Global Monopoly of Technology

(Ps: Chapter 504 has been lifted, everyone subscribes and pulls the data back, it hurts to block it like this)

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An hour later, Cao Yi came to the office address of Toutiao today and learned that a VC came to the door in person. Toutiao who happened to be present surprised Wang Qiong, the general manager of investor Haina Asia.

This is very rare. In fact, the capital market was not very optimistic about Toutiao in the early days. This year, Bluestar Technology and Ali extended an olive branch, but the founder Zhang Yiming refused.

In the reception room, Toutiao founder Zhang Yiming, Toutiao envoy investor Wang Qiong, and Cao Yi, who came to visit, gathered together.

"To be honest, I actually don't understand Toutiao's model. The reason why I am interested is because of the favor of Bluestar Technology." Cao Yi said.

Zhang Yiming was dumbfounded when he heard this. It has really changed recently. Because of Bluestar Technology, a lot of VCs suddenly took the initiative to call for consultation. No, now there are VCs who have come to visit.

The words Bluestar Technology seem to have a peculiar magic power.

Cao Yi added: "But the real problem is that the entire information market has basically been carved up, and news clients such as Wangye, Souhu, Tengxun, and Phoenix have covered almost all users. As an investor , I want to ask: There is already a portal. Both Wangye and Souhu claim to have 200 million users. In addition, there are Xianguo, Wumi, ZAKER, etc., is there still room for your headlines?"

Cao Yi added: "As for how to make money for this product, commercialization, etc., Toutiao's status quo has not yet reached that stage. As an investor, we are only discussing whether this market can still accommodate the next new information customer. At the end, the product is good? But the market has been divided up.”

Zhang Yiming said succinctly: "Toutiao is a slow-burning product."

At this time, Ms. Wang Qiong also spoke: "I remember last year I went out with Yiming to show our products to others. Everyone would think that the technology is good, but how much does technology have to do with success? Those existing portals did not use this technology, and they all It meets the needs of users very well, so they will question, is the value and benefit of this technology to users so great?"

Then Zhang Yiming said frankly: "We can't answer these questions right away, we can only rely on the follow-up figures."

As the exchange continued to progress, Wang Qiong began to introduce the past development of Toutiao to Cao Yi.

"In October last year, Yiming took the product out for a spin,

It really didn't go well. At that time, we judged that smartphone shipments will continue to increase this year, even more than last year, so we must seize this opportunity. So at the end of last year, Haina Asia invested an additional $1 million A+ round in Toutiao, and provided a bridge loan of $1 million. The two million dollars was to give Toutiao enough time to grow bigger. One point, the data is more convincing. "

Hearing this, Cao Yi asked succinctly, "How about the current data?"

Zhang Yiming: "As of March now, Toutiao has 3 million daily active data, and it has been increasing steadily."

Sitting next to him, Wang Qiong jokingly said to himself: "In the past days, I brushed my face and brushed at least 20 friends in the investment world, met with them, and introduced Yiming's products. But after walking around, Still no one is optimistic about Toutiao. Recently, one or two companies have expressed their willingness to invest because of Bluestar Technology, but the quotation is too low and does not meet our expectations. The domestic capital market is almost not optimistic about Yiming and Toutiao before Bluestar Technology. Institutions, it's really frustrating."

In fact, what makes Zhang Yiming more frustrated now is that the current capital market understands him and Toutiao is Bluestar Technology, but it is precisely what he is unwilling to accept, because he does not want to be the younger brother of any giant.

On the other hand, Zhang Yiming was actually terrified. Toutiao's technology was an intelligent recommendation engine, and the bluestar technology of intelligence was undoubtedly the most slippery one.

Now that he has rejected Bluestar Technology, Zhang Yiming is very clear that once Bluestar Technology really exerts its strength, the chances of Toutiao trying to stand out in the competition are almost zero.

Not only will my dream of becoming the world's largest content creation platform come to naught, but I also feel sorry for Haina as an investor, because Toutiao is Haina's only project and has participated in Toutiao from 0 to 1. the whole process.

Cao Yi looked at Zhang Yiming and said methodically: "In today's Internet entrepreneurial circle, 'burning money' seems to be a problem that every startup company encounters every time. What's Mr. Zhang's opinion on today's industry competition situation?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yiming thought for a moment before answering: "If your system has a much higher overall efficiency than your opponents, in fact, by simply burning money, it can be very competitive. For example, two cars, it If the conversion of fuel combustion to power is several times worse, then the larger the scale, the greater the loss, so whether it is burning money or not, it should be based on the premise of this efficiency. Down."

Cao Yi continued to ask: "We must face up to a very real problem. In the competition, the three LAT giants are a topic that cannot be avoided, and they may face a choice. Which queue should they stand in? This is already an issue. It is a multiple-choice question that everyone in the Internet entrepreneurial circle has to face, has Toutiao ever thought about this?”

Zhang Yiming answered without hesitation: "Thinking is to try not to stand in line."

Cao Yi stared at him: "You seem to try not to stand in line."

Zhang Yiming: "Seek truth from facts. Maybe we have to use Luo Sheng's AI technology. The technical potential of Bluestar technology for intelligent push is beyond doubt."

Cao Yi smiled and said, "To be frank, I appreciate your honesty very much, but if you stand in line, what impact will it have on the development of Toutiao?"

Zhang Yiming replied: "Entering the new year, the two giants, Bluestar Technology and Ali, are fighting each other around the payment market, and the entire industry is in turmoil, because the giants guard against each other and enter each other's fields. If you stand in line, you may compete. It will be more intense, which is very possible. I think the main reason is this, we don’t have to absolutely not stand in the team, or we can’t stand in the team, I think it may be more meaningful if there is a chance to become bigger relatively independently.”

After a moment's pause, Zhang Yiming added: "Because the current pattern of the domestic Internet has been around for a long time, it's been more than ten years. If there are new companies and new platforms, I think this in itself is also a problem. A good example."

Cao Yi burst into a laugh and said, "President Zhang's approach is quite straightforward, and everyone in the industry has seen it. At the beginning of the month, there were rumors that Bluestar Technology was going to become a shareholder in Toutiao, so be direct, don't come here, I'm still I want to do it myself. Is it the same for Bluestar Technology, for Ali, and for all the giants to recruit?"

Zhang Yiming looked at Cao Yi with a serious expression and replied, "When I saw this news, a colleague came to me and asked me if I joined Toutiao to become an employee of Bluestar Technology, maybe he was a former employee of Bluestar Technology. I don't know, he and I didn't come to be an employee of Bluestar Technology, so my response to him is that I didn't come to become an employee of Bluestar Technology when I founded Toutiao. But this is not because we cooperate or compete with Bluestar Technology. What is the problem, I just want to express a meaning that we hope to become a platform-level company with great value to the society, so this expression has no specific meaning."

Cao Yi: "It's not that other people's shares are so boring, but how boring it is to not grow up by yourself?"

Zhang Yiming nodded: "Yes, the main thing I want to express to employees or the industry is that Toutiao still has its own ambitions."

This answer was almost the same as Pang Lei's response at the beginning, but Cao Yi didn't know this, and he didn't even know that the big boss behind him was actually the ultimate boss of Bluestar Technology.

Cao Yi asked with a smile: "Mr. Zhang, are you worried that your attitude or expression will make any of Bluestar Technology and Alibaba unhappy?"

Hearing such a question, Zhang Yiming couldn't help touching the bridge of his nose, lowered his eyebrows for a while, and said with a self-joking smile: "I think they are all very smart, whether it is President Luo or President Ma, they are all great people with big ideas. Entrepreneurs shouldn't be angry because of this."

Zhang Yiming's story has been told for almost forty or fifty minutes. Cao Yi feels that it is almost the same. On the one hand, he really wants to listen to the story told by the founder. To invest in headlines, invest in Zhang Yiming.

It's just that as a qualified and excellent VC, this sense of urgent need has not been exposed throughout the whole process.

Cao Yi smiled and said, "I was skeptical before meeting you, but after talking with you, I began to believe that you can make a company, Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Yiqing is very clear about the overall situation in the process of storytelling. He is not eager for quick success, conceited but not proud, and very studious. Compared with other founders, he is a person who is closer to being able to do great things.

Wang Qiong couldn't help but be overjoyed when she heard Cao Yi's words, this VC has a show.

Zhang Yiming bowed his head with a humble and polite smile, but there was no such response as a prize.

Cao Yi really began to appreciate him, and also admired that the big boss at the headquarters is really smart, the potential of a startup company almost depends on the founder, and immediately said with a smile: "President Zhang, I represent Anaheim Asia Technology. The venture capital fund hopes to lead your company's B round of financing, I brought $70 million this time, and I want to give it to you."

Zhang Yiming: "..."

Wang Qiong: "..."

Hearing the figure of $70 million really scared the two of them. They haven't had time to understand the so-called Anaheim Technology Venture Fund, its investment background, its strength and so on.

But as soon as these words came out, it was a face-lift of 70 million US dollars, and nothing else, at least it proved that this North American venture capital institution is a good money maker.

Zhang Yiming suddenly felt that even if he did not rely on the giants, Toutiao would usher in a new dawn.

The global monopoly of technology