Winner Takes It All, Resurrection 2009

The preparation for the Douyin interactive entertainment project actually started as early as the cooperation between Qingyun and Yida, when Wang Sicong came to Shanghai to create Panda Interactive Entertainment and took the voice live broadcast route.

The Douyin Interactive Entertainment Project has also begun to build a platform architecture, train personnel, and entrust the Promotion and Operations Department to select distinctive live broadcast talents across the country.

However, limited by the 3G network transmission and download speed, the live broadcast business has not made much progress. The company does not plan to make a big move, but just learn from other video websites.

Move some daoized film and television resources, slowly accumulate popularity, and focus the bulk of capital investment on technology research and development and accumulation, as well as personnel training, waiting for the opportunity to soar.

During this period, Wang Xing made great contributions.

Everyone who has used Kuaibo’s technology says it’s good.

Never mind that historically it has been used as a mainstream plug-in for delivering certain colors. It can be used in the field of video playback by relying on special storage technology that ignores buffering jams.

It's simply a dimensionality reduction blow.

The cost is a little bit of an issue.

"Old Wang, you have to spend money wisely. We have 600 million registered users in total, and the advertising and peripheral revenue is only over 1.6 million per month. Your average monthly expenditure is million. Isn't that too exaggerated?"

The company is doing business, not charity. Li Zehua had a headache looking at the data reports of Douyin Interactive Entertainment, but he didn't say much.

Because he agreed to it himself, after Wang Xing came over, he didn't care how much money was invested, whether it was in technological research and development or buying equipment to expand the company's database capacity.

But now Wang Xing is obviously a little obsessed. In order to improve user experience, he proposed a 36-month plan to expand the company's server capacity.

According to his idea, in the future, no matter whether there is an internet connection or not, users can watch the video without any obstacles as long as they open the website and click on it.

Users are of course happy, they can have pure white girlfriends, and even watch stock videos on their mobile phones without any hindrance, because once other users download the same video, it is equivalent to everyone downloading it together.

It can also achieve resource sharing, which is equivalent to using all public nodes based on the Internet for free at the same time. The key is the review and push review mechanism is very expensive.

Because certain videos with color need to be blocked and removed at any time, and there are also copyright disputes, the amount of funds for purchasing useless copyrights has increased sharply, and the unlimited expansion of the number of servers is also a big problem.

But the company cannot bear the operating expenses, because this part of the information expenditure that should have been downloaded and stored on user devices is now borne entirely by the company. If Wang Xing's approach is followed, the company will really have billions of users in the future.

The company does not need to do anything else but prepare an unprecedentedly large server capacity, make backups in advance at each node of the communication network, and pay sky-high traffic fees to the operator at any time.

Thinking of this, Li Zehua felt overwhelmed. "Can't you learn something good, like setting up a main server like Youku Tudou, where people click on you to make a video, and the rest is handed over to the telecommunications operator?

We had to be unique and do node backup. The user experience was improved, but the company couldn't afford the expenditure cost which was dozens or hundreds of times higher than that of its peers!"

The interactive video technology of Douyin, which was developed based on the Kuaibo p2p, can theoretically still be stored and publicly shared on user devices, but due to copyright issues, Qingyun was forced to make changes.

That is, the original user sharing mode has been changed to the company's multi-node storage mode (similar to a variant of cloud storage technology, the main server is responsible for storage and the sub-server is responsible for transmission).

For example, on traditional video sites like Youku Tudou, when a user clicks on a video, it is equivalent to sending an instruction to the video company's server, which then opens permissions to allow transmission.

If there are many viewers at the same time and commands are sent intensively, network congestion will occur, and the user experience will naturally be poor.

The Kuaibo p2p technology completely bypasses the server-to-user model and changes it to user-to-user. As long as the software is downloaded, every participating device theoretically becomes a server.

Videos are only transmitted between users, making it truly convenient for one person to download and thousands of people to share. The disadvantage of this technology is that the upload end is uncontrollable.

Anyone can get involved, making it easier for someone with ulterior motives to take advantage of the situation (the most important thing is that ads are blocked, so there is no extra income).

Therefore, after Qingyun acquired Kuaibo, it made certain changes, changing the system from allowing users to share content immediately after uploading it to allowing it to be released only after the company's review, and also adding some profit-making changes.

As a new model that utilizes uploaded videos (original and exclusive videos without copyright disputes) to obtain click-through revenue, it also opens up new operational ideas for the company.

The only thing that is causing this is the increased cost, which is really a headache.

Wang Xing didn't have a good solution either. "You don't agree with the idea of ​​achieving barrier-free content sharing and saving operating costs. Otherwise, we can have several servers to store all the original videos.

When the user clicks to watch, the software sharing mode is used to allow him to view it directly through other user devices. "

"The problem is that it's illegal!"

Li Zehua slapped his forehead and said, "It is not safe to use mass devices to make profits, even if users sign a consent form. After all, Douyin Interactive Entertainment is a software that will go abroad and operate worldwide in the future.

Privacy control in China is not strict, but what about abroad? How do you explain to the public, oh, I left a backdoor in the software that operates your device?

As long as you store and download this video, netizens all over the world can watch it through your device without any obstacles?

You can see whether they will punish you to death or not. That’s it.”

When Wang Xing talked about this, he felt like the sky was falling. "Damn, these people are hindering the progress of technology. There is so much idle storage in the devices of users, why not make full use of it.

Look at how well Kuaibo did before. Three or four servers could provide services to hundreds of millions of Internet users across the country at the same time, and no consumer raised any objections!"

"But you can't deny that the videos users watch are all pirated and controversial. Do you think the company's legal department is too idle and want to give them something to do?"

Facing his boss's questioning, Wang Xing was speechless, "That's a change, isn't it? Under the premise of not reducing the consumer experience, we will increase the number of servers and access node channels.

Isn't this what you promised?"

"Old Wang, you have to learn to adapt. Do you understand?"

Li Zehua was very distressed, but he still patiently explained: "For video files that already have copyright, there is naturally no problem storing them on the main server.

But you have to understand the difficulties of running a company and you can't take on all the responsibilities that society should bear.

I think you are going from one extreme to another. In the past, when you had no money, you tried your best to make technology the king, and found ways to secretly use customer equipment as transmission terminals.

Now that I have money, I want to take on everything and let the company bear it all.

But the company is not omnipotent. It’s fine for me to be the sole proprietor now, but what if there are investors in the future? Don’t I have to be responsible for the money they invest? "

Li Zehua advised him earnestly, "Appropriate adaptation is very important. For example, if you don't use the client's memory, you can use cache."

Wang Xing pursed his lips in disdain, "Isn't that the same thing?"

"How can it be the same? You can mark the cache and clean it up at any time, but you have to find and clean the memory files yourself. On the user side, isn't it just borrowed temporarily?"

Li Zehua didn’t know much about technology, but he was pretty good at marketing. “We happily decided that we would do the same for all video files that have a large number of views and a wide audience.

As for videos without copyright and content that is prone to disputes, all of them should be handled in this way. However, in order to further eliminate legal risks, it is best to add a permission to clean up in the background. "

Wang Xing looked at his uncompromising attitude and couldn't help but mutter, "You are the boss and you have the final say. You won't change your mind this time, right?"

“Who can predict what will happen in the future? At present, when promotion does not generate enough benefits, it is necessary to make appropriate compromises.

Moreover, the ability to share downloads and videos on user devices is a dimensionality reduction attack on competitors, so I have the advantage.”

Li Zehua waved his hand and sent him away. Then he gave Wang Xing some instructions before continuing to review the major matters that had accumulated in the company recently.

For example, Shunfeng Chuxing’s expansion in several core cities encountered a joint boycott by offline vehicle operating groups.

"There is almost no room for mediation in the fundamental dispute over interests. From the perspective of the drivers, they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy cars and license plates, and they have to pay membership fees every month.

Its operating costs are more than five or six times higher than those of online ride-hailing services.

From the perspective of offline vehicle operation groups, they relied on a ban to achieve monopoly and made huge profits every month. Now they are impacted by online ride-hailing and their interests are damaged. "As the president of the Smart Logistics Network Business Group, Zeng Haiyang also manages the online ride-hailing business. These are all his responsibilities. He first introduced the difficulties faced by business development.

Then a solution was given: "Faced with the provocation from the grassroots, the group reached a conclusion after numerous consultations, that is, to use both kindness and force, and to be unambiguous when it is time to strike.

When it comes to winning people's hearts, don't be stingy with money.

Faced with direct provocation, the company's local staff in various businesses first recorded audio and video of the entire process to establish a chain of evidence."

"Wait, there are only 16 major cities. I remember that the large-scale promotion of online ride-hailing services has been going on for less than four months, right? It was launched along with the launch of the Roewe mobile phone."

Zeng Haiyang nodded and said, "Some managers who don't want to cause trouble have contacted us through different channels, hoping to cause as little trouble as possible for the company."

"If this is promoted nationwide in the future, won't there be fights every day at this frequency?"

Li Zehua was confused. He had thought that it would be difficult to launch online ride-hailing services, but he didn't expect it to be so difficult. The data he had on hand alone was exaggerated. If the business was to be expanded a hundred times, wouldn't Qingyun have to exclusively contract the hospital's trauma department?
"You have to fight!"

Qin Lang, who was also in charge of the sharing economy (because the main business area of ​​the sharing economy was in schools, it would be more cost-effective to have Chizume, who had the best connections, in charge), said: "It's only been two months.

We have set up many shared bicycle docking stations in the areas surrounding schools, and we often see signs of vandalism. Through surveillance playback, we confirmed that many of them were done by the operating drivers.

It’s not just an individual behavior, because shared bikes also affect the business volume of rental groups around schools.”

What he said was the truth. As the short-distance travel business, especially in places around schools, is now largely taken over by shared bicycles, taxi drivers whose interests have been damaged will naturally not give up.

Especially when shared bicycles and online ride-hailing businesses belong to the same group, they are easily subject to targeted retaliation.

In the future, there will even be entire cities that drive out shared bicycles and online car-hailing services. This is just the beginning.

Zeng Haiyang continued: "No one can postpone the fundamental battle, but fortunately the company has made arrangements in advance, using industrial funds and Qingyun Investment's overseas funds.

We have won over many powerful figures in the traffic control department, but it is not possible for the time being to ask them to come forward and make trouble to help the company's business develop better and faster.

But it is still possible to ask them to not help either side. As for those who take the company's interests and try to support the other side, the company will not let them go and will put pressure on them.

They asked the local government to transfer them, and in serious cases they could even send them to prison. It was the influence of the group's other businesses that kept them from falling behind in the competition."

"Unfortunately, this strategy cannot be replicated in the tobacco industry. They have too much money and don't care about the small profits from investment dividends at all."

Li Zehua thought to himself, and on the surface he gave Zeng Haiyang an approving look, and said: "In addition to continuing to fight, about bribery.

Or, can we just buy out the taxi groups that are willing to sell and divide their power?"

“Not for now. Even if the online car-hailing business continues to develop, it will not be able to affect the other party’s core interests for a while.

Unless, as you said, we apply to carry out public offline "hail-and-stop" services in crowded places such as airports and train stations.

In fact, we have estimated that given the relationship between our company and the airline, we can reach an agreement by just spending a little more money.

The key is whether the regulatory authorities agree to release it.”

Zeng Haiyang is very experienced in his work, but he is also tired of the operating model of endless fighting, where he has to arrange for the aftermath after each fight, and the key is that there is no technical content at all.

Things didn't get better after the fight, and he really wanted to solve the problem once and for all.

Li Zehua thought about it for a while and felt that it might be possible to do it. "The company is a major shareholder of Temasek Holdings, and Temasek is a major shareholder of major airlines.

There won't be much hindrance.

Thanks to the good cooperative relationship established with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, there will be no problem in communicating with the airport face to face.

Considering the investment share in major cities, it should not be difficult to persuade local authorities to relax restrictions. The key is whether this will provoke a full-scale counterattack from the taxi groups.

Even upgrade the intensity of confrontation.

What if the airport is blocked, causing large-scale passenger traffic difficulties and causing a public opinion crisis? "

"First, start warming up public opinion."

Wu Yibin finally got the chance to speak, "License plates, membership fees, designated vehicle purchases, unified insurance, unified refueling, there are too many tricks involved.

Attacking any one point alone would be enough to make it difficult for the taxi group to cope.

However, behaviors such as not using the meter, taking detours, having a poor service attitude, and deliberately overcharging passengers are enough to make the driver angry.

As long as the group is determined to go to war, it can build up momentum in three months, and then exert pressure at different levels after they find that they cannot threaten the company.

The company will either bid for the taxi company license or reach a compromise with the takeover company. I believe the dispute will be settled soon.”

Li Zehua asked again, "Didn't we promise to give 30% of the profits to local transport and traffic management departments? Why don't you do the work after receiving the money?"

Zeng Haiyang smiled bitterly and said, "Boss, that is the collective investment behavior of local state-owned enterprises, and it is clean money handed over to the local government's finances, so the government welcomes it publicly.

The key is that some people, because their income has dropped sharply after the company's business entered, they must be psychologically unbalanced."

"Can we talk?"

Zeng Haiyang shook his head, "I can't talk about it. My appetite is too big and I can't satisfy it."

Li Zehua asked again, "Is the threat big?"

"At best, they are all small-time figures. The forces behind them may be complicated, but no one dares to take action publicly."

Wu Yibin had already investigated the matter clearly. "For the entire system, the company is definitely not a match, but if we use courtesy before force, we can get the attitude right.

On the one hand, we are promoting the offline stop-and-go business at airports and railway stations, and on the other hand, we are increasing local extra income and resolving the conflicts between the company's business and local taxi groups.

It turns into a collective conflict and certain individuals, and then it becomes a natural thing to take action. Even those who are waiting for promotion within the company have to thank the company.

We don’t even have to do anything, someone will help us.”

"Consider the worst possible counterattacks, and if they are within your tolerance, just do it."

Li Zehua looked at Wu Yibin deeply and said, "Before the higher-ups take more in-depth control of WeChat Technology, let's use the product that we have worked so hard to develop to gain some benefits for the group's business.

Not excessive.

Just keep the limits in check, don’t try to escalate the conflict, and don’t divert it…”

This is a beautiful era. There is no need to worry about being restricted or suppressed at any time. As long as it is in the interests of the majority and the opponents chosen are not too powerful, there is a possibility of success.

Zeng Haiyang was overjoyed when he heard this, "Finally I can let go and do something big.

I was worried that you might disagree."

"I'm really worried that if you continue to fight like this, it will end badly in the future."

Li Zehua glared at him angrily and said, "In big cities, people should still follow some rules. In the future, if we promote this to small cities and county towns, people will rely on this for their livelihood for generations.

They are a bunch of inexperienced guys who are so reckless when it comes to fighting. If something goes wrong, there will be no way to smooth things over. It is better to kill the monkey first to warn countless others." (End of this chapter)