PDLP Chapter 353 Launching Project Ark!
Chapter 353 Launching Project Ark!
His speech, from the moment he took the stage to the end, lasted no more than two minutes. He abandoned all formalistic nonsense and decisively devoted the time to delicious food, fine wine, and the celebrations befitting a victor.
Ye Fan, Liu Ruyan, Lu Qinghe, and Xiang Hao sat down at the main table.
Exquisite dishes were served one after another, but the main topic of conversation remained Weiming.
While Ye Fan ate, he listened to Lu Qinghe and Xiang Hao give a more detailed report.
Although I had read the briefing before returning home, face-to-face communication allowed me to capture more details.
Lu Qinghe presented a clear and organized report on the effectiveness of the marketing strategy during the National Day holiday, user profile analysis, and subsequent promotion plans.
Her management of the team was clearly very effective, uniting a group of tech enthusiasts and marketing personnel into a highly efficient working force.
"User growth momentum remains strong, and retention rates have exceeded expectations. Next, we will focus on deepening our celebrity ecosystem and community operations to create differentiated user engagement." Her eyes shone with confidence.
Xiang Hao focused more on the technology, speaking at a slightly faster pace with the excitement typical of a tech person: "President Ye, the core functions of the new version (V1.2) have all been developed and tested, and it will be fully launched in the next two days! The key is that the distribution logic and interactive gameplay of the interest community have been strengthened, and the 'topic challenge' prototype you mentioned before has also been embedded, which will result in a significant leap in user experience."
He paused, then added with pride, "Weiming's current level of feature richness and underlying architecture scalability far surpasses Weibo's."
Ye Fan listened attentively, occasionally asking key questions.
Under the lights, the four people's discussion around the table was both a celebration of victory and a plan for the future.
The noise in the banquet hall was just background noise, while at the head table, a powerful force was surging, propelling the giant ship of commerce forward.
......
As the noise in the hotel gradually subsided, and the afterglow of the victory celebration lingered, Ye Fan turned his attention to the battlefield further away.
He led Liu Ruyan, Lu Qinghe, and Zhang Yi, the HR manager of the Hongdou Group, into the hotel's quiet private meeting space.
Soft lighting replaced the brilliance of the banquet hall, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans.
The waiter quietly brought over four steaming cups of freshly ground coffee, the dark brown liquid gently swirling in the delicate bone china cups.
"The fact that Weiming App has surpassed 10 million users is just the first step we've taken." Ye Fan picked up his coffee, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable sharpness. "Next, we're going to launch the new 'Ark Project'."
He clearly outlined the blueprint, stating, "In the fields of social media and content, we will build a 'product fleet' with different focuses."
"The first step is to deepen the existing model and create comprehensive social media platforms with different focuses. They will inherit the core of Weiming—integrating microblogging, social networking, media distribution, and content creation, and strengthening real-time interaction and information acquisition, but each will have its own focus (such as being more youthful, more vertical, or having stronger media attributes)."
"The second is pure short video platforms, which is the future trend. We want to create immersive short video applications, and I will elaborate on the specific models later."
Although it has already invested in ByteDance, facing a brand new market that is about to explode and is fiercely competitive, "Project Ark" must personally enter the fray, launch its own branded products, and participate in carving up this huge pie.
He paused for a moment to let them process the information, then continued, "The third is the internal competition mechanism, which is the core and soul of the plan."
Ye Fan deliberately created internal competition. He wanted to make these similar products (such as several "micro-sound" apps or several "short video" apps) or even different products with overlapping target users compete with each other in the market.
He took a sip of coffee and continued, "There are three purposes for doing this: First, to put pressure on existing teams (such as Weiming) to prevent complacency after the success of a single product and to maintain innovation and a sense of crisis at all times."
"The second strategy is to maximize market share. In the early stages of rapid, unregulated growth, we will use multiple precisely positioned products with excellent user experiences (even if there is some overlap between them) to comprehensively cover users and squeeze out competitors' living space. This will quickly drain the market of its excess potential."
"Thirdly, through fierce internal competition, truly outstanding products and teams will emerge. Ultimately, at the appropriate time, superior resources will be integrated, weaker players will be eliminated, and one or more 'giants' with absolute dominance in their respective niche markets will be formed, thus establishing their industry leadership."
"No one can be our real competitor except our own products."
Ye Fan's voice carried a confident air, as if he were looking down on the game: "What we need to do is use our own spear to hone our own shield, and ultimately forge an invincible divine weapon."
He clearly defined the division of labor:
Liu Ruyan: As the group president, I have an overall view of the situation, control the strategic direction and resource allocation, and ensure that the "Ark Project" is coordinated with the group's overall strategy.
Lu Qinghe: Responsible for the specific implementation and leadership of the new project team (may be a core member drawn from Yujing Technology or a newly established independent team), taking full responsibility for everything from product definition and R&D to operation and promotion.
Zhang Yi: We will fully cooperate with Lu Qinghe and mobilize resources from the Hongdou Group and external headhunters to recruit top-notch core talents in technology, product, operations, and marketing for each new project to meet the needs of rapid expansion.
After listening, Liu Ruyan didn't say anything more. She simply picked up her coffee cup and gave Ye Fan a knowing and supportive look.
She is his strongest support, without a doubt.
Lu Qinghe frowned slightly, and with the logical thinking habits of a former teacher, she raised a question: "President Ye, if I may be frank, wouldn't it be more efficient and less risky to concentrate our efforts on perfecting one product? Wouldn't it cause internal friction to spread resources to develop similar competing products, or even compete with ourselves?"
Although Liu Ruyan completely trusted Ye Fan, she also showed a thoughtful expression when she heard Lu Qinghe's question. Zhang Yi, on the other hand, maintained a professional demeanor and focused on taking notes.
Ye Fan smiled slightly and put down his coffee cup: "President Lu, excellence cannot be achieved by working in isolation. Without the pressure of competition, even the best team can fall into its comfort zone. Just like people, complacency will erode ambition. We need to proactively introduce this 'catfish,' even if we raise it ourselves. Internal pressure often stimulates potential and accelerates iteration more than external threats. The market is huge, and initially we need a 'saturation attack,' using multiple arrows to cover a wider bullseye. Ultimately, integration will make resources more concentrated and strength greater."
His explanation was concise and powerful. The doubts in Lu Qinghe's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by the fighting spirit ignited by the challenge and a hint of excitement.
Zhang Yi nodded knowingly.