Yang so describe the Internet video company he is now in charge of

"When I talk about potatoes, I'm not just talking about Tudou," he said. "Yang describes the Internet video company he is now in charge of.

This March, Youku Potato Group announced the appointment of Yang as Tudou's president. This is the first time since the merger of Youku, Tudou's most important personnel changes.

Recently, Yang received an interview with the reporter, told him about adding potatoes. "Everyone is the director of life. "From the state power Company's clerk to the Internet video Company's president, Yang used his experience to make a new remark on the advertising language of potatoes."

People stories

Run away from the unit

1998, Yang, 24, graduated from Nanjing University Department of Comparative Literature. Because of the parents of the "Iron rice bowl," the insistence, he reluctantly gave up the Guangzhou a foreign company's employment letter, submit to the recommendation of the school, a single person came to the envy of Beijing, the state power company under a design Institute of the Foreign Affairs section as a civilian.

At that time Yang's daily work was to organize and draft speeches for leaders, as well as simple clerical management. In the State organs, the routine discussion and study is almost the main work, such as the whole afternoon of Tuesday, the collective reading of newspaper learning exchanges. Soon, he found that the style of leisure, scrupulous and seniority was not suitable for himself. That year was the first climax of the domestic Internet development, and Yang's office was equipped with a computer that could access the Internet through the telephone. Out of the love of the Internet and the real work atmosphere of the escape, Yang took the initiative to take all the computer needs to use the job, a long time "Occupy" the computer, have the opportunity to dial the Internet.

Like most young people, Yang didn't know what he was good at. It is in that period of time, Yang tried a variety of possibilities, secretly in the advertising company to do part-time, as a liberal arts students he also learned to pass the Microsoft Engineer Certificate.

After more than a year's entry, he was seconded to the World Bank to work with a group of foreigners in a collaborative project. "At that time I know that the original work can be like this, even if you are a small project assistant, we also respect you, the boss and staff can quarrel about one thing, the result is very important but the way of working can be very casual." Yang said that he could no longer afford to stay in office after the World Bank came back, and obsessed decided to leave. So he aimed at the internet companies crazy hair resumes, after six months of sea investment, finally in 2000 officially into the professional association.

From chef to housekeeper

Two years have passed quickly, and Yang has grown from "errands", the difference between marketing and sales, to the PR of Lenovo's Zhaoyang notebook series. In order to satisfy their curiosity to foreign companies, do more cool creative advertising, 2002 Yang joined Nokia, finished is nine years.

Yang has been grateful to Nokia, "I am not a returnee, is a turtle, but only an undergraduate, from the bottom of the market Commissioner began to dry, has been to the Greater China marketing and activity Marketing Director, full responsibility for all the Nokia products into China to promote, Nokia makes me feel like I have a little flair for marketing. "It is during Nokia, through the project cooperation, Yang met a number of video site boss, and with Youku founder Koo, Potato founder Wang and other people become buddies." This also for his later into the video industry to bury the foreshadowing.

"The soldier who does not want to be a general is not a good soldier", Yang's entrepreneurial drive is very suitable to use this sentence to describe. "When you have a little energy to make good meals, you naturally start thinking about starting a housekeeper." "In the 2010, Yang was no longer content to be a" chef, "but wanted to run his own business, thinking about finance, personnel, sales, culture, and products. At that time, he thought, as men in ancient times to fight, now men should try to start their own business, rather than live in other people's thoughts.

In the 2011, Yang, who liked the content image, gave up the high salary and ran away again. This time his choice is with Chen Shizhi, Hu Haiquan co-founded Matt Culture, Major entertainment and youth culture. At the end of 2012, Matt's revenue had almost reached 100 million.

Yang recalls that during the venture, his friend Koo gave him a lot of advice, including corporate architecture design and financing. March 2012, Yang also United domestic many video sites, founded the first domestic Internet focus on the entire platform image selection activities-the future image of Marx season. He remembers that during the opening of the video season, when Youku and the potatoes just announced a swap merger, the Koo, who had not yet started a shareholder vote, was asked to come from Hong Kong to attend the opening of the upcoming video season.

Invited to join potatoes

At the beginning of 2013, Koo and Yang a meeting, let Yang feel koo interested in inviting him to join.

"He came to me at first to look at Matt's status, and after looking at the finer finances, he asked me if I could help potatoes, even if I started out as a consultant, and I thought about what I might do if I was doing potatoes." Yang recalls.

Before the Spring Festival, Yang with a dozens of-page PPT to answer Koo, in front of the whole group of Youku potato executives explain their own idea of making potatoes. After that, Koo explicitly invited Yang to join the potato, "not to work, but to become the soul of potatoes, and potatoes into one." After the Spring Festival in 2013, Yang and Koo, Wang and many times, three people on the direction of potato development to and fro discussed several times, sometimes in Youku, sometimes in Matt, sometimes in bars or cafes.

In fact, this is not the first time Koo and Wang want to invite Yang to join the entrepreneurial management team. At the beginning of 2009, Youku was not listed, in a café in Beijing Street, Koo for the first time to find Yang to cool management market brand, and Wang is a few months ago proposed to let Yang potatoes responsible for business strategy. But Yang in the balance, or insist on their own first venture, declined two video website Big guy's invitation.

"In the absence of the combination of Youku and potatoes, the potato will be in the market competition to bite the cool, but also to do the young characteristics, two effective boxing is really difficult, at least I was not enough," Yang told reporters frankly. "But when Koo and Wang talked to me earlier this year about the possibility of adding potatoes, I thought the time was right." "In his opinion, a group of brothers can split up and have completely different dry laws, you do mainstream, I do young, and support each other." "At this point, I had a very deep discussion with Koo. ”

In the pursuit of the dream of the road, time is always the most ruthless whip. Yang smiled and said, "Everyone alive in the world can do little things, their own instant already fast 40, time is really not enough." "Entrepreneurship is a slow process of reaching a goal, and if Wang and Koo don't find me, I will continue to do it in Matt," Yang, who believes that the potato is speeding up his reach to the target, though still challenging and unknown, but he likes it.

Character sketch

It's hard to do something you love

Yang is a Scorpio, passionate about work and never satisfied, and will continue to challenge you when you reach your goal.

Yang belongs to the "workaholic", mouth said to potatoes after the work of the state is bitter forced No.1, but actually very enjoy, "you want to let me two or three days do not work, I will feel very uneasy." I like to hang myself on the internet anytime, anywhere, and check emails at any time, "Yang said." ”

In his opinion, do what you like to do, do not feel difficult and bitter, this is your self-inflicted.

Unlike the traditional impression of a serious, irritable, inflexible "workaholic", Yang is also a youth, personality, independent, interesting person, as he gave Tudou a new position.

Yang's public appearances often bring fun things, sometimes magic tricks and sometimes singing songs. March 1 This year, Yang for the first time as a Tudou new president of the identity of the debut. Yang in a casual suit with a red polo shirt, paired with a pair of sneakers, while singing rap with music, rap lyrics is self-introduction content, young and full.

As of now, in the yang of the operation, Tudou each of the press conference is a Tudou users of the offline carnival, venues, stage, music, lights are in accordance with the rhythm of the star meeting, Yang also always fashionable casual dress up to attend, and attend the activities of the artists together to stir the atmosphere very warmly.

Yang clock means to integrate life into the work, from his office environment can also be slightly peep one or two. He did not classify his own independent office in Tudou, but an open office area, which was arranged as very casual as the activity room. He couldn't stand sitting all day, so he added a standing computer. Behind his seat, there was even a whole wall of Van Gogh's "Starry Sky".

It is also because of such a boss, in Tudou can be seen hanging around the young creators of the engraving, you can also find Tudou employees on the skateboard wearing slippers to work. Yang always said, "I hope the team can work happily," comfort is the most important. ”

People dialogue

Yang: getting closer to profitability

The talk of potato marginalization has been circulating in the beginning, with the combination of cool and potato. To promote the differentiation of Youku and potatoes and achieve synergy, the Youku Potato Group announced an adjustment to its organisational structure in April this year. Yang add potatoes, what will be different?

Talking about the present situation

The potato crew needs to be in.

Q: Prior to the group's restructuring of the organization announced into the BU (business unit) of the operation phase, BU how much decision-making power?

A: After the BU, Youku and potatoes two brands operate independently, the group provides unified support. Bu has a lot of autonomy, including people, money, things, and even relatively independent. If you attend a company management executive meeting, you will find that the ancient Yong clang is not a bit like leadership, BU after he always said you need my support? How do you need me to support you?

Q: What will be the difference between BU and the group?

A: Usually first by each party to explain their own truth, the said all said, who is responsible for the matter and the responsible person who makes the decision. I and Koo in the perceptual and rational aspects have a tacit understanding, as if never had any differences. After setting the direction of the potato, the specific things did not meet any of his objections, perhaps in his view, I want to do is what he wanted to do, even if this thing failed, the cost of failure can be borne.

Q: What is the difference in the content of Youku potatoes at the moment?

A: Youku potatoes are actually relatively connected to the copyright content

Close, but the user's view of the copyright content is actually need to edit the recommendation. The recommendation of Youku's home channel is biased towards the mainstream, and potatoes are more likely to be viewed by young people than from the content selection to the entire page. Although it is the same vegetable market, but the cooking is not the same. In addition, in addition to the overall procurement, BU can also ask, "Happy boys" as an example, Youku has no potatoes, potatoes are the initiative to give up, I really want to know not fast men, potatoes will do. In the second half, the group will buy more young content for the exclusive potato.

Q: What do you think is the problem with potatoes?

A: When I first came to think the biggest problem is that we do not unity, unified direction, so I came in 100 days the most focused on the problem is people. Up to now all the areas of potato leaders are in place, the next step needs to be good, this requires a process. But at present the common cultural temperament is more and more clear, are to challenge, want to do some things, potato fan son. Feel that there is no big problem, the problem is solved.

Talking about strategy

Potatoes are more than Tudou.

Q: What will be the new game of Tudou in the future?

A: The future will be based on Tudou potatoes this cultural brand, not only the player, but let the playback content and users have associated. You'll get a clear sense of the relationship between potatoes and Tudou, and now I'm talking about potatoes, not just tudou. Potatoes have a video TV network called Tudou, but potatoes are a cultural brand, will involve brokers, music festivals, animation campus activities.

Q: How long does it take to get from a video site to a culture-branded company or website? Is there a plan or planning?

A: There is a certain plan, but it is not convenient to say, do it better first.

Q: What is the location of Tudou in it?

A: Hatchery pool, foundation. Tudou will be a two-way platform as an interactive platform, a way for us to learn more about the lifestyle of young people in China, where there are many young cultural orientations and products. From me potatoes began to prepare a youth culture team, a bit like the concept of the laboratory, responsible for youth culture observation, extraction, product.

Talking about competition

Potatoes have no rivals.

Q: Is there a competitor in Tudou?

A: There is no cultural brand of young people in China, so there is no competitor, only learning object. Some people say that potatoes do culture brand, you are not to make bags, is not to make clothes. I do not put the potatoes into the bag to put up, affixed to the clothes, or affixed to the computer, but to see the cultural needs of young people to do with the spirit of cultural brand products. When you make a product, it is not because it earns money, but because it matches the spirit of your cultural brand, and of course the cultural products you sell are commercially valuable.

Q: What is Tudou's expectation of profitability?

A: Based on Tudou brand, then potato income model will also change, not only rely on video site advertising revenue model, but also may take content marketing, cultural derivative models. Homemade play has been profitable, the current potato is one step closer to profitability, I am optimistic about the possibility of potato and youku profitability.

Q: What do you think of the horizontal mergers and acquisitions trend in the video industry?

A: I am not good at acquisitions, this is Koo's forte.