Starting a business is a life-and-death process. Once a company is established, real money is spent in every link.
Especially for companies with no visible profit model, it is a contest of endurance and will. No matter how advanced the company's model is and how cutting-edge the concept is, if it cannot raise money, it will be left to die in the wilderness. The harshness of competition in nature is actually clearly visible here.
In fact, looking at the eldest brother Cheng Qi, he was so short of money that he had to pledge his shares. People who have not experienced it will not understand the state of mind that comes from losing one's mind and thinking like a gambler that he may be able to get through it by taking a chance.
Many onlookers and later generations always seem to be able to sum up long-winded reasons and lessons for failure when looking at some failed entrepreneurial cases. It's like opening a map and playing a strategy game. It seems that they can see at a glance the layout of both sides, who made a stupid move, and why this person's IQ is so low. But in fact, most of these are naive people's easy talk.
Most entrepreneurial processes are like crossing a river by feeling the stones, a strategic game full of war fog. These fogs can be policies, market prospects, customer needs that change from one day to the next, and even conflicts and frictions within the team. With so many factors combined, how can it be simply summarized by finding the right path, looking in the right direction, and not making mistakes
The torture and willpower that team leaders have to go through are not something that ordinary people can bear. Just like the current boss Ma, he is out of money and food, and the entire company is eating instant noodles. Everyone even takes out their family savings to keep the company running, while he is contacting various capitals to give Ali a transfusion. Basically, all serious investment institutions have rejected him. So far, more than 20 investors have rejected him, and there will be 30 or 40 in the future... As long as he fails to raise money, this process may continue.
And it's not just a matter of you making a request and others refusing. It's not like calling your brother in the future to ask if he needs a loan. You don't have to hang up the phone, scratch your nose, and then dial again to ask your sister.
Sometimes you have to prepare well-rounded speeches and reports in front of the other party's company's senior management, and they will scrutinize and reject your speeches and reports. You may face nitpicking, debate and controversy. They may say politely on the surface that they will think it over, but behind your back they are "wild ideas", "you talk nonsense, have you ever worked in pyramid schemes?", "the project you talk about is so big, you look like a liar no matter how you look at it!", "you are too ugly", "you have a mean look" and other ridicules. Of course, there are more cases where you always prepare speeches and PPTs with great enthusiasm, but in the end you hit a wall, and your hard work is smashed against the cold wall.
Without hope, there may be no disappointment, but if you cannot mobilize yourself to the best state with enthusiasm every time, how can you expect to impress the other person
In such a situation, Mr. Ma was rejected dozens of times. But every time he could still return to the company with a calm smile and say, "I rejected another investment today." If you put yourself in his shoes, how many times can you bear it
You can say that such a person is thick-skinned, but what does it mean to be thick-skinned when he carries the future and fate of dozens of people, as well as the expectations and ideas of growing the company? When you shoulder so many things, words like "easy" and "self-esteem" are erased from your dictionary.
Cheng Ran looked at Boss Ma and took the initiative to clink glasses with him with the rough plastic beer cup in his hand. "Boss Ma, if you want to talk to me, we can be open and honest, so there is no need to say these face-saving words in front of me."
Boss Ma blushed a little, but he just smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
In fact, his silence at this time was equivalent to tacitly agreeing with Cheng Ran's words, but he still did not admit it in the end, which gave people the impression that he might have another move.
But now I am very panicked. Where did this Cheng Ran come from? His eyes are as sharp as candlelight.
"Do you have a business plan?" Cheng Ran asked.
“Yes, we want to be an e-commerce company serving Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises…”
Cheng Ran shook his head. "This is just a slogan, a prelude, not a detailed plan. A detailed plan is to come up with a plan, what to do in the first step, what purpose to achieve, what to do in the second stage, what kind of product to make, how to execute it later, the third step, the fourth step, detailed planning for each stage..."
Boss Ma was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, yes, I'll show you later..."
It's actually a delaying tactic. It's strange that there is such a detailed plan! The current plan is to raise money. As long as there is money, I can eat more boxed lunches and do anything.
"You didn't."
Boss Ma smiled, and once again smiled without saying anything.
Cheng Ran said, "But it doesn't matter. Just like I told Li Mingshi and Lin Xiaosong, I saw your story in China Yellow Pages. I think Boss Ma will be successful. And you and my elder brother have such a good relationship. I believe it is also fate that you came to Chengdu this time, so I will invest in you... How much investment do you expect to get, and how many shares can you give me?"
Boss Ma had already given up hope. In fact, this was the same reason why he came to Chengdu this time. He said he was refusing investment, but in fact he came to Cheng Qi, a "big boss" he knew, to solicit sponsorship. He was so poor that he had no money to eat, so he had no way to try his luck. It didn't matter if he failed, since he had failed so many times.
But it is not right to say that he was always rejected. At least last time, Boss Ma really rejected an investment from a state-owned enterprise. The state-owned enterprise wanted to invest one million yuan in them and take 80% of the shares. Boss Ma almost shouted "lunatic!" and walked away. Of course, this time he seriously rejected the investment.
After learning of the decision made by the man in front of him, Boss Ma was a little dazed for a moment, and really felt like happiness was knocking on the door, but he quickly adjusted himself and did not lose his composure, but his breathing became obviously unstable.
In fact, it seems a bit far-fetched to ask him to be as pretentious as later generations. After all, no one becomes what they are now at the beginning. It must be a process of growth. In this immature era, in fact, the boss Ma in front of us is no different from an entrepreneur who has repeatedly hit the wall. If there is a difference, it is that he has grown up in setbacks since he was a child. There is no other reason, but he is thick-skinned.
“How much can you invest?”
"If I want 40% of your shares, how much do you think is appropriate? Of course, I will not participate in the operation, and maximize the subjective initiative of the company under your leadership."
Boss Ma thought carefully for a while, then looked up. "So far, the options I have given to partners and employees account for 10% of the shares. I also need to reserve options for future key personnel, so 40% is too high, but I can give you 25%. I think... this number..."
He made a one with his hand, then opened his palm and made a five.
The voice was firm, "Fifteen million."
After a pause, he added, "We are worth this amount. As long as you give us this capital, I will be able to develop all small and medium-sized business owners in Jiangsu and Zhejiang into our customers, and sell our products all over the world!"
"This equity is too little. You have no plan and no results, but I have to pay you so much money just for a slogan."
Boss Ma smiled sharply and said, "You don't have that much money, do you?"
"I'll give you 30 million, and I want 40% of the shares."
Cheng Ran knew that in the previous life, Goldman Sachs led the angel round, and several funds used 5 million US dollars to obtain 40% of the equity of Alibaba, the owner of Ma. So Cheng Ran tried this plan.
Boss Ma shook his head. He also knew Cheng Ran's clues, which made him more confident. "I can't dilute so much equity. This is impossible. Thirty million... I can only give you 35%."
There is no point in bargaining, although from an operational perspective, Cheng Ran can use a tough approach to block Boss Ma and push for the 40% equity plan.
But this approach is not the way of business cooperation. He does not want the two sides to create grudges and hidden dangers.
He had no intention of intervening or participating in Boss Ma's operation plan. On the one hand, it was probably best for him not to interfere with a person like Boss Ma. On the other hand, Cheng Ran was also worried that from this moment on, once he got involved in this matter, it would mean that Boss Ma would no longer move according to the trajectory of his previous life, and the fate of this company would also change. This matter had changed from investing in a company to investing in and trusting him as a person.
From this moment on, everything becomes unpredictable and confusing.
The future is once again unpredictable.
But isn’t this actually the fun and meaning of life
So he decided to take part in this bet.
"Okay, deal."
Cheng Ran smiled.
He was handed a glass of wine.
Boss Ma was stunned for a moment before he realized that Cheng Ran had given him such a straightforward approval. He then extended his glass and clinked it with his. It was like seeing the light after the fog had cleared. He smiled and said, "Does this count as a friendship between Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng?"
Cheng Ran said, "I hope we can compose the song of "Swordsman" together in the future."
Boss Ma was in high spirits. "Absolutely no problem. In the future, it will not only be the arena of China, but also the arena of global website rankings. We will work together to stir it up."
"I didn't think that much."
Boss Ma smiled, "Oh? Then what are you thinking about? Tell me."
Cheng Ran asked, "Have you been to Mount Emei?"
"Alas, I have never been there, but since it is the King of Shu Mountain, I will definitely go and take a look."
Cheng Ran smiled. He looked at the wise middle-aged man in front of him and said, "Today is cruel, tomorrow is even crueler, but the day after tomorrow is beautiful. Most people die before dawn the day after tomorrow."
Boss Ma's eyes lit up, "That's a good point, it's a bit like my level!"
Cheng Ran smiled, paused, and said, "And I hope that when the day after tomorrow comes, we can stand on the Golden Summit of Mount Emei together and see what the sunrise looks like, and not die."
"Then it's settled. How about we meet every three years? Just like Master Jin held the Huashan Sword Contest, we can have the Emei Mountain Dao Contest. Every three years, we will meet at the Golden Summit of Emei Mountain to discuss the Dao and the martial arts world together!"