Founder of Li: A legendary entrepreneurial experience unknown

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Li's best-known identity is a nationally renowned television presenter and gold producer. At the same time, she is the Oriental Popular media Group chairman, Le Bee network Lafaso. Founder of the founder of the COM, static best cosmetics brand.

Li said she was a broad woman. Xinkuan, the whims, the others to Li Affirmation, she all seriously. "I was told that I could be king of food and drink, and the result was that two were closed." But what I have decided is that no one else is going to say no. "Sequoia Capital China's founding partner Shennan Peng Investment Li founder Lok Bee Net, the fancy is its bold and broad character," so many years without any negative news, all by word-of-mouth rather than hype go to today. ”

She looked more petite than on TV, sitting in the back seat of the old BMW 5-series, playing with a pair of big sunglasses all the way. We are heading for a video studio in Daxing, where Li will record two shows, Yu and Ying, from six o'clock that night until one o'clock in the morning the next day.

As a famous female host who has long been accustomed to camera and flash, she is the first to face the torture of pure commercial media in her life.

From Li's mouth, you can hardly hear the words "business model", "Cash Flow", "corporate strategy" and so on, although she did create the most unique media entertainment + E-commerce company in China. The official appellation of her company in the Orient is not "Li Zong", but "Sister Jing". "My childhood dream is to become big sister, wearing sunglasses, wearing black wind clothes, behind a big help younger sister." "Li is very complacent about this.

Unlike the ambitious founders (who are essentially men) we know, Li has not set a clear and ambitious goal for himself since the first day, nor has she taken the initiative to mark a realistic and imitative example, and she does not care about money or the concept of capital. She even resisted turning herself into a businessman from the start ...

She is just starting from a very simple point: to get rid of the reality of boredom, to do something really "fun" things. In the constant attempts and setbacks, the love of rock "art young women" slowly found that a originally with the nature of the small studio, can be deduced into a radius of continuous outward extension of cool business.

Isn't this the true nature of entrepreneurship? Find the pleasures of life and create value for society.

In fact, in our side there are too many hesitant friends, they spent their lives looking for a so-called goal or reason, countless times to deduce the success or failure, to convince themselves to plunge into the flames of entrepreneurship.

Why not as simple as Li? As long as "have the courage to follow the heart and Intuition" (jobs), any other things will follow the fate of the arrangements.

"I thought the word ' li ' was tacky."

I believe that many entrepreneurs are not complacent to go to business, are fate pushed to a cusp, and then tell you, this is your responsibility to face, your first reaction is to flee. But looking around is a cliff, the second thought, then I will bite the bullet, so I think not to exaggerate what the so-called lofty ambitions. But there are some features, he is brave, fearless, and some individual heroism. I was a child of those dreams, I have to save others.

1999, has been in the CCTV little famous Li suddenly resigned to the leadership.

"At that time in CCTV very unhappy, one reason is that I am the kind of disobedient, to the program always have their own ideas, leadership to talk to me, but I was iron heart to resign." Because I know in this environment, I can not create anything, at that time I work on the principle of the choice is not fun, fast not happy, strong and boring. At that time I felt very boring. ”

Originally Li Imagine Gehui, Luyu that to Phoenix satellite TV, but because there is no acquaintance, also failed to become. What to do?

Fortunately, there are a number of "like-minded" of the old classmate, the Beijing Film Academy graduates of the Literary and artistic youth, all day talking about the topic is freedom, art, and this Help "best friend" together, Li feel his state completely different.

I got together with my classmate, I said we set up a studio, we film, write their own plays. Then they say the most attractive thing in the area is Li, Li you are responsible for pulling the money. I said yes, it's great. Then we start to write, and then we'll go and pull the money. Not a penny was drawn. Not the level is not good, the dial people have later, "crazy Stone" of the writers, there are "noble family" art, but at that time was still a bunch of film Academy of the boy. Although no one to ignore us, but we are very crazy, ignore their set.

But then the money still didn't pull, everyone dispersed. That's when I realized that I had to do something.

In the perfunctory, Li has been a CCTV host into a real "north drift", but she still spend money such as water, and friends outside eating, drinking coffee, basically she a person to pay. The reason is very simple, one is to do the moderator these years saved some extra money, the second is the family economic conditions, no pressure.

One of the most classic jokes is that during the initial period from CCTV, before almost never sat in Beijing bus Li, daily travel is still habitual to take a taxi, the consumption on the consumption, one day suddenly found that "cash flow" is about to dry up, on the road to spend 2 yuan to buy a lottery ticket, Hope to chance, unexpectedly in a mountain bike.

Li thought, such commute can save a taxi money? So the next day to ride a bicycle to work, but ride to half tired, down and spend 6 yuan to buy a dream Dragon ice cream, the United States its name Yue "rest."

Later, my classmate scolded me, he said you calculate no, the face of only 10 dollars, 6 dollars a sorbet, but also riding so tired, you might as well play a face of it!

So later I said I want to do the company, our whole family are laughing, my mother said you this child is confused, small account even if not clear, when the old school Telegram said: "Money has been spent, fast mail." So I said to do the company, my mother felt very funny, and sure enough to be fulfilled. Now a lot of people tell me that I want to be like you, I said no, because I think I am a special case, if according to my method will be badly beaten.

2000, Li and her sister Li, there is a classmate, three people formed the initial team, coupled with the soon came in the singer Dai, several people so gathered to a piece, the first program is "Super Visit".

But until 2002, Li had no idea of starting a business or starting a company at all: "I refused at first, although I was doing what the company was supposed to do." Why did you refuse? Because I think that entrepreneurship is particularly smelly, I am particularly afraid to listen to the word "Lee," I think it is so tacky. I think I'm kinda literary youth. ”

More importantly, the general Program company is the first advertising team, and then the distribution team, the final production team, and Li of the Oriental Popular Media Culture Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Oriental Popular) is, a production team, advertising and distribution team does not exist.

Later, Li, the founding partner of Sequoia China, the first venture capitalist, Shen admitted that the most worrying is that the industry's people are smart enough, but sometimes "unreliable", it is easy to put the wrong position, "The boss when the artist mentality."

"I began to realize that this was a company."

When you play the cards, you never get the maximum value. And that value can be evaluated, and the value of what you make an exception is never to be evaluated. But the premise is that you have the core competitiveness, that is, your program is enough cattle. It made me realize that my life: first, to make the most of the program, is to have the conditions of negotiation. Just like the record company, you have to have a big shot, and second, you have to break the rules to make sure that he can't measure your worth.

For Li, who has always been a "literary youth", she has been "paying" for this identity from 2000 to 2002. "Now I recall that the two years are too difficult." What's the worst time? Every day is the most miserable, not the worst. "Li said.

TV programs and TV dramas are not the same, TV dramas finished 20 episodes, once to the television station, if there is no money in the middle, you can choose not to shoot. But the TV program is not the same, it is to be signed in advance with the television station, so no matter you earn money, as a program producer, you have to keep recording.

So we're always thinking about the money for next week's show, and that's pathetic. At that time, we were a gang of literary and artistic youth, we feel that "super visit" is so good a program, not because it does not make money, this matter will not do. But now think about it, if a businessman's point of view, our thinking must be problematic.

I am very anxious, most of the time in debt more than 2 million, and I was looking for the assistant are college students, are students of some disciples, they were very helpless to look at you, you do not know how to do.

Her host partner, Dai, said she had borrowed some money from Li's friends, and even her house had been taken out. In those days, I saw her drunk several times, cried a few times, and her sister a few times, angina attack several times. But after each, she did what she had to do. This is her place of extraordinary. ”

This was confirmed by Li's mother. Every time you go home to borrow money, Li will get a brisk reply from her mother, although the family is not particularly rich, but absolutely hundred support. "Later I asked my mother, why would like to accompany me to play, my mother said because of fear to see I think not open." She said that when I thought I owed so much money, I was very worried, even in the middle of the night will suddenly sit up, but a look at my sleep, I think the child is so heartless ah. ”

In order to eat with advertisers, she would wear expensive evening clothes and makeup to socialize. Before going out, she would lean on the door frame, back very flirtatious said: "Brothers, waiting for my good news ah." At that time, she was beautiful, but the thin back but let people feel bitter. After dinner, with wine gas back to the company, her face makeup also dizzy, was beaten back to the original she looked very helpless. Then everyone went on to talk about the show, but the ad was never heard.

This hardship let Li slowly realize the importance of business. At that time, the mainstream of private television program production companies such as light media, happy media, these companies and television cooperative relations are very simple, that is, the program to the TV station for free, and then the TV station to give you a few minutes of the patch ads. If according to the market value estimate, these few minutes of advertising costs can be up to tens of millions of years, but the problem is that the TV station is not responsible for you to sell, this is the program production company's own business, and for those who did not have any client resources at that time, this is tantamount to a bad

After more than a year of "tuition", Li decided to give up on the survival of advertising alone, she came up with a way to sell the program. "I remember especially clearly, I called the editor, I said I want to sell the program, he said impossible, said never sold the show, Chinese television only to buy TV dramas, did not buy the program." Li said she decided to battle herself.

I was on the plane, on the train, on my way to the local TV station and told People I had a show. At that time, most of the local TV stations have few outside programs, they say you go back first. I said I would not go, you have to see, you look at me and then go. Others are very good, after all, the original in the CCTV accumulated some relations, they take me to eat and drink, and I have no mind at all to eat and drink.

I remember in Hubei, they took me to eat near Hanzheng, the hotel door just there is a pull erhu, a blind artist there singing. They are also very happy, let me eat this eat that, and then there is a waiter holding the frog to the ground fell, all fell, and then the frog peel down, I feel good cruel. At the same time, the blind man is there to pull the erhu, I will forget all my life, feel particularly like my mood. I just wonder how I ended up in this situation. And then I wanted to take it to the scene in particular.

Finally Hubei Taiwan leadership Special Good, accompany me to eat. I said you do not want me not to go, then they will look, everyone in the trial, after the review of each other looked at each other said that the program is really a good program. Then I am particularly bold to say that if not, you will be lowered, but if you want to buy my program. At that time I began to learn thieves, because I am not the advertising person.

At that time Li gave them the plan is, 5 minutes of patch advertising to the television station, only 30 seconds of the valuation left to Li. Li told each other that if the show is first, you can sell a few minutes of advertising, and you don't have to vote for a penny, you just need to spend two thousand or three thousand dollars; if the ratings are low, you stop the show. The TV station agreed to try it, and each episode gave Li 2000 bucks on the side. Thus, in the case of no advertising, Li became the first person in China to sell TV programs to television stations. This sale, is 50 Taiwan, a program can sell 100,000 yuan, and then the cost of a program is more than 30,000 yuan. Li began to make money.

After the successful sale of the program, she was not satisfied with the first issue of 70,000 yuan profit, "super visit" quickly pulled to the name of the Red Eagle.

Pay-for-TV television stations are not happy, but at this time the LI negotiations are full of confidence: "Super visit" is unique. Because the people in Jiangsu and Nanjing Taiwan also came to Beijing to find her dinner, she found the change: they have begun to occupy the market for the initiative.

These changes and practices slowly let Li found out that the card is right, as long as the logic of the line to go to try, nothing is absolutely not.

These two things have a special effect on me, let me find that the original marketing is like this. I transferred "super access" to a new platform, like a star transfer, once the value of success doubled, the benefits doubled. Actually making money from super access, I started to realize it was a company.

"I think I'm the biggest feature of the company, not the management function."

Everything you do best is not a problem; If you are not the best, everything is a problem. If my program is not first-class, will always be chosen by others, even if I desperately want to have a good relationship with others, also do not. If I make the program first-class, I do not have to do good relations with anyone, this station does not do, the other station has been waiting at the door. So basically I only do one thing in these eight years, this is my life.

Since 2003, Li has also launched the "emotional equation", "beautiful Woman" and other new programs, because through the "super visit" she found that their core competitiveness is actually able to move faster than others, give the audience the freshest things.

The introduction of the equation of emotion has also created one of the first, the first in China to restore the emotional topic of the television program. The birth of the program is very interesting. It was 2003, when Li went to Malaysia on business, bored when she was sitting in the street drinking coffee, watching people coming and going, suddenly feel a change of a country will appear so unfamiliar.

"What question?" said the English. Li thought.

If there is a language barrier between two lovers in a family, will it become unfamiliar? Li decided to do an emotional program, and colleagues to discuss the home. "I remember especially clearly, they looked at me and said," You are sick, who will be on TV to say that they do not have a skeleton in the closet. ”

Although used to be cold water, but this time Li still firmly to do. From the preparation to the tape, one months to make it. Li Her film academy divorced those students all from the field, first King!

The program was first broadcast in Shenzhen, a gun popular, so that later CCTV do "psychological time", invited experts are Li dug out of that batch. "They are all I turn over the yellow pages of the hospital." Li said proudly.

In fact, this idea is related to Li's hobby. She likes to watch French movies, it is all about human nature, and the people's attention to human nature is very little, so she wants to let people open their hearts to talk about human nature. "I think my creative passion is greater than management passion," Li said. "I've always feared that being a company would limit my creativity, turn me into a particularly cold and heartless businessman, and I want to keep my passion." ”

Although all the brain is thinking of their own interests, but Li do not feel that they live very tired. "The State of my life is basically the same as the program. "Li said. There used to be a Taiwanese female host she adored, on her show, on the stage to give people a special kind of feeling, and then Li asked this person's assistant, the stage she is also this? "the assistant said," No, the stage is very cold.

How tired, I don't want to be that kind of person. Why I like Wang Shuo's thing, he communicates with the other people the way, is I to harm you, you also knew I to be damaging you, but you will not have the pressure. I criticize people this way, I will not let others particularly depressed, nervous, or afraid of me.

In reality, she often calls her assistant "Dear" like a friend, but when she sees her clothes are not ready when she takes a picture, she yells at her subordinates on the phone and concludes that people can only believe in themselves. At this time she is the boss.

2004 years later, Li began to have a more explicit concept of cost. "Before too self, the program did not consider the cost, regardless of consumer demand," Li said, "Now do not do the show, I first analyze what the market needs, and then I think of a provision for them, and then this thing is likely who will pay, to what customers, because I know so I can survive. ”

She learns to make different roles in different programs: for example, in "I love every Day", all her clothes are soft and bright, light makeup, do not wear any jewelry, tone warm, tolerant. In the "very quiet distance" is a leather, neutral, you can interact, can play, and even a little domineering. In "Super visit", it is the cooperation with DAI is the first, the ego is second.

Li in the mind of the good products need to achieve double indicators. First of all, as a content provider to the audience rating survey, the ratings are particularly brutal, who you know is useless; second, survival indicators, is advertising. The audience was happy, but it had to be closed without advertising. This is the two will hit the target, sometimes the ads in the inside, the audience will change the channel, that the audience to change the platform ads will not vote, so a thing to achieve a winning win is very difficult.

In the production company for so many years, Li often do one thing is to fight with the advertising department, but also do not dare to play with them.

I try to stand on the level of patience of the audience. Because I think you give the audience a touch of his things, you give him an advertisement, he felt I can accept. If you give him an ad first and then don't give him a good thing, he says something. The thing is, I actually do one thing is to study people. In our line of work, the most helpful to us is hosting. You work, do a person, do a program, do a visit is to study human nature, you study the human nature thoroughly, other easy.

"I believe that many entrepreneurs have been pushed to the forefront of fate."

I have not done anything in the university, every day to play the piano, I now use the violin? I later learned so many things, writing, management, hosting, television, and then learn to do the brand, because I am constantly breaking yesterday's I, has formed a inertia. So I think a lot of things are chosen, but then it slowly becomes the ability you have. Tomorrow Oriental popular in the country opened a hot pot shop I am not surprised, of course, from the company must have their own business spindle, but from the point of view of personality traits, everyone should have such a capacity, some people just did not try.

In the second half of 2007, Li was tangled.

At that time, the Oriental popular has included "super Visit", "Beautiful Beauty", "emotional equation" and other programs, relying on content sales and advertising, the annual profit reached nearly million. In the domestic television program production company, the scale and the income is second only to Changtian's light media.

Zhongjun's Huayi Brothers media showed a strong interest in acquisitions. Originally cooperation will be a foregone conclusion, but both sides initially set the price in Huayi Board of directors encountered resistance.

Also at this time, in the friend Ecapital Capital CEO ran arranged a dinner, Li met Sequoia Capital China founder and executive partner Shen. She had no idea that the stranger would change her and the company's trajectory.

After dinner the next day, Shen on the oriental popular did a quick survey, understand Li himself and the program in the circle of Word-of-mouth. Li's four-time program broadcasts about 400 minutes a week, covering more than 30 TV and local channels across the country. And because of the direct face of consumers, its programs and products will have a broad industrial market can be extended.

Shen quickly launched the offensive, in addition to the attractive valuation scheme, he also helped Li outline a blueprint beyond her imagination: to support the content of the program, the development of private brand and merchandise retail.

Li know that if the choice of huayi, means that the oriental Popular will become Huayi Brothers content production platform, no more singles, they will get a large amount of cash and Huayi's shares, status like Huayi's Feng Xiaogang and Jizhong, if the choice of Sequoia, the company can transfer a minority stake to obtain funds, but the personal sleeve is much less, More importantly, the money's entry means the beginning of a new round of struggle.

In the third round of negotiations, Shen invited Li and her husband, passion, to sit down to dinner and hope things could be finalized. The reason why passion also present is because Shen believes that this is not only a choice of capital for Li, but also a lifestyle choice.

After two weeks of thinking, Li finally chose Sequoia.

In fact, people sometimes have nothing to do with money. I have thought about this question, what I have been doing is why? Because I am afraid of death. If I can not choose the result, I am so afraid of the death of a person should enjoy the process. God made me a host, I do not want to do this role. If there is a chance, I will not refuse first, if I like. As for the result good, is he chooses me, anyway i diligently.

If he says let me do something I did, maybe I won't do it. Shen told me that you can do the website, he said you can also have the opportunity to do your own product, but he did not say anything in detail. I said I could do it, I don't know. He said it's okay, you do it. He never made me promise the result. He probably knows how to deal with people like me, he just needs to ignite my passion. He always encourages me to believe my feelings go forward.

In Li's view, Shen is not as skillful as a legend. He helped Li to begin refining the previous idea. First, the establishment of the Oriental Popular Trade Co., Ltd., and before the Oriental Popular media company independent operation Accounting; construction of the Lok Bee Network, as a commodity trade and the media and began; Shen know Li do not understand e-commerce, so dug up best Buy operation director responsible for the management and operation of Le Bee network.

In the negotiations, Shen see Li Although do enterprise seven years, but gross margin and other financial data no concept, he also recommended the appropriate financial director. One detail is that, until today, she still asked the CFO to prepare two financial statements, one for the shareholders and one for themselves. "I told him not to give me a whole lot of complicated numbers and charts, so you just tell me how much you've earned and how much you've lost." "Li said.

But in the new E-commerce company, Li seems to have a natural sense of direction still plays an important role. Shen once asked Li: If you have the opportunity to do your own products, what do you want to do? She blurted out: essential oils. In her view, this is a product beyond the maintenance and cosmetics, can help the person's heart. Later J-plus's first flagship product was essential oil, a decision that did not undergo a rigorous market survey, but 2009 sales reached millions of.

Ran that Li choose a lot of products have a common, that is, there is no absolute leader in this product, essential oil is a typical. On the other side, "beautiful Pretty Woman" also broadcast the essential oil theme, introducing the various magical works of oil, exert the communication advantage of TV media. Due to its own brand, J-plus's gross profit margin can reach more than 40%, which is the content platform for retail support.

Shen also gave Li a new channel, let her have a deeper understanding of business. At the beginning of 2009, Li was pushed to the Asia-China Entrepreneur Forum in hesitation and unease. She had participated in numerous occasions before, but this time it was different. She can only go by herself, usually accompanied by the assistant, makeup artist are left in Beijing.

Participation in the Forum are basically male, Li even a little scared. After that, she had to force herself to forget her host identity as a party. Soon, she found that the things they were talking about were not as difficult to understand as they had imagined, and she chatted with Feng, talked to investors, and even talked to economists. She was also emboldened to speak on the issue of service outsourcing. She from the woman shopping experience perspective on the development of logistics space, let a group of men applauded. She's still not a real businessman, but she knows women and studies human nature.

After coming back from Li, she felt so good that she felt the change. Shen's comment on her trip is: You've had a lot of clearance.