Chapter 27 : Establish the Position of Team Leader
In Dormitory 303, Xu Jingren and the other five roommates sat in silence. All of them became serious, straightened their backs, and listened attentively.
The five of them were shocked by Fang Hong's speech. They hadn't seen each other for just one summer break, yet they didn't expect him to be so knowledgeable about the Internet.
Especially when he spoke—his tone, confidence, and the way he explained things gave them a sense of déjà vu, as if they were listening to an experienced entrepreneur or industry leader. His invisible aura unconsciously made them pay close attention.
At that moment, Fang Hong quickly wrote down a few QQ-related products on the whiteboard. He then turned to his roommates and confidently said:
> "Since then, the company has expanded its product range around QQ, including QQ Pet, QQ Space, QQ Games, and more. These products not only retained a massive number of internet users but also generated significant profits for the company."
> "QQ has dominated the social software market throughout the 2G Internet era in China, with no real challengers. More importantly, it provides a natural traffic gateway for the company's gaming ecosystem, allowing its products to easily crush the competition."
> "Then came Alibaba, which reshaped China's Internet landscape during the 2G era. Founded in 1999, Alibaba initially focused on the domestic wholesale market. In 2003, they launched Taobao, a brand-new platform. Surprisingly, instead of competing with eBay and EachNet for the existing market, it captured the rapidly growing demand for online retail. In just one year, this seemingly 'upside-down' company became the leader in China's e-commerce industry."
> "By 2004, Alipay was launched, marking the birth of China's third-party payment system. That same year, Ali Wangwang was introduced, integrating instant messaging with e-commerce, revolutionizing online retail. By 2005, Taobao's transaction volume had exceeded 8 billion yuan, even surpassing Walmart in China."
> "Also in 2005, 'Brother Qiang,' who had been selling CDs in Zhongguancun for years, decided to enter the market. Thus, JD Multimedia Network was officially launched. Perhaps influenced by its origins, JD primarily focused on 3C products (computers, communication, and consumer electronics). While competing with Taobao, it also carved out its own niche in the e-commerce landscape."
After summarizing this history, Fang Hong erased the whiteboard and wrote a new line:
"Who Will Lead in the 3G Era?"
He looked at his five roommates and said firmly:
> "We are currently facing a financial crisis on a global scale, but at the same time, the 3G era is upon us. This is our golden opportunity. Brothers, this is an untapped blue ocean. Quantum Jump will rise at the dawn of the 3G era and become the next Tencent, the next Alibaba, the next Baidu—a true industry giant."
Hearing this, his roommates' eyes lit up. No one spoke, but their excitement was palpable.
Fang Hong secretly glanced at his system panel and saw that his "reputation value" had increased.
This meant he was beginning to establish influence among his roommates.
Keeping his composure, he continued:
> "The entire 2G era was dominated by PC-based internet services. At that time, 2G mobile phones were only capable of making calls and sending text messages, and mobile internet access was extremely limited. However, with the advent of 3G, communication speeds have increased exponentially—a true technological leap forward."
> "The 3G era marks the real beginning of mobile internet. Last year, when the iPhone was released, Steve Jobs' 'slide to unlock' feature amazed the world. It officially opened the door to a new era. Now, making calls will become a secondary function for mobile phones, while internet-based data communication—apps—will take center stage."
Fang Hong twirled the marker in his hand and continued:
> "Quantum Jump should focus on emerging trends in the mobile internet industry because that is the future. However, due to the slow adoption of smartphones in China, the mobile internet revolution won't happen overnight. We will need a hardware manufacturer to push smartphone adoption first, which might take another two to three years."
At this point, Xu Jingren couldn't help but ask:
> "So where should we start?"
Fang Hong replied concisely:
> "The PC platform. While mobile internet is the future, jumping too far ahead could backfire. Being too early means becoming a pioneer, but the chances of failure are higher. Instead, we should move in sync with the times."
Yuan Jie asked curiously:
> "How?"
By now, everyone was instinctively following Fang Hong's lead.
This was the power of leadership and influence.
Fang Hong took a deep breath and explained:
> "Looking at the internet trends in both China and the U.S., I call the current stage of China's internet development the 'C2C' model. Not in terms of e-commerce, but 'Copy-to-China.' Essentially, China's internet industry is replicating North American business models. For example, Sohu copied Yahoo, Baidu copied Google, Youku Tudou copied YouTube, and so on."
Xu Jingren frowned.
> "But haven't most successful models already been copied? Is there still an opportunity in 2008?"
Fang Hong smiled.
> "There are opportunities in every era. What's missing are the eyes to see them."
He turned around, erased the board, and wrote a new phrase:
"Quantum Jump's First Internet Product"
> "We will copy North America's Twitter."
> "Twitter has already become a mature platform, winning multiple awards last year. Its success has inspired many entrepreneurs in China."
Xu Jingren thought for a moment.
> "Microblogging? But there are already Chinese versions of Twitter, like Fanfou, Jiwai, and Digu. Fanfou is the most promising one."
Fang Hong smiled.
> "I know about those platforms. Even Fanfou, the best of them, only has a few hundred thousand users. None of these players have what it takes to become giants."
The group laughed.
They recalled the name "Quantum Jump", which Fang Hong had already chosen for their team. Just the name alone carried a sense of ambition.
Fang Hong, having knowledge of the future, knew that these competitors would soon fail due to government regulations and internal mismanagement.
He then outlined three key reasons why Quantum Jump would succeed:
1. Existing competitors haven't broken through
2. Industry giants are blind to the opportunity
3. Quantum Jump has a strategic advantage
Fang Hong explained:
> "First, microblogging is still in its infancy—meaning everyone still has a chance."
"Second, major internet giants like Sohu and Tencent don't recognize the true potential of microblogs yet. Even Sina is hesitant about investing in it."
"Third, we understand how to create a successful microblogging platform better than our competitors."
He then described the product:
> "Quantum Jump's Weibo will allow users to post text and images through websites, mobile web (WAP), SMS, and MMS. It will be a 'short-form blog' where users can share their thoughts and experiences in real time, just like Twitter but optimized for the Chinese market."
Finally, Fang Hong declared:
> "Quantum Jump will rise through Weibo, solidify its dominance in the 3G era, and then prepare for the 4G and 5G revolutions."
His roommates were stunned.
Xu Jingren, deeply convinced, said:
> "You're our leader. No objections."
One by one, his roommates voiced their agreement.
At that moment, Fang Hong had officially established his leadership.