Some time ago, the number of visits to the George Washington University community hellowu exceeded 10 million. This number may not be so significant in China, but for an overseas, regional Chinese website, it is already a very remarkable milestone.
Many people may have forgotten or don’t even know about this project I did. Let me briefly introduce it. This website is a community for Chinese international students I built for George Washington University (GWU) when I started studying abroad in 2012. The main user group of the website is Chinese students and scholars at GWU. It has since gradually become the largest Chinese platform in Washington, DC, far ahead of similar websites. Different from the initial turmoil, in 2014, only 1-2 people occasionally managed and operated the entire website, and the system was changed to almost fully automated and barrier-free.
Let’s start with a set of data to brag:
Website online: 1624 days
US website ranking (including English): the highest is within 10,000, the average is 40,000
Alexa global ranking: highest within 100,000, average 280,000
Users: 233,000 registered users, 25,000 certified users, 13,000 edu mailbox users
Average online users (including mobile APP clients, calculated in 30 minutes): 763 people
Maximum number of people online at the same time: 50,190
After bragging, let’s officially get to the point and share my insights and experiences with everyone.
In the past few years, I have also been trying to start a business. The strategic policy is to learn and accumulate. I know that the resources are not enough to do it independently. The main strategy is to join other teams and accumulate while doing it. The more projects I have participated in, the more I understand about entrepreneurship.
Since 2014, it seems that everyone around them has been talking about starting a business. Under the call of the policy, more and more people have started their own attempts. However, after a few years, most of them are as expected, a sea of blood. To sum up, a lot of things are actually obvious from the beginning. Good entrepreneurship is actually divided into several levels. The first level is whether the idea is good and feasible, the second level is whether the team is qualified (capable), and the third level is how well the execution is... Only when these three thresholds are crossed can the entrepreneurship be considered on track, and these three levels have blocked most projects.
Let’s talk about ideas first. I have heard too many people have too many ideas. There are many good ideas. Many of them can indeed make users feel comfortable and have market space, but I am still not optimistic about them. The reasons are divided into two aspects,
1. Pain points and itching points
These two are completely different things. There will often be quarrels when explaining this, because the understanding of this depends purely on personal experience and experience, as well as the control of the market. People with different experiences and levels cannot talk about it at all, because there will be problems in understanding. To give a very typical example, Didi's recent predicament. A year ago, based on my experience, I concluded that domestic taxi-hailing software would be in difficulty. This judgment was very arbitrary, but I have a solid basis. Although it has been reported several times, I will mention it here as an example.
Policy is one aspect and we will not discuss it. The key question is, do we really need it? I admit that taxi-hailing software makes me feel very comfortable and I like using it very much, but why do I think that the United States has a chance of success but not the country?
- The United States has a discrete distribution (population and facilities), while China has an aggregated distribution. In the United States, it is almost impossible to go somewhere without a taxi (there are very few public buses, and they do not go everywhere), so everyone has a car and drives wherever they go. China is not like that. Public transportation is very developed. The difference between taking a taxi and taking a bus is only in terms of time and enjoyment, and it does not affect whether you can successfully reach your destination.
- There are so many taxis in China that you can’t wait to go downstairs, but in the United States, you almost never call for a taxi and there are no taxis at all. I just want to point out that not having software will not prevent you from getting a taxi.
- The last question is that due to dispersion and relatively even population distribution, the cost of taxis will be much lower in the United States where roads are developed. But China is not like that. Imagine if I want to go to a place in the suburbs, a taxi picks you up and drives there, and then there is no one to take a taxi there, so I can only drive back empty and do business again. What a loss of business. There is an extreme conflict here. Doing it in the suburbs will make you lose money, while doing it in the urban area will not have a huge advantage.
Based on the above point of view, I came to such an "arbitrary" conclusion that Internet companies want to make profits, and burning money is only a temporary behavior. When they occupy the market, they must consider costs and profits. When a taxi-hailing software can help me change from being unable to arrive to being able to arrive, I will definitely choose it. When the price is similar to that of a taxi, but it is just convenient, I will also choose it. But when the price exceeds the convenience, I will choose to take a taxi downstairs.
When using taxi-hailing apps in China, I encountered a strange experience. Taxis always call you to confirm where you are and what color your clothes are. Why do you do this when you obviously have GPS? Firstly, the density in the country is really terrible (I found out after I came out). Secondly, the domestic infrastructure is really not up to par. There are many roads where it is impossible to stop and pick people up. Thirdly, the quality of domestic taxi app drivers is really not that good, and the GPS is not working properly.
Having said so much, there may be obstacles in understanding pain points and itches. Think about O2O projects, such as door-to-door car washing, door-to-door massage, and fast food delivery. The focus is on the convenience that the Internet brings to people, but what is ignored is the pain points and itching points. When it is a pain point, I have to have it. I can hardly move without him. When it is an itching point, I am very happy to have him. Without him, it seems that there is not much difference.
Many ideas are good when applied to oneself, but are not satisfactory when implemented, because execution has a cost. Everyone has a reason to take a bite of the pie falling from the sky, but once the pie costs money, no one is willing to pick it up, and there will be food to eat when they go home.
Although I am young, I have been involved in the Internet industry for more than ten years and have experienced many projects. With these experiences, it is actually easy to distinguish the quality of projects. Many times when others tell me about ideas, one or two questions can end the conversation. Too many people have an idea and then just go ahead and do it without thinking carefully at all. Even the team members have not thought about it. There are several key points: 1. Whether the users of what you are doing actually need it. 2. Where are my users? 3. How to find them? 4. How to carry out targeted introduction and promotion?
A good project can find the target users. If you can't figure out where the target users are at once, or you find the target users but can't think of a way to reach the users (whether from a human or other perspective), then it is not a good project.
Another criterion for a good project in my opinion is simplicity. If you can describe clearly in one sentence what the project does and its main functional points, it means that the project is simple and clear.
In conclusion, anything is not a project after being added to the Internet, and users are indeed lazy, but users may also be too lazy to die, too lazy to want to use your product.
2. Team issues
When I was in school, I didn’t experience first-hand the impact of a team on entrepreneurship. After leaving campus, I discovered that the impact of a team on entrepreneurship is very great. At critical moments, it can even determine success or failure. Many times, a thing is about the person who does it, not the thing itself. People in every key position in entrepreneurship are very important. In particular, leaders in marketing, technology, and operations are particularly important. Internet projects only have these three parts. Technology is important in the early stage, and market and operations are important in the later stage.
In today's society, it is no longer possible to use one person's resources to complete market, technology and operations. Division of labor and cooperation are essential. At this time, the problem arises. If any of the people in the team responsible for these three areas is missing or there is no suitable candidate, the project will easily fail.
Let’s talk nonsense here for a while. I am not born in technology. If you insist on labeling me, please label me born in management. Technology is just my interest. When I graduated from undergraduate degree, I felt interested in studying for further studies, so I chose computers. It can only be said that I became a monk halfway. Before I was a graduate student, I was mostly engaged in operations and marketing matters.
For Internet projects, the most lacking resource is definitely market talent. Why do you say this? First, although it is difficult to find suitable technical personnel, you can still find them if you take a little time, and they are not as important as operations and market in the later stage. The core of the early stage of the project is technology, and technology can be controlled strictly. Second, operation is a discussed "technology" with many methods. Sometimes it relies on a sudden flash of inspiration, but most of the time it is a tedious job. As long as it is not easy to make mistakes, it is not easy to excel. The market is different. A good market has resources. Market resources are not as simple as knowing a few people and knowing a few channels, but having effective means to promote, such as understanding the user group and the user group’s behavioral channels, such as being able to quickly establish a promotion team, distributed promotion, etc. Many good projects are successful because of the CTO's efforts in the early stage and the CMO's efforts in the later stage.
Speaking of CTOs and CMOs, I have to say that domestic entrepreneurship is very impetuous. I have seen many start-up teams with several people, various Cs, and various chairmen. I have always believed that people who have been labeled C before they successfully raise Series A and have no ability to self-generate are slap themselves in the face. Starting a business is for ideals and dreams, but just to show off, I feel so inferior.
3. About Internet Entrepreneurship
I have always felt that not everyone can start a business on the Internet, nor is it suitable for everyone. First of all, Internet entrepreneurship is an industry with very low barriers to entry. There are no high barriers to entry in terms of content, technology, or market.
So what kind of person is suitable for Internet entrepreneurship? My answer is those who have long-term experience and resources in a certain field. How should I put it, for example, if you are starting a content business, you need to have a deep understanding of this type of content, know what resources are available, and what kind of content is lacking in the market. For another example, there are many apps or websites being built now. This type of business is best started by people who have been in the Internet industry for a long time and people who have been in the target market for a long time. Why? First of all, making a website or APP is not as simple as imagined. There are so many technical points that people can’t imagine. It’s like building a car. It may be able to move with four wheels and a shell, but it is very different from the car produced by the automobile factory. You will know it when you run. The other piece is the market. The car is built, but the target market doesn’t know how to enter it. At this time, it’s best to have resources in this area. Therefore, it is best for technicians who are involved in this market to do this.
When it comes to technology, I have to say that due to the rise of the Internet, technology has now become a thorny and hot industry, but the level of employment is also uneven. Why do I say this? I have encountered many cases before. When building an APP or website in the early stage, I dug a big hole in order to save money or not find the right person. Many people who have never done technology have a misunderstanding, that is, this thing is quite simple, why does it take so long to do, why is it so expensive... If you think so, then most of your projects will be dead. The same house may have the same exterior facade, but the internal structure can be completely different. This difference is reflected in the details, which will become the key to success or failure in the future.
“Why can’t I do the same product when my competitors can do it? I want it too!”
"I'm sorry, it wasn't designed like this at the beginning. It can't be changed. Otherwise, we have to redo it."
4. Entrepreneurship in the United States
Let me tell you my summary first. If you are doing Chinese Internet projects in the U.S. market, you should transform quickly. Why do you say that? Look at the Chinese entrepreneurial projects in the United States. How many eventually turned into the domestic market + the American Chinese market, and how many turned into the American Chinese market + the American market? To avoid suspicion, I won’t nominate. You can take a look for yourself and feel free to communicate privately.
The point I have always held is that entrepreneurship must target the US market or the domestic resource market. The problem with doing business in the U.S. market is getting started. You need a partner who understands Americans and whether you can win the first 1,000 users. In comparison, it is easier to operate the domestic resource market. First of all, the barrier issue is that domestic companies do not know much about the United States, which is a very high barrier. Secondly, the market issue is that competition in the American market is relatively small, so you can start quickly and then target the country. In addition, this way you can label yourself as an American company and have a relatively high standard. You have to admit that the domestic market is still in the ignorant stage and the ability to think independently is still lacking.
postscript
I have wanted to write this article for a long time, but it has been delayed for nearly two months. I wrote some before but never had time to update. I feel quite helpless after work. I have ideas during the day but no time to write, and at night I am too tired to write. It’s hard to take an unpaid leave for yourself. Nowadays, winter and summer vacations are considered important. They can greatly increase creativity and imagination, and you can work more passionately after a break. Unfortunately, capitalism does not accept this theory.
The article is a bit anticlimactic. I wrote a lot in the early stage, but in the later stage I was a little bit obsessed with completing it. A lot of things are not unfolded. Things in 2016 will end in 2016. I’ll talk to you more when I have time.
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Original author:Jake Tao,source:"Written at 10 million - talk about the past four years of development, operation, and market experience."
Comment list (6 items)
[…] The issue of dispersion was mentioned before when talking about UBER (portal). For UBER, this is a plus, but it is extremely detrimental to Didi. In terms of second-hand transactions, this is very detrimental to APPs in the United States. On the contrary, it is extremely beneficial to Xianyu. […]
The main problem with domestic entrepreneurship is that some ideas that work in the United States will not work in China. For example, some things that can increase productivity cannot be sold in China.
In terms of industries, China is mainly about food, drink and entertainment (translated into Mandarin as "consumption upgrade"), the education and art industry makes money, and the rest is government policy arbitrage.
@xl ：I think the biggest problem in China is the cost of integrity. Many good ideas in the United States ignore the cost of integrity and only add user restrictions at the end. in the country, we must think about how to block users from the beginning and not take advantage of loopholes.
Thanks to the webmaster, Tao, he speaks from the bottom of his heart, is sincere, and has valuable information.
I would like to elaborate on some details:
"The last question is that due to dispersion and relatively even population distribution, in the United States, where roads are developed, the cost of taxis will be much lower. But in China, this is not the case. Imagine if I want to go to a suburban place, and a taxi picks you up and drives there, and then there is no one to take a taxi there, so you can only drive back with an empty taxi to do business. This is such a loss-making business. There is an extreme conflict here. While doing business in the suburbs is a loss, there is no huge advantage in doing business in the urban area."
Taxis in China are still much cheaper than in the United States. Hangzhou, which is famous for being "difficult to take a taxi", is an exception in China because 1. Hangzhou's government restricts taxi licenses and 2. Hangzhou's labor costs are high. Whether domestic roads are developed depends on the specific region. For example, the density of roads in Shandong has exceeded population density and current industrial demand.
The most important point is that domestic taxi drivers actually hope to take long routes such as suburban areas. The reason is very simple. Although there are few people in the suburbs, taxi companies and the government have already considered the factor of "empty return trip" when calculating prices at the beginning, so the unit price of a taxi is generally 50% higher when it exceeds 10km. This is a big account. Therefore, drivers are very willing to go to the suburbs because the return per unit time is high. What's more, due to the rapid expansion of urban areas, many suburbs have become urban areas. Drivers have to return to their destinations - however, the 10-kilometer range has not changed, causing drivers to like to run long distances. The third reason is that when going to the suburbs, you usually take the urban expressway (as opposed to the dense traffic lights and traffic jams in downtown)
Didi also has a great function, that is, cross-city ride-hailing, which is particularly useful in urban agglomerations such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta.
@xl ：This is indeed the case. This is to study the market in detail. These are all costs in China, unlike the United States where the level of uniformity is very high. The interests and policies of various local governments in the country are different, and it costs a lot to weigh them well. Furthermore, the development speed and methods of each locality are different. There are many shadows of war that need to be explored, which is why UBER from outside does not want to do it. The cake is quite big, but it is not easy to cut.
Awesome Tao Shuai