Sina Interview 8coupons founder: Chinese entrepreneurship has advantages

United States Group Buy aggregation website 8coupons founder Yuanwen and Huanglandi Author: Zheng Beijing January 17 early morning news, the United States major group buy aggregation website 8coupons founder Yuanwen (from Taiwan, ancestral Shandong) Sunday (16th) morning to receive SINA technology exclusive phone interview,　　The development of the Web site, entrepreneurial success experience, Chinese entrepreneurship and the Internet bubble and other issues to talk about their own views. Yuanwen and Huanglandi, who founded 8coupons in New York in August 2007, delivered a variety of group deals to local consumers via SMS, and in addition to their own "8" theme features, 8coupons also worked with many content partners, including Groupon,　　Transformed into America's most important group-buying aggregation website, extending its business to other parts of the United States. In an interview, Yuanwen said 8coupons is growing very quickly, and they will do well in the U.S. home market, waiting for the right opportunity to consider expanding overseas and listing matters.　　He said that he is Chinese, never willing to erase their national brand, the Chinese market has great potential, the first stop of 8coupons overseas expansion is certainly in the Chinese market. When it comes to entrepreneurship, Yuan Wen Yu that the Chinese have an advantage in entrepreneurship, have the quality of hard work, willing to pay more efforts for their dreams, but pay attention to overcome the Chinese unique shy character.　　Entrepreneurs, he says, should pursue their dreams, not give up and encourage each other. Yuanwen also believes that there is no bubble in the Internet field now, the situation is different from the 2001, the Internet has completely changed the business model and people's lifestyle. He also expressed his views on the problem of imitation in the field of entrepreneurship.　　Yuanwen points out that the U.S. technology industry believes that imitating others is not the strong, can only be a follower, the big American companies will choose to buy, and not to imitate the small companies entrepreneurial model.　　The following is an interview record: Sina technology: 8coupons has been founded for more than 3 years, can you introduce the current development of the site? Yuanwen: Our business has been growing, first in the New York market, and now it has become an aggregated web site covering the United States. Our email registered users have reached 500,000; last December, we exceeded 2 million individual user visits. It is expected that the number will reach 8 million by the end of this year as the group buying business continues to develop. I am also satisfied with the growth in income.　　There is still a lot of growth potential in the industry.　　Sina technology: Compare with Groupon such big Group buys a website, 8coupons have what own competition and development space? Yuanwen: We are an aggregation site, have their own characteristics. We have a richer range of information content, a large number of content partners, including Groupon. Our aim is to provide consumers with the right and efficientBuy and discount information. Improving the quality of information and services is our focus.　　As business continues to grow, we will certainly want to go public if we meet the right opportunities in the future, and we want to expand and develop overseas.　　Sina technology: When it comes to overseas expansion, Groupon and LivingSocial are now buying in Asia, and the market is rumoured to have plans to enter the Chinese market, does 8coupons have any specific plans? Yuanwen: Our current goal is to base ourselves on the local market and do a good job in our local business. But of course, if we feel we have the right time, we will seek development overseas, and the first stop must be China. China has a population of 1.3 billion, and the United States has 300 million people, this is a huge market, it can not be ignored. China's economy is growing so fast that in 10 or 20 years, China's economy will surely overtake that of the US.　　I am very optimistic about the growth potential of China's internet market.　　Sina technology: You are Chinese, you may have more understanding and feelings about the Chinese market. Yuanwen: Yes, I am Chinese. I was 16 years old from Taiwan to the United States, stayed here for many years, but never give myself English name. You see, my current name is still Chinese transliteration. I know very well that I am Chinese and that this will not change anyway.　　I think if I gave myself the English name of Michael and so on, of course, but that would lose the uniqueness of my Chinese identity, my friend is still called my Chinese name, which is a way I retain the Chinese identity. I come from Taiwan, China, my father is from Shandong to Taiwan, my two sister is now in Shanghai, my family and I have always been in Mandarin. My wife is a Cambodian immigrant, she is now the CEO of the company, has been learning Chinese, she also has the Chinese name "Huanglandi". I believe that if we have the opportunity to develop in China, we will certainly use these. I'm going to visit China this year and go to Shanghai and Beijing.　　You see the "8" element of our website also has the influence of Chinese culture.　　Sina Technology: As a successful entrepreneurship in the United States of China, can the domestic Internet entrepreneurs to talk about their experience? Yuanwen: In fact, there are many successful Chinese in the American technology industry. The Chinese biggest characteristic is bears hardships and stands hard work, in order to realize own dream, we are willing to pay more than others hard and diligently.　　If I say any experience, I think that is if there are good ideas and models, we must stick to it, entrepreneurs to encourage each other.　　Sina Science and Technology: You start 8coupons, is self-made, must be very hard? Yuanwen: My wife and I just started 8coupons in 2007, earlier than Groupon. At that time, I also work in an advertising company, it is a very famous advertising company, Apple's advertising is our agent. After starting a business, I get up 8 o'clock every day, 9 o ' clock to the company to work, 5 o'clock in the afternoon after work hurried home, because 6 o ' clock I have to and missus aBusy website thing. At that time just two of us, really very tired, almost every day to busy until 3 o'clock in the morning. Working hours are 15-16 hours a day, with no personal time at all.　　It lasted almost two years, and then we decided to resign and start our own business. In retrospect, I also think that period of time is too tired, but see the development of our website, see the company's growth, I feel very relieved, feel that pay is worthwhile.　　Entrepreneurship is chasing dreams, we will keep making progress, never stop (keep Going,and going,and on).　　Sina technology: As you understand, the Chinese in the U.S. technology industry development? Yuanwen: The Chinese are very outstanding in the American science and technology industry, each big company can see the Chinese figure. In terms of entrepreneurship, apart from Jerry Yang, there are many outstanding Chinese entrepreneurs. As for my contacts, Chinese people in the United States have a lot of medium-scale start-up companies, have developed very well.　　I think this is because we are willing to pay hard labor, this advantage is able to overcome the advantages of geography, and the United States is a good environment to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. But I think the Chinese character is always a bit shy of the ingredients, Yang also has this feature, which also has a certain impact on the culture of Yahoo.　　Now Yahoo lost more than 10 years ago strong, completely behind the Google, I think this is also a certain relationship.　　Sina technology: If you want to say a word to Chinese entrepreneur, what would you say?　　Yuanwen: Chase your dreams, never give up (Follow your dream,never dour no). Sina technology: Perhaps China's Internet entrepreneurial environment and the United States there are some differences. Many small companies in China have good ideas, but there are hurdles to development, because after they have just succeeded, big companies may imitate them.　　What do you think of it? Yuanwen: If big companies have to imitate, of course, they will be more competitive than small companies. I don't know what China thinks about this, but in America we often say that if you follow someone else (follow), you are a Loser (loser) and you can only be a follower (follower). Google's startup is also a small company, and then gradually grow stronger, completely surpassed Yahoo.　　Now Facebook is the same, Google will think this is behind. I think in the United States, big companies will not imitate the new models and ideas of small startups, because it is not a glorious thing, let alone to use their current strength to suppress others. My wife and I founded the 8coupons in 2007, from a very small creative gradually bigger, we are not afraid of large companies to imitate, in fact, no one will do so. If a big company really appreciates this business model, it will usually buy small startups directly.　　There is a reason to protect and innovate and to protect the pursuit of dreams. Before you and I talked about China suddenly appeared hundreds of group buying websites, I feelIt may be so at first, but in the end it depends on the innovation and quality of the content. Sina Technology: Now Groupon is rumored to be listed, the valuation is said to be 15 billion dollars.　　Facebook's valuations are getting higher, and do you agree with some of the industry's bubble views? Yuanwen: I don't think so. In the 2001, the market was not fully aware of the potential of the Internet, in the process of listing the network stocks, the money hype led to the expansion of the bubble and burst. But now the situation has changed dramatically, the internet has become an integral part of people's lives, the internet has changed people's lifestyles, consumption patterns have gradually shifted to the network, I do not feel that the current internet bubble.　　And the current valuation boom comes mainly from venture capital, unlike the 2001 stock market.　　Sina technology: Thank you for your telephone interview, what do you know about Sina and Sina Weibo? Yuanwen: I have always been Sina's readers, when I first came to the United States, Sina is my Computer homepage, I see Sina every day to understand the mainland and Taiwan. For a long time I used the Sina mailbox, of course, now I use their company's mailbox. (laughter) When you sent me a message, I was on the phone with my two sister in Shanghai. I and two elder sister said "have Sina science and technology reporter want to interview me Ah", second sister said "then you don't hurry."　　I am also very excited to have the opportunity to share their entrepreneurial experience with domestic friends. My current main social network uses the Facebook,twitter account to be handled by the company PR.　　If I have time, I will register a Sina Weibo account to better understand the Chinese market and communicate directly with Chinese friends.　　Sina Science and Technology: Thank you to accept our interview, hope you come to China when also come to Sina to see, you know, Zuckerberg just came to China, also came to Sina. Yuanwen: I have plans to come to China this year, if I come to Beijing, I will contact you. I'm sorry, I'm using At&t's iphone, the signal in New York is really bad, the sound of the call is not stable. But the good news is that Verizon is out of the iphone and I'm sure to change the machine next month. I'll contact you later.