Philharmonic live Cai a year of entrepreneurial gains and losses: social life electric business is too early

Cai Information Picture

A recent article "Mo waste Baidu Fu second generation background", will be separated from the independent operation of the Philharmonic last March back to the public vision, this article on the strategy, products and other aspects of the Philharmonic live to criticize. The live head of the Philharmonic, Cai Hu, is also concerned about this article, in the communication with Sina Science and technology, Cai frankly in the past year in the implementation level of a number of "loss of Coke", such as China, in the product to do a lot of innovation and try to have positive results, but did not accurately cut into the user just need, these are entrepreneurial valuable harvest, It is also recognized that social life is too early for electric dealers.

Backed by Baidu traffic, IDG and qiming venture investment of tens of millions of U.S. dollars, the Philharmonic started very high, but a year later, in the internet booming but there is no beautiful answer. The 1th of Cai's reflection is "no focus": because it is too optimistic to estimate the internet trend of the local life service market, the team started to do the platform, some China, synchronized carried out too many projects, but in every place is not deep, resulting in decentralized resources.

According to Cai's plan, the 2013 Philharmonic was mainly for subtraction, put down some projects that don't have the time or meet the user's needs, focus on making a reliable recommendation on life service information, such as simplifying the product form, weakening the social power quotient and the talent sharing model, and modifying the waterfall and timeline patterns that are not suitable for all areas of life, and reduce team size with project adjustment.

From the view of the big environment, O2O is faced with vague dilemma after a fiery experience. Cai is feeling O2O "more difficult than originally imagined." In particular, with the Baidu map to upgrade to lbs, micro-letter ushered in the outbreak of development, Alipay launched card packaging services, and so on, the industry suddenly increased uncertainty. It's good for Philharmonic, but every step has to be more robust.

Group buying, classified information, forums have been cheerfully to O2O, but which model is right? No one dares to jump to conclusions at present.

Cai with the experience of the past year to conclude that socialization + life E-commerce is still too early in China, mainly because of the low level of the Internet in the service industry, the education market needs considerable time and cost, the offline common recommendation scene is also difficult to copy to the line, However, the most basic commodity information structure problem of the electric quotient model has not been solved by the universality.

It is still a luxury to spend a year trying to "try and make mistakes". Cai stressed that "to help users more comfortable to choose life consumption, solve life problems," the general direction, we have been adhering to, "to become everyone's most reliable life partner", but also the team's entrepreneurial beliefs and reasons. The past year Philharmonic also has a better growth of products, some areas such as beauty practice also explored, with a deeper understanding and accumulation, 2013 most need to do the resources to focus fully.

Like all O2O practitioners face the dilemma, the Philharmonic also faces a very "heavy" offline link. But Cai is not going to buy at that time "sweep Street" style of practice, but is ready to start from the user's life circle and big customers. And in urban expansion, Cai revealed that last year in the study of direct and agent of the two models which is more appropriate. In order to make the company more "Light", the Philharmonic live in the future will initially take Beijing Shanghai Direct Battalion, other cities using agent operation.

From once Baidu's business department to an independent start-up company, Cai admits that the Philharmonic lived in the past year "big company inertia", such as too fastidious process, too evade risk, too serious to do things, and not like most startups advocating barbaric growth. This "inertia" also reacts in the product aspect, many times, "the tube product" The habit imperceptible influence "creates the product".

For the Philharmonic team, including Cai, they have excellent talents, but most of the Baidu has is from 1 to do 10, and then 100 of the experience from 10, but the entrepreneurial attention is to do 0 from 1, Cai frankly at present the team is relatively lack of good at 0 to do 1 of the "grassroots entrepreneurs", "If you can not choose a point, from 0 to 1, there is no chance from 1 to do 10, from 10 to do 100. We will recruit more people with grassroots entrepreneurial experience this year. "Cai said.

Compared with some entrepreneurs who are still struggling to find investment, many accuse the Philharmonic of being more cash-rich and "comfortable". But Cai doesn't think so, "we really do not worry about cash, but we have to force ourselves, and even forced to the edge of the cliff, especially after this year's groping, we must more decisively let their transformation into nothing entrepreneurs, only the most likely to survive the cold winter of the Internet, saving strength, the remainder of the king. ”

Baidu to all JV joint venture Company's flow support all has one principle, is "the quality equal first". But according to Cai, at present, the Philharmonic live 50% flow from its own users, Baidu brought the flow of less than 20%, which is a good news for Cai, because this means that the Philharmonic live through nearly a year, although the product and operational level are urgent to upgrade, but still cultivate a group of loyal users.

Looking back over the past year, Cai says it's worth more than "career experience in the past more than 10 years" because the process from 0 to 1 is really not the average. In self-reflection, Cai believes that his overconfidence is one of the important reasons for Team China.

"The pressure is really big, also will blame, on the one hand from the team on their own pressure, although we have never put ourselves as a rich second-generation, but there is such a good condition should be done to make a market universally recognized products, and investors and Baidu also invested a lot of money and expectations, of course, hope to be able to do better. However, in the face of challenges, self-confidence is necessary, optimism is necessary, perseverance is more necessary. "Cai said.

The following is the main content that Cai accepts Sina science and technology to interview, easy to read Sina Science and technology carries on the combination finishing of key information, and adopt first person way.

Reflection: Steps cannot be too early or too big

I. Environmental factors: immature

The first thing we wanted to do when we split up was the reliable life information, and we still insist that this is of great value to the user. Of course, this aspect of 58 with the city, the market are doing, but they cover a lot of content, including recruitment, rent and so on, we do not want to do so much, only hope for life services in this field, to provide reliable business, reliable services and reliable trading information.

Yes, there was this part of the information accumulated, Philharmonic has integrated this part of the information, but the information is too "hard", biased commercial ads, lack of user interaction and feedback in the inside, we would like to add some users of the comments sharing system in the inside, through the user to share, as well as and business interaction, Enhance the business information of the reliable. So we do 2012 years of the most focused community products, through social sharing and referral, to help users determine whether the reliable.

Why is the Life service class suitable for the recommended way? Because it is non-standard products, such as you see a friend's hair good, will ask where to do, such as a friend's baby smart, you will ask where the early teach. Standard products such as the iphone is completely different, so the most common is to compare prices, but the service is no way to compare, so more suitable for the information between people and referral.

At that time we hope that through the Community + e-commerce approach to O2O, from the model is innovative, but relatively no success of the reference, last year we have been exploring this model, the focus is the recommendation of socialization. For example, we will run the field of life experts and talent, motivate them to write the objective of consumption reviews, or even strategy, to help users choose.

The idea is good and the general direction is right, but frankly I think the market is immature. Or say, go early, community + e-commerce This form will have, but it is too early.

First, the business of living services of the internet level is lower. Look at the current O2O field, tourism has been basically mature, wedding photography Business also more understand how to use the Internet various channels for marketing, food and beverage class was reviews and group buying website washed round after also began to become familiar with the Internet. But other areas such as beauty, life services and other industries even in Beijing and Shanghai are relatively early.

So the business in the internet level is lower than the situation, it is difficult to guarantee and user interaction, as well as the self-management of a virtual network stores, to ensure timely updating of information. We've spent a lot of time and effort on nurturing these businesses over the past year, but we've found that the cost of this education is too high for those who are not very well trained to do so because of the high mobility of service workers and the need to cultivate them again.

Of course, when the environment is good, many internet companies are in the market education, flame, but 2012 the entire internet industry into a low tide, the cold winter, we all tighten costs, who do not want to spend a large cost to educate the market, go really early.

Second, the socialization recommendation is also at an early stage. If the merchant manages the network store level to be low, then the important information needs to come from the user level, then why should the user share own consumption experience? Some people will, but not universal, just need. Among them, the most important is the circle of interest circle. In fact, the current more successful electric business shopping guide site, indicating that the user is to see the sharing, in fact, most of them are shopkeepers, waiter in the operation, in sharing.

At present, the Philharmonic's life probably operates more than 1000 people, these people are skilled, willing to share, we will invite them to experience for free, in order to ensure that they share the content of fairness and objectivity, we have a set of measures to circumvent their business as a child care, although these to share the user is very valuable, but the operation is relatively heavy, slow , and did not form a circle of interest. However, if similar to the Electric Business Guide to form a circle of interests, but also easy to become a person, but also deviated from the objective and reliable recommendation. So the operation is heavier, and the talent circle is more difficult to particularly rapid expansion.

At this stage, the main use of micro-BO micro-letter in the fragmentation of the sharing, the mobile internet has not yet evolved to similar to the traditional Internet that vertical site of the vertical sharing stage. So the two forms of Community and electronic commerce look very beautiful, just like the concept and direction of Solomo is universally agreed, but the real is more difficult to do. In particular, the current Internet environment is not good, we will defer this step.

Ii. internal factors: China

Philharmonic Woufei after the demolition, from the general direction has been very firm, but from the implementation level is indeed some China. Our ideal is very good, let ordinary people life more relaxed and assured, no longer worry about false information, also need not find so inconvenient. We are relatively high, coupled with resource funds and the team is also relatively neat, so a start step on the big, pull off a platform of the battle to go forward, but also do a good job on the client side, product front is very long, difficult to operate. In fact, the market is not mature, our own experience is not enough.

In our 2012 years of internal summary, we said that at first it seems to have built a 747 aircraft, the need for oil good materials good equipment, crew members good, safety factor high, the runway is still relatively long, so large aircraft is relatively difficult to take off quickly. In fact, this year Philharmonic live from a variety of data indicators are growth to the good, but because in the Internet industry, no outbreak of growth is not a success, and the current Philharmonic has not ushered in the tipping point. We felt that the plane was still gliding on the runway, though it was getting faster, but it was not yet at the moment of takeoff.

Now reflect, if at first our heart is not so big, or the heart is bigger also first starts from a certain small point, first build a small plane, and let this small plane take off, fly up after quickly get more user recognition, and then slowly bigger and stronger, will be a better choice, but also the vast majority of successful start-up companies. Before the end of last year, we have made a comprehensive summary and profound reflection, we admit that committed "greed and anger" of the problem, the core point is that starting a business must be able to meet the user's first need, even small, must be just need, and to achieve the ultimate.

However, in the big step forward and trial and error process, we have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the major industries of local life, but also a deeper understanding of what users need in the end.

O2O present situation: strong uncertainty

If you want me to give O2O definition, I think it is online decision-making to offline consumption, let the user through the Internet technology and innovative mode or method, through the close combination with the traditional industry, to meet the needs of some kind of life consumption process. Any O2O, all need users online can get enough information to help him decide what businesses in the offline consumption, and even decide what products to consume, O2O must be wired under and on both ends of the line. When it comes to electricity dealers, we often say that inventory, the beginning of the electrical business in fact, in a sense, to the merchant is more convenient to solve the problem of inventory sales. So, what is the stock of the Merchant of the Life class service? Is his free time, I think this is the core of O2O, that is, the Philharmonic's long life to do things.

It's easy to say, but it's really hard to do that. In recent years, the development of electric business has been a lot of physical businesses to solve this problem. And eat, drink, marry child such life consumption big Head, the internet has not yet thoroughly entered. The biggest difference between the O2O and the traditional internet is that it needs to be particularly close to the traditional industry, which is a very important part of the operation and a very large uncertainty.

because the local life consumption has the natural local attribute, also especially relies on the mobile Internet development. And with the rise of mobile internet, the future has the opportunity to do the entry level platform I watch several:

First, Baidu map. Baidu at the end of last year to upgrade the map products to LBS division, the map originally resolved is "How to" problem, such as which route is not traffic jams, how to go quickest. And now, the map to solve also can solve the actual is "where to" problem, or positioning is no longer route navigation, but the guide to life, its local entrance attributes are already obvious, but the difficulty is to change people's use habits.

Second, Alipay. Because it hits the most valuable payment link in the consumer closed loop, so very valuable, the user's application habits, not only that, I see now Alipay some of the pilot projects more imaginative space, such as in the restaurant to eat dinner, do not have to pay cash and credit card, directly with Alipay pay, financial services are increasingly prominent. Next stage Payment Treasure Mobile version will also launch Passbook, this is a direct and strong competition for the public, will also have the entrance status. However, after all, Alipay is the end of the transaction, and for a business, the most valuable consumer decision-making stage of the impact is the front-end, how to earlier impact on consumer decision-making, to a large extent determine the impact of the size of the surface.

Third, micro-letter. Micro-letter is the essence of communication tools, but like QQ in the PC-side is also the essence of communication tools, micro-letters must also have a lot of derivative production, such as games, reading, music, payment and so on, and play a commercial value. In the PC Internet age, QQ is like fixed telephone, to mobile internet era, micro-letter is mobile phone, imagination is very big. I am able to eat the address, beauty experience, shopping recommendations through the micro-letter simple application tools to share to friends, sent to the circle, this is the social recommendation, this based on the relationship of the recommendation is easier to achieve through the micro-letter, and the conversion effect will be good. There is no doubt that the future of micro-trust in the O2O field will inevitably become one of the main entrance. However, the essence of micro-letter communication, if the user in the premise of not disturbing, to achieve O2O applications and scenarios, but also to operate and service good businesses, is a challenge.

The Philharmonic lives next?

I. Positioning operation

For Philharmonic's life, because of the special background, industry to our expectations too high, we have never expected to become the user of life services, we would like to do business operations and services to the user to take the reliable and convenient value, so in essence, Philharmonic live more emphasis on the concept of local life service operators.

Our immediate focus is on providing more comprehensive Internet services to businesses, but not all-inclusive, because it doesn't make sense to users. such as the community and street stores, such information on the Baidu map is enough to meet the needs of users, users of their needs are more address, telephone these simple information, and this store service is also the community or the vicinity of the crowd.

Philharmonic service business is a chain of brand-name businesses, as well as some of the characteristics and reliable businesses, they need more internet promotion, but also the use of the Internet level. We believe that the future of service businesses in the Internet will need to display virtual stores, like merchants settled Taobao, life service businesses will also have their own virtual shop. Last year, we developed a virtual shop management system for these life service businesses, which we will persist in 2013 years.

We think that as the industry matures, the more the merchants go forward, there must be more management of the virtual shop awareness and ability, once the ability, they are more willing to release and management of information, this information may be shared to Baidu map, micro-letter, Alipay or other portals on the platform, This information is very valuable for both the portal platform and the user.

Of course now there are micro-blog, micro-letter, you will say that the business can be directly posted on this information. However, micro-bo, micro-letter of the nature of the decision, these platforms are not directly to serve them, local service providers in this maintenance costs are high, independent account information is also difficult to spread. And these platforms because is the competition relations, the information cannot get through, these will cause the merchant the trouble.

Second, do subtraction

Subtraction One: community. Frankly speaking, we will not pay special attention to the community this year, because the community growth is really slow, and the effect is not obvious.

Subtraction Two: The trial project: the entire O2O industry practitioners are constantly trying, last year we also consciously put several projects in the navigation, and then observe some data, although the fact that the user has actually made a relatively large disturbance, puzzled "Philharmonic live to do what", but through the user's real feedback and data, We are also more determined what the user needs, what we are good at. 2013, we will decisively suspend some of the tentative projects.

Subtraction Three: Waterfall flow and timeline. Waterfall flow is valuable, especially in today's photography and reading era, but waterfall flow application in the Life service area has its limitations. The key to waterfall flow is that pictures can help users make decisions, and it can even be a key ingredient in consumer decisions, but not in many areas of life service. In addition to the Chinese people, reading habits are more accustomed to from left to right up and down uniform, and up and down disorder, look tired. This we will change after the product upgrade.

Timeline Show this part, we always think it has a special potential, it was also the first time in China to publish the function of the website. However, at that time decided to do a time axis does have a little gamble on the ingredients, because through the timeline to show the product line just out, and marriage mother and child of these several of our focus areas are quite appropriate, but this function in the end can allow users to spread quickly enough, we did not spectrum, want to try. Facts have proved that the user viscosity of the timeline is very high, but the communication is not good, the universality is not strong, not too suitable for the Philharmonic Live now the product phase. Our products have not developed to a large-scale promotion stage, we do not want to spend money to do face on the promotion of good-looking. In this case, the time show is just a way of displaying information, not as the main product model to treat, the new product revision, life services will be more concise display, more user-friendly.

Third, move to do subdivision

We may not understand our mobile products, in fact, after the split, our mobile start relatively late, but the growth is good. Our mobile strategy is not like a public comment to do a all-inclusive portal client. I think for the life of information lbs demand, Baidu Map is the best way to meet, we do not need to do that thing, we are not good at, our mobile strategy is for the subdivision of the industry or target population applications.

For example, we have a product is "beautiful armour", in late December only on the online iOS, to January only an Android version, one months basically did not promote, the daily activity has nearly 100,000, the total number of users is also hundreds of thousands of, is a very good product, it is a typical segment of the industry's O2O products.

There is a product is to the Philharmonic live the most important target users of white-collar women to do the tool, called "Menstrual assistant." Female students pay attention to the scene is the most pregnancy, which is closely related to maternal and child marriage, this product also a few months time, probably already have 2 million users, we did not do what publicity, user activity is higher.

The above two application and daily life related, so these products can meet the user just need, and form a cycle of ecological chain, then we will gradually guide each other, developed.

and mobile "live sharing", this product is mainly to do for people to use, so that they could share the real experience of life and consumption anytime. When we weaken the community attribute, this is not our important product. 2013 is the mobile year, we attach great importance to the movement, after that, we will on the one hand in the existing products of intensive cultivation, on the other hand will have a new wireless application launched to meet the overall strategic needs.