创业最好的时代

前两天看到一篇文章,说现在是创业最好的时代。作者拿30年前互联网初期对比,那时随便一个商业点子都可以在互联网领域占据机会,如今互联网被慢慢的撑满了,尤其是最近十年的爆发式增长,似乎传统互联网领域的机会越来越显得机会少了。可是这些商业模式在30年前可是无法预料的,30年的发展将一个初生事物变成如今不可或缺的一部分,似乎已经而且将更进一步的渗透在生活的每一部分。可是30年后的互联网形态会是如何呢?互联网会如何的更深的渗透在人/物的信息流之中呢?30年后的时候是不是也有会发现自己错失了当时的好时机呢。

如今Internet Of Things, Big Data, Social Network, 无人驾驶汽车,电动汽车,互联网似乎要将所有东西都互通互联起来,构筑一张遍布世界的物联网。身处LA和最近在硅谷,更是感受到了创业的热潮。身边想创业和有创业想法的人也挺多,也有一些已经纷纷开始试水. 有时候会感觉是不是该是大批量的85左右的创业者开始登上历史的舞台了。虽然已经有部分先知先觉者,或者由于机缘,或者资源,或勇气已经开始出现挺多的成功的80后创业者,尤其是也互联网领域的初创企业。最近几年85左右的创业者应该会有集体登上舞台的可能性,就像曾经的创业者们一样,纷纷是在差不多的时间段显现。

而这一波的创业热潮会是什么呢?此前的Google,Yahoo 搜索引擎,到Facebook,Twitter,LinkedIn社交热潮,以及最近的Airbnb, Uber,Lyft。下一波集体出现的会是怎样的呢?或许是Internet of Things,也有很多在尝试了,但是已何种形态出现呢?

自己偶尔也有些想法,但是都没有认真的去付诸实施。也没有想清楚到底该如何。有时候不得不承认闭门造车是不现实的,必须要走出去,去经历,去感受,去拓宽视野,了解这个社会,了解生活,了解世界,你才会知道机会再哪里?想出一个“不错“的Idea,然后去找合适的市场往往是本末倒置了。就想之前拜访某Alumni是他说的,很多人都是绞尽脑汁想到一个很不错的Idea,然后开始寻找market,和目标用户,但这个过程就挺痛苦。而如果你是努力的发现了一个市场,一个需求,而去根据这样的需求去实现一个想法,这样会顺畅很多。而且他也提到了,如果这个市场机会没有10B的潜力,就不要轻易的去尝试,要尽可能的寻找有大的市场机会的领域,因为那样才足矣撑起一个产业或者一个大型的公司,投资人也会对其前景看好. 按其而言,一个small app有趣但其实未必要值得尝试,因为一个300M的领域和一个10B的商机都需要你倾尽权利的努力去争取做好. 为何不选择一个更大的和更有想象空间的领域呢.

我应该继续多学习,多了解这个世界方才好.

P.S. 以后是不是应该尝试着写一写比较系统的,做过些研究的文章O(∩_∩)O~.

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美帝一周年

不知不觉竟也是已经一年已过, 一年前的这个时候,怀着兴奋又有些不安的心情飞越太平洋,来到这个几乎每一个人都认为的Dreaming Land,希望给自己的人生有个更大的舞台,让自己的人生在新环境的不确定性中能够找到属于自己的位置.

一年过去了,我还是不能肯定的说我是否达到了自己的期望,但毫无疑问的是我不会怀疑或者否定我曾经做的决定. 来美国并不是只为MBA,只为一份工作。更多的也是开拓自己的视野,在一个完全陌生的一直向往的地方近距离的接触感受一下. 如果真能够如愿的给30后的人生定一个明确的方向,那是非常幸运的事情.

这一年也发生了许多的事情,有喜有忧,不过都是对自己的成长.

如愿找到了Intern,虽然过程有点折腾,但是比起另一兄弟的各种磨难,我已经算是超级幸运的一类了。这周二也已经和Executive Team present过,虽然我present的China Channel Coverage只是我项目里一小部分,但是却是我比较认真的做了数据收集和分析的一些工作。效果很不错,大老板GM Art昨儿路过办公室的时候看到我,还专门回来和我说了几句,表示周二的presentation非常impressive。哎,天知道我那天刚开始紧张要命,都忘记了同事的名字和TAM了….开头结结巴巴说了,sorry I felt a little nervous…不过后面就滔滔不绝讲了很多分钟. 昨儿收到老板邮件又表扬了下impressive,想要问我big life plan for career. 想问我想在中国还是美国工作毕业以后。是否有兴趣回中国工作等. 其实我真的木想好这个问题. 我还是非常乐意先在这里待个几年在考虑留还是回的问题. 不过很多时候确实回去再职业发展上会有不错的机会.

对于这个陌生的环境由一开始的新鲜,到阶段性的怀疑,到目前实习期间快乐时光中感觉自己慢慢适应和喜欢这样的环境,朋友也渐多后,有些变得安心。还是希望能够暂时留下来,但是却不是先前的激情澎湃的想要留下来,而更多的是比较平和的心态想要努力留下来。不知道未来如何,但是或许可以有所不同。话说其实这段时间实习是自己挺开心的一段时光,活儿其实也并不是特别多,或者是我并没有花太多的时间在实习的工作内容上。很多时候我在上班路上下班路上都是在思索,我到底想要干嘛的问题. 这么一个简单的问题其实困扰了我许久许久,到眼下还是不是特别的清晰。老实说,我并没有对未来有太清晰的规划和期许。只是有些朦胧的愿景,但还没有清晰到我可以看清远方,而愿意奋不顾生各种方式去到达那里. 或许依然还会困恼一段时间.

来加州还有一个朦胧的想法是更多的靠近全球最活跃的创业生态圈。虽然浅尝辄止的试探着进行些努力,也间或的蹦出国好几个不同的创业点子,有好几个还是受到挺多人的鼓。也不断的接触创业公司,参加不同的创业相关的活动,去看看人家在干神码. 但是具体实际操作上,我确实没有太花时间去把一个idea实践出来。很多时候你很容易出现一个朦胧的点子,你觉得棒级了,然后左想右想还查各种资料去看是否可行。但是我确实几乎没有完全认真的把一个点子从idea,到分析客户,渠道,价格,市场,竞争,value proposition等一一的去认真分析过。往往还是过了些时候,激情退却,点子就放在了Evernote里了。这其实不是一个良性的过程. 很多时候你就应该想去试一试. 二年级的时候我应该更多的认真想一想这方面的问题. 既然我都恬不知耻的占据着GCBA VP of Entrepreneurial 以及EA Director of Business Creation, 我应该至少做一点什么吧.

最后还是免不了总结下感情问题. 其实心里还是没有(暂时无法?)忘记她,经常上班或者下班路上开车的时候想起她,虽然不至于让自己郁闷不开心,但是偶尔还是会惆怅。或许心里还是挺喜欢她的吧,这有时候真的无法自欺欺人. 这一周最后还是把她微信删了,我不确定自己为何非要如此. 或许她以为我很是绝情吧,做不成情侣就无法做朋友,连微信都删除。可是有时候我想,如果我对自己不这么狠一些,我将会很难或者很慢的忘记她。而对于求而不得的人或许最好的方式就是尽可能切断所有的信息源,久而久之没有她的相关信息的输入与刺激,你也就日渐忘记她的存在了。删掉有时候是因为心中依然欢喜怕是无法忘记. 不过其实我开始有些理解她了,对于并不深爱的人,你确实会经常疏忽,或者疏于联系。有时候间或的想起,你也并没有主动的联系. 可是有时候失恋就像上次有人分享的,并不是失去了一个人,而是连带着失去了因为这份感情的存在而使得自己希望努力,希望成为更好的自己那种积极向上的态度与生活热情。我其实非常的赞同。终归,我们还是各走各的路了。连回头望一眼告声别都没有,或许就这样消失在互相的人海之中.

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Q&A with Ben Horowitz

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With Ben Horowitz

托朋友的福,昨儿去参加了Andreessen Horowitz Co-Founder Ben Horowitz的一个Q&A活动. 原本是本着他的名号去的,想必大佬的Q&A内容挺精彩,确实也没有让自己失望. 不过到最后才发现原来这个活动应该是只邀请那些summer internship在他们公司投资的portfolio公司的实习生。难怪是Invite only.

Ben分享了他的一些经历,作为CEO,作为GM,作为现在的VC。同学们都问了很多问题,有人问道他看中什么样的创业者的时候,他分享了三点:一个是Smart,聪明的家伙谁都喜欢。二是能发现unlearned secret, 举了AirBnB创始人的例子. 所谓发现unlearned secret的能力或许就是能够在通过事物的表象发现背后影藏的本质与商业机会吧。第二是,能够抵抗social pressure的,be yourself。因为创业的人或许都有自己的特性。保持本真,即使本真有有时候是ass hole. 他说Steve 本人其实也非常的ass,并没有什么朋友,但是并不影响他成为great people。他就是那样的人,他也没有刻意去改变. 虽然那或许会是他的一个缺点。

Ben 也提到了作为创业者,其实follow your heart有时候并不是好事,更好的说法或许是找到那些能够发挥你才干你能make contribution的领域,那样会使你获得成就感。而成就感在一定程度上会促使你继续努力。

Ben 喜欢Hip-hop,自己也偶尔写一点。应现场同学的要求,他还表演了一小段他自己觉得不错的段子。

Ben还分享了两个有趣的故事。

一个是另一个联合创始人Marc Andreessen的故事. 说他Marc当初在学校的某个部门干活啥的,在自己业余时间做了个东西,觉得挺好玩,就想着把他商业化,就是后来曾经红极一时的Netscape。这下学校不开心了,想要敲一笔,就起诉了Marc。Marc和学校说是公司小,在发展,是否可以给学校点equity和小比现金。学校不鸟他,不想要他的trash equity,说要cash。貌似他给了N million的cash化解了此事。学校更过分的是,把他当时写的代码卖给了微软….这使是他非常的生气。每当学校有人打电话来要Donate的时候,他都会接电话,和人家解释说自己不会donate….

另一个故事是说Paypal的Max Levchin。说他们是移民家庭,俺家在芝加哥。但是Max要申请大学,然后报名了顶顶有名的MTI(其实也是MIT),立志去MTI学习。但是别人告诉他,美国没有MTI这所大学,他肯定弄错了。然后他最后就去了美国伊利诺伊大学。不过这听上去更多的像是个笑话.

活动结束时,和Ben合了个影,并咨询了下他对于Bitcoin ATM市场的一些看法. 不过因为后面还有MBA同学的活动,和一个CMU Tepper的MBA小聊了会后就离开了。这兄弟的兴趣方向是无人驾驶汽车领域相关的.

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"追尾了“

都说破财消灾….自从我买了车后, 破财我是认真的做到了…消灾我却一直没有感觉到啊…

昨天才开心嘚瑟的终于拿到工资了,还晚上屁颠屁颠的上网给自己买了170刀的一把剃须刀作为礼物

今天上班路上就把车头顶上了人家的车屁股…我都不记得咋会发生那一幕…那片刻…貌似灵魂出窍了吧..我们都停着车呢,在高速上, 然后我貌似一松油门,车就上去了…反应过来已经晚了….估计又要折损几百刀了吧?如果太贵就走保险了..虽说有可能会使得保费上涨啊…

最近真是各种走神啊!有些昏沉沉.

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Magical Place

Bay Area is a magical place, even I just stay here for three weeks….

During the past three weeks, I already met different types of entrepreneurial, one from CSDN, one from DeepGlint, and one from BitAccess. Pretty lucky to talk each of them, one just a coffee talk,  have a dinner together, and one I even started to work with him for some small things.

All I want is just a close look about the YC startup, and how they grow up to a more successful startup. Everything more than 4000 startup apply the YC program and only maybe 80 will be enrolled in the program through a very competitive process. They will have three months to improve the product and expand the business and then will have chance to pitch their company,facing around 450 VC from all over the world. Maybe the big exposure to all those VCs is the major attractive things for most of them. YC will invest 20,000 for 6% of the shares and another 100,000 for 1 percent of the convertible shares( not sure what’s this or I misunderstood it). So actually 120,000 for 7% of the shares in total.

It’s a good place to stay in touch with the most amazing things happening here.

Sometimes I just wonder when will I start my own journey.

P.S. This Saturday, I went to Big Basin for hiking with a girl from GSB. She started to work on her own project in education area. She was really a brave girl, not only for her courage to work on her project, but for the experience when we hiked.

I made a mistake at Saturday and chose a hiking trail with almost 11 or 12 miles. We started to hike like 3pm….and I still didn’t change my hiking plan. I shouldn’t do this if there is another chance. She was so afraid when she realized that we walked almost 3 hours and in the middle of the forest. And maybe we couldn’t walk out of the forest before sunset. She started to walk so fast, even running later. At the last 2 miles, she started to cry as she used up all her energy and couldn’t walk any more. What’s surprise me most was even under such a situation, she made it and she didn’t fully complain about the whole thing. She just went through what we did good and what we did bad. I felt so regret when I looked at her sleeping in my car, I can feel her tiredness from her face.

Thanks very much for not complaining…..

I think she will be very successful as an entrepreneurial.

 

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2014 MBA Intern W3D3

The same as last two days, I had a feeling of losing the direction.

Have no passion about what I did now and I just can not calm down and do what I should do.

What happened to me those days? Tired or bored?

Lunched with the technical product marketing directer at a HK restaurant.

Held three meetings with China team after 5:00pm and ended up at almost 7:30 pm.

Maybe all the big company will have the same problems…….and it’s hard to solve it.

I spent most of my time surfing online and reading the tech news.

I messed up this week and tomorrow is the last day of this week and I almost did nothing so far…

Hope I will recover soon.

 

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2014 MBA Intern W3D2

Again….wasted one day and didn’t do anything…

Met with product marketing director of Tippingpoint and lunched with my mentor.

Still struggle to figure out the project scope and the timeline for that…..

A little lost of the direction after the two weeks talk with different people…

Maybe I could continue to collect more information about the business.

 

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2014 MBA Intern W2D5

I almost did nothing today, just felt so tired that I even fell asleep in the afternoon in the office.

Drove to visit my friend at Google and happened to meet the founder of CSDN Jiangtao.

Felt a little worried about my summer project and its progress……..

I spent most of my time meeting and talking with different people in the group, and haven’t done too much about China market.

Next week, I will start to conduct the buyer’s interview and get a sense about what they are thinking about enterprise security product.

 

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2014 MBA Intern W2D4

ESP team held a team building event to welcome the interns, actually just for the product marketing interns. We headed to play Bocce Ball in the morning and enjoyed our lunch there. It was a pretty fun place and it was also my first time to play Bocce Ball! It was also a great place to play with teammate and know more people in the group. I already schedule lunch time with a new guy I met today.

When we backed to office, it was almost 2pm. I even forgot about what I did in the afternoon…I think I just checked some email, sent some email, schedule the time for lunch, and read some customer reference about the product.

Dinner with a friend, who just moved to Bay Area this month after her husband transferred from China to U.S. Actually we haven’t meet for almost  four years since last time we met at Shanghai. It’s cool to re-connect people in a new environment.

Almost two week….maybe need to speed up the project….haven’t done any customer/partner/ interview yet.

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