How the Internet can make money

I have two friends.


L's company in Shanghai, half of the time is running in Guangdong. He is a little famous university graduate in South China, small eyes simple man, long ago was a literary youth. Buddy do mobile games, I see him using several mobile phones, but there are no more than 1000 dollars. And what Web2.0, mobile Internet concept, he is more concerned about the Pearl River delta so many migrant workers and the urban fringe of college students, "Ant tribe", is how concerned about it? In Dongguan, the midnight snack stall with them, in the Foxconn outside the Internet café overnight, and rely on their business to open BMW's convenience store owner.


W Cat is in Beijing Zhongguancun. He was a big head, he was a genius boy with bright eyes, physics good results, strong logical thinking, English and Chinese generally fluent. After graduating from a famous university in the capital, W went straight to the American elite to take a master's degree, and then returned to business. I always thought he was the Chinese version of the Silicon Valley geek. New gadgets like the ipad, I can always find from him the first time. He is also home to the people who play Facebook, Twitter, Groupon and Foursquare. What is called the future of the Internet, W do the site on behalf of the future of the Internet.


W has more applause and fame than L. But sadly, he has made several websites that investors have found cool, but has not earned much money. The reasons are as follows: either up early, but by a large pile of shortcut to the peer to encircle, or because the funds are not available, can only make a larger company with resource strength to eat directly, and some do not know what the touch of a high-voltage line was directly suspended by the authorities.


L is a real business that can count money every day, he's ready to play golf, but he doesn't want to tell anyone he's got money. Said also no one letter, hundreds of thousands of monthly salary less than 2000 wage earners with 300 dollars to buy the cottage machine play L company to do the game, each month to his contribution hundred ARPU value, in other words, their income of a dozen and a willing to give L. I sometimes do not think, W targeted customers is clearly Beijing, Shanghai, the most of these big cities have the ability to spend the elite. Why they are willing to pay for the most expensive mobile phones, for the latest laptop, the best restaurant, online but everything is free.


Circle of recognition, as long as the things w do must attract onlookers. Peers, media, marketing people, Word of mouth, website traffic and user volume is almost a straight up. But the strange thing is, after a long time to stop rising momentum, and began to shake back and forth with the heart of middle-aged and old comrades. I also asked the L, his these grassroots users few have their own computer, not to mention 3G, how to find out? L Smile said, Internet cafes are not the most effective channels. There are a lot of convenience stores around the factory, where workers get together at work. The boss provided a computer, which contained a variety of mobile phone games, MP3, movies, and a similar early K-song room in the "Song Book." Don't use the Internet, get a USB cable, what you want. There are more convenient, with trolleys directly to the dormitory doorway.


had a meal with L, he asked me: If a game to break into 450,000 Foxconn workers market, who should be invited to the appropriate spokesperson? I first guess Jay Chou, shook his head, Ya target audience is the city, but also guess Spring brother is not, she only kill students and young woman, anger, decided to guess the Red Feng Jiao, or be despised! The correct answer is the Phoenix legend, Baidu singer list for the card. The alternative is Mu Jongxiaoxia. Completely beyond my knowledge range, fortunately I did not guess Han cold.


used to think that the technology can change society, now he knows you can not ask politics, but politics will come to you. However, to let a returnee elite learn how to dredge the relationship is indeed a little bit of a urine. L have been angry, but now very pragmatic, good businessmen are know how to see "News broadcast." He is very concerned about the operator's personnel changes and anti-Vice rectification, but also made a number of coworker fraternity, although the purpose is to promote his game. The former Foxconn worker, "12-hop", told me seriously that they were responsible. I was startled. L say that the young man who jumps off the roof is just his mother and father. A mobile phone is usually the only entertainment equipment for these workers, the only medium to communicate with the outside world. They have a duty to make the workers happier.


The investors I know have high ratings for W, but they are more generous to me. Because their hearts also mirror: In China, do the elite can only earn a yell, do grassroots to earn money. Tencent, Baidu is not the best example.


Shanghai that comb separate dozen mousse comedian said a classic: I drink coffee, the north of the two are eating garlic. Coffee is an exotic, feel very flavor, eating garlic is beneficial to the body and mind. This year fried garlic made a lot of money, never heard who bought and sell coffee earned money. Does the internet in China seem the same?


I once had a whim, if the W and l swap position, the situation will be different? Will they understand the length of their business? Then I thought it was impossible.


W pursues the Internet, in fact, is an "American Internet." In the United States, the information revolution began in the 60 's, from 1950 to 1990 after the "digital generation." There is not much "digital divide" between them, their business and life, work and entertainment are inseparable from the Internet. That is why Mr. Zuckerberg, who was 50, was able to compete with Steve Jobs, forums's Bezos, and whenever's page.


at the same time, the American social structure is an "olive", not so big gap between the rich and the poor, regional differences, urban and rural, so the United States, the Internet can be said to be "universal Internet."


but now the social structure of China, originally we thought it would be a "pyramid", but more and more become a "pushpin". W and L One stand on the sharpened head, one standing on the distant nail. China does not have a so-called "universal Internet", the Internet in China is artificially fragmented. It exists in the elite of the notebook, but also in the grassroots MTK cottage machine. Our elites may be in sync with the US, but the grassroots are in sync with Vietnam.


in fact, China's "digital generation" only exists in some big cities such as north-Canton, 20-40-year-old tens of millions of middle class. The remaining hundreds of millions of Chinese internet users are simply QQ users. The internet will not change the status quo, can change it may need more ambitious social change and economic change?


I believe, l see through the nature of the so-called "Chinese Internet". Which elite desires have never lacked the means to meet, too many businesses in the pursuit of spoiled in fact a limited group of customers. On the contrary, there are a large number of "digital poor" but there is no way to use the Internet to change their fate, no conditions through the network to let their own quality of life soaring, can only indulge in cheap virtual entertainment. L business is in line with local conditions, very harmonious society, but he can go abroad?


I have always believed that, one day, W can do something "on behalf of the advanced Internet" things, so that Americans can follow our butt behind to learn. Can the hardships of reality dispel his will?


According to the philosopher Plato's "Cave" theory, everyone from birth to stay in a cave they dug, the world we see is simply the image of the sun thrown into the cave wall, and the people of our caves treat it as the real world, because we have not seen anything else. The real world is outside the caves, where there is sun.


regardless of whether the elite of this blog admits that we and some people-a group of people much larger than us (Chinese migrant workers, newly graduated college students, etc., about 300 million), live completely in two different worlds. If you can focus on that group of people, there will be many opportunities. But it is possible that we will never get out of our own caves.