Charles Zhang: Entrepreneurial world "crab-eating" return to the concept of popular entrepreneurship

14 years ago, Tsinghua University, President of the Association of Science and Technology entrepreneurs Muran learned that just returned from the United States alumni Zhang Zhang is starting an internet company, he decided to take the unknown young man back to school to do a lecture, the telephone that the Zhang Zhang directly asked what time, the tone is the accident of concern. Speaking of this scene today, Charles Zhang said lightly, at that time no one started a business in China.

32 years ago, Dong Xinpao, a professor of Marxist-Leninist teaching in Tsinghua University, was appointed by the headmaster to establish the Department of Economic Management and economics, and from then on a series of "all not in the school rules and regulations", the Tsinghua Administration College, which is the dean of Zhu Rongji, is now developing into the largest college Speaking of these today, Dong Xinpao said, should be the reform and opening up the tide of "transport."

In addition to the birth of the country and academic masters, in the new century after the Tsinghua Dream, Societe Generale is marching pace.

Beginning with the idea of "revenge" 100 years ago, this university has not extinguished the dream of industrial salvation. After entering the reform and opening-up era, this university insists on the scientific spirit of hundred years and the theme of the Times development given by the National society, from the "Tsinghua Help" of the first batch of economic management talents to today's entrepreneurial world, from Tsinghua Garden to Zhongguancun to the radiation country, and gradually attract attention.

Asked about the 1996 to return to business when facing the environment, Sohu board Chairman and chief Executive Officer Charles Zhang in the interview with this reporter said: "There is no one in China to start a business, I came back to popularize this concept." ”

During the 15, China's "entrepreneurial boom" formed and had an increasingly far-reaching impact on the business sector. In one and another exciting entrepreneurial story, more and more Tsinghua graduates have been found, even in the Chinese entrepreneurial community to form a "Tsinghua help" statement. What kind of soil does the "Tsinghua gene" offer to the Chinese entrepreneur community in the new century? What economic energy will the future influence release?

"Crab eater" in the entrepreneurial World

Many people can not imagine how much the image of the business community today more High-profile Charles Zhang, at Tsinghua University to study hard. He was admitted to the physics department of Tsinghua University from Xi ' an middle school in 1981 in school to eat in the canteen, his time is only enough to play a steamed bun-"canteen has food to eat, but my concept of time is too strong, there will not spend a lot of time, take a steamed bread to go to self-study, especially crazy, is the ascetic." That era is like this, and I in the classmate inside more desperately. ”

"Our generation's idea is very single, I just catch up with the Cultural Revolution at the end of the school, I did not understand anything, suddenly said the idea of liberation, the most important task for young people is to learn physics, to meet the scientific spring." "In the 80 's, Charles Zhang liked to read the China Youth Daily, which often published a self-taught story, which became his role model." "Everyone desperately to read, the college entrance examination just resumed, Tsinghua gathered the top students nationwide, forming a religious pursuit of science fanaticism." You become a scientist and you are qualified to study nature, and it seems to be all you have. ”

At Tsinghua University, Zhang's book, like all college students in China, has no concept of commodity economy in mind. In the 1985, he was desperate to get to MIT to study, or to run for scientific research. "After the United States, we found that the world only needs a small part of people to do natural science research, to explore the mysteries of nature." Because every person in this world has to learn a skill to acquire the subsistence. ”

In the late part of the study in the United States, Charles Zhang is very clear that he is not to be a scientist. "It's a new trend to find the internet," he said, "because of the old computer in the lab." So I want to be an internet company. At the same time, a Chinese in the United States do not have enough Internet company resources, so want to go back to China to do. The two things intertwiner together, I want to go home to do internet companies. At the time, most of Tsinghua students who went to the United States would choose to stay in the United States, and Zhang was determined to return. "Most Chinese people in the United States are very difficult, struggle for a lifetime, or the second or third generation will be able to do something, is simply thankless." ”

Zhang, who was busy raising money in the 1996, used the capital provided by two Americans to set up the first Chinese internet company, founded on venture capital. 1998, love Special letter launched the "Sohu" products, and renamed Sohu Company.

Asked about the entrepreneurial environment at the time, Charles Zhang said: No one does this. He became the "Crab Eater" in China's entrepreneurial world.

Indeed, it is an age when the word "entrepreneurship" is not known to most people. Accompanied by the difficult start of Zhang, Tsinghua Park entrepreneurial enlightenment is quietly sprouting. 1997, Tsinghua University, 91 computer student Mu Rock to a "Tsinghua Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Association," the founding of the Declaration to the Hospital party committee Deputy secretary Yangshiqiang, application for the establishment of this association. In his manifesto, he wrote, "Entrepreneurship is a spirit, entrepreneurship is a quality, our entrepreneurial ability to become the backbone of the Republic." ”