Qi Yi Network CEO gong: Veteran venture the second spring

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At that time in up to hundreds of candidates on the list, Baidu Vice President Ninkuyang selected Gong as a strange art network CEO.

酷6网 's shanyou, Youku's Koo, the Jianjun of my Music net, plus gong, have formed the network video domain "Sohu Department". In the face of the future confrontation, Gong's goal is, "more than all Sohu people do video sites, and they will not go the same way." ”

When the lanky gong with a consistent and elegant image of Tsinghua University in his alma mater, he was somewhat excited.

Since the beginning of this year as Baidu's video site Strange Art Network CEO, this sentiment has lasted for half a year. June 2, came to participate in the "Online Video Summit forum" of the U.S. Hulu Network CEO Jeson Ki (Jason kilar), once again ignited his passion.

Together with gong, there are competitors Youku CEO Koo, excited network chairman Lu Wensheng.

Ten years after the creation of the focus network, the It man, who has been in the Internet industry for more than 10 years, now has the banner of "China Hulu". In front of "the world's first opening year of profitable video site," The halo of Jason, let him see his future.

This time, he is not only standing behind the internet big guy Baidu, as well as the Providence fund to invest in Hulu. Lang, managing director of Providence fund, even put Jason and gong together: "Many people say Hulu's success is content, but the key to Hulu's success in two years is the CEO and the management team." Like Hulu, the first step in designing an art project is to find the right CEO. ”

Veteran entrepreneurship "The second Spring"

June 2009, Baidu decided to create a genuine video site strange art, to find an "entrepreneurial company CEO." In up to hundreds of candidates on the list, Baidu Vice President Ninkuyang selected gong.

"I am the first more than 100." In addition to Ma and Zhang, it is estimated that Internet executives are on the list. "After the media interview, Gong jokingly said.

An interesting situation is, a lot of video site Big Guy-酷6网 CEO Shanyou, Youku CEO Koo, i le Net (56.COM) CEO Jianjun, have been Sohu executives. Faced with the inevitable confrontation, gong to set himself the goal is to hope that more than all Sohu people do video sites.

Gong's self-confidence was a childhood. This Beijing man has been particularly smooth since childhood: high school graduation exemption, before the entrance examination of Beijing Medical University. However, not reconciled to "a glimpse of the end of the road" life, he made the first important decision in life: Give up walk, apply for Tsinghua.

"I am a Gemini, AB blood type, a very contradictory kind of person." "Such a character has far-reaching effects on gong. He was at Tsinghua Automation department to read the doctor, but neither is keen to get high score good students, nor the youth League and the students in the organization. This likes to follow the teacher to do the project, early on the students to contact the community, how many some heterogeneous.

After graduating, Gong's first job was the chief representative of the Beijing Office of the American Shadow Technology company, which made the built-in software for digital appliances and played video and CD-ROM. He would not have thought that more than 10 years later, his second venture would have to deal with video.

Of course, as a curiosity of many things, AB Gemini, which he did not less toss. Once a new idea came into being, he would do it, and it would usually be a resounding--even if the adventure was not as good as his learning experience.

1999, attracted by the booming internet boom. The 30-Year-old Gong decisively resigned and founded the Focus network. Completely with cavity enthusiasm, directly on the. Gong describes the state at that time. Search engines, recruitment channels, news channels ... The initial focus network, with a comprehensive portal to the idea of doing a pot of hodgepodge. It is difficult to focus on more promising projects, coupled with insufficient investment and gong.

One months spent 500,000 and one months after 500 yuan, empty wallet, for gong, "The result is the same, but the mentality is different." "At the most difficult time, he will take the train as his boss." The company from more than 100 people to more than 40 people, he opened his eyes every morning do not know where the wages.

However, even at the most critical time, gong is constantly sensitive to new things. Although missed the burgeoning digital wireless communications business, he was in a few years after his wish, in charge of the wireless business after entering Sohu. Later, he was in the heyday of Sohu, job-hopping to the wireless message odd (12580), became a wireless communications industry value-added services expert.

When he was pleased to be appointed as CEO of the odd Art net, 12580 was just under the leadership of his president and COO, earning tens of millions of from the annual loss.

The tangle of "good bosses"

Gong is not without confusion. In 2000, a focus-net employee left a comment that gong depressed for a long time: "Gong is a good man, but too ' face '." ”

This incident made gong doubt that his good temper was a disadvantage. For a while, he tried to set key performance indicators for leaders at all levels, and finished the rewards without punishment. But soon, Gong found this way is not suitable for himself, he returned to the staff do not give hard indicators of the habit. Of course, this warm style, but also for him to bring a good reputation in subordinates.

"If the boss is not good, the team has already dispersed." "Odd Tiger Vice President Shang, Know Gong 12, when the subordinate of 11 years, Gong never scolded him a sentence." Less than a year into the job, is ready to buy a house Shang lost wallet, inside the 6000 dollars and 20,000 yuan is his savings for several years, "at that time even the heart of death have." Gong know, find at that time or ordinary staff Shang, comfort, unexpectedly offered to lend him the first payment.

In the December 2000, the focus net was almost out of ammunition. In a small restaurant in the Asian Games Village, gong to more than 10 core employees, the bank's money after the Spring festival is not enough to pay. Repressed atmosphere, a call He Min Tiger Engineer stood out and said: "Gong you rest assured, embarrassment, this winter we can survive." ”

In the subsequent transformation to the real estate vertical website, the force is very gong staff twist into a regiment. From the core of the most powerful editors to the market staff, the strongest employees are turned to advertising sales.

Soon, the quick. By 2003, the company, which had only 34 people, had profited. November, Sohu bought focus net with 16 million dollars. Like the company's name, Gong has become the focus of the Internet community.

To Sohu, Gong's popularity is still good. Every annual meeting, he will be toast to the staff drunk. He's a boss who can be friends. "Wang Yujun, senior director of national sales, who followed Gong, said. She had rejected many headhunters before, and this time it took 5 minutes to make up her mind.

It's more than Wang Yujun one. Gong Assistant Lu Meng Yuan said that last year gong to start the news, their own fast into HR, "many old colleagues are willing to lower the position, and even do not mind the title and position, is willing to work with him." ”

So gong had to and the assistant said, try to avoid from already exert the video business Sohu recruit, lest let people feel in digging old club corner.

"Xiao Sheng in wisdom, victory in Germany," Gong to visit Huawei when they saw the two words impressed, schooled. Although like to separate work and life, but he found that close friends are almost all because of work acquaintance, and then no business dealings have become a good friend.

Work, Gong has a typical style of engineering students. Qi Yi Art Southern China market director Chen Jian said that if the gong to Hong Kong on business trip in Thursday, will definitely take the Friday morning 8 flights back to Beijing, "Half-day office hours are not wasted."

In the eyes of Wang Yujun, gong is to use Outlook's function to the extreme. His work schedule will be organized so that employees don't get lucky. "After a month or two of the project, he will remember to send an email to remind you the day before the deadline." ”

As a successful professional manager, Gong five years, from the vice president of Sohu to do COO (Chief Operating Officer), the department in charge of more than 20, became the second figure under Zhang.

When leaving Sohu, gong some hesitation.

He can't make it through his heart. "The company is too big, in Sohu I can remember the name of 200 people, but really know, found that three or four years ago, those who know." "He once asked five times to follow his employees from the focus network, the same question," Where do you live? "

And in the busy Super big company, the huge management structure between the restriction also lets him initiate the intention. The "entrepreneurial things" he likes to do tend to be hampered by financial, legal and other aspects of the risk. It is difficult to persuade a department to have different opinions. This kind of thing is not bad, but I do not like this kind of thing, increased the cost of communication. ”

The Battle of the old

Like adventurous character, let Gong to 12580 less than a year later, again choose to leave, he wants to be in a more market-oriented environment to start a business.

"It's not his style to change jobs in a short time, because the video is too appealing to him," he said. "From Sohu began to do Gong Secretary's Lu Meng Yuan said."

Back in 2006, Sohu has the idea of making a genuine video. From where to do, through what path to achieve profit, everything is unknown. And then gong, also in the first to large companies, in the face of many new business challenges exciting period, he did not rashly action.

Now, Shanyou, Koo, Jianjun, plus gong, has formed the Network video field "Sohu Department".

"When Shanyou left, I pushed him to do online video." Gong laughed. "In fact, a few years ago, investors have been looking for me, but I think the environment and timing are not mature." ”

Indeed, from the data show, from 2004 to 2009, the number of domestic video sites to invest more than 35, the total amount of up to 1 billion U.S. dollars. But copyright disputes, high costs and did not find a real profit model, so that the majority of domestic video sites at the edge of life and death, the number from the hundreds of at that time shrank to dozens of.

According to Gong's plan, at the end of 2010 the company will reach 350 people. The size of the escape from the super big company he felt satisfied, and behind the Providence fund and Baidu such a big guy, let him be emboldened full. "I want more than all Sohu people do video sites, and they have to go the same way." ”

The different way is Hulu. At the end of 2009, Hulu's video hits topped 1 billion for the first time and the market share reached 3%. Though far below YouTube's 44% per cent market share, it is far more profitable than YouTube, which has lost three years in a row. This has transformed many of the country's old-style video-sharing websites that have replicated YouTube. Shanyou launched a genuine film and television drama "Cool 6 Theater", Koo, while taking out billions of dollars to buy film and television dramas, while complaining about the hit drama copyright bubble Too Large, "the original episode of 340,000 Yuan, now more than one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand." ”

"Strong financial and background support, so that Qi Yi won at the starting line." "Eric Consulting analyst Zhaoxu said that video site revenue relies mainly on advertising, now restricting development is nothing but copyright and traffic."

The deep pockets of the big guy brought 50 million of dollars in the first round of investments, which were several times the biggest video sites in the country before. Adequate copyright procurement budget, so that gong can open up the industry's largest piece of the film library, or even by virtue of a large amount of procurement has a better bargaining power. and full genuine, Full HD content, but to the advertisers in addition to the content of piracy concerns, can be higher than nearly half the price of the sale of advertising.

However, for the official online less than two months of odd art, Baidu brought more traffic is only expected, and China's fragmented copyright sources are also difficult to copy Hulu's American model.

"Hulu is the core of the model is to provide users with free genuine, high-definition video content, the site relies on advertising revenue." Gong also agreed that Koo "can not be copied" view. Just on the line of the odd art entertainment channel, is his standard Hulu mode adapted to China's small changes to meet the needs of users to enjoy the content of film and television drama. Content provider to this positive buy, Zhejiang TV will be the annual homemade drama "Fall in love with female anchors" to the odd art together push.

Now, for gong, the only constant seems to be busy. "In the morning 6, 7, early morning 1, 2 points to receive mail is common." Lu Meng Yuan smiled and said that everyone was "forced" to not slack off, "we all said gong always like chicken blood." ”

"I have been able to ascertain the rules of the Internet, but the pattern has been formed, no opportunity to start a business." Now touch the law of genuine video, a new harvest every day. "Gong quite satisfied with the present calmly state," hope this kind of calmly can continue to come down. ”