Like heavy tanks, rolling over the thorny roads

When others contend for the pig on the Tuyere, Liu always adhere to the ground, like heavy tanks, on the road covered with thorns over.

Over the past few years, Liu is a controversial figure in China's internet, singing the sound of Beijing East. After the 815 war in 2012, Jingdong spent a relatively difficult period: a weak capital market and a crackdown by rivals. He remained silent for more than a year, and when he was unveiled in public on December 23, 2013, I used four words to describe him: smug.

In the history of Jingdong, there are two of the most important strategic decisions, leaving Jingdong to the rivals: 2007 expansion from 3C to the whole category, and the 2008 Self-built logistics. From 3C to the whole category strategy, is Liu encountered the biggest resistance, all investors are against, the company management vote, a total of 11 votes, 6 people in favor of, 5 against, Liu only rely on a weak majority to win. 2008 since the construction of logistics, six years, about Jingdong in the logistics of the huge investment caused by the tight capital, has been a question of the focus of various people. Two years ago, when I was talking to a VC partner who focused on the investment in electricity, he questioned: Liu want to do amazon+ups at the same time, it is impossible.

Three years ago, I talked to an executive at an Amazon China, he said: "In China more than 9.6 million square kilometers of land, can be 1.3 billion people to provide a network, any one after clicking on the list, within six hours to deliver the goods to the delivery?" No one company can do it now. This requires people in the business scale has not reached this stage, the upfront investment a lot, need a lot of courage. This is a big challenge and a great opportunity.

It seems that Jingdong is the closest company to the goal. Logistics has become the most core competitiveness of Beijing-east, Beijing-East distribution station has entered more than 1400 counties (a total of 2,860 counties), Liu asked for the 2014 Beijing-East Channel continued to sink, into the Chinese countryside.

In my last column, "Human nature is the eternal proposition of business", I mentioned: "While business reports often emphasise the decision and execution of a company that makes a difference in some key nodes, it is more dramatic, more conflict, and more charismatic for the founders to get rid of rivals. However, the real competition is seemingly ordinary, boring day-to-day operation and management. These are the best places to test entrepreneurial conduct and personality. ”

The whole category expands, the self constructs the logistics the strategic decision, if does not have the Liu as well as the Jing Dong Ultra Strong execution strength as the foundation, that can only become the castle of castles. Jingdong an executive, to the company's first day, even the formalities have not been done, was arrested by the Human resources department to interview than he updated people. For the first time, he felt how fast the company was going. And most of the executives who came to Jingdong were impressed by the "Fighting!" and "Fighting!" In the Beijing-East distribution station I have seen similar slogans: "The implementation of the first, the pursuit of transcendence, invincible."

Liu should be one of the most clearly known entrepreneurs in all aspects of the electricity business. Jing Dong always under his strong control, the business advance extremely swift and violent. Executives talk to him about business, and he immediately responds by knowing where the key points are. By contrast, the Amazon China system has been relocated for half a year-because the company has changed a lot of people, some developers have left. And Liu for the book business through the company's internal departments coordination, only need to open a meeting.

In the external view, the BoE several times tottering, in the view, Jing Dong is Cuikulaxiu. Throughout the years of Liu Experience, summed up in one sentence is: The rich and the risk of seeking.

March 11, 2011, I interviewed Liu, he just walked into the office, take off the East Jingdong distribution of the red tooling, he will be one day every year of the Jingdong distribution staff, experience distribution process. This interview I realized that he was not a good interviewee, neither good at storytelling nor good at theory. He was a bit boring in answering questions, short answers, and focused on the work in hand. I prepared more than 30 questions for this 90-minute interview, and it was over in 70 minutes--Luckily, I was a journalist who was good at East-tugging. August 16, 2012, I see him again, interview two hours, in order to prevent his answer too quickly, I prepared 80 questions, just good.

This is the style of Liu: pragmatic, immersed in work, focus on business. August 13, 2013, I chatted with him for 1.5 hours before Liu went to the United States to continue his study tour. Before meeting, he stated that he refused the media interview, and just talked to me in private, but I prepared 40 questions. At the end, he answered no more than 30 questions. I realized his change: he became a retreat and thought more broadly. He is more willing to explore the Beijing-East strategy, corporate culture, management and other issues, and even discuss the differences between American education and Chinese education. Rather than as before, pay more attention to the growth of sales, logistics investment amount.

The 2013 American Study tour, for Liu is very important experience, his essence is still unchanged, not to reinvent himself. But I think, the American study tour has brought him several changes: first, lets him liberate from the line management detail, pays more attention to the overall strategy innovation. Only the CEO has enough resources to grasp the overall strategic innovation. Second, learn to be tolerant and more respectful of other people's ideas. Third, the vision of globalization has improved.

Liu speak frankly, likes and dislikes clearly. Jing Dong's grassroots staff to talk to me, once he talked to his boss about work, Liu directly into the head of the brain to criticize his boss, he stood on one side embarrassed. Jing Dong This company work style like Liu himself: rough master, execution is extremely strong, can shirtless, also can drink large bowl. One female executive said that Jingdong had only brothers and no sisters. BEIJING-East launched the "Youth" This open platform, page design is completely different from the habits of the BoE, in the interior to get an evaluation: "Those big masters think this is too girly." ”

While chatting with me, he also reflected on his mistakes. The biggest mistake he ever made was to admit Lepetson too little. 2007, Jing Dong admitted the first Lepetson, he stretched his right index finger and middle finger than a "2": "07 you guess I recruit a few?"

I said, "20. ”

He said, "No, 2!"

He used the thumb and index finger to compare a "8": "08 You guess I recruit a few Lepetson?"

I said, "80?"

He said, "wrong, 8!"

When I slap my thighs, you're too stingy? 2008 Jingdong sales have been 10多个亿. Liu reason is, the cost of training Lepetson is very high, when the company is small, no way. If Liu can expect to become billions of companies in 2013, he will recruit a few more Lepetson. In this fast-growing company, five years is enough to make Lepetson the backbone. The cost of the original cable is, now about 200 Beijing East Director, 70% is recruited from outside. This is the Liu of the heart, he does not know the director, these directors do not know him. There will be problems in the inheritance of corporate culture. He may need to do more internal preaching to let the directors understand his strategy and his ideas. At the same time, these directors should also give Liu feedback on their ideas.

Just as "youth" shows Jingdong's desire to attract more female users and make the product more soft, Liu also tries to be more tolerant and soft. He also realizes that not all people can tolerate his overly direct expression. He is more aware that to achieve the goal, go a path can also, take the B path is also possible. He talked about the feeling of American tour: "The question that the American professor asked, 90% No standard answer, inspire students ' different thinking and perspective." Therefore, people and people need more tolerance, there is no right and wrong, to be tolerant. "I said:" You think more this year, the expression is stronger. He replied: "I also feel that I have less communication with the outside world this year, and feel the language function is degraded." ”

2013, Jingdong became a company of hundreds of billions of companies, and realized micro-profit. 1 billion of companies look at executive power, 10 billion of companies look at strategy, and 100 billion of companies look at ideas. Even Liu, who is the most familiar with every aspect of the electric business, became a company with hundreds of billions of companies in the capital, and he had no knowledge of the company, and was unable to achieve expert recognition for some new businesses.

The people of Jingdong also swelled particularly fast, reaching 40,000 by the end of 2013. August 17, 2012 night, Liu in a restaurant in the Asian Games Village banquet Beijing East Five years staff, Liu invited me to participate in, the participants have about 72 people, most of the employees are fighting in the front-line employees, such as warehousing, distribution, he can also call out the names of these people, and each one by the clink, gossiping. But now, Liu is unfamiliar to a lot of people in the company, and in turn, many of its employees are unfamiliar with him. After work to greet staff a drink, listen to employees pour out the problem of work, such a thing Liu has not so much energy to do.

When the company is small, can rely on the personality charm of entrepreneurs cohesion team, but when the company has become a scale, need to rely on a great vision, common values to unite the team, drive the company. The core goals, the importance of core values in the "evergreen" talk about enough, and this book I have contacted most of the entrepreneurs will be talking about. Liu in 2013 did a very important thing: comb the company's organizational management structure, improve the company's values. In the final analysis, is the cultivation of internal strength, tamping the chassis in order to run faster in the future.

When he saw Liu in 2011, he mentioned the dream of a young man sailing with his fleet. In 2013, he mentioned again that the dream remained unchanged. One of the five major strategies of Beijing-East in 2014 is internationalization. Over the past 10 years, international capital and international brands have entered China for 10 years. Although a small number of companies (private enterprises only) in overseas sales, but rely on the channel construction and price advantages. China has yet to have a real international brand. However, the next 10 years is when Chinese capital and Chinese enterprises go out of the time, internationalization, will be Liu their generation of entrepreneurs dream and mission.

Liu told me a story of the past. In 1992, he came to Renmin University of China with 500 yuan to study and decided not to ask his parents for a penny. At that time, the state issued 97 yuan per month living expenses, he is a tutor, marketing books, selling computers, one months to earn hundreds of yuan, canteen meal is about 1.5 yuan. During the Spring Festival in 1996, from 28th to lunar, he had only 1.4 yuan left. Lunar that day, he braved the snow to friends to solve the belly problem, from the people's University seven or eight km walk to Beijing Sports University, ate two meals and walk back to the dormitory. "I can ask my parents for money, but I don't want it." What has been decided cannot be changed. Casually give in, you will continue to find reasons for themselves.