Top of the big era

Maybe it’s because there are too many things happening recently, or maybe it’s because I decided not to return to China for the Spring Festival this year.

In a hurry, the New Year is almost here.

There's nothing new about it.

It’s New Year’s Eve, and Zhou Buqi is still busy at the company. PayPal will have a board meeting in the morning, and in the afternoon, he will meet with Netflix’s Hastings to discuss the future of Netflix and Ziweixing Global. Collaborative things.

Whether it's the Spring Festival or not, it doesn't feel that important anymore.

On the contrary, the elders in the family are enjoying themselves.

All very happy.

Zhou Buqi is not only good at making money, he is also very good at carrying on the family line. Seeing that Yang Mi is about to give birth and Baoshan is also pregnant with her second child, it is really very festive. Grandpa was not satisfied yet and gave him a new order, saying that there should be progress in the new year!

While you are young, you should have more children if you can!

It was originally planned that on New Year's Eve, Zhou Buqi would take the little girl Chen Yutong to celebrate the coming-of-age ceremony. However, this girl was still too immature, and the 17-year-old girl made it difficult for him to do anything. Although some people clamored, Zhou Buqi still restrained himself and gave up the idea of ​​having a happy birthday this year.

Here in the United States, there is no holiday during the Lunar New Year.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Zhou Buqi attended another board meeting. This was the first time he attended LinkedIn's board of directors in person. In the past, Senior Sister Zhen Yu attended on his behalf.

There are two main points.

1. Block LinkedIn’s plan to develop in China.

Second, promote the merger of LinkedIn and Ziweixing International.

These two points are still related to each other.

If LinkedIn really successfully merges with Ziweixing International, it will be easy to say. I respect your opinion, Boss Zhou, and LinkedIn will not develop the mainland market. However, if the merger between the two parties fails, there will be a problem.

Even if you are Zhou Buqi, why can you point fingers?

There is a stake here!

Is it because LinkedIn is not allowed to develop in China because Ziweixing also wants to do this kind of business and is worried that LinkedIn will seize the market?

From this perspective, Zhou Buqi should even quit LinkedIn’s board of directors!

If you are a technology person, you will have some admiration and admiration for industry leaders of the new generation of technology industry like Zhou Buqi. However, most of the board of directors are representatives of capital, and there are only two scientific people among the seven directors.

They don't care about human feelings.

Only from the perspective of logic and interests.

Fortunately, Reed Hoffman still had a certain degree of influence. He merged with Zhou Buqi and controlled the situation. And came up with a very bold plan, saying that the board of directors should find ways to promote the merger of LinkedIn and Ziweixing International. If the merger fails and delays LinkedIn's development plan in China, someone will naturally have to bear the price. . When the time comes, not to mention Zhou Buqi will quit the board of directors, he will also quit!

In order to avoid suspicion, in the next few board discussions on whether to sell LinkedIn as a whole, Zhou Buqi and Hoffman will not participate in the vote. The choice is completely left to other directors. All parties only need to start from Just start with interests and seek to maximize value.

Zhou Buqi now saw Reed Hoffman's determination.

At the same time, I also felt the atmosphere in the LinkedIn board of directors.

No wonder Senior Sister Zhen Yu said that every time she came to LinkedIn for a board meeting, she basically abstained from voting because she really didn’t want to get involved in their internal battles.

If employers want to make more money, they can definitely do so with LinkedIn's current size and scale.

Just put in more ads and get more sponsorships.

It's just that Hoffman disagrees and doesn't want too many advertisements to affect the product experience. Especially now that LinkedIn has developed a mobile app, you should be even more cautious when advertising. Now even Yahoo has significantly reduced on-page advertising, and LinkedIn still plays on-page advertising, which is too outdated.

This shows how important it is to form a united board of directors.

After the board meeting, Zhou Buqi gave Hoffman hope and said with a smile: "If the deal really goes forward and is completed, you will still have to work hard to serve as the executive director of Ziweixing International."

Hoffman smiled and said, "Okay, I'm looking forward to it!"

Zhou Buqi sighed, "Actually, I'm not very good at fighting for power in the board of directors. We are all doing things, and we really don't have the eloquence to form cliques."

"It's normal for all parties to be actively fighting for their own interests." Hoffman was very calm, as if he was used to it. "How are you doing there? Is the IPO progressing smoothly?"

Zhou Buqi said: "It went very smoothly. The materials for the first phase have been reviewed."

Hoffman said: "That's fast. If the first phase is passed, then there will be no problem. It will be on the market within half a year."

Zhou Buqi nodded, "Well, late May or early June!"

Hoffman hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said: "Three years ago, Microsoft made an offer to acquire LinkedIn."

Zhou Buqi smiled and said: "You know, 500 million US dollars, the price is too low! I had no plans to do business and social networking at that time, and I was planning to acquire Yahoo at the time, so I really didn't have any more energy to distract myself, otherwise Ziweixing International It might have merged with LinkedIn a long time ago.”

Hoffman said: "Well, it's Yahoo. At that time, Microsoft also wanted to acquire Yahoo, but they didn't steal it from you."

"Yes, why do you always talk about Microsoft?"

Zhou Buqi became a little worried.

Because Microsoft's board of directors is also meeting today, if nothing unexpected happens, Microsoft has now completed the change of power, Ballmer has stepped down, and Nadella has become Microsoft's new CEO.

Hoffman said: "After Microsoft failed to bid for Yahoo, it contacted me later and once again expressed its intention to acquire LinkedIn. However, I still rejected it."

"Huh?" Zhou Buqi was a little surprised, "Why didn't I know?"

He is a director of LinkedIn.

Such a big matter must go through the board of directors.

Hoffman said: "Microsoft contacted me, and my attitude was rejection. After I rejected it, they really didn't follow up, and they didn't submit any written materials to the board of directors. That was it. Then I found out later that Microsoft was cooperating with you and acquired UC Browser.”

Zhou Buqi smiled and said, "It turns out it's all my fault!"

"Yes, everything is related to you." Hoffman also felt that this was too coincidental, and it felt like it was destined. "Now that Microsoft is free again, maybe it will make an offer to LinkedIn. If I were to work between Microsoft and Purple If I choose between MSI, I will definitely choose you. But the people on the board of directors are different. They will choose whoever has the higher price. They have no long-term strategic judgment at all. "

This is the difference between founders and capital institutions.

The founder not only hopes to make money, but also hopes that the company will get better and better.

The merger of LinkedIn and Ziweixing International will have greater development potential and market vitality, will have more monopoly-level advantages, and will have greater competitiveness to compete on a global scale. If we cooperate with Microsoft...Microsoft has no ability to do social business at all.

In Hoffman's view, even if Ziweixing International's quote is slightly lower, it is still a better choice.

Unless absolutely necessary, you really can't cooperate with Microsoft.

Zhou Buqi knew some inside information about Microsoft, so he was very relaxed and said with a smile: "It shouldn't happen in a short time. Nadella was recommended by Bill Gates. He will definitely implement Gates' ideas."

"What is Gates' philosophy?"

"The combination of software and hardware, just like Apple!"

"Jobs is really the shadow that Bill Gates will never escape from in his life!"

Reed Hoffman couldn't help laughing.

In recent years, Microsoft has indeed focused on the field of software and hardware, making tablet computers and even acquiring Nokia. The strategic direction is very clear, which is to move closer to Apple. They will do whatever Apple does.

Nadella is not someone Ballmer likes. He was promoted by Bill Gates, so the first thing he must do is to give Gates an explanation.

The first thing is to integrate Nokia.

Then launch the Microsoft version of the Nokia smartphone and make a last ditch effort on the market!

At this stage, Microsoft simply cannot spare any effort to compete with LinkedIn.

However, Zhou Buqi could not be careless and said: "We still have to act as quickly as possible. It is best to raise the sign and launch the offer in July! Again, from any point of view, the merger between the two parties is a perfect one. business!”