Small I of the father Shanhui entrepreneurial ups and downs: market smell, technology, resources indispensable

The father of Little I Shanhui

"Eli/Titanium Editor" Apple and only the crown of the ipad trademark dispute just settled, this March 27, Shanghai Wisdom Network company sued Siri infringement. It is reported that the intelligence network under the small I robot and Siri is a "chat robot" artificial intelligence system, and more than Siri a year before the patent certificate.

"Siri has technically made a patent infringement on a small I robot, why not tell the apple?" "Zhen Zhen company chairman Shanhui told TI Media reporter, the so-called intelligent robot mainly composed of voice and artificial intelligence, and Apple's Siri and small I in the artificial intelligence aspect of the operating mode is basically consistent, all through contextual association, logical inference to carry on the semantic analysis."

So, since little I was a year ahead of Siri, why didn't it hit the market as it did when Siri was marketed? Why postpone until now to sue Apple for infringement? Is this another use of Apple's name to promote the product of self speculation? In the wisdom of the network is located in Shanghai Sands Jiangxi Road Office, Shanhui received an interview with the titanium media, detailing the small I robot development ups and downs.

Deny Self hype

In the interview, Shanhui told reporters, in fact, Zhi early in the iphone 4S had recently been brought to the lawsuit, and last June through the court to accept. But since Apple did not have an agency in place to deal with the case, the intelligence network contacted Apple's headquarters in a diplomatic way, leading to the postponement of the session for almost a year.

There have been doubts about the ego hype of small I robots. Shanhui said it was not his style at all. Moreover, the small I robot was born earlier than Siri, and the tort is not that he is distorting the facts. As early as 2004, Shanhui with small I did the human-computer interaction function of the patent certification, and in 2006 the domestic patent certificate. And Siri was founded in 2007, so in the concept of human-computer interaction, small I occupy a leading position.

"We applied for a patent to protect the entire system and mechanism of China's self-developed chat robots," he said. At home, we are the leading people in human-computer interaction. Siri now wants to enter the Chinese market, and we have the same mode of interaction, which naturally falls into the realm of patent protection. ”

Since little I is one year ahead of Siri, why wait until Siri is launched on the iphone 4s, the interactive marketplace is lit? Zhi Network was founded in 2001, small I was born in 2004. Entrepreneurship 12 years, Shanhui in artificial intelligence technology entrepreneurial Road, which has been the media, investors in pursuit of the glory, nature has also had to endure the time to give up.

This section of blood and tears undertaking, to Shanhui precipitation under the peace of mind. "Entrepreneurship more than 10 years, what the wind and rain have not seen." It's written in the novel, in the TV, the experience has gone through. "Talk about the impetuous and impatient entrepreneurs, Shanhui more have been to the gas, in the titanium media reporters, to explain his entrepreneurial story, hope to Up-and can be inspired."

First venture: Not only to see the market, but also to see the objective conditions

More than 10 years ago, Shanhui was a technical employee of Microsoft. When Microsoft's annual meeting was held at the Atlanta Stadium that year, Bill Gates faced more than 10,000 employees about what Microsoft had done over the past year and what he looked forward to. The scene is inspiring, but also let Shanhui into meditation, why the most populous, the largest market in China is not the birth of such a world-affecting talent.

At 28 years old, it is the age of Fang and Qi. With the company's client resources on hand, and confidence in his own technology, Shanhui made a decision that surprised everyone: leaving Microsoft and returning to business.

In the 2001, a wave of intelligent devices sprang up abroad. In foreign countries, on the system, Windows CE under the Pocket PC, Symbian and Palm constitute the three major mobile platforms; on the device, Microsoft has launched a PDA handheld smart device, a large screen, available online. Shipments of such mobile devices are very objective abroad, and the domestic market has yet to be ignited. At that time, everyone was talking about the mobile age in China, discussing the arrival of the 3G era and imagining the huge potential of the mobile device market, but it has not yet appeared a large mobile device system provider.

Shanhui that this is a frontier area, and that the wave of movement will soon be introduced into China. To be decisive. He pulled a partner, two people in a small rental room to develop mobile device systems. "This system is to be equipped with PDA equipment, to be able to surf the internet." "This is Shanhui's judgment on the market at the time. It took two months to develop the system under intense work.

"We were the first companies to make BlackBerry systems in China," he said. "To this day, Shanhui is still proud of his high executive power and prior nature." However, entrepreneurship relies on smell, execution, and advance, and is far from enough.

Although Shanhui first introduced a more sophisticated system of mobile devices, the so-called "mobile wave" rests on everyone's lips. Delay. "We thought 3G would come soon," he said. The result who thought, at least after 6-7 years, 3G only slowly. "Not only the mobile phone online in the foreseeable future, domestic mobile equipment shipments are extremely low, making the system in the domestic difficult to promote."

Without a market, Shanhui had to promote its own system through an online software sales website in the United States. "At that time had to rely on every month to sell the system thousands of dollars income, while looking forward to the advent of the 3G era, expect the market to detonate." ”

Shanhui in the waiting for two years. Rely on the network, technology, two years Shanhui of the company in Shanghai little famous. It also worked with big companies like Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo to provide technical support for their high-end mobile devices. However, the domestic hardware market is immature, is always a short board.

These two years, the company size has been a poor 32 people. "The market is too narrow, which makes it difficult to recruit." Shanhui has published the recruitment revelation on the BBS of each university. Response to the revelation of the fresh students to apply, in see Zhi shabby, narrow rental room after the studio, stormed away. Even on BBS posted to warn alumni never come to this "shell company" candidates.

In the 2003, SARS swept across the country and changed the situation in the Internet industry. In order to prevent the spread of viruses, people stay indoors, everywhere panic. Suddenly all IM software began to hot up, MSN, QQ, Yahoo, 3G Market, instant communication market instead was ignited. At the moment the sense of smell sensitive Shanhui, in the bitter and other unimpressed, found a new continent.

Second business: Only good service can bring good business model

MSN, QQ in 2003 years, such as SARS in general, in the domestic crazy spread, Shanhui is also a senior IM software users. One day he and friends chat, late at night we have off the line, the head is dim down, lonely feeling seats on the heart. "I thought it would be interesting if there was a robot that could chat with you on the computer," he said. ”

With interest, Shanhui and the team discussed a few people. We think, anyway, in addition to selling system on weekdays there is no other things, such as unimpressed also do not know to wait until the year and month, rather than try to do this small robot. This time, from the idea to the official line, Shanhui said, "I only spent 4 days."

Initially, the small I robot led MSN Open Interface, let MSN users first contact with you can talk about music, stocks, weather intelligent answer virtual person. The number of users in an instant began to swell with millions. Then follow MSN footsteps Tencent, also to find Shanhui talk about cooperation, and then Yahoo Pass, then is the major sites. "Now 30 years old MSN users, almost no one does not know the small I robot at that time." ”

From the unknown market, such as the founder of technology start-ups, to be surrounded by the media, control tens of thousands of users of the intelligent robot father, according to Luo words, Shanhui was completely "inflated." "I and Ding Lei is an era of people, then Ma, Ding Lei, such as the internet Daniel come to me to talk about cooperation, talk about investment;" Every day, the company asked me to do lectures, talk about the future of human-computer interaction, all the spotlight on you, who will consider the business model? We all feel that there is flow, certainly can make money. ”

The small I was pushed to the market at the end of 2003. 2004 to 2006 These two years, is small I brilliant two years. In cooperation with the QQ, the user to millions or even increase. Until 2007, the small I robot already had up to 100 million of the number of users. "At that time the investment, also does not talk about any business model, depends on you to be unpopular, the user quantity is not big." In addition, at that time, there is not a comparable with our intelligent robot, we all feel that this is the future of science and technology, the future of mankind. So the VCs are all on their own, hoping to get a piece of it. ”

Financing a pen to find the door, Shanhui all take to continue to big users, "anyway burned will have a new financing, melt and continue to do the user." "So far, Shanhui into a vicious circle of flow bubbles. The number of users of the small I robot reached its peak in 2006, while the small I team, also from the first 32 people, swelled into a large company of 100 supposedly people. The huge number of users, brings the bandwidth, server loss, manpower, maintenance of the huge cost. At the same time, the first few financing also basic burn, want to continue to develop, Shanhui must to the investment people to hand over a satisfactory report card. But where is the way to go? How can you make money with so many users?

"You look at the site now, Youku, potatoes, traffic, large number of users, generally do not make money." We are the same, besides, our cost is much higher than theirs. "Asked how much the cost, Shanhui face undaunted, it seems to be a part of his reluctance to touch the memories." "At that time the cost cannot be estimated, in short, is looks very good, has many users." But in fact, this is a bubble, as long as the withdrawal of capital, it shattered. ”

He thought of the ads, think of the game, there are electric dealers, these several conventional mode of transformation. Through and game manufacturers, advertisers, several major electric business portal cooperation, Shanhui through the diversion volume, the way to earn a lot of money to earn a little bit of hot money, but these contrast to the huge cost of expenditure, or appear very thin. Making ends meet is difficult, the profit is even more dare not expect.

The embarrassing dilemma caused by this high flow and low income is Shanhui never thought of. He told reporters that he misread the Internet community's rumored two words, "as long as there is a market for users," and "each user gives you a dollar you will send".

Although, at that time the small I Robot "in addition to the phone can not be achieved, Siri can achieve the small I can achieve." "But in the face of hundreds of millions of users of strange needs, robots, after all, is a robot, he can only meet the simple man-machine conversation." The man-machine conversation is not just needed, users will only treat it as a "dispensable", interesting robot, far from the use of it to pay. Therefore, the number of "users" here is only a momentary freshness of the flow, not enough to continue, "dispensable" attributes, doomed him not to bring much economic benefits.

The second trough, Shanhui constantly asked himself why the original want to create a "know-it-all Robot" Grand Dream, will fall into such a dilemma. Don't people really need a robot to talk to at any time? Shanhui told reporters that period of time, the rice Inamori "living law" gave him the answer.

"In the rice Inamori founder Second Enterprise, does not consider the commercial profit at all, only how satisfies the people's demand to put in the first, finally he really still is profitable, and has achieved another 500 strong company." I think if you can really meet the needs of others, and do a good job, your business model will naturally form, you will be very good to live. ”

Small I depressed bottleneck period and 2C business failure, the root cause is: small I did not provide a good 2C service, not very good to meet the needs of people, and this "omniscient" "real need" of the intelligent Robot Service, is his current ability can not do. "Even today's technology, the world does not appear omnipotent intelligent voice robot." ”

Shanhui summary, this kind of drilling market upsurge loophole, blindly pursue the flow, ignoring the user needs of entrepreneurship, doomed to failure.

"I think everyone is putting the cart before the horse. The first priority for the entrepreneurial team is not the business model. The business model is not based on fantasy, it is done by service. The most important thing is three points:

First: You need to understand clearly what your ability can do;

Second: You do your best to achieve the degree;

Third: Can you really meet the real needs of your customers. ”

A bitter lesson: why China's soil cannot produce great companies?

In 2006, Shanhui the commercialization of small I robots, and tried another line: Enterprise Services. He purposely hired a sales team to talk to a business customer. Finally, other commercial roads have died out, only the enterprise services this piece of stable development. By the year 2009, small I robots have been able to rely entirely on business users to make a profit.

This is the year of Shanhui's important turning point in life. After discovering a clear business model, Shanhui shut down the 2C business of the small I robot and turned to the full development of more practical, down-to-earth 2B areas.

In the interview, Shanhui once told reporters: "If you become a great company, you need to have a relentless pursuit of humanities and technology." Rather than how much short-term profits. But in China, because of the objective conditions. No matter how ambitious you are, you should be worldly. Secularization makes your quest very short-term, which is why China is so hard to produce great companies. ”

It sounds like the wording of shirking responsibility for yourself, but in fact, anyone who has ever started a business in China knows the sadness and hardship behind it. Feng, of Wantong Holdings, recently said in an article that "There are many entrepreneurs in the country who have jobs in general, but don't have a company like Apple?" I want to say that without apple, jobs is worthless, and no odd character. The key prerequisite of Apple's birth is to be in an environment full of competition, encouraging innovation, rights and interests, and perfecting the legal system, so that the entrepreneur's individuality, potential and innovation ability can be fully developed before it is grown into an apple. ”

I asked Shanhui a sharp problem, "2B technical difficulty is certainly not 2C strong, operability is also relatively simple." Does that mean you are a certain degree of secularization? ”

Yes。 My ambition was to be an omnipotent robot. But you must first admit that any company, he must first be a commercial company, he must have his own business law.

Besides, did we give up the grand thought? Not。 The realization of the dream, there are two kinds of situation. One is down-to-earth to do, one is ambitious thinking. We just choose a service that we can do now and choose a more down-to-earth way.

The small I of 2 C is also a combination of knowledge in many fields. As long as the areas we cover in the future are broad enough, maybe one day we will return to the 2C market. There are many ways to go in the right direction, and it is critical for all entrepreneurs to choose which way to achieve the ultimate goal. ”

Adjust direction: Quality service, achievable technology, maximize resource allocation

2004 to now, nearly ten years of data accumulation, so that small I in machine learning more and more intelligent. Although it is not possible to deal with strange problems from individual users at present, it is enough to achieve nearly 98% accuracy in the refined enterprise area. "In the inability to meet the needs of all-inclusive, as a down-to-earth service to their own areas of competence." ”

"Now we have a monopoly in smart voice in China and the world's largest robotics provider. "It is reported that the current small I robot in the field of intelligent customer service and Unicom, telecommunications, Shanghai Mobile, China Merchants Bank (600036, shares) and Beijing-East and other cooperation to provide intelligent Customer service questions and answers." In the intelligent home, small I have also and LG, Lenovo, Haier and other well-known brands to cooperate.