The mobile Internet attracts a group of people to take the risk of creating a hero

Cheng Wei is one of the things that makes a hero and the mobile Internet attracts a group of people to take risks. Before 1.5, he resolutely left Alibaba, create a taxi software company-tick a taxi. However, entrepreneurship is not smooth, Cheng Wei initially pulled drivers installed software as a liar, the first software developed by the Shenzhen Municipal Transportation committee to stop, but the entrepreneur firmly believe that mobile internet change the ability of life. Last week, a taxi was announced for a third round of financing. Cheng Wei recently received an interview with the Beijing Times, said he has such perseverance, to spend 10 years, really change people's habit of taking a taxi.

Entrepreneurial stories

Entrepreneurial intent

Find the pain point of travel

"The Chinese Internet has changed ' food and clothing, ' and mobile internet will certainly change the ' line '"

Before starting a business, Cheng Wei worked for Alibaba for 8 years. 2012, mobile Internet development in full swing, he felt he had to seize the opportunity to do something, so resigned, decided to start a business in Beijing.

At first, Cheng Wei spent 9 months thinking about 6 things, all felt no good, and finally he locked the taxi software. But when he asked the people around him for advice, 10 people, 10 people said no. The reason is very simple, first of all, Beijing's "Song of the elder sister" is generally more than 40 years old, suburban farmers are more, many people take a mobile phone in addition to phone messages, do not use what app, and secondly, the credibility of the car is also a problem, it is possible in the car did not come, on the other people's car.

Although everyone thinks it's unreliable, Cheng Wei believes he sees the future. "The Chinese Internet has changed ' food and clothing, ' and mobile internet will certainly change ' line ', Cheng Wei said. Just like in the absence of Taobao before, we do not seem to buy things very troublesome, the same, in the absence of a taxi software, you do not find it difficult to catch a taxi. And with a taxi software, demand and pain point is found and resolved, you will find in the roadside taxi cold heat is how painful, and in advance with a taxi software call a car downstairs waiting for you is so comfortable.

Based on this judgment, June 6, 2012, Cheng Wei's Taxi software company-tick-tock taxi opened.

Market development

Paying employees to take a taxi

The first day of the product on the first day, tick-tock on the Beijing map, only lit 16 lights, that is, only 16 drivers online.

As soon as the company opened, the first question came. Cheng Wei must be in the product development two months time, find a good willing to use tick-tick taxi driver, otherwise the product on the line after no taxi online, passengers can not call the car. At that time, a total of 189 taxi companies in Beijing, Cheng Wei decided to run all over again, the target is the product on the line when there are 1000 drivers installed tick-tock Taxi, 1000 drivers can be called.

The result is not hard to be willing, the company responsible for market development Wu Rui ran 1.5 months, visited 100 taxi companies, a company did not reach a cooperation. All the taxi companies ask a question: Do you have a red? Can't get red Cheng Wei, the teeth said, first to the rest of the 89 after running.

Finally, and insisted on a week, Beijing Changping suburb of a small rental company called Yinshan is willing to do the first crab, Yinshan company in the company meeting time to Cheng Wei 15 minutes, let him for more than 100 drivers preach tick taxi software. As a result, only 20 out of 100 people had smartphones, and most people thought they were liars, and only 8 of them tried to install tick-tock taxis. By September, the first day of the product on the line, tick the Beijing map of the taxi, only bright 16 lights, that is, only 16 drivers online, within a radius of 5 kilometers, passengers can not find the driver.

For a moment can not think of the Cheng Wei, simply use a stupid way. He gave a call Xu Cheng employees 300 yuan a day, let him do only one thing, that is, with a tick-tock taxi call car, around the Beijing two ring, three ring, four ring run, and then call a car. In the end, Xu Cheng a taxi, "Cheng Wei smiled and said," I just want to let all the drivers hear the phone ring, think that this thing someone to use, is true, not deceptive, give them confidence. ”

Competitors

Snow helped taxi software

"It was the first snowfall in Beijing in 2012, and a lot of people couldn't get to work and started trying to use the taxi software," he said. We had more than 1000 orders a day for the first time. ”

At first, because the driver and the passengers are few, tick a taxi must advertise to let the outside world know. But then, the market is flourishing similar software is rocking recruit car, this is the first home appliances call mobile app, was already got the wind, in Beijing traffic station, music station broadcast continued to play two months of advertising, and in a hotel site for drivers to install a taxi software.

"We couldn't afford that ad, we broke up, but we didn't fight, the user installed capacity does not go on", at that time shook the car to hit millions of dollars, in the capital airport taxi waiting for the car pool rented a few stalls, while the broadcast announced "to install a car, one months to earn more 1000", while the drivers install software. Cheng Wei said, at that time, tick-tock taxi very poor, had to find another, they spent 5000 yuan with Beijing West railway station, allowing the staff to tick a taxi to the West railway station rental car pool sales, four or five boys a winter installed 10,000 taxis. "You know the winter in Beijing is very cold, that place is an aisle, draught, standing for one hours you will blow, many of us young people on the day of the class will be a fever, rest two days to come, really with the Red Army war, in the toughest environment to create a miracle. "Cheng Wei said.

This winter did help a taxi software busy. November 3, the day of 2012, the first snow in Beijing, a lot of people commute to the car, began to try to use a taxi software, the results found that can really hit the car, so very excited to share on the microblog, more people know. We had more than 1000 orders a day for the first time. Cheng Wei said that after the snow, tick-tock orders exploded. Into the 2013, tick-tock taxi began to shake the car in Beijing, and marched into the city of Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Policy Sword

Was stopped by Shenzhen Traffic Committee

"At that time, a few cities spread down, may tick a taxi to die, this is the second gate of death." ”

In the tick-tock taxi all the way, the policy of the sword fell to the head of the taxi software. May 2013, due to taxi software allowed to increase, tick-tock taxi and other taxi software by the Shenzhen Traffic Committee to stop. At that time, the Shenzhen Transport Committee requested that taxi drivers should not use mobile phone call software, and the Joint Law Enforcement detachment for special rectification.

At that time, the main affected is to shake the car and tick a taxi two. After being stopped, the two choices are very different, shake the car choose to leave the Shenzhen market, tick-tock taxi is insisted and Transport Department communication.

"Give up." Cheng Wei said that in the communication with the management department, tick-tock repeatedly stressed the original intention of the taxi software: "We are here to help, not to trouble." ”

This matter, soon by the national major media coverage, and even on the news broadcast. But, fortunately, the media is the direction of public opinion is to support tick-tock taxi and other taxi software such innovative things.

And a government official's subsequent statement also let Cheng Wei a little bit of peace of thought: "Traffic is the power to believe in technology, believe in innovation." "Finally, the other cities in the country did not follow the Shenzhen Stop Taxi software practice," then there are several cities spread down, may tick a taxi died, this is the second gate of Hell.

However, after all the taxi software has canceled the function of arbitrary fare increase, limited to a maximum of 5 yuan increase. Now, the Shenzhen Transportation Committee also solved the ban, taxi software in Shenzhen can be used normally. But Shenzhen, Beijing and other land transport departments also issued a call platform, tick-tock taxi and other taxi software access to the call platform, this matter is settled.

"Don't be afraid to try to get the mainstream channel to understand." Cheng Wei afterwards summed up the way.

Financing to burn money

Subsidies are just icing on the cake

"Subsidies are a short-term icing on the cake, and I can only define this as marketing, just like Jingdong Mall promotions." ”

Since the Cheng Wei last May, the company has kept a low profile and has received little media interviews until last week, when he announced a taxi call for a C-round financing, CITIC Fund and Tencent jointly invested 100 million of dollars. The first two rounds of financing came from the Jinsha River's $3 million trillion and Tencent's $15 million trillion. At this point, tick-Tock's biggest competitor-a quick taxi only got Alibaba's 8 million dollar first round of financing.

Facing the opponent's large-scale financing, the quick taxi throws the subsidy 100 million yuan policy. And Beep is announced and micro-letter cooperation, users do not need to install tick-tock taxi software, in the micro-letter can be realized call the car, and micro-letter payment, but also enjoy the driver and passengers return 10 yuan subsidy. Two of companies ' subsidies are interpreted as burning money.

"Subsidy is a short-term icing on the cake, I can only define this as marketing, like Jingdong Mall to do the same promotions," Cheng Wei said, short-term burning of money is necessary, but money is not the key to victory and defeat, more important is decision-making and operation.

At present, according to Cheng Wei revealed the latest data, tick-tock Day service users have reached thirty thousand or forty thousand, with 350,000 drivers. Of the 67,000 taxis in Beijing, there are now more than 50% installed tick-tock software. Cheng Wei said that although this year the taxi software seems to develop faster, but the internet to really shake the field of travel will take a long time, "I think we have to prepare for ten years." ”

People dialogue

A roadside taxi is the biggest competitor.

▲ Talking mode

The important thing is to change the user's taxi habit

Beijing Times: Can you disclose that after the financing, the investors are holding?

Cheng Wei: No. What we care most about is the independent will of the enterprise, if the enterprise is controlled by any capital, the enterprise will lose creativity.

Beijing Times: Taxi software is currently only burning money, you have not considered its profit model? After all, it's a business, and sooner or later it will be profitable.

Cheng Wei: We won't say it today without thinking clearly and making it. I can only say that tick a taxi will have their own way out, may not be the same as everyone think, but we will certainly be responsible for the user, for the staff, will also be responsible for the shareholders, but first you want to survive. We are now a long body, then the profit is natural, we will use our actions to prove to you. The most important thing now is to change the user's habit of getting a taxi instead of rushing to make money.

Jinghua times: Tick a taxi can be in more than 40 taxi software to live in the blood of the present, and get 3 rounds of financing, you think the most important magic weapon is?

Cheng Wei: Never give up.

▲ talking about opponents

Quick cab use threshold higher than us

Jinghua Times: I have interviewed Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities to use taxi software cab drivers, they said, use tick-tock taxi and quick taxi did not feel any difference. They use the taxi software only to pull a few more lives, two are installed, but also can get more of your two subsidies. So, how to solve the problem that the product is not differentiated?

Cheng Wei: Don't worry, many of the winners and losers are not separated in the first year. In fact, we are doing a lot of such efforts, may not have seen this effect today, we will continue to refuel. For example, our map navigation function can accurately navigate the driver to the designated location of the passenger.

Beijing Times: I noticed that tick-tock taxi and micro-letter payment cooperation, and quick taxi and Alipay cooperation, are encouraging users to use new payment tools to pay the car, then, you think which way more advantages?

Cheng Wei: Our driver does not need to install micro-letter, the passengers have micro-letter, the driver as long as a tick-tick taxi can collect money, and quick taxi drivers to pay treasure collection, must install Alipay, the threshold is higher than us. Micro-mail is an entrance, and Alipay is just a payment tool.

Beijing Times: What can you do to keep you in the lead with the fast taxi race?

Cheng Wei: It's a long story. We are continuing with the fast competition, I'm sorry I can't tell you too much detail. But we have full confidence, we often speak fast taxi is not our goal and competitors, tick-tock taxi only competitor only one: Roadside taxi. It was not until the penetration rate of the taxi software exceeded 50% that it defeated the biggest opponent.

▲ about the future

It will take 10 years to really shake the field.

Beijing Times: How long do you expect to win a taxi by the roadside?

Cheng Wei: I think we should prepare for 10. Online shopping has grown to today 10 years, probably changed the traditional retail 5%. The public comment also developed 10 years, changed only 1%. Internet change tradition is 10 years cycle, and tick a taxi only a year. Because the industry's demand is urgent, this year taxi app seems to develop faster, but according to my own judgment, the internet to really shake the field of travel still need 10 years.

Jinghua Times: What is your goal in the first phase?

Cheng Wei: I think the first stage of the Internet of taxi industry is 20% penetration rate, at least 20% of users will quickly develop habits. This is already the fastest penetration rate in other industries, and so far there is little internet penetration to the traditional 20%.

Beijing Times: What is your vision for the future of the company?

Cheng Wei: Tick-tock taxi from the first day of business is to do two things, the first thing is that mobile internet makes travel better and creates value for users and society. The second thing is that we want to start a company that allows employees to retire inside, a commitment to our employees that our company is adequate to provide him with protection, To provide a platform to grow beyond giving him the long-term and protection.