Xu Chang Business Road: A little bit too high-profile to go far

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[Guide] entrepreneurs in the early days of entrepreneurship can not be too high-profile, triggering opponents to catch up, if the point was low-key, and occasion Sina Weibo may develop better.

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Entrepreneurship is a difficult journey, if you can predict the way ahead of the possible traps and fork, the probability of success is higher. As a result, entrepreneurs are equally eager to get a mirror from their own entrepreneurial woes, compared with the almost perfect example of successful packaging.

"Revelation of Entrepreneurship" is the in-depth report of Tencent technology in the second half of 2013. The content includes the most famous startups, stories and characters in the Internet in recent years, telling about the real experience of Internet entrepreneur, sharing the experience and reflection.

What we are doing is to think about the case of Chinese Internet entrepreneurship from multiple perspectives, and to summarize the most naked and shocking entrepreneurial truth based on business knowledge.

Tencent Science and Technology Lei Jianping November 14 Report

In the speech social application PA is located in Beijing 798 Art Park office, the outsider enters a door to see very big side wall, the front is the company name and the introduction, the backside is a section apple "designed by Apple California" The Chinese advertisement, Apple's intention to promote its design so that every employee out of the office area can see:

"When you begin to imagine that it may bring about the experience, you step back and think again, who will this help?" Can you make life better? Is there a meaning? Every day you are busy doing, which day you can do the best?

This is the product concept that Steve Jobs has summed up in the process of designing Apple products, and it has become the credo of the Xu Chang founder, the individual and the team, that products are not only "fun" but "useful".

The snap is moving along this trajectory. At the end of August this year, PA announced the user scale of 20 million, Xu Chang to the media to open three strategies: The Force long audio lock the user's "passive time", strengthen the mass cultural entertainment content of the UGC and PGC model construction, in the mobile end of the test water primary advertising marketing value. To this end, the normal users of the recording length from 90 seconds to 6 minutes, the web version of audio upload or even 128M audio files.

According to Xu Chang, PA is currently in line with the cinema, hit TV dramas, concerts, music festivals, national satellite TV columns, radio, video sites, newspapers and magazines to cooperate, content production, introduction and dissemination of the mechanism gradually formed. Hisense, Chow Tai Fook, HNA Group, Coca-Cola, Gado, Olay and other traditional brand manufacturers have been on the PA test water marketing.

This is the third year of the Xu Chang venture, and the boom in its second venture is good, but the first project is not going well. When the founder of the Light blog Tumblr by Yahoo 1.1 billion dollar acquisition, Dot not only did not get the giant favor, but also basically in the maintenance state. For now, Xu Chang's personal weight has shifted to snapping.

Dot is not a successful product. Although, the point of the establishment of the first was a high expectation, since then there have been Sina Light blog Qing, NetEase lofter, Grand push him, Phoenix "Fast Bo", Renren's "Everyone Station" follow-up, but now most of them have fallen into silence, whether the user or the flow of traffic are not like the Tumblr to obtain explosive growth.

Talking about the point, Xu Chang reflect that the most important thing to do products is to grasp the trend, light blog is the essence of PC products, the 2011 should be around the mobile Internet products, rather than PC products, entrepreneurs in the initial stage can not be too high-profile, triggering opponents to catch up, if the point was low-key, and occasion Sina Weibo may develop better.

Little bit of regret: early too high-profile to trigger the giant to follow

Xu Chang is very fond of Zen Buddhism, he has two accounts on Weibo, one is technology-related large, the other is only interested in Zen trumpet, each month Xu Chang also specializes in Zen. Weekdays Xu Chang Every day no matter how busy, will also take time to calm down, experience the Buddhist Sutra story implication, Grade philosophy, and his feelings into the work.

The story of a Buddhist rabbit, an eagle and a hound is a case of Xu Chang's mouth. The main idea of the story is that there are only rabbits running on the prairie being chased by eagles and hounds. The eagle is flying in the sky, see the rabbit directly to the fastest speed to capture, the same hunt for the rabbit's hunting dog is not aware of the situation, continue to smell the smell chasing rabbits.

The rabbit has long been a delicacy for the eagle, and the hounds are still searching. The hounds were unable to understand why, relying on a keen sense of smell and professional judgment and reasoning, they never caught the rabbit they wanted.

"When the eagle flies in the sky, it does not consider logical derivation, and instinctively catches the rabbit." If by inference, it must be too late. Xu Chang said, this is similar to the Internet industry, the internet industry, intuition lies in wisdom, wisdom by thinking. In the competition, big companies rely on intuition, entrepreneurs rely on the sense of smell, entrepreneurs need smarter ways to capture prey.

In retrospect, Xu Chang was the first person to introduce Tumblr model into China. At the end of 2010, the head of the network (Renren predecessor) head, Shanda Online COO, Grand winger president of the title, Xu Chang by Innovation Factory Chairman Kai-Fu Lee invited to join the entrepreneurial wave, in early 2011, the beginning of the project to obtain tens of millions of dollars of financing.

At that time, Xu Chang frequent high-profile appearances, in the media constantly promote products. These bring glory to themselves at the same time, but also for the point of the development of the future buried hidden dangers.

In that crazy era, Facebook momentum, everyone just listed, Sina Weibo has grown into a national product, the pain of the loss of the Giants along the logical reasoning, the subconscious thought, text is the picture, light blog is likely the next future, regardless of devoting great efforts to enter the field of light blog.

Soon, hit the point of Sina, Shanda, NetEase, Phoenix and other enemies of the pressure. Among them, the most let Xu Chang rushed to the nervous or Sina, the momentum of Sina Weibo by virtue of Sina Micro blog to kill into the territory of light, not only to shake the foundation of growth, but also directly disintegrated the first batch of the most core user population.

To seize the market heights, the first six months of continuous marketing, personnel expansion, the mobile internet layout, 1 months to send ice cream coupons cost more than 1 million yuan, resulting in a complete net outflow of funds.

Fortunately, the Light blog war has not lasted too long, the second half of 2011, the rapid deterioration of the capital market situation, the point also quickly cut off the market input, some people left.

"Sometimes you can fool yourself into it, it's dangerous to catch a rabbit smelling like a hound dog." "Xu Chang said, people will make mistakes, they are the same, the original from the grand online, everyone out, thinking that by virtue of experience, strategic analysis, strategy analysis, and then positioning, you can succeed, but not to complicate things, he also dizzy."

After a high profile, directly let Sina Weibo become a competitor, lost the important promotion channel.

Afterwards, Xu Chang to Tencent Science and Technology said, the point of the biggest lesson is too high-profile, if can calm down, like Youku, Beautiful said, as a micro-bo partner, with these social platform development, point may soon be able to get 20 million of users.

Xu Chang said that 2011 more is to be successful, the desire to let oneself not too to pay attention to the user experience itself, always easy to get himself fooled-like with a concept and desire to think, desire in turn can be fixed, thinking always jump out.

The development of the past two years has also proved that light blogging is not a big market in China.

Xu Chang said that Tumblr can rise, China's light blog is very tepid because of the economic gap between China and the United States. Although Tumblr is a minority culture, Americans have a high standard of living, a car with a house, more vacations, shorter working hours and Tumblr prospects. Tumblr also has international markets to support. These conditions do not exist in the domestic dots.

A bit of frustration also let Xu Chang regret: "We lost irreparable 18 months, but also make you start again when the energy consumption and cash." "Xu Chang even think that if the start of a business with such a product, relying on mobile internet and born, snapped users must have been over billion, now will be another world.

To clear the point of adversity, negative energy, reverse thinking, and popping.

From the first well-known professional managers to well-known entrepreneurs, the early days of the transition is not easy. The change in the roller coaster in this young blog market makes his biggest impression of poor sleep.

Xu Chang to Tencent Science and technology, said that the early development of a good point, every day is always very excited, sleep, development encountered setbacks are more difficult to sleep, a whole year, "sleep quality is very poor." Dot this kind of development experience and happy net similar, happy early development, follow-up into the downturn, Xu Chang and Happy Net CEO Cheng quite some "Freemasonry", and "together with Xi".

Interestingly, at the outset, "the dispute between true and false net", Xu Chang is "false happy net" in charge, and Cheng had a direct "fight", two people is "workplace enemy." However, entrepreneurship after the Xu Cheng two people have "met a smile."

Xu Chang once to find Cheng to eat, Cheng also told their own feelings, said the beginning of the same pressure is very big, sleep, a year later slowly habits. Cheng said, now every night 10 o'clock to sleep more, nothing can make oneself very upset. Two people have a good relationship to even Xu Chang later also in happy Net personally taught lessons, share mobile entrepreneurial story.

It must be admitted that the birth of the pop is closely related to the point of frustration, and Xu Chang has complained that it is not really a mobile internet product. At a time of low growth, Xu Chang began to think about how to stop using the computer and force the phone to solve all the difficulties in office, which gave him a different mindset.

So, this kind of reverse thinking gives birth to the PA, for a long time only the iOS version of the pop.

Xu Chang said, "Only do mobile internet after you will think about the product, or you always think of the PC how to do?" such as popping up, someone must say how to record on the PC AH? "As with the micro-faith approach, the PC is not considered at all, and in turn the PC is just an extension of the phone."

Instead of doing it with the Giants, it's smarter to rely on the Giants to grow. Today, Xu Chang has repeatedly emphasized the relationship between pop and micro-credit and Weibo, like Beijing Expressway and Resorts. Resort must be on the highway next to the crack to do in line with the market law things, and then build a highway will be punished by the market economy.

In fact, this product started off the platform dream, forget the social relationship and account dream, directly based on micro-blog and micro-trust chain of relationships. Today, a lot of 20 million users are coming from every platform.

And the past "true and false happy net dispute" experience let Xu Chang fresh memories. So the birth of the pop is independent of the point of the brand, this is the same as everyone company push Happy net (fake net).

"Everyone did a good job in the student market. Happy net (fake net) do white-collar market is also particularly good. Then everyone out of the card is a lesson, everyone and happy net (everyone pushed the cottage net) merged, should not merge, each dozen. "Xu Chang said.

Happy net afterwards also to Tencent Science and technology, everyone launched false happy net originally rolled 001 tens of millions of users, did not timely deal with true and false happy net dispute let Cheng team in the early development encounter a major impact.

Xu Chang has a similar logic for dots and pops two products. If the PA on the basis of a point of extension, may offend the point of the old user, if the point changed to the appearance of the PA, the same may be lost old users. In addition, in the old business based on the extension, the burden is very heavy, always have to take into account the point of experience, including how to bind user data, account number, or better to make a whole.

Take root: "Minority" to "public"

Entrepreneurship This 3 years, Xu Chang experience Group buying wars, light blog wars and other waves. After the so-called war, many of the original Internet hotspot has become dust. Xu Chang realised that any wave had a low ebb.

Xu Chang said, big company background just make oneself leverage longer, pry move well, raise money more, but if have no fulcrum also can't pry up. In fact, the 360 chairman Zhou (Micro bo) now do search, play games company CEO Lee Colling (micro bo) do yy are experienced many times groping, even circuitous tactics.

Entrepreneurs need a sense of awe in their entrepreneurial path. The CEO of Wang (Weibo) is one of the entrepreneurial models in Xu Chang's eyes. Wang early that is that group buying is a marathon, is the local life service, rarely burn money, rarely do in kind, each step is very stable. But some other group-buying practitioners, in the entrepreneurial process has been no fear, the eventual failure or development setbacks.

Pop after nearly a year of development, in the user has a certain reputation, and attracted including small s, Li Bing, Huang Bo, kun, Jon, Michelle Reis, as well as Kai-fu Lee, Pan Shiyi and other celebrities settled in.

However, today's Xu Chang still have a deep sense of worry, experience light blog peaks and troughs of the Xu Chang deeply know, PA still only stay in the fun stage, "interesting" products can not maintain long-term vitality. To have a long life, it must become useful, as itouch only a few digital enthusiasts use, the iphone is popular all over the world.

This makes it necessary to become a tool for users to produce content by popping, and even doing a lot of unexpected things. If a user is playing the harmonica on the PA, telling jokes, and even the teacher can assign homework to the pupils in the PA.

Old people like to listen to plays or listen to storytelling. "I went home the year before last, parents spent 80 yuan, bought a device like the radio, card can listen to local drama, they listen to a half a month before cycling to the town for a new card." I immediately enlightened. Xu Chang said, "Why can't the pa become an old people can also use the product, just provide the corresponding content on it."

The concept of passive time is put forward by the PA. Xu Chang said, "Pop to do people in the ' passive time ' in the ' companion ' product, you can listen to songs, talk shows, listen to favorite jokes, listen to novels, pop with People's lives." ”

Of course, the Xu Chang team has been smarter, with the exception of snapping and dots, Xu Chang is still experimenting with new projects, including games, even as early as 2011. The experience of the past few years has made Xu Chang realize that a team has a big dream and must live in the present, and the game is undoubtedly the best source of cash flow for mobile internet companies.

Don't ask how far the PA can go, but ask how far the team can go.

Entrepreneurship a few years time, from the earliest Innovation workshop office, to the office near the Zhongguancun Book city, and then to the 798 office, the Xu Chang team has changed its office address three degrees, and other entrepreneurial internet companies, the team members also "exchange transfusion" many, many Tencent technology familiar face has left.

Xu Chang Frankly, now still to the original boss, Grand Chairman Chen is grateful, in their departure Chen overpass did a fair and impartial. Xu Chang said, everyone on and off is normal, in their own when the CEO, the staff is also the most important to be fair, just, clear conscience.

Employees can work together to start the most rare, there are companies on the eve of the sale of people to leave. Once there was a story, an employee did not believe that in the founder's office shouting to start a business, the founder of his share of the letter ripped off, the results of the company listed that year, he really cried a night, 100 million Yuan lost. The employee later reflected: How much is the stock worth now?

When it comes to choosing employees, Xu Chang said, sometimes people can't be too smart, people want to probity, and the boss can go very far. With the Shi Yuzhu go very far person, giant CEO Liu Wei, President Guixe are not particularly smart people, if the brain especially the spirit of smart people, early by other companies to dig the corner.

Stocky, regarded by Xu Chang as one of the greatest qualities of a pioneering partner. He pointed out that if everyone is as bright as Ma Yun, Alibaba's founding team of 18 Arhat will not be maintained until now.

Xu Chang said, the point of frustration also does not harm, make oneself realize who is following their own business, entrepreneurship is business behavior, success is not necessarily by doing the internet, more than just do light blog. As I said before, "you shouldn't ask me how far I can go, but how far my team can go." Even if the PA fails, we can do something else. ”