Top of the big era

Boss Zhou is on vacation, Ziweixing cannot stop working.

Recently, Ji Zian was troubled by one thing.

The Weidian business group he is in charge of has been reorganized into the software business group, which is mainly responsible for software business, including Weidian antivirus, Weidian notes, Weidian input method and so on.

Recently, there is a new project to be launched - making photo editing software.

Through this product, we can capture the part of the post-90s young users of Martian.

Zhou Buqi personally gave instructions to acquire the domestic software Light and Shadow Magic Hand.

The acquisition was completed smoothly.

But later I discovered that although this product is extremely simplified for Photoshop, it is still too complicated, with many functions and cumbersome operations. Very unfriendly to young people.

Zhou Buqi decided to let the Light and Shadow Magician team continue to develop itself, adopt a paid professional version model, and develop in-depth product performance and product functions.

Then let Ji Zian form a new team by himself to make this product.

Even the name of the software has been chosen, called "Meitu Xiuxiu".

I have to say that this name is very well chosen, intuitive, appropriate, lively and lively, highlighting the word "show", which is in line with the word usage habits of young people born in the 90s. The name Light and Shadow Magician is still too serious and reserved.

But the problem is that it is not easy to form a new team to make photo editing software!

As a photo editing software, you must use Photoshop as a reference standard, remove its complicated and powerful functions, and only take some of the simplest operation methods.

Which functions should be used? How should the interface be designed? How to layout the function? What kind of operation method is used? What kind of art direction can please young users?

A series of issues are very complex.

This is not the same as doing antivirus software.

Antivirus software is a product that is just needed. It does not need to be entertaining, nor does it need to please users. It is simple and practical. Users must use it in order to protect their computer security.

Similar retouching software is different, this is a relatively blank field. If the software design is inconvenient and cannot quickly catch the user's attention, the user may install it one second and uninstall it the next second.

In the final analysis, this is entertainment software.

Relatively speaking, the competition of professional software is easier. Whoever has high technology and good products will have more users, and the rules are simple. To achieve an extreme product like Photoshop, there will be no rivals in the world. This is the Mount Everest of photo editing software.

But entertainment software is different.

The first is technical simplicity.

The technology is simple, the threshold for participation is low, and there are various products of the same type. Product functions and technology are not the most important criteria for judging. Whoever can please users and who can understand the minds of young people will stand out.

Ji Zian is only 24 years old this year, young enough.

But for the non-mainstream generation born in the 90s, he really couldn't figure it out. The Martian input method seriously deviated from his understanding.

There is an even more important point.

This project was decided and deployed by Boss Zhou himself, so the competition was fierce.

The software business group at the headquarters must do it. The Pengcheng branch was not reconciled and wanted to do it too. Pei Yao's reason is also very good, she bought the team of Light and Shadow Magician, from which she can transfer a few core backbones to do Meitu Xiuxiu. With experience and ability, you can get started faster.

Ji Zian thought about it for a few days, but had no idea.

Rejecting Pei Yao, I can't bear it. She agreed, but the headquarters couldn't explain it. The software business group does not do software, but handed over the project to the branch company, which is too shameful.

He had no choice but to report to his immediate supervisor, Xu Liangjie, and sent an email after two o'clock in the morning.

Unexpectedly, after ten minutes, Xu Liangjie replied: "Come to my office tomorrow and discuss in detail."

The next day, Ji Zian drove to Sohu Building.

When I came to Xu Liangjie's office, I found that CTO Cheng Binghao was also there.

The room smelled of smoke, and it seemed that the two had been chatting for a long time.

"Here you come? That's right, sit down."

Before it was time to go to work, and before the secretary came, Xu Liangjie made coffee for him himself.

Cheng Binghao smiled and said, "I heard you're in trouble?"

"Yes, the task assigned by the big boss, the photo editing software."

"Want to rob the branch?"

"Um."

Ji Zian nodded.

Cheng Binghao joked, "Pei Yao is a strong woman, and she won the favor of the big boss. Zi'an, it's not me, you can't beat her."

Ji Zian's face was slightly condensed, and he glanced at him, "It's not that she has won Zhou Buqi's favor, but because of her strong ability and outstanding work performance, she has won his trust. Some things should not be said nonsense, let the subordinates hear it, maybe What kind of rumors will spread."

Cheng Binghao was a little embarrassed, and hurriedly said, "Just kidding, it's just a joke."

Ji Zian shook his head, "In the company, you can't tell jokes. Zhou Buqi has a girlfriend, and Pei Yao has a boyfriend, so don't cause unnecessary turmoil just because of our few jokes. In case something happens What should I do if the rumor gets bigger? Zhou Buqi's reputation has been hit, and Pei Yao has to leave the job."

Cheng Binghao was speechless at his uprightness, and raised his hands high, "Okay, I apologize! I take it back! I will definitely not talk indiscriminately in the future."

Xu Liangjie waved his hand, handed over the coffee, and got down to business, "Please tell me about this photo editing software in detail. Also, how did the big boss explain it?"

Yawning and drinking coffee, Ji Zi'an talked about the difficulties, difficulties, the situation of competition between the two sides, and Zhou Buqi's requirements, back and forth.

Xu Liangjie said with a smile: "This is a simple matter, both parties should do it together."

"Do together?"

"No, you can do all three at the same time."

"ah?"

Ji Zian didn't understand.

Xu Liangjie said: "Make one on Pei Yao's side, and one on your side. Besides, didn't Zhou Buqi say that this year he will try to establish a branch office in Shanghai. You might as well take this as an opportunity, Recruit a team in the imperial capital to work on this project."

Ji Zi'an was taken aback, "Isn't the cost too high for the three teams to do it together? Compete with yourself?"

Xu Liangjie said with a smile: "Didn't you say that there is no similar product on the market. In many cases, the first mover may not have an advantage, because the first one often has many shortcomings. The latecomer can imitate, make use of its strengths and avoid weaknesses to make a new product." Similar products, defeat them. We can’t let others defeat us, we can only defeat ourselves.”

Ziweixing does not have much experience in the development of this kind of entertainment software.

The only slight music, still a little push.

Ziweixing has made image editing software here. Once the colleagues in the industry discover the market, they may also compete in it. Especially Penguin, who has rich experience in developing entertainment software, is too threatening.

Xu Liangjie said: "Doing software is different from building a website. If you want to seize the track, you must quickly create popular products and form a brand. Multi-point attack and survival of the fittest are the appropriate methods."

Ji Zian nodded and sighed, "It's just that the money is too much."

Xu Liangjie smiled and said, "Not much, not much! It's just entertainment software. I discussed it with Lao Cheng for more than an hour and came up with a good plan."

"What direction?"

"'Small skin, big research and development' strategy."

"ah?"

Ji Zian was at a loss.

Xu Liangjie explained: "To make this kind of entertainment software, the underlying functions and technologies are actually similar. For example, music players, compared with Qianqian Jingting and Tiantian Dingting, what is the difference in the underlying functions? The only difference , but the skin is different. The 'skin' I'm talking about is not just the appearance, but also refers to the interface design, operation, color, graphic structure, etc., which is the appearance that directly faces the user."

Ji Zian nodded, "It's what the product manager does."

Xu Liangjie smiled and said: "Yes, it is the product manager, who is only responsible for the appearance of the interface. This team should be small, with a limit of 7 people."

Cheng Binghao added: "A team of 7 people has high efficiency, the highest execution rate, and the most teamwork."

Ji Zian shook his head, "But seven people are not enough."

Cheng Binghao said: "So in addition to the 'small skin', there is also a 'big R\u0026D'. The 'small skin' team is directly facing users. The 'big R\u0026D' team is a R\u0026D group of 25-30 people. All the underlying functions , have this R\u0026D team to design and complete.”

This is a whimsical idea, which Xu Liangjie came up with in a flash last night, and it can be called the first in the industry.

I told Cheng Binghao this morning, and he was also very excited, thinking that this design is really great, and said: "'Big R\u0026D' does the underlying functions, and then encapsulates each function with modules. Which function the product team needs, no matter what. You need to develop it yourself, just ask for the functional modules from the 'big research and development', and assemble them."

It's like building a bridge.

The traditional way of building a bridge is to build steel bars and lay cement from the beginning to the end bit by bit. But the viaduct of the high-speed rail is powerful, and the materials are modularized at the headquarters. At the construction site, the bridge is built by directly assembling pieces of materials like building blocks, so that the high-speed rail project can be rolled out in the fastest and cheapest way.

Ji Zian suddenly realized and was very excited, "The underlying functions are modularized, and the headquarters is responsible for the research and development. The three project teams only need to be responsible for the appearance and interface, and then recruit two programmers to assemble the functional modules to realize the software functions."

Three project teams, if each project team plans to build a team of 30 people, and each team starts from scratch and starts from the lowest function, it will cause a serious waste of resources. In terms of underlying functions, what everyone does is actually one thing.

More importantly, it is difficult for a big ship to turn around.

A team of 30 people needs to coordinate too many things to make some decision-making changes and functional changes, which is inefficient. A product team of 7 people is the most perfect way. Only do the front end, only do the interface, and avoid repeated wheel building, which can save costs to the greatest extent.

If it is the traditional way, the three project teams need to have 90 employees. This "small skin, big research and development" approach only needs 50 people.

These three items belong to raising Gu.

In the end, only the most successful one can be kept, and the other two are discarded. It would be too wasteful to lay off 60 people. Especially R\u0026D personnel, they are actually not responsible for the application of the product, but they are also within the scope of layoffs, which is a bit wronged.

This new model is different. The R\u0026D personnel do not take responsibility, but are only responsible for the formation of functional modules. The specific interface design, art, marketing, marketing, and promotion are all in charge of a product team of 7 people.

If it fails, the team will be disbanded, and there will only be 7 people.

Ji Zian thought this idea was very good, and proposed to report to Boss Zhou.

This plan can draw inferences about other cases from one instance!

Ziwei Star has so many businesses, and many functions are repetitive research and development.

If this model is also adopted, the cost will be greatly saved.