Dialog Zhang Yixi: I don't care the portal news client

When you read this article, today's headline app, the Beijing byte-Bounce Technology Co., Ltd., which has already completed the 100 million-dollar C-round financing of Sequoia, has also been involved in the investment. Zhang Yixi's "byte Bounce" is valued at $500 million trillion.

Apps are getting more valuable? In early 2014, Android application search (now expanded to "mobile content search") app Pea pod B round financing 120 million dollars. Further forward, Baidu to buy nearly 1.9 billion U.S. dollars 91 wireless. And, close to myth, Facebook announced 19 billion dollars to buy WhatsApp.

The number of users determines the dazzle of valuations. Number from Zhang Yixi: Today's headline downloads active users 120 million, more than 13 million active users.

The following is "entrepreneur" &i black Horse exclusive dialogue Zhang Ming, his 500 million dollars content app is how to refine?

"Entrepreneur": You said that the product completes, the user quantity reaches a certain quantity, will naturally appear the suitable business model. If cool news is done, what is the possible profit model?

Zhang Yixi: Cool News At that time is what direction is unknown. How to make money, big direction, to become what kind of company are not clear (do universal search or vertical search, etc.). When I go, cool News to sell brand advertising, selling bidding rankings (similar to Baidu), (advertising) according to the transaction (volume) charges.

If you look at it now, I think it's okay to pay by effect. But the product, I think should first have to do a good product model, (cool News at the time) has not yet to the stage of income model. I think we should not be too anxious to spend too much energy on the income model, and should (spend more energy) on products that provide more value to users. The expectation was still too high, the product itself is not very good model.

"Entrepreneurial": the domestic network did not do so, in addition to the rise of happy net, whether it is because of this form of outdated?

Zhang Yixi: I think anything will be outdated, QQ is outdated, Google may be outdated. Outdated does not matter, the key is that you this enterprise can make your product with the times, let it as far as possible to meet the needs of users. Even if the product is outdated, whether it can continue to produce good products in this enterprise, the so-called outdated is not completely without demand, is that it may account for the proportion of decline.

I don't expect a product to be the same, but Facebook is also (through) the product evolution (to keep the number of users), it later acquired Instagram, acquisition of WhatsApp, but also to keep it out of date.

I think that happy net and the domestic product, is not a chance to rise in China. Including now Renren, we all feel that it is not possible, it has an alternative relationship. You did it almost, QQ do a little better, Micro Bo do a little better, you naturally fall, (other products) to replace your needs.

"Entrepreneur": Do you think today's headline model will be replaced by a new, possibly better model?

Zhang Yixi: I think this is very durable, like search as a, the more basic demand more lasting, the more common, the people themselves on the basis of demand, I think the recommendation information is a, I think it will be quite lasting.

"Entrepreneur": what is the possible profit model for Rice?

Zhang Yixi: I think it's an accurate information ad. There was no income at the time, the product was very early.

Entrepreneur: What is the profit model for room 99?

Zhang Yixi: There are some websites we bring to it with traffic, also have intermediary company (including its official website) to pay. At that time, the app did not make any income, only on the Web page.

At that time, room 99 still lost money. A big problem is that real estate is a low-frequency application, you have to continue to attract users, (users) in 1 or 2 months will not be used. (Real estate application) industry needs to rely on poor profit, you go to buy users or attract users to come, in his life cycle-such as your cost is 10 dollars, you have to make a quick 30 dollars-business is important, more like a traffic business.

"Entrepreneur": Why does the headline today not do the vertical platform of the book class?

Zhang Yixi: The demand degree is not high. The first long content is not so dependent, one months can not see a few novels, you do not need to recommend the opportunity, I get your hobby frequency is too low. Second, (such as fantasy novel) to see the process immersed in the inside, the real life has no effect, the recommendation is more difficult. It is the person who looks at the fantasy novel and does not see the fantasy novel, from his work occupation will not have a special (difference), this is his inner world. So we are very far from the recommendation of the universal information, we feel that we have refrained from doing long content.

"Entrepreneur": Do you think short content is more vitality?

Zhang Yixi: I think the shorter the more vitality. The shorter the faster the spread, the faster the flow of information, the shortest information, better performance, the social significance is also great. Often someone complained that now people do not read, (want) to do a very good reading software, why must do the reading software, why must use the book? Before 07, 08 will look (book), note: Zhang Yixi in Microsoft, due to the light workload, that half a year to read a lot of books. In addition to technical aspects, he is more highly respected by the "SEVEN Zen of Highly Effective arranges" (highly efficient people's seven habits), "Living Law" (Japanese entrepreneur Rice Inamori representative), "Few people walk", "A SENSE of Urgency" ( sense of urgency), "The Hep Disfunctions of a team" (five obstacles to teamwork), "Evergreen" and so on. Now do not see, now I see millet, every week to see the latest report of Millet, Lei article, I read 30 articles, 50 after a book is not better? Fragmentation, the content of the book is largely replaced by fragmentation, not necessarily books.

"Entrepreneur": You mean to get information from books?

Zhang Yixi: Yes, I said the book is not the story has been extinct, the math book to want ... In fact, the math book is also uncertain, in fact, I often encounter problems I have on Wikipedia, of course not to say that all the books are not, most of the original book to get 100 of information, now may be 30,70 may be replaced by short content, very normal. Some entrepreneurs may like to read their own books, or like the feeling in the library, is always want to read this book. reading now I also specialize in the study of books, reading mainly see only two categories, entrepreneurship and beauty President only these two kinds of books, the other book no one to see, including the management of the books are no one to see, very small audience. I think this is not necessarily correct, such as the management of the books, (inside) a lot of things through a good article instead.

For example, the courses I have recently seen in open class videos (such as Yale Open Class) are no worse for me than books, and it is clear why they appear in the form of books. Many entrepreneurs, in fact, I used to read a lot of, I was reading a loyal user, I think a lot of entrepreneurs reading is his own want, and then look at the data is not what the market needs.

Including deep reading, in many cases, ordinary people he used to read newspapers, listen to the radio, short news, and some people read newspapers can be a wide range of knowledge. I have seen old people, he also read various newspapers, to do briefings, the pieces of the collation, but also knowledge-rich. Through the observation of newspapers, but also to the political and economic understanding, I think not necessarily book.

"Entrepreneur": investors are currently concerned about the content production community, what do you think?

Zhang Yixi: No special fancy, to some extent (Community money) is a fallacy. The real money-making companies in China the community is not much, Baidu is not, 360 is not, I think millet is not, it is just some fans, the 3M (Minnesota Mining and manufacturing companies) and other companies have a lot of fans, the community is generally a forum ah, Tianya, West Ancestral Alley, know that.

So now a lot of people think about how this thing goes to the community, and when I hear it, he's a tool, a community. You want to, the end of the earth do not make money, Weibo not enough money, various forums, the West Shrine Alley is not very lucrative, only SNS Tencent and Facebook is, Apple is not. Why do people always want to rely on the community?

Tianya, the West Shrine, 19 floor, happy these not good enough? Millet Community is a customer service forum, without this community they are the same, not a concept. I am very strange, why investors always want to rely on the community, 360 is not a community, search tools is not a community, Jingdong is not, are basic services to do a good job.

In fact, your basic tools do a good job, it is enough, such as the United States Mito it is not a community ah. Iron and blood is the community is not good, from the past five years to 10 years of experience shows that there are many forums were born, not a mainstream, and there is no lasting, but search and security lasting. Thunder, Youku also engaged in the community, Reyou what, (the community itself) is not very important. They all try to do well in the community, as if to use the community to fill insecurity. Not many communities make money, big or small, without examples.

Cool News has also been a thing called Cool frog, but see what products because of community to bring special value.

"Entrepreneur": it feels like you have a bit of a Steve Jobs temperament.

Zhang Yixi: Okay, I'm not as sentimental as he is.

"Entrepreneur": the way to do things.

Zhang Yixi: I am more rational, I have a passionate speech in the company generally do not do, our company more frank, direct communication with the Director, including recruitment when the company's situation is very clear to tell each other, the company's status, valuation, stock situation.

I read the English version of Jobs by myself. The first half of the problem is that he doesn't care about the thing, what the product is for, and the company's internal complaints. He went back to the company to apply for a number of options, his first quarrel with the board is to take options from the company, this is his management means, he wants to stabilize the people, the practice is different. I think he's thinking about it, not necessarily himself.

I think from the cool news at that time brought the trouble, also quite a lot of burden, and then there are many including staff complaints, how to deal with the recruitment of this speed, positive, quit, until now the observation of thinking I think it is very helpful. I think there is basically no big mistake, a lot of startups in the core team between the fall, run away, or not into the good people, closed, we are all right.

"Entrepreneur": Tencent and Sohu and other news portal clients have recently launched a "thousand Faces" according to user preferences of the news recommendation function, this will have any impact on today's headlines or threats?

Zhang Yixi: I know they have some (this) try, I feel normal, and not too care, for us (to) according to their own idea of rapid progress is the most important, do not review, not Shang.

Also, the idea of a recommended portal client and today's headline is a huge difference. There is a huge difference in whether or not production content, whether someone (editor) inclination, whether there is a platform of ideas.

Tencent so big (company) any small function (on-line), we can not panic ah.

I think it is not easy to do a good job (content recommendation), so it is better to focus on their own faster. For them too, we have to do better and harder to catch up.

Threats do not define different people. I've always had a sense of crisis since I started my business, and their movements do not increase much (a sense of crisis) and are not caused by these fluctuations.

"Entrepreneur": in your field, in terms of the Chinese people, have you especially admire the technology master or genius?

Zhang Yixi: No, not at the moment.

"Entrepreneur": abroad?

Zhang Yixi: Google is doing well.