Rebirth 10: I'm a Promoter at Tencent

Leaving aside the visual stunning nature of WeChat's login screen featuring a lone figure standing in front of the Earth, the smooth experience of completing registration in 3 seconds on iOS, as demonstrated by Lin Shen, truly made even the well-informed Zhang Xiaolong's eyelids twitch.

This thing, if placed in 2010, was actually a groundbreaking product.

You do not believe?

Okay, open any app, and after clicking, you'll either see a boring spinning wheel or a 60-second countdown.

The system Lin Shen demonstrated was so seamless, from entering the phone number to accessing the chat list, that it felt like operating locally, rather than relying on a distant carrier network.

In the total time of 2.8 seconds, each step was precisely timestamped. This speed was not accidental, but the result of meticulous calculation and design.

Zhang Xiaolong didn't speak, but his slightly forward-leaning posture and the few extra seconds his gaze lingered on the timestamp said it all.

This young man isn't optimizing an existing process; he's redefining the act of "registration."

And this can be used as a reference for him and all subsequent applications of Tencent, the laboratory?

Production has already begun!

As for Lin Shen, he knew that the first hook had been firmly placed. He did not stop, and did not even give Zhang Xiaolong much time to savor or react. He lightly slid his finger on the touchpad, pulled the epoch-making product back, and switched to the second video.

"This is the same process, demonstrated on the Symbian platform." His voice was calm, as if stating an objective fact, but the content was full of dramatic contrasts.

The video has started playing.

The first segment is labeled "Normal Channel Simulation".

The screen displays the familiar Nokia 5230; the image quality is rough, but the operation is clearly visible. After the user clicks "Send Free Verification SMS," the interface redirects to a waiting page designed by Wu Feng. The countdown at the top begins to decrease from 30: 29, 28, 27…

A comment box pops up at the right moment: "12 seconds: The text message still hasn't arrived, the user's face starts to show impatience, and their fingers unconsciously tap the edge of the phone."

The countdown continues: 15, 14, 13... "At the 18th second: The text message finally arrives. The user, simulated by Lin Shen, visibly breathes a sigh of relief and quickly clicks the highlighted button."

Enter the verification code to access the chat list. The video freezes, and the final data pops up: Total time: 21 seconds.

There was no evaluation, no embellishment.

Lin Shen then played the second clip: "Ideal Channel Simulation".

Same Nokia 5230, same steps. Click send, redirect to a waiting page, countdown begins: 29, 28...

At the 3rd second, just as the countdown jumped to 27, the "Enter Verification Code" button instantly lit up.

Video freeze-frame: Total duration 5 seconds.

"Same code, same phone, different SMS channels, completely different experiences." Lin Shen turned off the video and looked at Zhang Xiaolong. He didn't raise his voice, but every word sounded carefully crafted.

"In the normal channel, users have to endure nearly 20 seconds of uncertain waiting, during which they may feel anxious, distracted, or even give up. In the ideal channel, the whole process is clean and efficient. Before the user even realizes it, the registration is already successful. This feeling of 'it's over before the wait even begins' will completely change the user's first impression of a new application."

He paused, then posed the long-prepared, core question: "Mr. Zhang, in your opinion, at this point in time, what exactly makes a brand-new chat application, free from any historical baggage, appealing to users? And what makes users willing to stay after trying it, and even recommend it to their friends?"

Zhang Xiaolong did not answer immediately.

He needs to think carefully and weigh things thoroughly about what happened today; it's already a breakthrough in his understanding of the concept of "registration."

But just a few minutes later, he turned back, his tone inquisitive: "What do you think? You designed this system, what do you want it to rely on?"

"I think it's the 'first impression'." Lin Shen didn't hesitate; he had already rehearsed the answer countless times in his mind. "Or rather, it's the 'speed and quality of the first value transfer'."

He pulled up the user behavior data curves compiled by Li Yue, letting the cold charts speak for themselves: "Our research and analysis show that users have an astonishingly low patience threshold when facing a new application. After waiting for more than 7 seconds, anxiety begins to arise; after 15 seconds, half of the people will choose to give up; after 30 seconds, less than one in ten can still persevere."

He lingered those steeply descending curves on the screen for a few more seconds, fully showcasing the brutality of the numbers.

"Currently, the average arrival time for SMS verification codes in most applications is between 10 and 30 seconds. This means that most users are already enduring an ordeal from the very first step of registering for a new application." Lin Shen's gaze returned to Zhang Xiaolong's face, and his tone became particularly serious. "Therefore, the entire registration solution we designed for WeChat is essentially doing one thing: reconstructing the user's 'first contact' experience with a new application."

He used a laser pointer to outline on the diagram: "We've repackaged the cold 'Register Account' into the warm 'Send Your First Free SMS'; the passive 'Waiting for Verification Code' into the proactive 'Experience Instant Delivery'; and the official 'Your Verification Code is XXXXXX' into the friendly 'Hello, I'm WeChat…'."

All of these designs aim at the same goal: to allow users to clearly and quickly experience the core value of the app—convenient, free, and user-friendly connectivity—within the crucial first 30 seconds of opening WeChat.

He pointed to the final frame of the demonstration video, the blue Earth and the simple chat list: "But all this ingenious design has a fatal premise—that text message carrying the 'first greeting' must actually be able to arrive quickly and reliably."

If a user clicks send, waits 20 seconds, and only receives a dry, impersonal "verification code 123456," then all the mental preparation they've built up regarding the "free SMS" and "instant experience" will instantly crumble. Users won't remember the elegant animations and thoughtful copywriting; they'll only remember one thing: "This new app was so slow and troublesome to register for."

The sunlight outside the window shifted slightly, and the spot of light reflecting off the rim of Zhang Xiaolong's teacup also moved. Only the low hum of the air conditioning system proved that time was still flowing.

Lin Shen stopped speaking.

He felt he had said enough.

"Can your proposal be adapted to other products in the company?"

Lin Shen knew, of course, what product Zhang Xiaolong was asking about.

"able!"

He answered decisively.

Zhang Xiaolong then changed the subject, saying, "I've carefully reviewed the 'Betting Framework Suggestion' you gave me when you spoke with me alone last time. It includes 10 real users, 80% day-two retention, and a three-month timeframe."

"The targets were set too conservatively," Zhang Xiaolong said in a flat tone.

"If your '3-second registration' solution is truly as effective as you demonstrated, and if your 'free SMS' concept can truly occupy a unique position in users' minds, then acquiring 10 users in three months only proves that WeChat is a 'not bad' and 'survivable' application. This does not prove that it represents the direction that Tencent should be fully committed to in the mobile internet era."

He leaned forward slightly, and an invisible pressure spread out: "Since you took the initiative to propose a bet and are willing to take extremely high personal risks for a chance to verify it, then let's bet big, bet something that can reveal its true value."

Zhang Xiaolong stated the new conditions, enunciating each word clearly: "Three months, 30 real, organically grown users, and an 85% day-two retention rate. If you achieve this, company resources will be allocated to you. Furthermore, the option pool and long-term engagement mechanism you requested in the framework will be fulfilled to the highest standards. If you don't, come to Guangzhou and report to me..."

Zhang Xiaolong didn't continue, but the shock and escalation in his unfinished words were clearly discernible.

30? 85%?

It increased tenfold in an instant?

But just for a text messaging channel?

Lin Shen could almost hear the sound of his own blood flowing.

He was pondering whether it was possible to acquire 30 real users within three months for a brand-new app that started from scratch, without direct traffic from QQ, and relied entirely on organic growth and word-of-mouth, while ensuring that up to 85% of them would return to use the app the next day.

But then, in the next second...

He reached out his hand to Zhang Xiaolong...

"Mr. Zhang, if we can obtain matching SMS channel resources that can support the implementation of the '3-second experience' and ensure that our carefully designed 'first impression' is delivered to users without any compromise, then the WeChat team is willing to accept this challenge and go all out for this goal."

Three months, 300,000...

WeChat will surprise you!

Zhang Xiaolong's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, a faint expression of approval. Clearly, he was satisfied with Lin Shen's answer. Neither arrogant nor servile, his goal was clear, and his conditions were explicit.

"Okay." He didn't say another word, but reached for the internal phone on his desk and dialed a short number.

The call was answered almost immediately.

"I am Zhang Xiaolong." His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. "The WeChat experimental project needs to be granted the highest priority (Tier-0) SMS channel permission. We need to use it today, right now."

Yes, full access. All carrier channels will have a green light. Template reviews will go through my green channel, and I will control the content's bottom line, prioritizing product testing needs. After activation, daily channel quality data, user reach rates, and complaint feedback will be directly compiled into a report and copied to me. For any procedural or compliance issues, the relevant personnel should contact me directly.

There were no explanations, no discussions, only clear and direct instructions; the call lasted less than three minutes.

Putting down the microphone, Zhang Xiaolong looked at Lin Shen, his tone as calm as if he were recounting a routine matter: "The channel access will be activated for your project team within an hour. The highest priority means that the average latency can be kept below 2 seconds, and in extreme cases, it will not exceed 5 seconds. I will communicate with the legal and risk control departments simultaneously. As long as the content does not touch on absolute red lines such as fraud, pornography, and politics, you can be flexible with the copywriting you designed for the 'free SMS' concept."

done?

Become!

Sometimes, decision-making is that simple.

"The conditions remain the same three." Zhang Xiaolong held up three fingers, bending them one by one as he spoke. "First, data transparency. All operational data, especially channel usage data and user registration conversion funnel data, must be completely disclosed to me. Second, the time window. Three months, starting today. If it doesn't reach 30/85%, the project will enter a re-evaluation process, the channel access will be immediately revoked, and the performance-based agreement will be executed according to the agreed terms. Third…"

He paused, his gaze turning serious: "This game, which involves taking extremely high risks to gain a testing opportunity, was designed and proposed by you. Now, I've increased the stakes, and I've provided the 'weapons' you need. The rest depends on whether you and your team have the ability to turn the blueprint on paper into real achievements on the battlefield."

Lin Shen stood up, this time with more solemnity than ever before. He knew that this was not just about acquiring resources, but also about receiving a heavy trust and expectation.

"Thank you for your trust and support, Mr. Zhang." His voice was not loud, but every word was clear and powerful. "The WeChat team will report back with the final data and results."

Three days later, on September 20, WeChat officially launched.

-----------------

September 20, 2010, 00:00.

In Building C of Shenzhen Kexing Science Park, in that secluded "garage," all the lights were on.

There were nine people, but no one was sitting.

They gathered around Sun Hui's workstation, staring at the largest monitor screen. The screen was divided into several monitoring windows: server load, network traffic, SMS channel status, and the app store backend management interface.

The air was almost frozen, with only the low hum of the machine fans.

Over the past 72 hours, they have undergone what felt like a delicate surgical procedure.

And now, after the final preparations...

The main branch of the code repository is locked, and the final executable file is packaged and signed.

Li Yue's application materials for the app store—"WeChat, a free messaging chat tool"—were approved. The backend monitoring and alarm systems were all in place, like connecting a newborn to all vital signs.

Now, at that moment.

Lin Shen stood beside Sun Hui, his gaze calmly sweeping over each monitoring window, finally landing on the only, still-displayed button—the publish button.

"Is everything ready?" Lin Shen's voice rang out in the silence.

"iOS package, upload and verification complete," Cheng Xiangdong said.

"Android multi-channel package, deployment complete," Wang Rui said.

"Sympan S60 and S40 versions, ready." Wu Feng pushed up his glasses.

"Backend services, the entire cluster is healthy, and the load is below 10%." Sun Hui stared at the screen.

"App store backend, already linked, status can be published." Li Yue took a deep breath.

"The monitoring links are all working properly," Zhao Cheng confirmed.

"The customer service feedback channel is now open," Su Man said.

"Brother Shen," Lu Chuan's voice was a little strained, but he tried his best to remain calm, "I've been waiting for you."

Lin Shen nodded. He didn't speak, but leaned forward slightly and placed his hand on the mouse.

The cursor hovers over that crucial button.

The clock on the wall, its second hand ticking away, is moving toward "12".

00:00:00.

His index finger gently pressed the left mouse button.

"The order has been sent." Sun Hui's voice was dry.

The release status on the screen changed from "Waiting" to "Processing".

Then came a few seconds that seemed to stretch out indefinitely.

The numbers in the first monitoring window jumped: in the app store backend, the download count changed from 0 to 1.

Then came the second, the third...

On the SMS channel monitoring panel, the curve representing requests started with a tiny bump and then quickly climbed.

The green curve for server load also began to slowly but steadily rise.

"Someone downloaded it..."

"Activation request has arrived!"

"First registration SMS sent successfully! Arrival time... 1.7 seconds!"

"User registration complete! You have been added to the chat list!"

Suppressed cheers began to emerge from throats, but were immediately replaced by more focused surveillance. Everyone returned to their screens, their eyes scanning the data stream like searchlights.

Lin Shen took a step back and watched all of this.

WeChat has come back to life.