Internet entrepreneurship must read: The survival of the same journey network

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How to survive under the attack of the Giants? Wu Zhixiang and the same journey network's entrepreneurial experience can be called a textbook!

Article | Liu

Nervous, anxious, on thin ice. This is the same way NET founder Wu Zhixiang and Ctrip, Art Dragon and other industry giants "5 years of resistance" of the personal feelings. Ctrip any sign of trouble, a piece of lace news, will let Wu Zhixiang nerves highly tense. The domestic listing as the first task, demanding the profit of the same process, has been in the eyes of the giant "diving" type development.

Finally, the same process network decided to tentatively IPO, "marriage" Tencent. Wu Zhixiang to release the pent-up potential of the same process. "After this round of financing, no more attention will be paid to the competitor's behavior within two years, but to the user experience." "Wu Zhixiang so-called" financing, refers to the 2014 Valentine's Day announced by Tencent, Boyu, Yuan Wo with the investment of 500 million yuan. To get the current domestic traditional OTA field of the largest single financing, has always been low-key the same way network began to surface.

Steer clear of the Giants

Wu Zhixiang is also known as the Gate of the division. He graduated from the University of Suzhou, majoring in tourism and taught books. After a tour company in Suzhou as deputy general manager. 2001 into Alibaba, from a common salesman started, become Ali 176th employees. Alibaba was in the stage of exploring the profit model, just started to do "Chinese suppliers" this product. Ideas, many creative Wu Zhixiang to Ma Yun wrote an e-mail, proposed to do travel business, but did not get reply.

Thereupon, Wu Zhixiang chooses to resign, with schoolmate, the teacher altogether 5 people together, took out hundreds of yuan to start the fund, at the Suzhou University a 10 square meters staff dormitory to begin the independent undertaking. The same route online in 2004, and then in the tourism industry has little reputation. Two years later, when Wu Zhixiang stood in the "win in China" stage, as the judge of Ma's eyes recognized his former subordinates.

Ma Yun has become a well-known figure in the Internet field. Wu Zhixiang, who is also a business-to-business model, does not think of himself as an internet entrepreneur. He understood that internet entrepreneurship belongs to two types of fashionable people: one is Li, Zhang, and other returnees elite, they are very familiar with the U.S. market, the second type of people are CAI and other grassroots elite, very clear the bottom of the Internet game rules and user needs. And for like oneself this far from the Internet atmosphere strong north, on, wide, Pianan Suzhou corner of the nobody, seems to envy only the sake of.

"At that time for many unknown grassroots entrepreneurs, may have to incense and bear (Shong), MA Zong (MA) Such a big one side?" Wu Zhixiang How did not think, oneself unexpectedly can so lucky, have the opportunity to stand in the spotlight of CCTV stage, with Ma Yun, Shong, Yan and so on many big guy so close to interact frequently.

"Before taking part in the venture competition, there is no concept of big business model, entrepreneurship, financing and so on." In the past, Sina, Sohu, Alibaba and other enterprises financing, listing, just like the little match girl, looking through the glass to see others eat turkey, with us irrelevant. "Wu Zhixiang with" very happy, very satisfied "to describe the experience of business-to-business entrepreneurship before 2005.

At that time, the same way to sell the travel agent business card business-to-business has done the industry first place. "Every year we earn money to feed our team, and we don't think about doing it, because it burns money too much." ”

At that time, Wu Zhixiang that the business model of the "tall" vocabulary, in fact, they often hang on the lips of "how to make money." Wu Zhixiang began to reflect deeply: the business card selling travel agencies, although can make money, but lack of imagination space. As soon as he returned to Suzhou, Wu Zhixiang made a big decision to seek a large scale financing to make the tourism business bigger.

2008, Suzhou Industrial Park Kai Wind Venture (now merged into the Yuan Wo holding), finally let Wu Zhixiang do the idea of the company. An investment of 15 million yuan will soon be accounted for. This is absolutely astronomical for the Wu Zhixiang of the time. He immediately had the clout. "So much money is like forever, you can try to do the mode." ”

The grass-roots team lacks an international perspective and does not understand the foreign business model at all, and the only person who can make it clear is the only Ctrip and the art dragon that have been listed. But Wu Zhixiang does not want to imitate Ctrip, but to the original Business-to-business business based on innovation. That is, the purchase of hotels, air tickets directly to the original twenty thousand or thirty thousand travel agencies. Wu Zhixiang Understand that this is not the true meaning of the business-to-consumer, but more like the current so-called B2B2C mode.

He calculated the account: the same process has ready-made 20,000 tourism resources, even if the average travel agent every day in the same network only purchase a hotel order, a day at least can deal 20,000 orders. The benefits of this model are: because the B-end travel agency resources have been relatively strong, and C-end also do not need to promote, by travel agents to do, can operate at low cost.

After six months of operation, Wu Zhixiang found that due to the lack of awareness of the tourism industry, leading to seemingly logical business is not workable. Originally, through travel agencies to book hotels and single booking of air tickets business, has long been robbed in the past three or four years empty; second, consumer buying habits have gradually changed, there is little need to book hotels through travel agencies.

During that time, the same journey net day only 300~400 orders, far less than expected. Wu Zhixiang's attempts to make a business go bankrupt soon. The first time to take the money of investors, but there are losses, after the end of 2008 inventory, Wu Zhixiang depressed extremely. A business model that is full of good expectations about investors is just starting to explore a dead end. That year just after the Spring Festival, the beginning of eight this day, Wu Zhixiang nervously waiting for the arrival of shareholders. Kai Wind hit the forest to red not only not complain, but also give Wu Zhixiang a lot of inspiration.

In fact, Wu Zhixiang described the "loss" only 1 million yuan. It was not that he made a fuss, but that the number was at that time completely beyond his psychological limits, and in his view "already a very big thing". Since 2004 the company into the right track, until the financing, the same network business-to-business business is more stable, profitability remained in the revenue of 10%, never lost.

After the Wu Zhixiang summary, in addition to the new model to explore problems, the financing does run a little faster, and the business is indeed untimely. 15 million yuan financing just arrived in the second week of Wenchuan earthquake, followed by the financial crisis. The response of tourism to the external environment is more sensitive, and the same process network business is also obviously implicated.

Wu Zhixiang continued to explore the business-to-consumer after receiving a relief from investors. This time they intend to expand their own C-end customers. In this way, and Ctrip, the art of the Dragon's business model is exactly the same. The only difference is that Ctrip, art dragon In addition to hotel, air ticket business, there are other lines of business, and the same way the hotel business has just taken the first step.

Where do customers come from? At the same journey began to learn Ctrip, to the big traveler flow of places to distribute cards. For example, send a salesman to Alibaba's network business conference pull customers. They have tried many kinds of promotion methods, but the promotion effect is basically 100 cards to change back to an order, conversion rate is low to the extreme. At this time the Wu Zhixiang has been a bit like headless fly like no clue.

The most grassroots flow play

Suddenly one day, Wu Zhixiang make a people look really some "wonderful" decision, in the company all employees, launched a "Full SEO" campaign, learn Baidu search engine optimization technology. In the Internet companies only need technical staff to master the SEO technology, in the same process, but forced the front desk, administration, sales staff and other positions of staff to learn. Of course, CEO Wu Zhixiang is no exception, "Do not understand SEO, do not come to our company."

Wu Zhixiang say what is necessary. So 2009 a full year, the same way network within a week more than one case test. SEO knowledge from books, after learning the team PK. Monday assignments, Friday preparation exams, all grades are sorted. The first prize was rewarded and the last one was fined.

Wuzhijiang such extreme decisions make sense. They inadvertently found that through Baidu's search engine optimization can bring orders. Through a period of proofing, found that the conversion rate is very good, and soon can book 300 rooms, promotion cost is very low, order acquisition efficiency is far higher than the line before the promotion.

Can say, Wu Zhixiang everywhere to find promotion channels, suddenly found that Baidu marketing to promote this lifeline. The way to get orders through SEO marketing seems extremely common today. But at that time, Ctrip and the art Dragon did not pay attention to it. Take the hand to say, rely on the original "ground sales + call center" way, has earned a pot full.

"Let's do the receptionist to learn SEO, in fact, no help to the company." Wu Zhixiang afterwards frankly. But he wants to tell the team, SEO this matter the most important, representing the company's future, no SEO will not have the company tomorrow. SEO, he argues, could be a small opportunity for the company to survive or even turn over a comeback. How to compete with Internet companies in northern, upper, broad and deep cities? We just want to do the simplest thing to the extreme. Now that you see the Internet can bring orders, do it. ”

Initially, the company has more than 100 full-time to do SEO, many are just graduated from university for a year or two students. Through a full year of SEO exams, by the end of 2012, the company 700 supposedly employees have been the importance of the SEO implant bone marrow. It is no exaggeration to say that at that time the same network should be all employees know SEO online travel company.

Wu Zhixiang spoke very clearly. "Each of their indicators is to vote 30,000 yuan out, but must earn 50,000 yuan in." Only in this way can the company survive. At that time his idea is to put on the book lying on the 15 million Yuan financing all hit Baidu. That year, the same way to become the Web site Baidu tourism website ads Most of a company, higher than the "Baidu marketing efforts fierce" famous passers-by.

At the end of 2009, the same process network to achieve more than 30 million yuan revenue (does not include business-to-business), basically do not lose money. A year later, retail sales reached 100 million. At this time, Wu Zhixiang pleasantly feel, "Earth eight" the same way net one day also become fashionable Internet company. They've done the best job of SEO and paying two things, and the company hasn't lost money in the fast-growing situation. In a way, SEO really became the only right way out of the company.

Hotel business to achieve a certain stage, Wu Zhixiang also began to try to book air tickets business. Because the amount of the ticket is not much, booking ticket business did not cause the attention of Ctrip. But 2009 for a long time, the ticket booking has been in a losing state, Wu Zhixiang to the ticket team under the last ultimatum: give the last one months, if not make money, more than 40 people will be all cut off.

When forced into a desperate situation, the team's ultimate potential is stimulated and reversed within one months. Ticket business suddenly revive, let Wu Zhixiang also unexpected. In his words, "The team bites the teeth." After that, the ticket volume of the same route network rose quickly to 20,000 sheets/day, becoming the second largest line of business after the hotel. Later, gradually become the company's most profitable business.

Deposition in the surprise of the Wu Zhixiang did not know, at that time the ticket business line has actually lost about 4 million ~500 million. According to the psychological endurance of several partners at that time, will certainly not hesitate to kill. Only then because the accountant did not know how several lines of business accounting, resulting in the book show has made money. Later, the finance told Wu Zhixiang, in fact, contributed most of the profit is the original business-to-business business and hotel reservations.

"So, the most grateful is our financial, fortunately did not calculate the account at that time, otherwise the company has already cut off the ticket items." "Ticket business survived the difficult, Wu Zhixiang can understand the grassroots entrepreneurs of the kind of ignorance and helplessness." "Our first cashier doesn't even write a cheque, so what does it do?"

Be Gong by the Giants

In Ctrip, art dragon under the nose, do a highly similar business, with the network indeed a bit desperate. But inadvertently found the internet to promote the channel, become the same network of a life-saving straw. Look at that time Ctrip, by maintaining the "mouse + Cement" Classic business model, has been the industry leader in the position. The so-called "mouse", mainly refers to the completion of order booking through the call center.

In 2004, Ctrip 70% 's business orders were completed through the call center. In 2009, Ctrip also invested 200 million yuan in Nantong to build a second call center, known as the largest call center in Asia. Nowadays, the number of employees in the Ctrip call center is about million people. Ctrip from the call center up and down the painstaking effort can be judged, consumers each call a phone to Ctrip, the cost must be expensive.

In contrast, the same network does not need a huge cost of call center, is a typical low-cost operation. They only need to force in the C end, to attract consumers online booking can be. Wu Zhixiang's method is very clever, and consumers play a rebate game. Customers do not need to call the same process, as long as in the hotel, in the same process network to publish a comment, you can get back to the present. "For example, the hotel returned to the same process 50 Yuan Commission, we return 30 yuan to consumers." Consumers get cash and contribute content to the same process. ”

Wu Zhixiang called it the "Internet booking + reviews return" model. Is such a simple business logic, so that the same way to the hotel, ticket booking volume in a long period of time to maintain high-speed growth. Now it seems, Ctrip's call center services to meet the earliest business traveller more convenient booking needs, and the same Cheng Fali Internet booking way, the first catch the price of relatively sensitive to the requirements of the scattered guests.

But that doesn't make Wu Zhixiang feel comfortable. Because Wu Zhixiang in 2009 launched "Full SEO", the choice is Ctrip's two flagship products line-hotel and ticket booking. His heart is very clear, with Ctrip, Art dragon Rob Business, as the eggs touch stone, the consequences will be very serious.

Where to go, cattle nets and other online travel companies to start a business, often choose to avoid the Giants, looking for the market blank, copy Ctrip way forward. But the same way network but choose to go head-to-head, seems a little bit more than that? To this, Wu Zhixiang's answer is: "Dare not think of other product line." Because small companies are very weak, there is no power to educate the market. "At that time the way to sign the hotel is also very special, is to carry Ctrip, Long signed the hotel to pull out a list, and then call the past." Since and Ctrip, Art Dragon have signed, and then signed the same way a channel is not much, this is the best reason to convince the hotel.

At that time, more than 4,000 hotels were talked about, all by telephone signing. Wu Zhixiang that the cost of the education market is very low. Because the same way network has been intended to domestic listing, so the cost control is very strict, each step is not allowed to lose again, "there is no sales on business trip to negotiate the hotel's spare money." Compared to Ctrip, this link for the same process network to save a lot of ground sales staff cost of consumption.

He has long been aware that the "Internet Reservations + Reviews" method is ingenious, but it is easy to be Ctrip, Yi-long awareness. At this time of the same network in the big guys inside under the eyes of the stuffy sound hair small wealth, never dare to quiet. In 2010 years, although the same process of revenue rose 3 times times, has been over billion, but and Ctrip's 3 billion or 4 billion is not a magnitude. Perhaps the days of Ctrip had been quite comfortable, ignoring the business model of small companies. Later, this business model was the first step to imitate the art dragon Net.

The art Dragon is proximity. Since 2008, it has been looking for cooperation and capital operations with Cheng, but has been rejected. In the 2011, the Art Dragon imitated the same process and adopted the same Internet marketing method. With the help of the powerful capital, its exerting force is much greater than the same process. Even worse, the art of the dragon every time, must be a high-profile claim that the hotel growth has reached several times of Ctrip, and constantly stimulate the industry boss.

Finally, Ctrip began to wake up in 2012. First, they do not hesitate to buy Baidu keyword, 360 web site navigation, increase the proportion of the Internet order. Willing to spend 15 million yuan with the impossible, buy 360 bids in a keyword. At that time, the price of the same process was only 5 million yuan. Although Ctrip does not know the base price, but is willing to give an absolute high number, rather bear the risk of loss, visible its determination to take the flow of the big.

On the other hand, the best business for the Art Dragon-Hotel reservation, the price war, and constantly improve the strength of the return. Funny is, the same way net played the first "comments back", and eventually become Ctrip in the price war repeatedly to fight against competitors in the sharp weapon. Eldest brother, second stem, row in the old network most suffer. 2012, the hotel business growth rate from the original 3 times times to 30%~40%. But fortunately because of meticulous management done in place, at this time the same process network can still maintain profitability.

A Ctrip, art hotel reservation price war, although not directly to the same process, but let Wu Zhixiang see the industry boss ferocious. Ctrip like a shadow, in the Wu Zhixiang heart lingering, in the end how to get rid of? The same way network has been painstaking exploration.

Forced to seek differentiated competition

2010, the same way net to see the opportunity to book attractions tickets. Take care of Suzhou Local 5 A-class scenic area Zhouzhuang This typical customer, with the network began to sign other attractions. After a trial of water, he concluded that the market for attraction tickets was indeed broad and fast enough. At this point, Wu Zhixiang determined finally found a ctrip, art Dragon did not do business.

"If you can't run out in the shortest possible time, the market may be out of your reach." ”

After determining the direction, Wu Zhixiang made a decision to make the whole company difficult to understand: the annual stability has 10 million yuan profit, the same way network has been relying on the survival of the Business-to-business business unit all dissolved, into the newly established tourist attractions Tickets department, but also the United States its name Yue "Convergence." At that time, there are few companies in the country to do attractions tickets business, the future of the new business is bright, many people do not have the clout. Even the 5 founders, who have always been concentric, began to appear in disagreement.

But as CEO Wu Zhixiang attitude is unusually resolute. Wu Zhixiang How to forget the dissolution of the department, a group of people crying scene: 100 supposedly people were pulled to the large conference room, put the "soldier surprise" in more than three and the company commander parting when a classic fragment, to the scenic Spot ticket department to report. "You know how much I was determined to do!"

The reason for Wu Zhixiang's decision is simple: business-to-business can do it, but never do it. Moreover, the company's start-up period of resources is extremely limited and valuable, must invest in the most valuable things up. He to the same Cheng, Ctrip pattern has a clear analysis: "Our team is extremely grassroots, even the guerrillas are not." And the other is armed to the teeth, with billions of yuan reserves of ' American equipment ', on the very orthodox ' Whampoa Military Academy ', has been listed on the Nasdaq. We are the Long march just arrived Yanan, eat not enough, wear not warm a bunch of hick, a person almost only 5 rounds of bullets. "It is not Wu Zhixiang modesty, it was really" enemy "between the two sides power disparity. In 2011, Ctrip had a turnover of 3.5 billion yuan, only 250 million of the transition b2c3 years.

"It makes sense for a lot of colleagues to think about dissolving business-to-business. But we do not have so much time to hesitate, must in the shortest possible time to make adjustments to the attraction of the ticket market to attack. After "BC Fusion", 150 supposedly people's business-to-business business ended up leaving only more than 10 people.

Determine the new direction, Wu Zhixiang soon find Kai Wind venture, get the second fund 20 million RMB. The same process of ticket business has been low-key development, Wu Zhixiang will try every means to let competitors forget the same process, the company has never dared to go to the media to do publicity. To find the growth gap, Wu Zhixiang at the same time, but also extremely worried, worried by Ctrip, Art Dragon blocked.

During this time, they also have been attentively observe the movements of Ctrip. Fortunately, the boss did not directly involved in the tourist attraction ticket business, then CEO fan just in the name of angels, invested in a tourist attraction ticket business as a cut-mouth of the new company-donkey mother. This makes the Wu Zhixiang relaxed many, at least not with "without to" and the Ctrip direct competition, with Cheng Venture company's chances will be very large, because he to the team's offline execution, focus, the gene is very confident.

In the 2011, the Bulls who made online travel routes began to make tickets. This makes Wu Zhixiang again a little nervous, because the way cattle financing is the U.S. dollars, burning money is more fierce. At this time the same way network, a total of 35 million yuan to finance. Later, let Wu Zhixiang heart Another stone landed is, the passers-by only did a year less than the time to directly remove the ticket business. At this time, the same way network work force scenic spot ticket business, has occupied a place in the market.

Data from the Eric Consulting show that in 2012, in the domestic online tourism market, around 26.6%, the annual growth rate of 93.6%, the annual transaction size of about 5.65 billion yuan, with 21.8% of the market share to occupy the first place. And in the second to third place Ctrip, Mother Donkey, the market share is 9.5%, 6.4% respectively. And in the same process net turnover, the attraction ticket business contribution is very big. In 2012, the same process ran very fast in the front, according to Wu Zhixiang, and in 2013 the business was 3 times times more than 2012 and sold more than 10 million tickets.

After a preliminary attempt, Wu Zhixiang's strategy has been very clear, determined the "outside to seek differentiation, refinement within the" strategy. The so-called difference is the key to the development of attractions tickets business. But at that time, their position on "leisure tourism" is not particularly mature. Until 2013, it is clear that the construction of leisure tourism production lines, that is, from attractions tickets to the surrounding tour, domestic travel, outbound travel a production line, and competitors to differentiate competition.

A belated frontal war.

"Seeking differentiation, refinement within the" strategy to determine the initial, the same way network did achieve a good result. The report shows: in the fourth quarter of 2012, the proportion of the same Cheng in the domestic OTA total revenue ratio of 5.8%, its market share has been 4 consecutive quarters of growth, and industry "second" art dragon gap is shrinking rapidly.

But after all, Wu Zhixiang's strongest opponent is the 10 times-fold Ctrip. Since the first financing, the same process has been in the domestic listing as the primary task, although the profits than other Ota, for 3 consecutive years in a large-scale profit, but has been in the development of repression, the investment control is very strict. 2011, the same process began the GEM listing preparations; in 2013, the same process has done all the preparations for the listing, has been to the securities will put forward the GEM listing application, and obtain the letter of acceptance, but the IPO has been in full stagnation.

Waiting for a shares to restart the IPO would mean missing out on leisure travel and the development of mobile Internet. At the beginning of 2013, Ctrip's investment department approached the same network to discuss capital cooperation. Wu Zhixiang that the Art dragon, Ctrip is not the best negotiation object. "If capital is co-operative, it may be liberating for some of our founding shareholders, which is tantamount to selling the company, but a considerable number of colleagues will be merged similar." ”

At this time, "sleep" 5 years of Ctrip ushered in the return of Liang Jianzhang, business focus began to tilt to the mobile end. Wu Zhixiang also vaguely aware of the whole macro-environment quietly changes, the rapid rise of leisure and tourism market, the market share of peripheral tourism gradually rise, consumer demand has changed. Baidu investment to where, Ali, Tencent has also laid out tourism business, resorted to seize the mobile internet portal. Ma Honeycomb, poor tour and other traditional online tourism companies also focus on mobile clients.

But by the April, Wu Zhixiang had not yet come back, and suddenly felt the biggest crisis in history. Ctrip shouted out to take out 200 million yuan in 2 years to create the largest domestic sales of scenic tickets to the platform, will be officially admission channel tickets for Ctrip Tourism, one of the core business plate, and shouted "Only sales first, do not seek to make money" slogan. This means that the same way the hard work of the scenic spot ticket business will encounter an unprecedented blow.

Wu Zhixiang early realized that this battle will come sooner or later, but never thought of IS, Ctrip, Yi long die of the "enemy", unexpectedly formed an alliance, direct price war point to the same process. Such as home suddenly announced and cooperation nearly 10 years of the same process of termination of cooperation, followed by the Han court also began to isolate the same process. In Wu Zhixiang view, behind the "Operation Black Hand" is very likely to be Hanting, such as home has "near blood" relationship of Ctrip. After that, the price war also spread to the air ticket business. At this point, the same network want to be more stuffy sound to make money is impossible.

Another strategy for Ctrip is to start a "dig-corner" battle. In Suzhou Industrial Park, the same process network opposite, Ctrip rented a 500 square meters of office, is said to be the main responsibility to be higher than the number of times the salary, dedicated to dig the same staff. Wu Zhixiang had to admit that, for the first time, a formal firefight with two giants was extremely passive.

Wu Zhixiang There are two ways to choose: Waiting for the domestic market or refinancing quickly to do large-scale? The two paths must not be both. 5 founders began to tangle.

July 2013, the company organizes staff to climb Huangshan. Wu Zhixiang The company's core management members into a large conference room, pointing out two ways: first, IPO, and second, refinancing. Refinancing the road, is extremely dangerous, but will be extremely exciting, the first listing, the equivalent of directly to the well-off. 57 middle-level executives must make a choice within 10 minutes. Through the micro-group, single to single to send the answer to 5 founders.

The end result did not surprise Wu Zhixiang: 2 votes agreed to go public and all other members supported refinancing. Wu Zhixiang believes that the team that has been settling down for years has formed a tacit understanding: Will the princely be better? Since the same journey can quickly do the tourist attractions and the first place, why not to do the leisure tourism market first. "Previously limited to the domestic listing of strategic objectives, the pursuit of profit, so development has been in a depressed state." Others bully can only endure. Starting with the first round of financing in 2008, we have been using the least amount of money in the industry to gain the most growth and profit in the industry. Is it possible to change the pattern of the market if you get another sum of money and let go of the fight?

Wu Zhixiang really wanted to gamble. He is unwilling to be a simple public company that can make some money. If the goal is to make money, then it will not dissolve the 10 million yuan per year of business-to-business profits. The market space is big enough, the team thought is enough unified, if the same process did not have the opportunity to exert all the power, to the market lit up, Wu Zhixiang would be very sorry. Always choose low-key Wu Zhixiang, this time a kind of initiative to meet the challenge of impulse.

Of course, he also rationally predicted the sudden termination of the IPO may be a variety of drawbacks: once the choice of continued financing, the company's years of sophisticated competition to develop the game will change, all will face greater uncertainty; if the deficit of 100 million or 200 million, follow-up funds can not keep up, companies may die. And if they are listed as soon as possible, they will miss the opportunity to face greater challenges in future competition. Only by becoming the first place in the subdivision field can we survive.

Without the shackles of the IPO, Wu Zhixiang decided to let go. "The next step is to find investors talk about money, how much money, what to do?" October 2013, with Cheng announced 2 billion Yuan Citic bank credit, mainly for the expansion of wireless business, but also will continue to be committed to the "one-stop" self-service platform for continuous improvement and user experience improvement. At this point, the job of finding investors is underway.

Unexpectedly, by the end of 2013, at the same time in the financing phase, Ctrip and around the attraction tickets, to the same way to launch a more violent attack: the establishment of Ground Services division, specializing in ticket business, collection of scenic spots and suppliers held "ticket cooperation conference", again stressed that "tickets do not pursue money, but to market share first" As the primary goal. In the face of the challenge of Ctrip price war, with the network passive war. "Two-way war" scenic spots expanded to hundreds or even thousands of scenic spots. The mother of the donkey, who has always been the core business of attraction tickets, has not stopped. At this time the battle potential gradually formed the "Three Kingdoms kill" situation.

Ticket price war is the most intense in Harbin Ice and snow world attractions. Ctrip gradually increase the return of the attraction tickets, the original market price of 300 yuan tickets, the highest peak when the mother of the donkey than Ctrip also fierce, willing to pay 12 yuan to the donkey friend. At the highest, a ticket of 288 yuan, the return amount of up to 283 yuan. Such a high return point caused the attention of the ox. In this respect, Wu Zhixiang's strategy is to first invest 400 million yuan to deal with, but the strength is always less than Ctrip 5 Yuan/Zhang. The advantage of this is that a large number of cattle away from the same process, and the choice to Ctrip booking.

"The price war hurts the price system of the scenic spot, which profits from the ox, and the consumer does not really benefit." "More interesting is that the same network also" looting ", as cattle from the Ctrip buy 1000 tickets, small earn a sum. "Small businesses compete with giants, and they should look for smarter ways to be more stupid than who to throw money at." Wu Zhixiang said that the network should not take the initiative to launch a price war, money should be used in the blade.

In the media warfare, Ctrip compared to the past years do not want to expose the media in front of the same network more than a chip, and hype data said: With threading out of the attraction ticket business growth rate is 40 times times the same way net. In this respect, Wu Zhixiang said Ctrip published data method is more bizarre. "First of all, it can not be 40 times times the same pace of growth, and second, even if 40 times times it is normal, because it began to be able to set 100 tickets a day, if one day suddenly set out 4000, it will not increase by 40 times times?" and for the same process, the original day set 30,000 tickets, today set out 100,000, only to increase 3 times times. ”

Then, is Ctrip to launch a price war, media warfare, talent war, resource warfare. "Where did you know that there would be such a bloody battle at the end of last year?" At that time, Wu Zhixiang is busy financing, Ctrip's action is completely unexpected. Frankly speaking, by the same way their own strength must not beat Ctrip. Wu Zhixiang often jokingly said, "a financial director's salary is worth more than 100 of our financial department's wages, compared to others?" Although the same way network attractions ticket business is very core, but how to adhere to their own advantages? In fact, it is difficult to have a solo fight. Wu Zhixiang Frankly, the best way is to find a strong partner.

Financing in a period of time, although the same process net into the eyes of VC sweet, but never fruit. Because they don't want to look for simple financial investors. Who are you working with to get the biggest spark? The answer is Tencent in bat. Because Baidu invested where to go, will not cast a Ota, Alibaba Taobao travel model and the same way network all different.

Tencent, Tencent, 2012 after the completion of the same process tens of millions of yuan investment, and will be connected to Tencent Tourism Channel Network, the two sides have a basis for cooperation, and optimistic about the same process network to seize leisure tourism and mobile end of the potential. Wu Zhixiang said, the reason and Tencent smooth "marriage", in addition to Tencent to give the imagination space large enough, but also with the two teams complementary has a great relationship. "Tencent has a strong online ability and product force, while the gene in the process is under the strong implementation of the cable." ”

Wu Zhixiang that Baidu investment to where the landmark event, the line between the industry increasingly blurred. The online tourism industry is no longer Ctrip eminence, Ctrip's opponents are no longer the same process, the way cattle such entrepreneurial companies, but become bat.

Afterwards, Wu Zhixiang sigh: The eldest brother provoked price war, we are competitors to dig the corner, if the financing did not negotiate properly, the network will be very passive. Fortunately at the end of the year, with Tencent, Boyu, Yuan Wo 3 institutions of financing basic talks. After that, 500 million yuan funds quickly to the account.

Because at that time the same process has been the domestic listing as the goal, rely on fine operation, so the internal launch requirements are very high, resulting in the mobile end of the force at a full later than the competitor 18 months.

Wu Zhixiang said that after 3 years of hard working force, the same way network has become the ticket and the surrounding travel booking market First, occupying 70% of the market share. Spring Festival seven days, for nearly 2 million people to provide tickets and travel around the booking, more than 5 times times the competitor. "Marriage", the same process will have enough courage to deal with the price war. Their goal is to take scenic tickets as the entrance, strengthen the surrounding tour, domestic and outbound travel business, for the "leisure tourism" market segment of the first place, the mobile end of the product differentiation as soon as possible.