Reinventing the Millennium

What happened to Sony?

Ever since this topic was raised on a TV show, it immediately sparked heated discussions.

Sony's decline and business losses directly shocked the Nikkei Index, and it is difficult not to attract widespread attention.

Therefore, when faced with this topic, many experts talked about foreign market competition, the development of the Internet, and the length of time Walkman came out, but few directly criticized Sony's internal rules and regulations.

This is not only because Sony is indeed affected by many factors, but also because of the relatively strict hierarchy here and the direction of the public opinion atmosphere is different.

In addition, Sony is losing money in part of its business, but its extensive involvement also includes finance, film and television, insurance, etc., which are still making profits.

If we could sum up the attributes of this company in one sentence, it would be reasonable to say that it is an insurance company that sells electronic products.

When criticizing such giants, experts on TV programs often talk about factors that the audience likes to hear and see, and will not take the inexplicable pressure to talk about internal matters.

Nowadays, foreign CEOs like to chant sutras.

Suddenly, Fang Zhuo, nicknamed "Sony's Enemy", criticized the company's system. There was a subtle sense of excitement at the recording site, including the host.

Yes, yes, please tell me more.

It’s just this kind of taste that is as good as the bottom.

Fang Zhuo observed the recording scene and felt that the atmosphere seemed a little different, but he couldn't tell what was different, so he continued: "There are problems with the internal operation of the company. Rules and regulations hinder technological innovation, and the products sold by Sony are lost." In order to gain competitiveness, I think..."

Before the words could be finished, a guest next to the host suddenly stood up angrily and said a series of words.

Immediately, the host Hiroshi Kimura also spoke a series of words very quickly.

Finally, the guest bowed, apologized and sat back.

Fang Zhuo was confused and glanced at the shocked Zhao Zhishan, what's going on?

Zhao Zhishan quickly whispered: "Mr. Fang, Mr. Fang, this guest is a middle-level manager of Sony. He just said that you should not slander Sony. He was very angry. Then the host comforted him and said that this was analysis. This manager Just apologized."

"Mr. Fang, I'm sorry, Ito Ikefumi cares and protects Sony too much. He is very sorry for his gaffe." Host Hiroshi Kimura said in Chinese.

"Well, everyone cares about Sony, but in different ways, understand, understand." Fang Zhuo looked at Ito Chifumi, who sat down again as if nothing had happened, and felt that his eyes were not very angry. .

So, was this the occasion when I heard my own words and had to take a stand?

Fang Zhuo made a guess, thought about it, and changed the topic: "Sony's products are very good, and I have always been a loyal user of them."

"When I appeared on the show just now, I saw that the program introduction had the nickname 'Sony's enemy'. In fact, I consider myself a 'Sony's friend'. Our Yike cooperates with Sony Music, and Sony Music owns Yike's shares.”

"Even without Yike, can Sony's current Walkman resist Apple's Ipod?"

"Sony Music Concert has even less say. This is not a competition between Sony and Yike, but a competition between Walkman and MP3."

"I have no animosity toward Sony and, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here."

"Mr. Ito, tell me, right?"

Fang Zhuo named Ito Chifumi who was angry just now.

After this paragraph was translated, Ito Chifumi nodded and said: "Yes, our walkman is gradually lagging behind in the market, and the products of Apple and Yike are very competitive."

After listening to the translation, Fang Zhuo nodded and said: "So, why is Sony's competitiveness declining? Is it because all the talents within the company have lost their talent? Is it because everyone is unaware that the Internet is developing vigorously? Or is it Sony's system? Has it seriously hindered technological innovation?”

"Or maybe Sony's leadership has lost its acumen for product technology?"

Ito Chifumi didn't dare to accept this. This was a matter of job.

In comparison, the host Hiroshi Kimura was not under so much pressure, but he managed to organize his speech for a few seconds and asked tactfully: "Mr. Fang, you have been talking about Sony, so how does your company carry out technological innovation? "

"All the opinions of the technical team can be put directly on my desk, and every team leader can communicate with me directly." Fang Zhuo smiled, "Yike is not as large as Sony and has many businesses, but It is precisely because of this situation that Sony requires leaders to have stronger capabilities."

Hiroshi Kimura suddenly had a premonition that he wanted to listen to the following words!

Fang Zhuo found that both the host and Sony's Ito Chifumi were looking at him with sharp eyes. He shrugged and gave a light speculation: "Seeing Sony now, I have a doubt. Is Mr. Nobuyuki Dei losing his temper?" Control over Sony?”

There was silence.

A few seconds later, Ito Chifumi stood up angrily, apologized and sat down after being dissuaded by the host.

Friends of Sony pointed out a question: Is the current chairman and president of Sony losing control of Sony?

Zhao Zhishan didn't quite understand the atmosphere at the scene, but she had a feeling that everyone seemed to like what the boss said.

However, this is very strange. Everyone knows that Yike is a competitor of Sony music players.

Fang Zhuo observed the situation, smiled, and said cryptically: "It is very important for business leaders to be sensitive to technological innovation and value technical talents. This is one of my experiences in Yike."

Zhao Zhishan translated this and didn't think there was anything wrong with this discussion, but there was a burst of discussion in the audience.

She didn't know the situation, but she was probably the only one in the whole room who didn't know the meaning of this - Nobuyuki Idei was Sony's first non-entrepreneur and non-technical chairman in 50 years.

The audience was talking a lot, and Ito Ikefumi, a guest from Sony, was thoughtful. There was indeed criticism within Sony about Nobuyuki Idei.

When Nobuyuki Dei took office, this question surrounded him. Everyone was generally worried about what such an unconventional leader could bring to Sony.

Four years on, the problem seems obvious.

Sony's glory is fading!

Ito Ikefumi finally spoke out as a guest after being angry twice, denying: "Mr. Fang, you are making groundless speculation about Sony. President Dei attaches great importance to technical staff and innovation. He used to be our Sony boss." The Minister of Product Innovation and Communication has already proven his ability and understanding in this area.”

Fang Zhuo blinked: "Really? Each position requires different abilities. Mr. Ito, have you ever been a CEO? Do you know what kind of attention this position requires?"

Ito Ikefumi was speechless. Of course he had never been a CEO.

Fang Zhuo smiled and said: "I have been, but this is not the reason for me to question President Dei. It is more based on facts. As far as I know, there is currently very good feedback on an mp3 player in Tokyo, and the sales of this product The president of Lexiang Electronics is a technical talent born in Sony."

"He once made a suggestion about MP3 at Sony, but it was not adopted by President Dei."

Fang Zhuo said regretfully: "From a competitor's perspective, maybe I shouldn't say this, but out of respect for Sony, I feel regretful about this choice."

Ito Ikefumi was speechless again. He actually knew Tanaka Mito, who has now become the president of Lexiang Electronics.

Fang Zhuo's criticism of Sony's president only ended here and did not continue.

From his understanding, if a giant of this size suffers major business losses, someone must be responsible for it. However, Nobuyuki Dei's employment background is questionable.

It is said that President Dei was "determined by elimination" by the previous chairman. The originally chosen successor was exposed to a scandal, and the other successor was too impatient. In the end, Dei, who had a non-technical background, succeeded in reaching the top.

Now, Nobuyuki Idei has proven that the elimination method is not easy to use.

In addition, Stringer, the president of Sony America, has been promoted to vice chairman. This is likely to be the signal that Nobuyuki Idei had to send due to internal opinions within the company.

Fang Zhuo once met Nobuyuki Idei at the Chinese Business Leaders Annual Meeting in China, and they had exchanges with each other. The other party briefly asked about his intention to sell Yike. At that time, he said that he would make a similar music player.

However, until now, Sony has still not come up with competitive products. Instead, it is more obsessed with the refinement of walkman.

This may indeed mean that Nobuyuki Idei has lost control.

Regardless of "Chairman" or "President", these are just job titles. When power and decision-making cannot be carried out, it will be more difficult for Nobuyuki Idei to make changes to the declining Sony.

Judging from the current situation, I'm afraid this guy doesn't have much time.

It is difficult for an elephant to dance, let alone dancing while shackled.

Fang Zhuo has his own judgment and is also curious about who Sony will replace next.

He had thought about Stringer, who was promoted this year, but he felt that such a British man who held a position in the United States should not be selected as a global leader by a Japanese company. It would only make the entire company more chaotic.

The atmosphere at the scene was heated, and host Hiroshi Kimura had to remind everyone to pay attention to the recording order.

Fang Zhuo smiled and exchanged a few words with Zhao Zhishan.

When the host announced the start of the recording again, Fang Zhuo said with a sincere face: "Mr. Kimura, Mr. Ito, I am a straight person. I will say whatever comes to my mind. If there is anything that offends me today, I will be really scared."

Zhao Zhishan felt that his boss was redefining the word "straight".

The host Kimura Blog got angry and changed the question: "So, since Mr. Fang considers himself a friend of Sony, what changes do you think Sony will make next to stop its decline?"

"I think..." Fang Zhuo thought for a while and shook his head, "To be honest, I don't have the experience to lead a large-scale group, and I don't think about it at the moment. But with all due respect, Sony's problem It’s just a microcosm of the electronics industry here.”

Hiroshi Kimura was puzzled.

"The development of the Internet is vast, and its essence is inclusive and open-minded. However, the Japanese electronics industry, including Sony, has lost this characteristic and has become more and more closed. It is only a manifestation that it is unwilling to combine hardware and the Internet. "

Fang Zhuo talked eloquently: "I'm not talking about Sony. For example, during the two days I was in Japan, I found that your mobile phones are using PDC, while most countries and regions around the world use GSM."

“This closure stuns me.”

"The United States, Europe, and China all use GSM as their communication standard. What's the use of Japan adopting a unique set of standards?"

"Such a closed mind, such a mentality, is thought-provoking."

Fang Zhuo said earnestly: "If we continue to be this closed and stubborn, not only Sony, but the entire electronics industry will go downhill."

Hiroshi Kimura was moved by these words. He stood up and bowed deeply: "What Mr. Fang said makes sense."

Even the audience was led by the host and gave them applause.

The recording of "Tokyo Online" is nearing the end of the second half.

Kimura Hiroshi took the time to ask questions. He no longer talked about Sony, but asked about the experiences of successful people: "Can Mr. Fang teach us how to achieve success?"

When Fang Zhuo heard this question, he said seriously: "My secret to success is just four words, follow the rules. This is very important. You must do things within the rules."

The host nodded and continued to ask: "What kind of business philosophy does Mr. Fang have in business?"

"Business philosophy." Fang Zhuo chewed on these four words and replied, "Enterprises have to do difficult but correct things. Difficulty means that the company can exert value, and correctness means that the company can achieve its goals as long as it survives."

Hiroshi Kimura asked: "Then how to judge whether it is correct or not?"

"This requires a grasp of the times and technology, and constant learning." Fang Zhuo said with a smile, "Both Sony and Yike, seniors like President Dei and young people like me, all need to learn."

Without the criticism and criticism of Sony, the atmosphere of live recording became more enjoyable.

The recording of "Tokyo Online" didn't end until five o'clock in the afternoon. Sony's friends, who spoke amazing words, were sincere throughout the whole process, sharing a lot of views on the company, and did not hesitate to describe the situation of their own companies.

Although the words between each other were not smooth, the audience still gave the foreigner the warmest applause when the show ended.

When Fang Zhuo stood up, there were female audience members running up to present flowers.

This novel experience made the young president a little flattered.

Host Hiroshi Kimura finally exchanged greetings and thanked Fang Zhuo for participating in the recording, and the two exchanged numbers.

"Mr. Fang, Mr. Fang, you said this about Sony's problems and the problems in the electronics industry here. If, what if..." Zhao Zhishan left TV Tokyo with his boss. As soon as he left, he couldn't help but raise a question.

Although he didn't finish his words, Fang Zhuo understood the unfinished meaning. Isn't this kind of reminder to help the enemy?

He laughed and said: "It would be really weird if such a big company and industry could change because of a few words from a foreigner like me."

Zhao Zhishan thought about it, and it was right.

She got into the car and asked, "Mr. Fang, what about the business specifically? Will Sony pay attention to MP3 because of your words?"

"Nobuyuki Idei is still the same Nobuyuki Idei. There are still Walkman adherents within Sony, and the strict hierarchy continues to be strict." Fang Zhuo shook his head, "Sony two years ago is different from Sony now, regardless of whether it can Abandon Walkman immediately, even if it is made into an MP3 player, it will not easily become mainstream."

Zhao Zhishan was full of doubts and wanted answers: "Will Nobuyuki Dei be responsible for Sony's losses?"

Fang Zhuo thought for a while and said: "I will take responsibility if I take responsibility. I am not sure what time point it will be."

"Previous public opinion did not point to Nobuyuki Idei. This does not mean that he does not have problems or that he does not have opponents."

"This program recording may become a catalyst."

"Someone will think that what I say makes sense."

"Some people will think I'm trying to trick them."

"Some people say I have malicious intentions, and some people regard me as an enemy."

"That's no problem."

"As long as they discuss it, this is a good response. After all, Sony was really bad during the four years of Nobuyuki Dei. With such a foundation, the more they discuss it, the more it will shock Sony."

"I am afraid that the program "Tokyo Online" will not be broadcast. I am very interested in Sony's next changes."

Fang Zhuo smiled slightly and took out a cigarette: "Xiao Zhao, do you want to smoke?"

Zhao Zhishan picked it up subconsciously.

Fang Zhuo put away the cigarette, switched from his right hand to his left hand, and said with a smile: "Are you really smoking? This is not a good habit. Stop it."

Zhao Zhishan: "...I don't smoke."

Fang Zhuo lit: "That's right, keep it up."

"Mr. Fang, what can we get from Sony? If Sony really replaces Nobuyuki Idei, will it revive?" Zhao Zhishan asked.

Fang Zhuo lowered the window and looked at the Tokyo scenery outside. He stopped answering: "You have too many questions. I don't know if Yike can get anything. Sony is a giant with a wide business scope. To make friends, first Look everywhere.”

The car drove away, and Sony's friends ended the recording on TV Tokyo.