First of all, the interests are a little related, different perspective, maybe can say something new. And I was one of the first people to pay attention to wechat and similar products.
The opportunity for wechat was actually given by the QQ team themselves. In fact, Tencent should greatly thank Zhang Xiaolong, if we miss this opportunity, maybe today Tencent is worthless, internal optimization is better than external revolution.
Tencent QQ and hand Q are not a team, hand Q in wireless, QQ is on the way, the background are on the way. Hand Q was living in fact very moist, perhaps too moist let him ignore the development.
Wireless made the mistake of focusing on shanzhai (not Android, but MTK), and the team was split up in several locations (including other products, of course), shenzhen, Beijing, Chengdu, Wuhan, Shanghai. In fact, internal cooperation is normal, but the development of a lot of problems covered. Of course, the argument that shanzhai phones are the future was also established before 2010. At that time, Android did not have such a climate, and it was a very difficult thing to make an application, with various resolutions and models. There are only a handful of big-name apps, and the Mobile Q is the one that will come pre-loaded on any machine.
At that time, hand Q was not a communication product, but a portal (everyone who has seen it knows). It was news, Wap, games, App market… All sorts of things were crammed in. That year is the year of wireless development, wireless smooth sailing, many products, but did not find the crisis is not far away.
And the birth of wechat guangyan and Zhang Xiaolong, in the territory of Tencent, the main product is QQ mailbox, although it is a star level product, but can only be regarded as a small vassal in a corner.
At that time, other teams of Tencent were also in the process of transferring from PC to mobile phone, and many products were more or less in conflict with wireless products. Even on the mobile phone QQ products, namely also have certain mutual involvement. There is some internal competition and internal consumption. That’s not to mention mobile Qzone, mobile music, mobile games… (Wireless is a division of Tencent according to the market, so most of the products on mobile phones were from the wireless department, which usually made mobile phone applications, while other departments made PC products and background. Wireless has made no small contribution to Tencent’s development, and SP was the majority of Tencent’s revenue in the years (before 2005) when Tencent’s game sector did not develop.
To paraphrase a line, time flies, time no longer, in 2010, the storm. Externally, Android began to unify the market, Xiaomi began to get on the right track, Apple was accepted by most white-collar workers, and shanzhai phones began to lose their popularity.
Then, it is said that Xiaolong first discovered that there are similar products in foreign markets. Then suggested to do, but wireless did not respond, and finally Guang Yan began to do. Of course, this also benefits from one thing, in those days namely is a more open department. The boss also considered all kinds of chain sharing. (At that time, it was even hoped that all the relationship chain should be put in the background of Instant Communication, and most products do the same, but wechat did not do this, but at that time it looked nothing, just look back on the hatred.)
At that time, there were competitors in the Chinese market, Mi Chat. But mi chat is too rub, experience to do in a complete mess, really not the opponent, allow him to visit my address book, incredibly can not immediately find friends, wait for the next day to see, after logging in the interface is blank, how many users vote with their feet. Actually, there’s another one, Fetion. But it’s a completely closed product (and I don’t want to think about it, a communication product, it doesn’t make any sense for you to close it up).
Wechat 1.0 this aspect of the experience is good, access to the address book friends will pop out, and more than others a relationship chain, QQ. But in fact, at that time wechat was just a common product, nothing special. It must be admitted that QQ (especially background data) in the early stage of wechat is quite helpful to wechat, such as login, relationship chain, etc.
Until one day only:
Voice chat (walkie-talkie), Wechat 2.0 appeared, wechat suddenly became a different product. The way people communicate is no longer text messages, no finger input, easy, simple. That was the breaking point, and that’s when it started to differentiate itself from other products. Then other products began to be shunted off several streets. Then wireless that year also had some counterattack, such as Q letter. But the opportunity is gone.
Back, nearby people, shake, group (save), moments, public accounts, payments, games. I have to say, Zhang xiaolong is a very, very good product manager. Most product managers can only add. Few product managers can subtract so well. When the public leng is zhang Xiaolong dragged to a TAB inside, his goal is not harassment users. This is if placed in other products. It’s not as painful as death.
Although today’s hand Q online at the same time, the active data is really good. But sometimes the tide comes and you can’t stop it. The bitter days of hand Q and wireless are coming… Since then, Mobile Q and Instant Have been combined into one division, and various product lines have been integrated.
To tell a story, when hand Q and wechat do access games together, we are similar interface, release steps on both sides of the requirements are completely consistent. (Outside look is a family, inside already at daggers drawn), result line. Micro letter from the bottom of the skirt (this matter micro letter secret to really few people know) shake hug come out of a small game, dozen airplane, QQ product manager was completely dumbstruck.
What’s so good about this most simple of masturbations? First, small, internal integration, users quickly experience, second, quickly develop user groups, user habits, gameplay habits, third, rely on word of mouth to seize users, news effect that good!
I have to say, I was overwhelmed.
Today, the domestic instant messaging products are only the two of them compete for the world (momo positioning is not quite the same), QQ has more advantages in the young user group. Wechat is more attractive to white-collar workers and users over the age of 20. Everyone is equally equal, or, there is competition to have development. But going forward, I’m bullish on wechat because it’s more pure (although I’m bearish on wechat e-commerce).
But say a word Tencent must be warned, in the mobile era. Because of the existence of the address book, the advantage of the relationship chain is really not much. We all share, you slow one step, may never catch back. It’s hard to say what the future holds.
To put it bluntly, a few points:
1) In the Internet era, there is no comfort zone, which is where QQ failed. Your point of decline is when you think the best of times.
2) Good product managers know who their products are for. Good product managers change user habits. Good product managers do subtraction.
It’s all about public things, but from a different perspective, it’s not quite the same, it’s not anonymous.
I forgot, Xiaolong is also a programmer born product manager. It’s inspiring. Finally, salute to xiao Long.
Many friends think QQ is the secret of wechat’s success. I think it is right and wrong. I mentioned in front of the article that QQ (background) helped wechat a lot in the early years. The login entrance and the chain of relationships were given to wechat. But then again, wechat’s orientation is oriented towards acquaintance communication (the core appeal of the product is also in this, so I think wechat’s wechat e-commerce is not very promising). QQ is the birth of the early Internet products, friends are more casual. I don’t really want these people to know my wechat account. Now wechat should not use this relationship chain.
A friend asked why the hand Q integrated voice function did not occupy so many markets?
Chatting with friends, hand Q did try phonetics in his early years. But it basically failed. The core question is how to use it? I didn’t get it. (I think it’s a chat room.)
I don’t think it’s a matter of hand Q integrated voice. It’s a matter of what kind of communication users want, and what your product is for. The positioning of hand Q is not accurate, not accurate than PC QQ. It became a mobile service platform, but did not venture more boldly into communication tools. And in the age of mobile phones, we want more communication between acquaintances (I don’t know if wechat is a booty call), and better communication (hold, talk, release, and the message goes out).
The strategic level of hand Q stumble is that arrogance, underestimate the enemy.
At the tactical level, the problem lies in the following: the positioning of the mobile Q itself (what users want is not the superposition of functions, but to solve their needs), the problem of copying PC’s operation habits, and the problem of QQ’s relationship chain itself.
But when you want to go back to the transformation, your historical achievements, the original team, will become the resistance to change. Yahoo!, Nokia! Microsoft!
A friend pointed out in the following that Tencent e-commerce is not called Weidian, I found the exact name is Weixindian. I will change it to wechat e-commerce.