評論
打印
Think back to the first few years of Baidu.
回想百度最初的那幾年
What were the three strategy decisions--or pick any number--that
哪些戰(zhàn)略決策
you now recognize in hindsight were both pivot points of inflection
能夠被視為拐點或者轉(zhuǎn)折點
points that really changed the trajectory of the company?
起到了改變公司發(fā)展軌跡的作用
Robin Li: Sure. That's a very good question.
這是一個好問題
It's very critical for any startup, I think.
對于任何公司來說都至關(guān)重要
When I reflect on the first couple of years of Baidu's operation,
當我回想百度最初的那幾年
I think there are three things that's very critical.
有三件事是非常重要的
First is, as you know, we started at the height of Internet bubble.
總所周知的是，公司于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)泡沫破滅時起步
When we brought US$1.2 million
當我們成功融資120萬美元回到中國
back to China, it was like peanuts comparing to a lot
相比其他新興互聯(lián)網(wǎng)公司
of other Internet startups in China.
這些錢簡直就是九牛一毛
And our engineers constantly hear from other friends working for other
公司的工程師總是聽到
Internet companies in Beijing--they living the most flashiest office
在其他公司工作的朋友說，他們擁有北京最豪華的辦公室
spaces in Beijing and their salary is raised three times a year.
薪水一年漲三次
But our engineers work in a three-star hotel,
而我們的工程師在三星級酒店工作
not very flashy, not on the spotlight,
不豪華，更不引人關(guān)注
and I only promised them to raise their salaries twice a year.
我只承諾每年漲兩次薪水
So they thought, "Alright, if the company is so great,
于是他們覺得:"如果百度真這么好
if we have such a bright future,
如果前景真的如此光明
why you don't do a better job for your employees
為什么不能在員工待遇方面
than the other Internet companies?" It was a tough call for me.
做得比其他公司更好呢?".那時我感覺左右為難
I really thought as an entrepreneur,
作為一個創(chuàng)業(yè)者
as a startup, you really cannot spend money
在創(chuàng)業(yè)初期
like hell without thinking about tomorrow.
不能隨意燒錢而至公司未來于不顧
So the first critical decision I made
我做的第一個重要決定就是
is that when I raised the money, $1.2 million,
當拿到120萬美元時
I told our investors that money
我曾對投資人說過
would last for about six months.
這筆錢能夠維持公司運營6個月
But when I actually start to spend the money, I told my people,
當我開始使用這筆資金的時候，我告訴我的員工
"We need to spend this over the next 12 months.
這筆錢要維持公司運營12個月
We cannot just run out of money six months later."
決不能在六個月后就把錢花光
What happened was, six months later, Internet bubble burst.
恰恰在六個月之后，互聯(lián)網(wǎng)泡沫破滅了
It was much, much harder to raise money.
融資難度大大增加
But I was not worried because I still have more
但我并不擔心
than half of the cash in my bank account.
因為公司的銀行賬戶上還有60多萬美元
So I started to talk to the VCs and asking for $10 million at a very,
就在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)歷史上最艱難的時期，我開始跟風(fēng)險投資商接洽
very difficult time in Internet history.
向他們要1000萬美元
Many of the VCs passed on that opportunity.
多數(shù)投資商都放棄了這個機會
They thought we were too expensive.
認為這是獅子大開口
We only had about 20 people at that time.
那時公司只有20個員工
So if you divide by $10 million,
如果將1000萬平分
that's a lot of money for each employee.
每個人都能拿到一大筆錢
Especially many of them haven't really graduated from college.
其中許多人甚至還沒從大學(xué)畢業(yè)
It's quite really an achievement for them.
這對他們來說是一個極大的成就
So I think the first critical decision I made is don't
這就是我所做的第一個決策
spend money as you promised it to your investors.
不要像承諾的那樣去花錢
