Koo: Video is a game played by rich people

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Face the reality

Play Safe Adventurer Game

"All said my website is early into the ' white list ', it's only a matter of time to get the license plate."

March 31, 2008, Koo calmly answered the reporter's question, "I do not worry about the licensing issue." He said his Youku is now one of the top video-sharing sites in the country, but still hasn't got the first batch of licences under the new deal. According to the current entry into the video industry's new rules, the existing video sites will be "observed and audited" after waiting for "access", can not be taken to mean that the investment before the water drift.

This is the "business people" protagonist, Youku CEO Koo now face the problem, in this spring, with Youku as the representative, the existing private video sites are facing their first big test of growth stage, "but I never expect to get the first batch of license." "Koo said," from the radio and television system of the site will always get the information and application, which is normal, we have issued the first time after the new deal has been submitted for application. "Healthy content and timely communication, this is Koo daily work must deal with the two major problems," said my site is early into the ' white list ', get the license is only a matter of time. ”

Koo's no panic may come from his position in the video industry, in 2005, the idea of "making a video" was just starting to pop up, when YouTube, a popular video site, was in the US, and many people were jealous, but they were too afraid to try or pull money, and Koo succeeded in "Oneness." Network company, and in the establishment of less than two years for its Youku rapid completion of 3 rounds of 40 million U.S. dollars of venture capital.

When YouTube was sold to Google in 2007, it was priced at 1.65 billion dollars! At that time, China's video web site also grew to 200, but according to the data provided by consulting companies, there are two far away from the opponents behind, Koo's website is one of them.

"VV" concept and "300 million" theory

"Video is a game that rich people play, financing must be billions, otherwise don't play"

Video industry, now no one will deny that it is an independent industry, in this industry chain, from content production to integration to the player to the player platform to a dedicated video search can find a separate company. Koo's Youku is a video sharing platform this piece of cake, it collects and collates the video content which the Netizen uploads, lets the netizen have the place to see oneself and others photograph of those all sorts of thing, then attracts the advertisement, the operation mode is a bit like "the video edition" Sina and Sohu.

After all, is from Sohu out of the veteran figures, Koo for portal site construction and content supervision at home, for how to lobby advertisers are also very experienced, 2007, his High-profile introduction of the concept of "VV", said the site on the total number of video playback, this concept directly to the portal site the most exquisite concept of "PV" ( Page Total browsing volume) brings impact, the main advertisement to understand, the Netizen browsing the text and watching the video time is not the same, the gold content of advertising also grew.

The more famous "300 million" theory was also introduced in 2007, and it is not exaggerated to say that the theory later became a symbol of Koo's new identity, an explosive declaration of life and death for all existing video sites. First, "Video is a game played by rich people." Koo said, "Financing must be billions, otherwise don't play." "Second, the number of videos on the site to play every day is hundreds of millions, otherwise just a minor." Third, in 2009, the annual income of Youku is also billions. "To do this, the video site market will only belong to one to two companies, like the portal only Sina and Sohu left." ”

The memory of the past

14 years old.

"I give my career position as an investment-related thing, something related to China."

Koo's study experience began earlier, at the age of 14, Koo went to Australia alone to complete secondary school. "There are a few places to go abroad, parents let me choose, they always respect my own wishes." I was small, I think the natural beauty of Australia, less people, there are many lovely animals, chose there. In the second year of college, our family moved to America again. ”

The ensuing experience was almost similar to that of the international students of that era, after graduating from college, Koo into the investment bank and completed his MBA at Stanford, "The idea of entrepreneurship should have been planted at that time." Koo said that from the beginning of the first semester, the students divided into 6 groups to discuss entrepreneurship issues, is catching up with a few new nouns began to pop, "email, internet, Netscape", "I give my career positioning is to do and investment-related things, and China-related things." "And China's Internet entrepreneurship has quietly started to hit.

Perhaps it is small to leave the family, in the Western social environment began a completely independent life, cultivate the Koo "Chinese and foreign" personality, subtle comity, gentle, at the same time interested or look for things, but also very persistent, focus on endurance.

Owe the boss money to start a business

"Owe tens of thousands of dollars, now think not much, then I can not get out."

Now, Koo has gone further and farther on the road to entrepreneurship, but he still feels a little crazy when he remembers his initial decision. "I was in the company's funding to read the MBA, one of the conditions is that after reading to go back to work ah, but my heart was already the idea of returning home." ”

Then there is only one way, to the original company to pay default compensation, "tens of thousands of dollars, now think not much, then I can not get out." "Luckily, the start-up company he joined has promised to compensate him for part of the debt, which will be deducted from the salary of his new job in the future," Koo said. ”

The venture's name is called rich-country investment, and Beijing's citizens are now familiar with a project they invest in, the South Gate of the workers ' stadium, the "rich Underwater World". In fact, Koo in the last few years, vichyssoise to do a variety of investment projects, mainly focus on media entertainment and industry, "have done books, participated in the joint venture of Shanghai Leather Company", "running around the country, others only know I come from Hong Kong, but I do not see that I have been in Australia for 5 years, spent 10 years in the Americas, Then someone gave me a nickname, called ' Shenzhou Line of the global. ' ”

The IT information vertical web site, ZDNet, the first rich-world Internet investment Project, was later bought by US media group CNET, "after that, I focused on the internet business." "Koo said. And his attitude towards investment projects has never been completely let go, "I always have to join from the beginning, and then with the company grow together, maybe I finally become a start-up manager, that is, from then on." ”

A cup of coffee with Sohu

"One spent 10 years on the east coast of the United States, one on the west Coast for 10 years, and finally met in Beijing."

"What was the hardest time?" Koo smiled and said, "must be an example, may be to help Sohu find financing time." ”

Speaking of Sohu and its founder Charles Zhang's acquaintance, the internet industry has a number of versions of the legend, the most magical one is that they immediately after a cup of coffee and decided to become an entrepreneurial partner. "It's not so legendary," he said. Koo recalls that he was a vice president of rich-country investment in August 1998 and met every day at the International hotel to find entrepreneurs who were looking for investments, while Zhang was "making" Sohu, the next door to the Guanghua industrial building.

"We met and talked about the idea of internet entrepreneurship, and I agree with each other, and I would like to really do an internet entrepreneurship insider." After meeting, Koo also passed the "examination" of Sohu Board of directors at that time, finally decided to join Sohu. The so-called two people "a 10 years on the east coast of the United States, one on the west Coast for 10 years, finally unexpectedly met in Beijing," Koo said, "This is indeed a coincidence."

Play the video game safely

"My ideal video site is healthy and safe, and its content comes from the enthusiasm of netizens and customers, from independent producers."

Left Sohu has been 3 years, in the Sohu years, Koo successive CFO, COO last to the president, "I like entrepreneurship, accompanied by a company from growth to stability, so finally from the departure of Sohu, but also want to start another business, but did not know what to do." ”

Finally, Koo finally decided to give himself a new identity, a video site CEO, but also a "pat." "My ideal video site is healthy and safe, and its content comes from the enthusiasm of netizens and customers, from independent producers." ”

This idea seems to be a complete ideal in the eyes of many practitioners, in the early days of China's internet industry, especially to do the portal as the goal of the site, most of them by virtue of some "special" fierce material to grab the eyeball, but Koo admit that they do in this "too little." Youku's story, from 2006 to 2007, includes "Shenyang Snow", it is from the frozen city netizens spontaneous shooting shots, as well as "Old man and Dog", this story triggered netizens to live alone lonely old people's attention, he finally in the help of netizens to achieve their own long-cherished wish--to watch the flag-raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square.

Koo admits that the experience from the traditional portals has helped him to do a lot of good video sites, such as the mastery of content metrics and the experience of dealing with "licensing issues". But the special copyright protection problem that video content faces, may also be he as an entrepreneurial manager, from the biggest challenge since starting a business, "I want to be able to play the video game safely, but this idea, perhaps is my biggest adventure." ”