Clean up

I'm about to enter the next phase of my life, and while organizing what I wrote during a flight, I realized I had a lot left unfinished. So I decided to compile it all into one piece, titled "Clean Up," and release it all at once. There's no connection between the paragraphs.

Random Thoughts on Flight (March 2020)

The leisure time on an airplane always makes me want to write something and share it, so I named this type of article "Flight Musings".

I recently discovered a new feature on Douyin: watching TV dramas. Many editors on Douyin have created numerous clips of great TV dramas, especially during the pandemic. The allure of online traffic has made their efficiency incredibly high, and it's amazing how many people in China have so much free time. Extracting the key points of TV dramas and posting them as short videos, while posing potential copyright issues, has fulfilled my need to watch some long-missed dramas. In our fast-paced society, it seems like a great way to do so.

I recently finished watching the long-awaited "Genesis" and "The Great Era," and started watching the oldest version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," which gave me a lot of insights.

Talented horses are common, but discerning judges are rare; discerning judges are common, but opportunity is unpredictable.

The Three Kingdoms period was filled with countless famous generals and strategists, but only a few became famous. It's not that the others were inferior to them, but rather that they had one or more opportunities to showcase their talents to the world. Those who were born at the wrong time could only remain unknown. The best example is that we remember the Five Tiger Generals of Shu, but underestimate the generals of Wei and ignore the generals of Wu.

While both Shu and Wei generals were renowned, Shu generals weren't necessarily superior to Wei generals. However, Shu generals demonstrated their abilities in early battles, while Wei generals were far more numerous. Although Wei also fought many battles, individual generals had limited opportunities to shine. Furthermore, due to Wei's strength, many victories didn't fully reflect a general's abilities. Only battles like the Battle of Guandu, where the weak defeated the strong, made a few famous generals/strategists memorable. Wu generals were even more unfortunate, situated in Jiangdong and receiving little opportunity to showcase their talents, thus remaining less remembered. But were Wu generals truly inferior to Wei and Shu generals?

Looking back at the present, the same principle applies. When talent is scarce, capable people can easily demonstrate their abilities. However, in places where talent abounds, a "talent scout" is often needed to introduce them. But in this era of abundant talent, people's main demand is no longer for talent, but for workers, which makes it even more difficult for talented people to stand out.

From another perspective, joining a talent-rich organization might not offer many opportunities, unless you arrive early and are already trusted by your "lord." If you want to showcase your talents, you need to join struggling organizations, where you'll have more "battles" to participate in. The worst option is to join a stable organization lacking ambition, where even exceptional talent will be underestimated.

Managing people is an art, and not everyone is good at it.

I used to think that recognizing and utilizing talent wasn't difficult, but I've found it's not. If your immediate supervisor possesses this skill, then congratulations. "Recognizing and utilizing talent" not only places everyone in their proper positions but also prevents the sabotage of "parasites," allowing the entire team to operate efficiently. However, things often don't go as planned. Many managers have risen through the ranks without professional training or relevant knowledge, participating in management solely based on experience in a specific field. This is the majority of cases, and in such situations, they only need "workers," failing to utilize individual talents effectively, let alone leverage personal abilities. I've seen many instances of "Pang Tong"-style burying of talent, placing a capable general among soldiers and then accusing the soldier of not putting in the effort.

Taking things for granted is not the norm in the world.

Arriving in Seattle, especially after changing jobs, shattered many of my preconceived notions. Many things I used to take for granted turned out to be different. Here are a few examples:

• Management is a skill that requires experience; everyone can learn it over time.
• Startups offer a better chance to showcase your abilities
• Capable people will find opportunities anywhere.
• Big companies are full of interesting and talented people.
• …

(I probably didn't finish writing it at the time; it was published internally, but my train of thought broke, so I didn't continue writing it.)

Miscellaneous (November 2019)

Second-class customers

Recently, I've been exposed to a lot of different services related to moving and changing jobs, and the more I encounter them, the more I realize the value of these services.

In the past, under harsher conditions, people stopped appreciating the added value of products in order to ensure their own access to them. However, as consumption levels have risen, simply having enough to eat and wear is no longer sufficient, and the consumption of "services" has gradually begun. Due to differences in consumption concepts and social classes, different levels of services have naturally emerged, progressing from non-existent to meticulous and attentive.

Another factor influencing whether or not a "service" is needed is time cost. When one's time cost is high, purchasing a "service" is equivalent to purchasing time, allowing one to save more time and energy to handle more important matters.

Such examples abound in daily life. Take the iPhone from a few years ago, for instance. Many people used it simply because it was "user-friendly," requiring minimal effort to manage and set up. It was easy to use, with convenient features and a very low learning curve. It also offered good compatibility for everyday life, ensuring it wouldn't let them down in crucial moments. Another example is the airline tier system. To better differentiate and serve users, different tiers have different priorities. Users can purchase tickets based on their needs, and frequent use of the same alliance or airline can lead to a higher tier, thus rewarding the user. Apartment rentals are another example, and so on.

That's not my main point. What I want to criticize in this section is the so-called "service" in China. I don't know if it's because Chinese users don't deserve service, or if the demographic dividend is so good that companies don't need to attract users through service. Many large companies in China, whether in the internet or traditional service industries, don't care much about customer service, and they don't even have value-added services or user tier systems to differentiate customers. Often, when you use a product, you only enjoy the product itself. Once a problem occurs, there's absolutely no guarantee, and the brand value instantly drops to zero.

What's even more surprising is that almost no company seems to value user feedback. Perhaps there are just too many users and the sheer volume of feedback makes it impossible to review them all. But why not differentiate between user levels, or at least look at the feedback from loyal users, so that both sides benefit? The lack of user feedback means that upper management is completely unaware of the situation at the lower levels, and cannot guarantee or control service quality. Hmmm, maybe there's no such thing as "service" at all?

Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of consumption mindset. People have only recently become more affluent, and their understanding of "service" is still quite limited, as is their appreciation of enjoyment. Perhaps when more and more users become aware of these things, the overall environment will improve.

P.S., I suddenly thought of another factor. In many cases, the high-end industry in China serves people who "suddenly" become rich or who "inherit" wealth. In such cases, they do not need to do branding through long-term services, but only need to play the "awesome," "high-class," and "distinguishing themselves from the rich" card. In an immature market, it is too early to talk about services.

Companies held hostage by the Internet

I've recently become very grateful that I'm managing my own little plot of land and operating my own products, without being held hostage by capital.

As I mentioned a few years ago, during that period of explosive growth in capital, all sorts of people started their own businesses. In the past two years, most of those people have failed, and the remaining elites have begun a new round of battles after the baptism.

Once a company secures funding, it becomes responsible to its investors, making growth its top priority. This continuous growth aims to satisfy the appetites of capitalists, often at the cost of sacrificing its original aspirations and doing things it's unwilling to do. Last year, influenced by the overall economic climate and the diminishing demographic dividend, many companies opted for market penetration into lower-tier cities, aiming to reach a larger user base. However, this strategy has resulted in a loss of original purpose; more and more products have followed this path and are no longer what they once were.

Small circles have always been a way of life for humans. The internet brought the concept of a global village, bringing together countless small circles into one large one. However, as users transitioned from initial excitement and fervor to rationality, they found that they didn't gain the desired benefits from this larger circle; instead, it brought a lot of discomfort. People from different backgrounds and with different experiences often find it difficult to communicate, and the virtual nature of the internet easily leads to misunderstandings. This is where friends from the same comfort zone become especially valuable. Then, most products are held hostage by capital, forced to choose to penetrate lower-tier markets, which is frustrating.

My sense of relief comes from the fact that I can control myself, I can do what I want, and my self-actualization has not yet depended on external forces.

The mind can't keep up with what the eyes see

Last year I traveled a lot and met many different people. The more people I met, the more I realized how different people are. Life is finite, and we can't experience all the wonders of the world. Without experiencing them, we can't truly understand them. The more we experience, the deeper our understanding of certain things becomes, and the more we realize our own insignificance.

We only experience a fraction of what's in a lifetime. Many people live happily because they've found a balance: doing what they love, knowing what they need to know, and making friends with like-minded people. Especially the last point—humans are social animals, and communication is essential. Often, people with different experiences and ideas simply can't communicate, especially those who lack experience but are overly confident. They tend to speak in a one-sided way, and you're too embarrassed to tell them, so you don't get the enjoyment of communication from them.

I feel like I've gone off-topic again. Recently, I've noticed a rather pitiful group of people, and I hope they realize this (though I doubt it's likely) – those working in high-end service industries. Why do I say this? They are experiencing a state far beyond what they could normally access, and this gap can be very psychologically damaging, creating a false illusion – "I've already reached this level."

To put it simply, it's like an ancient person suddenly arriving in the modern world, witnessing the conveniences of modern life—airplanes, cars, cell phones, the internet—and then returning to ancient times. What would they think then? Of course, they'd feel dissatisfaction with reality and boast about what they saw, but it wouldn't be of any use because those things couldn't be created in that era. Few would be motivated to strive harder because of it.

The popular reality show "Transformation" from a few years ago also drew criticism for this point: once rural children experience urban life and integrate, the psychological gap they feel when they return home is enormous, causing significant psychological problems. Fortunately, they are still children and can be guided, with plenty of time to strive and realize their dreams. But for an adult experiencing this, the greater feeling might be despair.

Ideology

A few days ago we talked about Taiwan, and here I'll specifically discuss ideology. Everyone has this; it's a conclusion drawn from environment, experience, and education. As we age, this conclusion deepens, eventually forming an ingrained consciousness. This applies to politics, religion, and our understanding of things, among other things.

In my personal opinion, I feel very sorry for people who are held hostage by ideology, because their thinking is no longer open, and sometimes they even pitifully use this ideology to explain their incompetence and unhappiness in life.

It's a good thing for people to have their own theoretical systems, but it's terrible if they don't open up and accept the world because of their own systems. It's foolish to judge the world based on one's own narrow life.

(It seems I haven't finished writing it yet, ┓( ´∀` )┏)

Some Reflections (October 2019)

(It seems like I only wrote some titles)

Some people are not good at first, but gradually they start to improve; others do a good job of putting on a good show at first, but gradually their problems are exposed.

It's really hard to get along with people who have a narrow perspective; you're thinking about the sky, while they're only concerned with trivial matters.

I don't want to satisfy everyone's needs, nor can everyone understand the deeper meaning behind it, so there's no need to spread it too widely. What's important is within which group it's spread.

Let's talk about Luckin Coffee (September 2019)

Lately, I've really been falling behind the times. The pace of many things in China is getting faster and faster; it feels like everything is done straight to the point, without any hesitation or delay. Suddenly, Luckin Coffee became a hit and even went public, leaving me completely bewildered.

After studying their model, I found it to be very much in line with the capital monetization model: make a big splash and then open stores like crazy, lowering profits to create the illusion of high demand, with most buyers likely drawn by bargains or novelty. After inflating the data, they raise funds and go public, then cash out their initial shares and exit (although this hasn't happened yet, it's a prediction). This blatant money-grabbing model benefits ordinary users, who receive tangible benefits, while top investors profit, and those who follow the trend are the ones who get fleeced.

Such cases are tried and true time, and are also very easy to identify. The internet industry has evolved from initially focusing on user acquisition without generating profit, to now where everyone is looking at profit models and concrete business logic. The market is becoming more rational; it's clear that pure internet marketing can't fool people anymore, so they've resorted to "internet + xx" to deceive, taking traditional models, applying internet operations and IPO mechanisms, and then playing the game again.

(It's not finished yet, so please bear with it.)