Judo strategy: The secret of small companies conquering big companies

Judo strategy: The Secret of small companies defeating big companies: [US] David B.

"The Chinese Internet giants themselves are not innovative enough to emulate small companies and stifle innovation, and the space for startups will be smaller and bigger," he said. So today's entrepreneurs need judo thinking. "Zhou concluded:" Against Tencent and Baidu, either don't compete with them, far away, or use judo. And do not expect to follow behind them a cup of scraps, impossible. ”

Zhou on judo strategy

What is Judo?

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent, was beaten to the ground by a 10-year-old schoolgirl at the sermon Hall in Tokyo, Japan, in September 2000. This petite schoolgirl defeated the Black Belt master Putin's skills, that is, the small broad, weak judo. The Columbia Encyclopedia is defined as: Judo is a kind of martial arts that takes the physical and strength of an opponent to the advantage of its own use, and wins by beating the opponent, and it can make the weak or the inferior in weight overcome the physically dominant opponents.

American scholar Yolfie in his "judo strategy" as a business strategy, the core is to play force. As a weak party, you cannot touch the strong side, but try to turn the opponent's weight, strength and other advantages into a negative factor. For example, to find a fulcrum, leveraging the role of the opponent to cross up, throw out! The greater the strength, the greater the weight, the worse the fall.

Zhou considered himself a judo whiz. 3721 times, he in the channel to make a fuss over the forerunner cnnic; Yahoo era, he used a search in MP3 searches over Baidu, and threw off several portals to the Yahoo mailbox to do second, and later, only a year to let 360 into the security software before three. Before this, Qihoo easily replaced the banner network as a leader in community content aggregation. He invests in thunder and Discuz, respectively, as a leader in downloads and community software, and attracts Google injections.

Zhou is characterized by contempt for tradition and habitual breaking the habit. "If I challenge any one of the Giants, they will not be lightly." I have the ability to impact it and shake it. "Zhou said.

In the 2007, Zhou always recommended judo thinking within the company and among friends in the industry. He even asked to buy back the dozens of "judo strategies" that were only available in the Golden Book Network, so that all of us could look at them. Zhou is also willing to spread this way of thinking to the industry. You may be puzzled: "An effective strategy, the less people you know, the better?" "Perhaps not."

In 2004, Zhou with Yahoo and Baidu and NetEase when the war on his strategy: "I look forward to the chaos, expect all small companies to challenge big companies, big companies are industrial rules of the formulation, of course, do not expect chaos, chaos is good for small companies, because the troubled times will break the existing rules and balance, the chaos of the hero , after the chaos will be Zhi, then I hope to win the rightful place. ”

From this perspective, the same as the majority of entrepreneurs in the Beikewen Zhou, and the interests of this group are consistent.

"What is its most precious thing?" ”

Playing force is the core of judo. Big opponents to you, but you can not hard block, but the homeopathy a pull, the big man loses the center of gravity rushed out. The greater his strength, the more likely he was to stop the car and fall. The huge assets owned by large corporations are powerful weapons against small businesses. So the key to thinking in Judo is: How do you make big business assets a liability? Under what circumstances does the assets of a large enterprise make it painful?

2001, do the network real name 3721 began to sell domain names CNNIC competition. At that time cnnic already have million nets such as nine major agents, they have a set of Top-down agent system. This huge agent channels, distributors and customer base, is cnnic important assets, 3721 can not compete with it. First of all, 3721 cannot go to use these 9 big agents, CNNIC can use their influence to kill 3721 at any time, and 3721 also do not have enough manpower to bypass the dealer to direct sales. The CNNIC agent system isolates 3721 and its potential customer base.

But this agent system has its innate weakness: cnnic high ranking agent system, not deep into the grassroots agents and customers to go, and these agents on the bottom of China's small enterprises are not enough infiltration.

Zhou's countermeasures, is to build a different from the general agent-the local agent so layered, the opposite is a flat agent system. In each city, the delineation of an agent, in the national delineation of thousands, by 3721 direct management. This makes up for the inadequacy of the CNNIC agent system.

More importantly, CNNIC is difficult to imitate. If Cnnic a flat channel, it is difficult to deal with it and the relationship between the existing agent system. For example, the original level agent from top to bottom have different price difference, to maintain each level is profitable, but the new flat channels are directly executed from the 3721 headquarters of a price, the two must interfere with each other. The larger the original agent system of CNNIC, the greater the friction and oscillation. It began to become a negative asset, hindering cnnic change.

After a year of cnnic, he watched the 3721 grow fast.

But a year later Cnnic decided not to endure it, starting from 3721 to dig horns and build a new flat system. And that's exactly what Zhou 祎 "expect to see." The new direct agent's entry, broke the CNNIC original nine major agents of power balance. A broken wrist, blood flow.

In Cnnic gradually set up with 3721 competition in the general Web site Agent system process, it originally CN Domain name Agent system also gradually disintegrated, new nets, million nets and other large agents are looking at the CN domain name transactions. Today, the CN domain name annual use fee has fallen to 1 yuan money. 3721 have not been directly to combat cnnic agent system, but cnnic by their own internal power overturned.

In Zhou, judo thinking is actually a simple question. As long as you meet a large company, you should subconsciously think: "What is its most precious thing?" What is its biggest advantage? What's wrong with this advantage? Who is its enemy? What is it most afraid of? You can do something, but your formidable opponent can't follow it! ”

Of course, CNNIC is not too strong opponents, but Baidu is absolutely.

Starting in 2004, Zhou the force point of Yahoo Search MP3. To this end, the launch of an independent search site, and boasted it as "China's largest entertainment music search." Even if Baidu's MP3 search in fact, the traffic is much larger than a search, Baidu did not dare to stand up to the lie, dare not claim that they are "China's largest entertainment music search", and let a search alone to enjoy this positioning brought about by the market awareness, high-speed growth.

Because Baidu as "China's largest web search" has its soft rib. Baidu all income from small and medium-sized enterprises to put accurate advertising, and at that time all the small and medium-sized enterprises are believed that the flow of web search is valuable, do not think that the MP3 flow of entertainment quality will be valuable. If Baidu claims to be the biggest entertainment music search, it does not match the location of its web search, damaging the image of the Advertiser.

Zhou said: "Baidu's Web search more successful, the more cause it dare not MP3 on me, so I hit MP3." "2005, a search indeed more than Baidu, become a veritable" China's largest entertainment music search.

"Ding Lei ran out to scold me"

2004, Google and Yahoo, Microsoft also played a judo.

At that time, Microsoft Hotmail and Yahoo Mail were the first and second in the world, and Google did not have a mailbox service, users and assets are zero. As we all know, Google's high-profile launch of the capacity of up to 1G free mailbox Gmail, is Hotmail and Yahoo mailbox dozens of times times. Once Hotmail has followed Gmail's expansion, its huge user base will cause its cost to turn upside down, and technical difficulties will multiply. The cost and difficulty of Gmail from scratch is much smaller.

It's hard for Hotmail to immediately follow up on the expansion and leave Gmail with a fast enclosure. Gmail laid a three-point position in the world.

2004 Zhou also used the same strategy. At that time, Yahoo Mailbox in China basically no users, NetEase mailbox ahead of the first place, followed by several portals such as Sohu. Yahoo mailbox first expansion to 1G, to the opponent very big pressure. First, the expansion will lead to a significant increase in costs, Sohu and other Nasdaq listed companies will face performance pressure. Second, the technical difficulty of upgrading, the expansion of the easily lost mail.

After this battle, Yahoo Mail into the top three, Sohu and so was basically squeezed out the market

But NetEase's boss position is still firm, this battle to it basically did not have to waver. First, NetEase mailbox technology is very good. Second, although the listed companies, but a single large ding lei does not put the stock market, willing to invest in cost. So, Zhou began to resorted to the second recruit, directed to NetEase.

"NetEase is the eldest, the most valuable thing is the brand and users." Because of this, NetEase will not be willing to share these two things with others. So I'm going in the opposite direction and I'm willing to share it with others. And NetEase must have competitors, such as grand, joint public, Hao Fang, same netease is also a portal, 265, when all are potential opponents. I do not have to compete directly with NetEase, I go to work with its opponents. This is what netease can never do. ”

Yahoo at the same breath with the public, Ctrip, when, 265 and so on 12 professional website signed agreement, to provide them with each brand for the address of the 1G mailbox. Yahoo gave up its brand, but got millions of users, and the cooperative sites provided their users with their own brand-name mailbox service, indirectly weakening the rival NetEase.

After this battle, Yahoo Mailbox became the second, although not beyond NetEase, but caused no small pressure. At that time, Ding Lei hinted that this is a kind of deception, said "tigers eat people before will smile." But Zhou 祎 asked, "How can I possibly" cheat "to so many websites? "The actual situation is that we play a people's war with Ding Lei," he said: "Ding lei so arrogant person, if not hit him on the sore, he will not come out to scold me." ”

Later Zhou flew to Guangzhou to visit Ding Lei, two people drank two bottles of red wine. Zhou comforted ding lei: "Yahoo is to get due market share, but NetEase should be confident, you are very strong." Despite the red wine, Zhou is ready for the third battle against NetEase.

2004, NetEase is still in full swing instant communication products bubble, ding lei also hope. Yahoo also has its own Instant messaging tools Yahoo Pass, and Zhou plan to do another "netease will not do." It is the sacrifice of Yahoo, do not push Yahoo, but to convert it to support the Yahoo Mailbox affiliate tool. This small app, called Yahoo email, automatically alerts you to new emails, automatically opens the page, and the person who replies to it can chat directly with the person in the email.

In fact, this is the way Gmail later adopted, that is, gtalk. This small app does help Gmail expand its share, making it the third largest chat tool after MSN and AOL in the US. But because Zhou in 2005, the plan was not implemented at Yahoo.

Shut up! It's judo, not sumo.

Although the ability to play is to put down opponents of the necessary kill skills, but also need two techniques to escort: move and balance. Keep moving, do not provoke a strong opponent to launch a positive attack on you, like a puppy as low-key and not like the big dog shouting, and in the movement to maintain a balance, you must not fall!

Four years ago in a hurry and today has no one to ask about the blog in China, because of non-compliance with the principles of mobility and balance is doomed to escape. Zhou that this is a "typical negative case."

2003, the concept of blogging in China, it commentators Xingdong blog China is the leader. Two years of focus on the IT blog to provide services and create an IT elite community, so that the rapid development of blog China, into the top 50 Chinese website.

But in early 2005, when the fund invested 10 million of dollars, Xingdong changed his low-key past. He invited guests and media at the Beijing century altar to announce the arrival of the blog age. "Also clamoring for a year over Sina, two-year listing," the goal, which not only the information industry's most powerful Sina directly as an opponent, but also to everyone vigilant: blog is the next gold mine!? The number of sub channels on the Chinese navigation bar of the blog is increasing, putting itself in a position to compete with the portal. Several other professional blog sites have been outdone, competing to announce huge financing and strong growth.

Less than six months after the farce, Sina shot. And successive, Tencent, Sohu, Baidu also massively resources officially into battle. Sina and Sohu all put the blog as a strategic business to develop, require each channel to set up a blog commissioner, the company's Resource development blog. and Xingdong and blog China All the words and news, also rightfully be blocked by the portal.

The portal soon swept through. In the top five blog, there is no professional site figure. Xingdong has undoubtedly become an "industry sinner", and some of his practices have sparked a slump in a group of websites. Liu, the editor-in-chief of the news and news, said: "You can write those words out, affixed to the wall, every day before bedtime and wake up in the heart meditation three times, but why do you call out?" ”

Xingdong's mistakes are more than that. Another principle that is compatible with the principle of mobility--------balance, also failed. After financing 10 million of billions of dollars, bloggers in China have been recruiting aggressively, with employees expanding from 40 to 300. Xingdong, a "critic" who has never managed more than 40 people, employs 10 executives above the VP. Blog China quickly expanded from it to almost all areas, with more channels than portals.

Rapid expansion leads to uncontrolled, xingdong inability to sustain. After that, the blog China has experienced a huge layoffs and the party's own investment side of the tragedy of the overhead. When the powerful enemy attack, blog China want to hurry up time to develop quickly, but it failed to maintain balance, heavy fell.

Zhou explains the reason for the failure from another perspective: the wrong competitive approach was chosen. Xingdong should have chosen the way of judo, but chose the way of sumo wrestling. Although the same originated in Japan, but the style of sumo is completely contrary to judo: rely on weight and physical strength to contend head-on, and at the beginning of the eyes to stare at each other, arouse each other's morale, once the war on the quick.

The competition between NetEase and three challengers in online gaming is verifying the difference between sumo and judo strategies.

With sophisticated and strong two products, NetEase in the late 2005 to become the first online games. Judo player Shanda did not compete with NetEase products, but change the rules: Free play games, by selling props to make money. NetEase has the same model as the opposite: fees play games, relying on time and skills to win props. This makes NetEase in a dilemma: the original game more successful, the transformation of the new model caused by the loss and oscillation is greater. 1.5 passed, NetEase has not launched a free game. Watched the grand in the 2007-year quarter to replace NetEase to return to the first.

Compared to grand, new recruits are not eligible to touch NetEase, the same is the Shi Yuzhu of judo players in the Subversion tradition than Chen go farther. The journey no longer adheres to the boundaries between game and reality, and thoroughly introduces the "imbalance" in the real world. For example, the rich dominate everything, some so-called "moral" is also abandoned, gambling began to go a big way. The rules of the game design and marketing channels are more inclined to the two or three-line area. These practices directly negate the prevailing industry model. "Heresy" The journey thus soared, and Shanda NetEase rival.

and sumo players Jinshan but different, and netease head-on confrontation. Relying on strong research and development, Jinshan follow NetEase to do independent research and development, hoping to use one or two of the outbreak of a masterpiece to lay the status. Jinshan in the country's four cities to set up independent research and development institutions, spending huge sums of money from netease to dig the backbone, such as "Dream West Tour" Master Planning Bo, launched with netease similar Q version of the game to rob players. Also in the PR propaganda and its confrontation, rendering Ding Lei and lei personal grievances.

But since 2003 into the Bureau so far, Jinshan has not been squeezed into the first-class camp, also did not develop a comparable with NetEase's masterpiece.

Zhou said: "As a follower and a copycat, the only value is to make the leader more powerful." You help it to pick the wrong, it keeps correcting, you learn with it, when you learn, it has new things. ”

Judo also traps

The core of judo strategy is to force, and there is an almost true assumption that any asset may become a liability in a given environment. There must be weakness in strength.

For judo players themselves, this dialectical relationship certainly exists. Judo is at the disadvantage of the weak side of the skills, suitable for the early growth of enterprises, and once in the upper hand, the strength of the dominant party should be the transition to the sumo rules, and the other side head-on confrontation, competition strength. However, the more proficient judo thinking, the more difficult the transition to sumo thinking.

This is the Zhou 祎 heart disease: "I am suitable for start-ups." But if you do a large scale and need to integrate resources, these are not my forte. My flaw is the lack of macroscopic vision, the judgment of trends and the lack of awareness of myself. ”

It was a mistake to sell 3721 in 2003. Since that the technology behind, weak and "belittle", Zhou at that time in the revenue and channels are better than Baidu's 3721 sold to Yahoo, and the results are known: 3721 of the final collapse of the foundation, and the rival Baidu soar after the listing. Zhou 祎 hypothesis: "If I choose to melt tens of millions of dollars, to make up for the gap between technology and Baidu, with the advantage of channels and revenue to fully contend with it, then today I search the market in China is not the boss is the second." ”

After leaving Yahoo, Zhou to IDG for half a year VC, in fact, is consciously make up, another angle to see the problem. "War is very exciting, but the old in the battlefield, the light to see the layout of a campaign, but do not see the pattern of war." Sometimes the scramble for a certain mountain is really wallop. But the gains and losses of a hill are not equal to the victory of the whole war. "In the smart way to win the local, but also to have the overall stability of the strategy, Zhou 祎 recognize these two to combine."

Judo Master, good at leading small enterprises to impact the zhou of large enterprises, how to achieve a major cause, let oneself grow into a Big Mac?

Judo Case Highlights

3721 construction of flat channel to combat cnnic level agent system

Zhou 祎 comments: With the alliance of rivals as leverage, the more alliances, the greater the cost of transformation

Yahoo mailbox expansion to crack down on a huge user portal

Zhou 祎 comments: The new rules, the more opponents of assets, the more cumbersome.

Yahoo Mail Alliance

Zhou 祎 comments: The opponents of the opponent as a lever, the more powerful opponents, the opponent's opponents of the more emotional response.

A high-profile attack MP3 search attack Baidu

Zhou 祎 comments: the opponent's assets into my chips, the larger the opponent's assets, the more dare to force me.

Baidu accepts Google injection

Zhou 祎 comments: Successfully avoided the fierce attacks of powerful opponents, won the independent development of valuable time.

Grand and Journey change game rules attack NetEase

Zhou 祎 comments: the opponent's assets into my chips, the more successful opponents of the original assets, the more dare not imitate.

Blog China attacks Sina High-profile

Zhou 祎 comments: The violation of puppy strategy, provoke an opponent to attack head-on, failed to define a narrow area of independent development.

Sina Successfully counterattack blog China

Zhou 祎 comments: Outstanding Sumo Strategy, celebrity blog, through the media to the blog and blog competition into their familiar media battlefield.

Jinshan and NetEase head-on confrontation

Zhou 祎 comments: Wrong choice of sumo strategy, followers will let the leader do better.

Google invests heavily in China to get traffic from peripheral companies

Zhou 祎 comments: Wrong choice sumo strategy, want to use the capital advantage to gain flow and Baidu positive competition.