Reinventing the Millennium

Groupon is very new. A Group is a group and a Coupon is a coupon. As the name suggests, there are discounts for group purchases.

It was just established seven months ago and first operated in Chicago. After the model improved, it copied and expanded to cities in the eastern United States such as New York and Boston.

Therefore, Fang Zhuo’s evaluation of Lei Jun is true. At this time, he can pay attention to Groupon abroad and think about the prospects of this model and its domestic potential. It is indeed a “very keen vision”.

No wonder Lei Jun's investment business is doing well.

Groupon later also entered China and was directly transliterated into "Gopeng.com". It mainly gathered users and obtained big discounts from merchants. The first group purchase launched in the United States was a buy-one-get-one-free deal with a pizza shop next to the company. , allowing the pizza shop to increase sales and consumers get discounts.

This development model is quite light, linking merchants on one end and users on the other, allowing multiple parties to get what they need through the Internet, optimizing resource allocation to a certain extent.

With the rapid development of Groupon, domestic people of insight quickly started to study, and websites such as Meituan, Lashou, and Wowo launched a wave of fierce competition in the "Thousand Group War."

Fang Zhuo vaguely remembered that the "thousands of groups" seemed not an exaggeration. At some point in time, there were between five and six thousand group buying websites in China.

One of the main reasons for this grand occasion is that Google made a $6 billion acquisition offer for Groupon, which was founded just over a year ago.

The establishment time is too short, the expansion speed is too fast, and the acquisition price is too high.

In addition, the business model is easy to understand, which makes many people want to copy the myth of Groupon's development.

But there probably seems to be no Lei Jun in this.

Fang Zhuo thought about it for a second and felt that Lei Jun was really affected by Yike's development.

Maybe it was because his years in Jinshan were too hard. The names of the investment companies Lei Jun later established were all called "Shunwei Capital", and they focused on following the trend. Now Yike's domestic layout probably prevents him from seeing the mobile phone industry. It is not for the sake of the general trend.

"Mr. Lei intends to be a distinguished guest in China?" Fang Zhuo calmed down his slightly ups and downs and asked with concern.

Lei Jun said seriously: "I do consider starting a career on my own, not just investing."

Fang Zhuo became interested: "If you do it, what will the company be called?"

Lei Jun was a little shocked. Why did Mr. Fang ask for his name all of a sudden?

He thought about it carefully, shook his head and said, "I haven't considered this yet. Has Mr. Fang thought of any good names?"

Fang Zhuo sincerely suggested: "If you do it, how about calling it 'Xiaomi'?"

Lei Jun frowned, what an incomprehensible name, who created a company with this name?

Shen Nanpeng, who was standing next to him, noticed that Mr. Fang was very interested and felt strange in his heart. However, he was a little interested in the new project that the two of them were communicating with. People like Mr. Fang had obviously noticed it a long time ago, otherwise Mr. Lei would not have known it as soon as he mentioned it. look……

He also made a joke: "As the saying goes, in the Buddhist view, a grain of rice is as big as Mount Sumeru. It is good to choose the word 'rice'. It is vulgar and elegant, but it is not easy for users to intuitively understand it by calling it Xiaomi. Since this Groupon is about gathering people into groups, why not call it 'rice group'?"

Lei Jun really likes the previous words, but...are you really kidding?

He shook his head and said with the same joke: "Mr. Fang, I think it's good to be called 'Yituan'. If you put the word 'Yi' in the head, things will go smoothly."

Fang Zhuo laughed.

Lei Jun also laughed, but he really thought about the name in his heart, 'Yituan', easy to group, very good group, which is in line with the theme of group buying, um, it can also secretly stir up some Yike-type anger transport.

He suddenly shuddered again, "No, Mr. Fang kicked Dangdang if he couldn't open the door. Gao De didn't want money, Mr. Fang always called friends to force him to give money. Using such a name is unlucky and can easily bring disaster."

"There's no hurry about the name. It's better to think about the model carefully first and then take your time." Fang Zhuo's bad taste passed, he picked up the tea cup and said with emotion, "The mobile Internet will change everyone's business model, and this is one of them."

Lei Jun heard this emotion and became more confident about the prospects of group buying.

However, he plans to go back and think about it carefully to see how this method can be used in China.

Mr. Fang also seemed to be familiar with new foreign models, but Lei Jun felt that he and Mr. Fang were not in a happy conversation. He hesitated for a moment and saw Shen Nanpeng asking questions again, so he silently gave up the idea of ​​continuing to talk about group buying.

Shen Nanpeng came from a business background and enjoyed the feeling of investing after bringing his company to Nasdaq. He and Mr. Fang had many topics they wanted to talk about.

In comparison, Lei Jun's trajectory is somewhat similar, but he still can't let go of his career thoughts and is not content with his status as an "angel investor".

What is an angel investor?

If the enterprise is successful, it can be a business. If the enterprise is not successful, it can also be a business, like that Li Guo... forget it.

Lei Jun listened to the exchange between the two people in the CEO's office, and there was a fire in his heart that had never been extinguished, ready to explode in the wind, but... could he really do it?

"Mr. Shen, Mr. Lei, you may have heard about UC's rejection of Yike's investment." Fang Zhuo talked about the recent setbacks and was willing to share ideas to spark sparks. "I thought about it again and again, since UC is not willing to , then we at Yike can only develop a suitable mobile browser ourselves."

Shen Nanpeng was not too surprised. Mr. Fang, that's right. How can you always be strong?

"Just before you came, I was still reading reports in this area. The company was considering using Google's open source chromium to make a simple and stable browser." Fang Zhuo's focus is not on browsers, but on open source. Thoughts, "After reading the report, I was thinking, Google's open source is really easy to use. Android is open source, but it makes GMS mobile services to occupy the entrance. Chromium is open source, and it successfully makes Chrome."

Chromium is Google's open source project. Developers can work together to improve it. Then Google will collect the improved Chromium and release the improved installation package. To simply understand, Chromium is an experience version and Chrome is the official version.

The former is open source and the latter is not.

What Fang Zhuo laments is the use of open source methods to create successful products. This is not limited to Google, but many companies do this.

Shen Nanpeng roughly understood what Mr. Fang meant, thought for a moment, and said: "Last year, oh no, it was the year before last, I liked a historical drama broadcast on Mango TV called "The Ming Dynasty 1566". There was a character in it who had a line, Confucius As I said, do it if you know you can’t do it.”

Fang Zhuo smiled, knowing exactly what was coming next: "This means that when doing something, don't ask whether it is possible, but ask whether it should be done."

If it's the direction that should be done, then do it. If it's difficult, then work together and do it through open source.

If you can't see the benefits for a while, it's hard to imagine how to go from laboratory to commercialization and how to implement it. But if you know the future direction, you still have to invest in it if you have spare energy.

Android is like this, Chromium is like this.

The seven major directions discussed at the annual meeting are as follows.

The same goes for the group buying we just talked about.

The three people in the office each have different personalities, but they all have a tough background.

Fang Zhuo thought of foreign technology research because of mobile browsers, while Shen Nanpeng watched business development and was willing to be friends.

And Lei Jun... He was shocked, and felt a strong touch. He didn't ask whether it was possible to do something, but asked whether it should be done?

Group buying has its prospects, and even Mr. Fang recognizes this, but can he find a team, can he venture into areas he has never done before, and can he really replicate Groupon?

If you really have a bright future and you are not willing to just be an ordinary investor, then you should start another career.

Lei Jun took a deep breath and drank half a cup of herbal tea. He then listened to Mr. Fang talking with great interest about the open source he wanted to try. It was the "consumer electronics", "cloud computing" and "artificial intelligence" mentioned at the annual meeting. "We must learn from foreign open source models in other directions.

"I don't know if it will work. If this can cultivate more talents in these directions, it would be good." Fang Zhuo said with a smile, "If you know what you can't do, do it. I will write a word later."

Lei Jun and Shen Nanpeng glanced at the writing on the wall of the CEO's office in unison.

They felt that today's trip was fruitful, and Mr. Fang was really kind most of the time.

Fang Zhuo also felt something gained after the exchange.

At noon, he said enthusiastically: "Mr. Shen, Mr. Lei, let's go and chat while we eat. I fly here and there sometimes, and I don't even have a chance to communicate with you outstanding investors. I have to get drunk today." No return.”

Shen Nanpeng knew that was not the case. Mr. Fang communicated the most with outstanding investors.

Even investors who have not communicated and negotiated with Mr. Fang are not considered top investors in the country.

A banquet was held at noon, and the guests of honor enjoyed themselves.

However, after a heavy drinking session, Lei Jun returned to the hotel to rest. When he woke up, Shen Nanpeng had already boarded the passenger plane to the capital. He still had something to do, and Mr. Fang even more had something to do.

The sky was gloomy outside the window and the light in the room was dim.

Lei Jun's mood was ups and downs, and suddenly the depression of the past few years resurfaced.

After leaving Jinshan, he had no secretary, no car, no office. He traveled around the country alone with a backpack on his back. He met many people and invested in many projects, but he always felt that there was no way back.

Lei Jun led Kingsoft to go public five times, and finally achieved the goal as a game company. Years of fighting against the "elephant" Microsoft made him extremely tired, and his intelligence, creativity, and energy were all greatly reduced. overdraft.

Kingsoft went public and the CEO resigned.

During the sincere exchange with Meizu Huang Zhang, Lei Jun also thought about trying a mobile phone, but once he figured out the industry layout of Yike, which was already a behemoth, the fatigue of facing the "elephant" came back again.

At this stage of life, it seems that there is nothing left except money.

Lei Jun got up from the bed, turned on the overhead light, walked a few steps, and stared at himself in the mirror.

In 2009, I will be turning 40 this winter.

Twenty years have passed since his debut in 1989. His talents have been exhausted, his passion has faded, his ideals have been damaged, and his arrogance and self-confidence as a young man have also faded away.

Friends say you are a model worker, and your company says you are diligent, but these comments just seem like "hard work", like comfort, like an elusive distance from success.

After working hard for twenty years, this is what happened.

Lei Jun looked at himself and thought about his more dazzling friends. He felt confused, mediocre, time wasted, and he was approaching old age. Can someone like me really still pursue a career in life?

He stared blankly at the lifeless middle-aged man in the mirror.

Buzz buzz.

The phone vibrated on the table.

Lei Jun walked over numbly and found that it was Li Guoqing who was now an angel investor.

The call is connected.

"Hey, Lei Jun, I'm Lao Li." Li Guoqing's confident voice came through the receiver, "Are you in Shanghai? Come out for a drink. Hey, I have a good project this month. Let's come out and chat."

When Lei Jun heard Li Guoqing's voice, it was like a wake-up call. Even people like this could be in such high spirits, what was he doing?

The serious look on Mr. Fang's face when he spoke at noon came to his mind again - don't ask whether it is possible to do something, but ask whether it should be done.

"Speak, Mr. Lei, I don't know who I am, Old Li?" Li Guoqing raised his voice, which was already a bit loud.

"No, Mr. Li, I'm not going." Lei Jun came to his senses and refused.

"What's the matter, aren't you looking for an investment project? I have something good here." Li Guoqing wondered.

"I don't want to vote anymore. I'm tired of it. I want to do things on my own." Lei Jun made a complete decision in his heart, and his mind suddenly became more active. "Mr. Li, are you in Shanghai? Then come over and let's talk about what I want to do. You also need to invest in the project."

Li Guoqing smiled and said, "Hey, Mr. Lei, Mr. Lei, I'm asking you to invest money, but you still want to pass my money over. If it doesn't work, that's it. See you later."

He hung up the phone and looked for a suitable target again.

Lei Jun didn't mind either and looked at the mirror again.

He asked himself in the mirror: "Are you okay?"

Lei Jun in the mirror did not answer, and only made an OK gesture with his right hand.

After a while, Lei Jun simply washed his face, grabbed his mobile phone, and hurried out, heading straight to Pudong International Airport.

He is going to the United States to see and experience Groupon's model and development for himself.

…

That night, Fang Zhuo was brewing organizational changes within the company, and was also considering launching multiple open source projects this year to promote technological development.

When three people are walking together, they must have a teacher. Choose the good ones and follow them, and change the bad ones.

Liu Zonghong's number suddenly appeared on the phone screen.

After Fang Zhuo pressed the button, he simply said: "Hey, tell me."

"Mr. Fang, a music player manufacturer in Guangdong Province. Well, it also made a mobile phone last year, called Oppo. Its president Chen Mingyong wants to visit the company to talk about transforming into Android phones and joining YMS." Liu Zonghong reported Condition.

"Oh, Oppo." Fang Zhuo's thoughts moved. Is there another family?

He thought for a moment and said, "Let's arrange it until Sunday. Oppo may not be willing to accept our YMS request."

Liu Zonghong was startled and decided to urgently collect information about the company judged by his boss after hanging up the phone.

After Fang Zhuo got on the phone, he asked a few questions about the arrangements for tomorrow's meeting.

Just when he was about to hang up the phone, he suddenly asked again: "How is Mr. Wang from Weibo doing lately?"

Liu Zonghong was confused, what was the boss asking? What does it mean...

He thought for a few seconds and said: "Mr. Wang is very active on Weibo and can post twenty comments a day. If it was on Penguin's products, it should have been blocked."

Fang Zhuo smiled and said: "Wang is always passionate and not confused at all. He is suitable for social media. People's fate is really magical. Well, Mr. Shen went to the capital to persuade Gaode. What's the latest here? Tell me the situation as soon as possible.”

Liu Zonghong couldn't understand Mr. Fang's emotion, but he knew that the fate of the company would be magical. The boss was obviously serious about Gaode this time. Even Bald Kong had been called to carry out a situation plan.

She is graceful and virtuous, and Mr. Fang is fond of being a good person.