The responsibilities and future of product managers: interview with Zhang Xiangning, chairman and CEO of Tianxia Internet

In the Internet industry, Zhang Xiangning is a legend. Several of his products, including the domain name of Wanwang, the host, the China Network Intelligence Center of the World Internet, China Commercial Telecommunications, the Narrow Notice, and the China Switchboard, have abnormal vitality, taking root and sprouting in the absence of a blank market, and then flourishing.

How can he successfully launch each product? Why does every product have such a tenacious vitality? How does this successful entrepreneur see the responsibilities and future of a product manager? With this barrage of questions, the China Product Managers Alliance visited the legendary serial entrepreneur.

Alliance: In the eyes of most people, you were admitted to Beijing Normal University at the age of 16 to study theoretical physics, voluntarily dropped out after two years, and got your first 1 million at the age of 22. Then he founded China's largest Internet service provider such as Wanwang, and started the world Internet for the second time, which also achieved great success. What do you think of this past?

Zhang Xiangning: It may be that the study of theoretical physics has made me have a different view of the world. I think I'm lucky because in China, dropping out of school is a big risk, and I'm lucky enough to succeed, so I'm considered a legend. Everything you do takes a risk, and the key is whether you can think it through. Without the precedent of Bill Gates abandoning school to start a business, I am afraid that I would be seen as different by more people.

Alliance: From 1995 to the present, you have actually experienced two kinds of entrepreneurship, one is to create the ten thousand network, and the other is to create the world internet (verye), it can be seen that from these two entrepreneurial processes, you have taken a different path from other Internet companies, or to say so, your two startups are more prescient than others, I believe that this kind of foresight is not only on the level of personal knowledge, but more importantly, it should be your accurate grasp of the entire Internet industry, just like yours "Narrow notice", very precise, can you say what this foresight of yours has for your career?

Zhang Xiangning: For start-ups and entrepreneurial entrepreneurs, foresight is very important. For any business, it is ideal to work in an environment where market demand is strong and there is no competition. Therefore, start-ups should try their best to meet the market and avoid competition. This requires innovation and creativity.

Alliance: We found that when you talk about companies and products, you are very much focused on two words, one is "foresight", the other is "innovation", in my opinion, foresight is vision, many people are easier said than done, innovation is action, it is easier said than done, only by doing both can we be called the industry leader, and you are such a person, can you say, how do you do the two perfectly?

Zhang Xiangning: You said that foresight and innovation, one is vision, the other is action, although the two are not so absolute, but you point out the key points. With the foresight of vision, it is possible to act a little faster and better than others, and innovation is the implementation of foresight. In the world's team, we encourage everyone to be an engine and a receiver. I have an analogy, like our team is a volleyball team, when the ball is about to fall, can we still push each other because of different positions and different divisions of labor? Everyone is a receiver, everyone is also a passer, a slam dunk. Only in this way can innovation be truly implemented. Therefore, the innovation of the enterprise must be the overall result of the organization's behavior, and it is definitely not just a prediction of the leader.

Alliance: In 2000, you created the "World Internet", the first time put forward the concept of "narrow notice", and we all know that the Chinese Internet in 2000 is at a low tide, it is precisely because of your foresight and innovation in products and models, so that you are still invincible, now, the narrow notice model has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, everyone is more concerned about, in this mode, what kind of development will your products have in the new year? What new products are coming to market, can you tell us about them?

Zhang Xiangning: It will also be done around personalized information and services, and the product is still being tested in the market.

Alliance: You also have a remarkable identity in the Internet industry, that is, "angel investor", I know that there are many members of the China Product Manager Alliance who have entrepreneurial potential, and some people have begun to start a business, your entrepreneurial experience is the best teaching material, but I still hope that you can talk about your entrepreneurial experience to these friends who are about to start a business or have begun to start a business.

Zhang Xiangning: Don't start a business as soon as your head is hot. When you decide to start a business, you must strive for success, and don't give up quickly. First, if you have experience, you must plan carefully, do not hold the mentality of playing or gambling, do not treat it as a personal business, and treat it as a "business". Second, if you have no experience, you need to ask some experienced people to advise you, discuss your business plan with them, and I believe it will give you a lot of advice. Starting a business may succeed, but it is more likely to fail. As a serious entrepreneur, as long as he finds the right direction, sooner or later he will succeed. At the beginning of starting a business, we must do the preparatory work at home, and we must set phased goals, not to be ambitious, but also to understand that "business" is done bit by bit, it is an accumulation, and it is not achieved overnight.

Alliance: As an angel investor, what are the investment principles you pursue? Are there any requirements for the investment sector? I thought, if that friend felt that his project was valuable, maybe he would go to you? hehe.

Zhang Xiangning: Only buy resources with market value, not purely capital-oriented resources. There are some friends who start a business and don't talk about anything else when they start a business. Just talk about where capital is currently invested? If you do this project, can you get the money? Their thinking is that if I can get the money, I will do this project, if I can't get the money, I will not do this project. This is very obvious. Actually until now. This situation has not changed, and I am afraid it will never change.

I think entrepreneurs should understand a problem, and the capital side is only a short-term love, and with the consumer is a long-term marriage. Startups should create the direction of capital chase. Let capital follow the enterprise. Such entrepreneurs may encounter more difficulties. The resistance will be greater, but what they do tends to be more exciting. The impetus to society will be greater.

When it comes to market value orientation, entrepreneurial friends themselves must have a clear understanding and persistence, think clearly, first, what is your business model, how to turn one dollar into two yuan, three yuan or even more. Second, who are your customers? How do you sell them? Third, what kind of resources do you need to buy? Includes team, technology, upstream resources.

If these answers are very clear, I welcome them to contact me.

Alliance: I have communicated with many friends of the alliance, and everyone generally understands that the two best career paths for product managers are, one is to become a real professional manager, and the other is to start their own business and achieve their ideals.

Zhang Xiangning: Objectively calculate the cash flow that the two roads may bring you in 3, 5, 10 years, and then make a decision. This is also a look at the individual, some people in an excellent environment façade can play more talent, then he is suitable for professional managers. Some people can start from scratch in a harsh environment and can start a business.

For entrepreneurship, it is not necessarily very self-employed to start a business, and joining a startup company is also a process of entrepreneurship.

Alliance: The alliance has put forward a slogan, that is, "innovation, start from us", I think, as a product manager, the first job is not only to have innovative ideas, but also to have the courage and action of innovation, which is the ultimate value of this position, can you summarize a few of your innovative experiences?

Zhang Xiangning: 1, close to the user 2, close to the patron 3, close to colleagues

Alliance: In foreign countries, there is a saying about product managers, that is, "small CEOs without rights", I also believe that in this crowd, there will definitely be a group of excellent professional managers or entrepreneurs, you as a predecessor in the industry, a successful person in your career, what advice do you have for these latecomers?

Zhang Xiangning: The situation abroad and at home is somewhat different. Domestic product managers often don't have as much power as they might think. Therefore, they need to be able to understand the market, sales, technology, and communicate smoothly with these departments, relying on the location of the leader rather than the leader to drive the development of the entire project and product. China really needs a group of professional product managers, who need to be proficient in sales, technology, marketing, products and other aspects. Therefore, at a young age, it is advisable to try your own role in the enterprise. In the early days of the narrow listing, I asked each product person to try to sell, not for how much sales they can get back, but more importantly, to let them really understand some market ideas and the real evaluation of customers. Willingness to pay money is often the most effective criterion for a product to pass the test.

Alliance: Thank you very much for being able to accept the exclusive interview of the China Product Managers Alliance in your busy schedule, finally, the Alliance has a private request, please say a few words for the development of the Alliance, put forward some hope, thank you!

Zhang Xiangning: China Product Manager, responsible for Chinese brands. I wish the "China Product Manager Alliance" better and better!