From the college entrance exam to a piece of stationery to create SouFun

The intermediary transaction SEO diagnoses Taobao guest stationmaster buys the Cloud host technology Hall

Newspaper reporter Li Hesheng (right) and SouFun chairman and CEO Mo Tianquan

Computer News reporter Li Hesheng juvenal

In the 2008 7th issue of the "Internet Collision China House Industry" special planning, we have predicted: in the next few years, the Internet will trigger a major change in China's housing industry! and the protagonist of the Tianquan, will undoubtedly become the housing industry, the Internet change movement leader.

The first chapter is born Shuxiang Guanyang College entrance Examination champion

If you have a chance to reach the middle reaches of the Yangtze River on the Gui border, you may be attracted by a north-south River. Along the river, over the hundreds of-kilometer-dupangling mountains, a southern town shaped like a willow leaf will appear in front of your eyes. This is the story of the protagonist Tianquan birthplace-Guangxi Guanyang County, the north-south trend of the river is the length of 144.23 kilometers of irrigation river.

Retrospective history, here early in the Sihan Wendi 12 years ago (A.D. 168) has been built counties, began to call Guanyin County. Sui Dynasty Great cause 13 years (A.D. 617) renamed Guanyang County.

There seems to be a handful of celebrities, especially business leaders, coming out of Guangxi in China's it circles. If carefully in the Internet lightly, the Internet business leaders are no one from Guangxi, in such a context, the sword on the Internet slant and repeated war to become famous Tianquan is particularly eye-catching.

It is worth mentioning that, Tianquan brilliant and the real estate industry inseparable, and in his Guangxi fellow, there is a same by the housing industry renowned, that is today's domestic housing industry, a brother-Vanke group founder Wang Shi.

1964, Guanyang, Guangxi, Tianquan was born.

In Guanyang County, the Mo clan is a famous family. Throughout Guangxi, the Mo clan has considerable influence, the Mo clan reaches 500,000 people many. According to the Annals of History, the earliest written records of the Mo clan are traced to the ancient times.

Although the past more than 40 years, but Tianquan still can recall in detail the hometown of childhood: "My home in the local mountains in a depression, such a terrain in Lingnan very common." Hundreds of meters away from the door is a river, that is irrigation river. ”

Tianquan from Guanyang County Chengguan Primary School after graduation, in the home arrangement, far to Hunan Shaoyang reading. At that time, Shaoyang is the famous "three-wire" construction of an important base, there are many from the north moved to the military enterprises, with the outside world relatively isolated, quiet environment. In addition there is also an important reason, the home is the landlord, the father is worried about the impact of the child Test University, so commissioned the Tianquan of the army's uncle moved to Shaoyang, Hunan reading.

In 1981, the fifth year of the National College Entrance Examination system, the 17-year-old Tianquan and the other 2.58 million students in the country walked into the examination room. On the bridge of the army, it is 1:10 percentage of admissions. With today's perspective, this is a PK, but also Tianquan encountered the first life hone. This means that Tianquan to the end of the 10-to-1 knockout, he must leave the other 9 peers far behind. It is from the year of the college Entrance Examination war, Tianquan first felt the fierce competition, but also the first experience of the value of hard work-this point for the future of Internet entrepreneurship Tianquan impact greatly.

A few days later, the results of this life PK game came out: Tianquan became the third authentic college student in the local Mo clan--one year before the Cultural Revolution, Tianquan's uncle and aunt once occupied two of the three admissions places in Guanyang County. But this time and different, Tianquan not only admitted to the university, but also got the Guanyang County 1981 College Entrance Examination, in the Mo clan passed for a story.

Chapter two three years after reading undergraduate test noise

1981 ~1984, Guangzhou Tianhe District, no. No. 381, these two figures from time and space to form the whole of Tien life.

South China Institute of Technology (formerly known as the Tianquan) machinery Manufacturing Professional students, this is the July 1981, after receiving the admission letter of the latest status. Talk about why the choice of science and engineering, Tianquan later said to be affected by uncle, at the same time, at that time the national "Learn physics, traveled all over the world are not afraid of" the great atmosphere also affects the Tianquan choice.

One of the most convincing examples is that 90% of the first generation of business leaders in the domestic IT industry are choosing science and engineering: Yang entered Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1982 and majored in computer technology development; Baijun 1980 into the National Defense Science and Technology College, studying information systems engineering; Yang in 1985 in the United States to study GMI Engineering Management College, the choice is also the engineering profession.

In the South China Polytechnic University that period, Tianquan every semester finals are the first, so that he felt a bit boring, want to find some breakthrough.

In the second year of college, Tianquan submitted an application, not an application for a party to the party, not a student application, but a grade-skipping application-he hopes to be able to rise directly from the second grade to the third year, because the three-year course has been completed by self-study. In that year, can be admitted to the university is very difficult, in the University of skipping is unheard of, very few, let alone the initiative to apply. Fortunately, the department leader who received the application was very supportive of his move, and the 80 's encouraged young people to be bold and innovative, from politics to literature, to the economy, and, of course, to personal studies. So the Dean took him to find the school principal, the headmaster is very simply, throw a sentence: "Skip can, as long as in the second grade of the final examination, at the same time after the second grade, the third grade of all the courses, and each school scores in more than 80 points." ”

Today's Tianquan to look back on that important challenge, think that on the one hand is the youth has the momentum, the calf, on the other hand also is the character dictates, likes unceasingly challenges the high difficulty, the desire for the fulfillment urges him to complete this seemingly impossible task--this is particularly apparent in later SouFun entrepreneurship. The test results left Tianquan a record for himself: the first student in the history of South-South University to successfully skip.

Three years of college life ended soon. Before 1993, most universities in China adopted the national distribution system of graduates. Tianquan didn't know his graduation until the day before he left school: Research Institute of Mechanical Department in Tianjin.

Tang Zhiwen asked once to "the soul with Nan Xi birds, tears to the North Branch flower" poem Sigh from the capital Chang ' An to the border of Lingnan distance, and from Guangzhou to Tianjin, Tianquan across the half of China, which is the furthest distance from his home.

China's research institute is a very interesting place, especially in the early stage of reform and opening up research institute. Compared with American universities or independent institutes and institutes, which are the cradles of High-tech Enterprises, China's research institutes focus more on purely academic studies and lack the basis for the commercialization of research projects, completely separated from the national economy. From this point of view, the 80 's domestic research institutes for it enterprise development impact even said that the relationship is not very large. But in another perspective, the Institute at that time for the future development of China's it enterprises to provide a lot of good leaders. Lenovo founder Liu is calculated from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founder Xuan is the director of the Computer Institute of Peking University, and the first to the Tianquan of the Institute is destined to embark on this road, of course, this is more than 10 years later.

To the Five Institute report that day, the dean of the Tianquan division to engage in environmental research.

1984, environmental protection is a very advanced topic, far from hot today, or even a very unfamiliar Chinese vocabulary. At that time, the State Council had a ministry of Urban and Rural construction environmental protection, the main function is to carry out construction planning, until 14 after the State Environmental Protection Administration. The environmental upset is evident.

After receiving the assignment, Tianquan with his own instructor to make noise research. As a result of the reform and opening up, the institute imported a large number of foreign scientific research equipment, master and apprentice two people often take these expensive noise-measuring instruments running around. What are you doing? To cooperate with relevant departments to detect the excessive noise of enterprises and institutions, once found, to carry out economic penalties.

Tianquan has only been in the Institute for two years, although today's industry has nothing to do with the research work of the year, but from the bottom of my heart, the institute's two years is very happy two years. At that time, because of environmental protection research needs to go out to investigate, so Tianquan almost run all over the country, and even use the National research opportunity to return to Guangxi hometown to visit their parents. The life after work is also rich and colorful--80 age of young people who seem to have endless passion, especially like to communicate with people, the formation of bands, learning to dance ballroom, talk about life is a common entertainment items. This is in stark contrast to the young people who today like to be online.

In 1986, Tianquan in the mechanical Department of the Institute of the five has been two years, at this time he gave himself a new problem: the resignation of graduate students. The reason is very simple: in the institute, a lot of things to find a batch, there are a lot of things can not be done, if they do not have to do the leadership of the people approved, to do the leadership of a path is to learn management, then must go to graduate school.

For the 22-Year-old Tianquan, a long road has only just begun when he leaves No. 370 Hongqi Road, Tianjin Nankai District, the seat of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

Chapter Three gets a full scholarship three years to earn 300,000

The Tianquan "defected" to Professor Fu, Tsinghua University School of Management. As one of the early pioneers of the technical economy and management Discipline in China, Fu has a high reputation in the field of management.

A few months before the test, Tianquan first to the campus of Tsinghua University, and to learn about the postgraduate examination bibliography, after going back to start every day to "Gnaw" the book, from the first page "Gnaw" to the last page, this point with today's postgraduate model is identical. If the first examination of the university is a 10% chance, now this proportion expanded 10 times times, 100 people can "survive" 1. This time Tianquan again, finally, from more than 200 candidates to stand out, become Professor Fu in 1986, one of two graduate students enrolled.

While studying for a postgraduate degree, Tianquan participated in the research of industrial policy of the Development Research Center of the State Council. In addition, often in the management of the World, "Economics magazine" and other authoritative magazine published articles, so many years later, "Management World" the editorial director met Tianquan also impressed: "Management of the World" published articles are some well-known experts and scholars, just you a student, it is not easy. ”

1989, Tianquan graduate, at that time the State organs did not enter the target, the Development Research Center of the State Council wanted him very much, to help him contact another unit, is seconded.

But Tianquan has decided to go to the United States to continue his ph. D. in management, because at that time the world's most recognized level of management major is in the United States, Tianquan want to go abroad to further study, to improve their management research academic level. Although the GRE and TOEFL scores were not ideal, the United States gave him a full scholarship to tien the recommendations of a German professor who met at Tsinghua University and the publication of a series of winning results and articles.

Tianquan was sent to Pakistan to serve as a total interpreter for a aid project while waiting for a notice from the US university. On one occasion, the jeep of their engineering team stopped suddenly spontaneously in the open space outside the hotel. Another time he and a few people to a strange sand mining site investigation, because there is no communication with the local tribal organizations in advance, and so they went down to the ravine, was found surrounded by a group of armed men. The scene only Tianquan a person can speak English, had to raise hands to Stammer is Chinese aid project engineers. It was the Chinese brothers who didn't shoot. Escaped a robbery.

1990, in Pakistan received a notice from American universities, Tianquan quit foreign aid work, immediately flew from Beijing to Indiana University, to study economics and management of two Ph.

The December 28 of this year, Tianquan remembers this special day so far. For the first time, he left the land of China, which nurtured himself for 26 years, to the United States on the other side of the ocean. It was snowing heavily in Beijing that day, but Tianquan was very excited. In his own words, China and the United States are the two greatest nations on earth-and can finally draw nutrients from the two greatest places.

In Pakistan, Tianquan also did not contact American friends, with more than 1000 dollars on the flight to Los Angeles. Tianquan is going to the university in Indiana State Capital Indianapolis. To change the bus, on the plane, Tianquan to the neighbor of an American asked where to find a cheap hotel, the Americans are also very interesting, on the plane shouted: "There is a student to go to the University of the main campus, who can take him to?" There was an old lady who said she was going in that direction, just as his son came to pick her up, so the mother and the child enthusiastically sent him to school until he had finished the lodging formalities.

In the United States three years of study time, the average sleep only 4-5 hours a day, in addition to study, there is work (in school as a teaching assistant), due to excellent academic performance, the Chinese students can get 13800 dollars a year full scholarship. Before graduating, Tianquan used his own accumulated bonuses, two attempts to start the company, but for a variety of reasons, eventually failed. Tianquan also partnered with a wealthy Middle Eastern businessman and professor of law school at the University of Indiana, where he had a winery in Guangxi, where he recruited two managers for visiting relatives, but less than 3 months after the winery closed.

At the beginning of 1994, due to get the only one high school pass reply, Tianquan successfully graduated. But rather than getting a diploma, Tianquan More importantly during his graduation, getting to know the boss of Teleres, a subsidiary of Dow Jones, a well-known US business information company, and thus entering Dow Jones Teleres.

What is the impact of the Dow Jones Teleres on Tianquan? Today's SouFun business model is actually the first to come from the Dow Jones Teleres.

In the early 90, the global housing economy, represented by North America and Japan, was in a period of rapid expansion, with many business information companies making the property market an important source of profits. Dow Jones is no exception, the company formed a global network of real estate information, the network is called Teleres.

In Teleres, Tianquan from the bottom of the information analyst, to the daily real estate market indicators for professional assessment, to predict the real estate market trend. From this time, Tianquan began to penetrate the real estate market, and the industry bond. Three years later, the Internet economy has grown rapidly in the United States, and Teleres has become the largest real estate information Internet company in the United States. At this time, with excellent work, Tianquan's position has become the Teleres Asia and China company general manager.

During the Dow Jones job, Teleres's CEO, like the other three senior executives, formed a circle, close to each other as a family member. Despite being 20 years older than Tianquan, they quickly accepted Tianquan as a member of the US financial community, and the big hitters on Wall Street have had a positive impact on Tianquan's founding SouFun.

"There's so much to learn from them. I think it may be my self-confidence, no immigrant mentality, let me into that society without estrangement. Now, go back to China, do not feel any different, the world is flat, go everywhere is the same. "Tianquan said.

Fourth chapter a letterhead paper to create SouFun

Tianquan the first time in China to start their own real estate network company, due to a common business cooperation.

It was 1995, the Dow Jones Teleres found Beijing Urban Construction Investment Development Co., Ltd. to jointly launch China's real estate index. The Development Research center of the State Council, China Real Estate Association and several other units to participate in the project, is a measure of the real estate market development situation of the quantitative system, then well-known economist Yining professor or project advisor. Tianquan, as the main head of Teleres in China, participated in the whole process of the project from negotiation to implementation, although the commercial development of this index system was not successful because of the domestic housing industry marketization, but some of the business ideas had a great impact on Tianquan.

1999, Tianquan, who has moved to the U.S. Asia Development Investment company as executive vice president, is acutely aware that with the deepening development of China's market economy and the end of the welfare housing system, the increasingly commercialized Chinese house industry is ushering in a blowout era, and the market's thirst for real estate information will be a huge business opportunity. What if this business opportunity is seized? Tianquan selected the Internet that is sprouting in China.

In 1999, Tianquan rented a three in a residential area near Sidaliu temple in Beijing, paying for the servers, computers and other equipment and hired managers to start a career in building an online real estate empire. The domain name of the website originally is chinaproperties.com, this domain name is more like a research organization than commercial website, Chinese name starts also call "China property Net". After pondering, Tianquan finally decided to change to soufun.com. Speaking of the name of the search house company, Tianquan told a story.

"It took me three months to think of a good name, or my daughter helped me." At that time, Tianquan's daughter was 4 years old and was in kindergarten. One day he was on his way to pick up his daughter's home. Go to a traffic light intersection, think of the name of the house, home, he put more than 10 names on the paper, read to the daughter to listen to, and so the little girl played for a while and then called her over, asked her to remember which word, the children blurted out is the house search. Tianquan SouFun or a product of Chinese and Western, sou is pinyin, fun is English, this is his own experience of the integration and two industries intertwined with the mapping. Both the search for this trend of life style, and people's living space closely linked, he was satisfied with the name.

Thus, SouFun was born.

Any entrepreneurial project can not be separated from huge sums of money, especially the Internet, known as the "burning money" industry.

Initially, through the matchmaking of Tsinghua University's School of Management alumni, Goldman Sachs executive President Shan, Tianquan found several major Hong Kong consortia, hoping to invest in SouFun. The negotiations were very difficult and initially the Hong Kong consortium showed some interest in the financing project, but the negotiations became more difficult to carry out and the stringent conditions put forward by the Hong Kong consortium were totally unacceptable. The negotiations ended in a breakup, but Tianquan from the negotiations that the project was of great value.

The first fund for SouFun was the International Data group IDG, one of the first American investment companies to enter China's it venture capital. The financing is much more dramatic than the tough negotiations ahead. Tianquan will write his ideas on a page letterhead, and then find found in IDG classmate Lindong good. With Tianquan judgment and the market expectations of the firm, IDG to SouFun cast two times, the first time is the traditional information company period, the second is the Internet transformation period.

IDG has become the ancestor of venture capital of Chinese IT enterprises. IDG from Baidu and SouFun investment projects, has profited more than 100 times times.

"I don't have any innovation, just standing on the shoulders of giants and using the lessons learned in the United States to use the Chinese market." "SouFun predecessor is a traditional real estate data service company, only in the rise of the internet came a gorgeous turn, become the latest internet companies."

The fifth chapter searches the room as long as 1% but is bigger than Ma Yun

At the beginning of the establishment, Tianquan clearly planned the development direction of SouFun. The early stage of real estate information media, through the expansion of the development of a whole real estate business operation platform.

From 2000 to 2005, China's real estate industry and the internet industry as two emerging industries, have experienced from the bud to the development of high-speed expansion process. As the two major industries of the marriage, Tianquan led SouFun also actively expand, growing. Since 2004, the wide application of network technology has changed people's concept, which is prompting the transformation of the Housing Industry management mode, and the growth of the real estate economy network demand has brought great opportunity to soufun. According to our survey, since 2005, the domestic consumer online demand for housing is at a rapid growth situation. In the past, about 80% of Beijing's people were looking for listings through physical stores, and more than half of consumers now look for property information online.

1%

Tianquan's goal for SouFun is to gain 1% per cent of the real estate sector, which accounts for 20% of China's gross domestic product.

SouFun at the beginning of the creation, the choice of five major cities in China to expand business: Hong Kong, Taipei, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing. Now the SouFun business has expanded to more than 70 cities nationwide. Of course, as a strong regional industry, Tianquan leader of the SouFun is not without difficulty, in the development of the city market in the process of encountering a big problem, SouFun Shanghai branch has changed in a year 4 general manager, but finally persisted. Now in Shanghai's real estate network advertising, SouFun occupies more than 90% of the share.

Although the beginning of the venture, Tianquan and Charles Zhang had the same building office, but soufun by the industry attention or in 2006 years. After the continuous venture capital of IDG, Goldman Sachs investment Bank, French Juno Classified media. At the end of August 2006, Telstra, Australia's largest telecoms and information service company, spent $254 million to acquire SouFun 51%. "Over the last 4 years, we've been growing by 100%. Tianquan said it was such a fast pace of growth that was able to complete the subsequent serial financing. ”

2007, SouFun Annual income of more than 500 million yuan. The main source of profit is mainly advertising, accounting for about 90%, advertising mainly from real estate developers and housing intermediary agencies input.

With the expansion of business, advertising revenue will also involve other industries, such as home decoration, community services, etc., "we are also seeking some offline service mode, all the business related to the family is our service object, the market imagine the space is too big." "As a professional vertical search site, the business model is actually focused on the B2B/B2C business model of the family," Tianquan said.

For the listing, Tianquan said SouFun "Everything is all, only owed the east wind." In his view, the listing is a mature symbol for the company, but also can be as far as possible to downplay personal color.

For the future, Tianquan's confidence is sufficient: "Now 300 million rural people become urban, they come to the city need to work, need a house, the equivalent of 20 to build an ' America ', and then 20 years, there is an ' American ' to be built." ”