Robin Li: The Legend Of Baidu

Eweek, a famous American science and technology magazine, has recently named "100 people who affect the global IT". Only 4 non European and American IT celebrities have won the award, while Baidu founder Robin Li has become the only Chinese IT person who is believed to be "affecting the world" by the US magazine.

Eweek is the most influential media in the international IT community.

The candidates included TCP/IP inventors, creator of XML and Arom standards, founder of the world wide web, the father of Linus and other dazzling IT experts. There were also Brazil presidents who made significant contributions and influence to IT, including the CEO of Microsoft, Google, IBM, HP and other pnational giants.

If we use "Robin Li + Baidu" as the key word, we can get 199 search results from Sina News through portal website. If we use Baidu, we can get 15900 results.

In front of him, Mr. Robin Li was calm, ordinary and insipid -- even his handsome, widely praised, upright and honest official.

Anti myth in shape, and Deconstruction in speech.

Robin Li's clarification is simple and straightforward: the acquisition does not exist. In June, the new round of "Baidu" financing, Google became the new shareholder of Baidu, and Baidu was still an independent company.

As for the relationship between cooperation and competition, "the trend of the world is like this": cooperation, mutual needs, competition and common needs, prompting both sides to provide better and faster technology and services, and to educate the market, such as letting more small and medium-sized owners understand the use of search to promote their products.

As for "counter encirclement and suppression", "Baidu's strategy never focuses on competitors, but focuses on developing and cultivating a more mature market".

As for the increasingly frequent exposure, Robin Li's attitude is as calm as possible and does not avoid suspicion. "Baidu is directly facing the end customers, using more people, will naturally be interested in you, and then the media will come - this is the need for work".

Steering brings a leap.

The quiet inspection before opening the door began in 1996, and took advantage of the opportunity to return home every year to see what the high-tech companies are doing, what they are studying in the University, and what the computers of ordinary people are doing.

Until the national day of 1999, the e-mail address was printed on everyone's business card. Some people in the street wore a T-shirt printed with ".Com". Robin Li concluded that the Internet was mature in China, and the environment was fine; and Robin Li's money in the passbook was almost the same. Even if he earned two or three cents a penny, he could guarantee his family to live a normal life.

Therefore, the time to quit and start a business is coming.

Then came back to the United States to find money.

Robin Li, who did not like to drive, drove all the way through San Francisco's Sha Shan Road (sandhill venture capital center).

At the moment of getting the money, there was nothing exciting about it: the biggest cheque ever obtained was $1 million 200 thousand!

The excitement is more like an investor, a pleasant story - "China's market + Robin Li's strong technical background + Robin Li's determination to give up the preferential treatment and entrepreneurship", so that Robin Li who originally only asked for 1 million dollars earned 200 thousand.

Buy air tickets immediately, and land on Christmas day in Beijing.

Then the opening, there is no red silk, no red balloons, and even when the brand hang up is blurred. In the early morning of January 1, 2000, Robin Li called 1 accountants and 5 technicians to the hotel room of North resource Hotel, which he shared with his partner Xu Yong. He said, "this is the beginning of our office, two disciplines in the office, one is no smoking, and the other two is no pets."

At the very beginning, it was in the three star hotel that 1414, 1417 and two numbers were not very good.

During the day, I sleep at night and go to bed. I get up in the morning and go into the office.

And then the first spring of the Internet bubble burst, Robin Li began to look for second money.

There is pressure, but not afraid of a broken meal. Robin Li spent the first 6 months, and spent 12 months on the money.

Convincing investors is harder than before, but it's not that hard to tell - honestly about the status quo, and more truthfully anticipate the prospect of $10 million in September.

There is no need to worry about money. Customers are increasing. Almost all portals are using Baidu search services.

But Robin Li began to worry about "irrelevance": the market share has accounted for 80%, and still can not make money. The business model is definitely not right.

Referring to the experience of Overture, which has always been concerned about the US industry, Robin Li proposed to shift the direction of force and introduce his own website into competitive bidding.

Then in August 2001, Robin Li "stubbornness persuaded the board of directors".

The board of directors conference call, because Robin Li changed to mild, democratic and quiet, suddenly became fierce, decisive and loud voice. Outside the general manager's office of Shenzhen, "Baidu" employees only heard that one person kept saying that the directors finally surrendered in a reserved way: Robin Li, it was not your reason that convinced us, but your attitude. Since you are so determined and confident, we can only let you try!

Then "Baidu" turns.

The "Baidu" after the turn began to make progress.

"No repetition, no turbulence" until the end of 2003, Robin Li gave lectures at Peking University without opening the scene of anyone who used Baidu. In the midfield, there will always be people standing up or expressing affection or exploring specific search techniques.

"At this time, I realized that Baidu was basically made."

Almost, this is the story of "Baidu" so far.

This "gradual process", according to the calendar year, Robin Li's summary and expectations are: 2002, technology year, "Baidu" search technology is really mature; 2003, traffic year, traffic is 7 times higher than the previous year (2002 and mainstream portal search traffic flat); 2004 is brand year, Baidu is widely recognized - "next year, 2005 is the year of income".

As for going further, Robin Li said he could not see that far.

How can a knowledgeable person get rich?

In 1987, Robin Li, 19, a small town in Yangquan, Shanxi, filled in the college entrance examination: he participated in the national youth programming contest in senior high school.