect video, funny, dubbing, a variety of content. ”

Koo said he himself is also a member of the website every day, every two or three days, he will send a fun new video to the internet, "I believe there are many people like me." ”

　　The market for 64 million households

"In the case of good quality, most people like to watch video, there is no problem, but also let me the most confidence in the profit place, so I think I have a pure video site profit or have a variety of ways." ”

"Video to be a part of people's Internet, technical support must be to a certain level, now China's broadband users are 64 million, has exceeded the number of online 50%." ”

Popularity has, the advertising investment is a part of the profit, there is the cooperation with the film and television companies and mobile phones, MP4 these mobile terminals paid to download.

"In fact, the scope of the video includes a wide range, it can be a user of their own good clips, but also can be some film flowers." For example, a new film, we and the film company, they pay a certain fee, you can do a piece of flowers on the internet, so that netizens to voice, but also a way to promote the film. Koo said that in the current era, what was needed was a short, fun little video, "Who would stare at a two-hour movie on the phone screen?" ”

Koo said his immediate plan is to do a good job of the user experience and to do the downloading for the mobile terminal. "I have confidence in the profit, after all, some sites rely on a few ring tones to download the survival is very good." ”

　　Koo: Video is a way of life

　　Financial Times: What is the specific content of the "search fund" model that you use to create Youku?

　　Koo: Search Fund is a Silicon Valley entrepreneurial model, in fact, since 1984, because the domestic investment environment and other reasons have not entered the country. The traditional entrepreneurial model is to have a project first, then to look for investment, the project to investors. The search fund is to have a team and a sum of money before you look for a project. This pattern is on average a little higher than the traditional return on investment.

　　"Financial Times": you said this pure video site's profit model is diverse, such as mobile phone download is a very important part, but there are many people do not have the habit of online payment download.

　　Koo: You're right, a lot of people are still used to downloading this free share on the Internet, but some people are willing to pay for better service, for example, now the mobile entertainment is very strong, they are willing to pay the favorite video content down to their mobile phone, Because the content of the Internet to the mobile terminal itself is a different service, they are willing to pay for this better service.

　　"The Financial Times": browsing video abroad has become a way of life of netizens, in China, people are more accustomed to some forums and personal blogs to see video links.

　　Koo: What I want to put forward is "talk with the video" and "The world is watching" such a way of life. I do this pure video site covers almost all types of video clips categories, people can follow their own coterie preferences to choose to watch the video, and we have very good technical support, no matter what mode of video, can be easily transmitted and online viewing. In addition, we have some very professional studios have their own original things, this site can be for those who have video creative talent to provide a platform for them to float out.