Zhang Chaoyang "Cliff plan": Sohu internal pioneering collective breakthrough

Intermediary transaction SEO diagnosis Taobao guest Cloud host technology Hall

[Reading] Tencent technology learned that in the past half a year, Sohu Portal, sales and wireless and other departments in varying degrees to promote the internal project of entrepreneurial incubation project.

Tencent Science and Technology Fan Xiaodong May 29 Report

China's Internet card table, the hands of not many good cards Sohu still have a chance to win?

It is not realistic to hope that after the comeback, Charles Zhang's magical magic is cast. Unlike Tencent's Ma (Weibo), he is extremely keen on product trends and diligent enough to turn on the front line at any time, and unlike Alibaba's Jack's (Weibo), he has strong enough potential in his area of focus. Over the past few years, Sohu missed the Weibo such a significant opportunity, in the video, search and other fields also did not get the lead, and Zhang's habit of "back" style of management is not unrelated--------------------------------

However, in another perspective, Zhang's above qualities may also make him more aware of his or her position in the game, thus quickly making decisions on how to arrange the combination. For example, he spun off swim and Sogou, support Sohu Video, these several business follow-up development and expansion so that Sohu is still able to stay on the table above.

There are indications that Charles Zhang has now made a new combination of plans, the recent round Sogou, Sohu Video of the serial capital transactions is one of the most important. In view of Zhang's consistent media complex, with Sogou trading likely to fall in June, its media and entertainment business as the core to rebuild Sohu's tendency to become clearer.

But this is clearly not the whole of Charles Zhang's plan to revamp Sohu. The person who understands Charles Zhang pointed out that Sohu concentrated resources "catch big" at the same time, must "put small": On the one hand, non-core business such as Sohu Weibo adjustment will be unavoidable, on the other hand, the internal project team also need to look for different ways to find out.

Tencent Science and technology learned that in the past half a year, Sohu Portal, sales and wireless departments in varying degrees to promote the internal project of entrepreneurial incubation project. The model and the previous Sohu swim, sogou early hatching process similar: Select the team, give commitment, and even introduce external investment, until the right time to split.

Sohu insiders privately described the quietly moving movement as a "cliff plan."

Cliff Plan

The so-called "Cliff plan" means to burn bridges and bite. As the attention of the outside world was attracted by rumours of a wave of sohu mergers, an internal "entrepreneurial" operation was quietly brewing inside the established Internet company.

Former Sohu Network deputy editor-in-chief, Sohu Weibo general manager Wang Zihui is involved in internal entrepreneurship. Wang Zihui recently revealed to Tencent that its team is developing a music social software with a mobile phone broadcast function, featuring voice-based media communication and social networking, which combines the advantages of micro-blogging and micro-credit. According to its said, the product five months ago began research and development, the middle also experienced many adjustments, is currently in the development of products, preparation operations, improve the team stage, but the team has been basically independent, in the short term will be from Sohu "weaning". Other sources say the Wang Zihui team has received an external investment.

Sohu's existing business with independent conditions of the team also at the top of the promotion of timely solo flight. People familiar with the matter said that Sohu Sales department has set up a separate precision marketing company, the main initiator is the company's co-president and chief Operating officer Wang and technical vice President Zhou Lin. Wang over the years in Sohu has been responsible for sales and marketing work, Zhou Lin is responsible for Sohu's network operations and data centers, the business and the two people work closely related. Earlier this year, Wang in public activities revealed that Sohu is exploring the new network of digital marketing methods, exerting force mobile Internet and large data mining.

Another insider pointed out that the wireless division is also at present Sohu internal entrepreneurship, one of the main platform, the department has set up a special name for the "Application of the Exploration Center" incubator, by the Department general manager Fang responsible. According to product planning, its recently launched three mobile applications are from a poem "Wild Fire, Spring wind and health" in the name, that is, the video application of "Wildfire", reading the application of "Spring Breeze", recruitment application "and health."

The wildfire video mainly provides the entertainment short video content which is suitable to spend the debris time on the mobile phone, 1-7 minutes long. And health is mainly for all types of migrant workers, allowing users to free release and search based on the location of the job opportunities, particularly convenient for shopping malls, restaurants, training institutions and other types of life services businesses to publish real-time job information. Mobile reading application Spring Breeze currently only provides the ipad version, it is noteworthy that the spring Breeze developers information for MTC Labs, last year also developed "moment+ Universal Camera" and "Please" two is currently not updated iphone applications, MTC Labs that belongs to Sohu Wireless.

However, the comprehensive information of the parties, Sohu has not to the internal entrepreneurship institutionalization, the overall promotion of the system. This from Zhang's recent statement can be seen, he recently interviewed pointed out that the internal entrepreneurship must be specific to the project specific treatment, select the project, the selection of the field, "smoothly push the boat", rather than "seed" type of entrepreneurship.

Bite

"Only by internal entrepreneurship and split is not good, just rely on me to let everyone struggle themselves is not." Can not simply say that the resolution of the split, the success of the game is not necessarily able to replicate. "Charles Zhang has a clear enough estimate of the risk of internal entrepreneurship.

With the influx of all kinds of wind investment and entrepreneurial teams, the competition in the Internet industry is much earlier than it used to be. Although Sohu still has a full platform of promotion and support channels, but compared to those in different vertical areas have long worked hard for many years of professional team, Sohu internal incubation products are enough grounding gas, user experience and product operations can keep up, but also to play a big question mark. For example, wildfire videos and fresh jobs were officially launched at Apple's app Store November 15 and February 1 last year, and currently have less than 30 user reviews.

To achieve Sohu's overall breakthrough, leaving Charles Zhang's time and space are limited.

The latest earnings showed Sohu's gross income in the first quarter of 2013 was $308 million trillion, up 3% from the previous quarter. After all, the increase in portal advertising is limited, which is an industry-wide trend, and its search business has been rapidly overtaken by Qihoo 360 in the past year. Over the years, Charles Zhang's Sogou has been "do not abandon, do not give up", after the retreat of his heart knot from the company's overall development needs to see, the future situation is likely to change.

The swim is still sohu best card, but 2013 first quarter income than the last quarter also grew only 6%, gradually touched the ceiling, old-fashioned more than, breakthrough. In particular, after the merger of the Seventh Avenue driving effect is leveling off, while the PC client game and the overall page tour in the weak period, in the emerging mobile gaming field, Sohu is not much of a big act. Compared with the results of recent years, we can see that there has been a downward trend in the number of online visitors in 2011 and 2012, and in the average contribution of each active user.

Sohu Video will still be regarded as a core strategy by Charles Zhang. In the recent Sohu video "Sprint good Voice" release will be in the media interview, Zhang Chaoyang positioning for the media and Entertainment group, and said that video will be the main platform for China's image transmission, to use the group's strength to strive for development. Zhang told Tencent technology: "I am very interested in music and dance, which is a natural interest." This kind of literary complex also runs through the growth course of the whole Sohu since its inception. ”

However, the former has gifted cool potatoes, after Baidu Archie art together pps, even if Sohu video bearer more idealistic complex, but also need to think about the future of Sohu. After all, Sogou input method, Sohu News client These Sohu in the vertical field of relatively more successful product bearer business opportunities Limited, in more representative of the future of the field and business model, Sohu layout exists huge short board.

How to play the next card, the time to test the skills of Charles.