On June 14, 2017, FIR. Im was launched three years ago.

In the past three years, we have changed the way of test release for nearly one million mobile developers in China. It is two simple steps to install the test package on the test device.

After “financing jump”, “virus application”, “828 events in 2015” and commercialization transformation, Baby Fir. im has finally grown into a fir.im that can support itself.

Thanks to every member of the Fir. im team, every user, partner, investor, media and friends who care and support us, and the Krypton space that incubated Fir. im.

From zero to one smooth, from one to three twists and turns, and see below:

Zero – flyITMASTER, I see the wind blowing clouds

In 2012, an iOS developer could not bear the way of sending QQ emails and repeatedly explaining what UDID is and how to obtain UDID. Subsequently, he wrote a testing tool called FlyItRemotely. This iOS developer is Wang Meng, the founder of FIR. im. In April 2014, Wang meng established Beijing Fengqi Yunfei Technology Co., Ltd. and settled in Krspace, an incubator under 36KR that was just established at that time.

From zero to one, the product hits the nail on the head, simplifying the traditional way of publishing to just two simple steps. The company started out with more than 3,000 apps in use. The user data was quite good. The angel was incorporated on the second day after the establishment. Within three months, we received several A-rounds of Termsheets.

Melaka, a hard-edged boy, has his first taste of sorrow

The tone-one

Melaka was launched on June 14, 2014, in the wee hours of that year’s World Cup, when Spain was ravaged. It will make its public debut at 36KR Open Day on the same day.

After Melaka went live, the offline booths at 36kr Open Day and WISE conference brought us two explosive growth. In less than a year, not only did more than half of the Top200 apps in AppStore China use fir. Im, but also foreign companies such as PopCap, a plant vs. zombie team, started using fir.

Remember that 3D bear that went viral on wechat? It was installing more than 450,000 units per hour.

crisis

The massive growth of users brings growing pains, such as traffic costs, such as viral applications. Originally just want to facilitate developers, do not want to become “evil” accomplice. At the beginning of 2015, after receiving users’ reports, FIR. Im immediately launched double virus check and kill, and applications with viruses detected could not be uploaded.

The bigger crisis then was the imprudent financing, many of which we may have heard of, but which did not help. The A round of FIR. im was like A roller coaster. At the beginning, we received many investor invitations every day and also got several Termsheets. Finally, we chose one whose offer was significantly higher than others. I start hiring to expand my team, and then all of a sudden I’m told I’m done. Wang Meng was unexpectedly calm and said to me lightly: “They don’t vote.” Every day, we pretended that there was no problem in financing, continued to smile at colleagues, posted happily on moments, and tried to hide the anxiety in our hearts. One night, after attending an event, we stood in silence on the street for a long time.

Fortunately, the crisis was later resolved, and fortunately, the warp and linear A and A+ rounds were obtained. Because of the financing twists and turns, we did not release the financing news. In retrospect, the crisis was also lucky because it was like a cold shower of cold water: entrepreneurship is full of uncertainty and crisis could come at any time. What we can do is, no matter what happens, face it calmly, forget anxiety and complaints, spare no effort to do a good job in products and services, hard power is the best guarantee.

Two. – Rio, you can’t run fast without tripping

Small step for a run

fir.imOn the first anniversary, the Rio version was released, along with the new productBugHD collapse analysisSDK three months of 100 million installed data, thanks to the guests, users, partners, media, umeng cake, the taste of raven chocolate still remember.

After Rio version, “fir.im” changed its name to “fir.im” (case is very important for engineers). Meanwhile, the tool chain is increasingly improved, CLI and Jenkins and other services are open, users can test version more automatically without page operation. Upload, download problems also have speed tools, Log Guru tools to help quickly troubleshoot problems. In terms of products and services, FIR. im has been moving steadily.

To meet the crisis

On August 28, 2015, when everyone was planning to go out to the seaside Team Building, FIR. Im was suddenly blocked. Wang Meng, the founder, was calm again. Maybe it was wang Meng’s calmness that infected everyone. Everyone did not panic, but gathered together urgently to discuss solutions. We immediately contacted the machine room and the regulatory authorities to understand the reason for the closure, and then began to conduct a self-examination, while actively cooperating with the regulatory authorities to formulate a review plan. Most of our users also gave us great encouragement and support during this period. Instead of complaining, they comforted us and trusted us to fix it. Things went smoothly, and operations resumed 96 hours later. When the message “fir. Im is back” was sent out, all the members breathed a sigh of relief. It was a grueling 96 hours, but it also made us feel the power of a cohesive team like never before, and touched by our users.

From users:

Iii – FIR. im + flow.ci, return to the nature of business hematopoiesis

The first step in commercialization

The day of capital, say change change, blink of an eye, winter is coming. Continue to burn money like this, do not finance the case, certainly is to live soon, a clench teeth a stamp feet, charges! In October 2016, we launched the charging scheme and took the first step towards commercialization. Commercialization has not affected retention and engagement, but has made users more confident. Zhang Ying in jingwei internal activities, often quoted this sentence “God helps those who help themselves”, deeply convinced.

At the same time, our new product flow.ci went from Beta to commercial and gained its first paying customers. What Flow. ci wants to do is to automate the whole development and testing process, and integrate simplicity and speed into every link of development and testing, which is an extension of FIR. im. Compared with FIR. Im, flow.ci will take a very different road in the future. But the same is, as a product and service, need to have their own hematopoietic, profitable ability is worth further investment. After all, business is about transactions.

The crisis is still

Content risks still exist, but different from passively accepting “punishment” before, in 2016, we took the initiative to communicate with regulatory authorities for many times, jointly developed application review plans, and put real-name authentication online in full, resolutely not to be an accomplice of “evil”.

Tougher teams

“Products come and go, but team is alway there.”

From a few people serving tens of thousands of users of one product to a dozen people serving nearly one million users of three products, FIR. Im is truly proud of the strength of our team.

After three, NEXT

Continue to explore commercially valuable services

  • We will continue to explore how to help the platform to attract new and active applications
  • Flow. ci will usher in a shift in service patterns

No longer afraid of crisis

The team is used to anxiety and crisis for three years. Entrepreneurship itself is exploring the unknown, experience is given to us, we can only experience one by one.

Germans often say, “Life is concrete.” If you are anxious about an unknown crisis, find a concrete foothold for this feeling, such as a project, an event, and make abstract problems concrete.

Finally, happy fir. Im third birthday, thanks to all of you!

Cheers, Seok Jeong-yeon @fir. Im