RELX E-Cigarette Brand Entrepreneurial Experience
At the end of September 2017, I officially quit my previous company without a backup plan, and I’ve been unemployed for almost 4 months now. After they knew I was unemployed, my friends were very concerned about me. For example, during this period when I
At the end of September 2017, I officially resigned from my previous company, and I have been unemployed for almost four months now.
After learning about my unemployment, my friends have been very concerned about me.
For instance, during this time, when I went out drinking with Mika, she insisted on paying the bill.
Many friends have been checking in on me daily, asking if I would starve without a job. I told them that fortunately, my stocks have been doing well lately, so I won't starve; many friends have also kindly introduced me to job opportunities. In the early days, I had discussions about several positions and received some good offers, but I always felt they weren't quite right for me.
Today, I finally feel the time is right to introduce a new friend—RELX.
Before formally introducing RELX, I want to share a bit about myself, one of the "fathers" of RELX.
Why did I start a business?
Whenever someone asks me why I changed jobs three times in four years, I usually respond, "After all, I haven't changed girlfriends in nine years, so changing jobs isn't too much, right?" In fact, from the very first day of my first job, I firmly told myself that one day I would choose to start my own business. Therefore, I did not choose a safe, stable, and upward career path, nor did I opt for high benefits and high salaries. In fact, I often chose to take pay cuts during job changes, so my rational friends should be cautious in following my example.
I can recall that my first serious entrepreneurial experience began during high school at Hangzhou Foreign Language School.
Most students at Hangzhou Foreign Language School are from various counties in Zhejiang, gathering there with the entrepreneurial spirit of Zhejiang people. The founders of DJI and Pinduoduo are both alumni of Hangzhou Foreign Language School.
I remember that at that time, instant noodles were not available in the school supermarket. A classmate from Pinghu would bring a suitcase full of them from home every week and sell them at three times the price, still in high demand. This was when I first deeply understood the power of the phrase "demand is greater than supply" from my English textbook.
After that, the competition for instant noodles became increasingly fierce. At that time, boys were too lazy to walk five minutes to the hot water room, so a guy from Class 1 found a way to provide hot water and instant noodle delivery service, cutting through the price war. This might also be my earliest understanding of user experience. After dropping out of college, this guy now runs a business helping Chinese companies introduce foreign experts, contributing significantly to the "Belt and Road" initiative, which makes me feel quite ashamed.
I always struggled to come up with a good idea to start my own business until one day in my first year of high school when the super academic and wealthy classmate, Sang Ge, approached me. At that time, Sang Ge had the technology to create electronic magazines (which were basically templates) and wanted to do something "rebellious" together. So, I found what I thought was the most stylish and design-savvy person, Smi. Soon, a three-person team was formed, and we named ourselves "Anti-limit."
In terms of content, we pioneered the "Campus Super Lookalike" column (finding the two most similar people on campus), and the first issue featured Yang Bin and a senior, which was very popular.
In terms of design and efficiency, I persuaded girls from the small language class to hand-draw covers for us for free. That scene made me feel like a factory owner facing a group of diligent textile workers, as I negotiated with them about money while constantly collecting payments at the cafeteria entrance.
(Hand-drawn electronic magazine cover)
In terms of marketing, we were even more impressive. We made a vending machine out of discarded cardboard boxes and had an older student hide inside to collect payments, which caused quite a stir. This vending machine appeared in the teaching building, playground, and cafeteria entrance, wherever there was a large flow of people. Looking back, it was also a precursor to new retail. Of course, the downside was that the older student would come out of the vending machine looking like he had just taken a shower; occasionally, the capitalist in me would feel a twinge of sympathy.
Another key to our success was the payment method. At that time, everyone at Hangzhou Foreign Language School used campus cards, and not many carried cash. So, Sang Ge somehow managed to get a non-networked card reader, which solved the payment issue, acting as the Alipay and WeChat Pay of that era, greatly increasing our conversion rate.
In the end, although the business was thriving, I had no idea how much money we made because it all went to the CEO, Sang Ge. So my fate was similar to those textile workers in my eyes. The CEO is now studying for a PhD in mathematics at Harvard, and looking back, I realize that I was easily fooled.
However, this experience planted a seed in my heart, making me feel that creating something that everyone loves is something that excites and delights me, even though I didn't earn a penny.
I believe I am a natural Creator.
Why e-cigarettes?
Many friends are surprised that I am involved in e-cigarettes since I don't smoke in my daily life.
In fact, friends who are close to me know that I smoke a little after drinking or when I encounter particularly frustrating situations. Not much, but it is indeed effective.
I want to share a few growth stories that can explain why I am doing this.
My family consists of smokers, and the most memorable ones are my great-grandmother and several grandmothers. My great-grandmother was very authoritative; every time I returned home as a child, I had to go upstairs to pay my respects. The most memorable scene was seeing her light a cigarette (probably Hong Shuangxi) while sitting in a recliner, watching Yue opera. Despite being bad for her health, every time I returned home, my parents would still bring her good cigarettes.
I have always wondered why these women, including my great-grandmother and grandmothers, smoke? Why do they continue to smoke despite the health risks?
Some things seem to become clearer as you grow up; children don't suffer, so why would they need to smoke or drink?
When my grandfather was three years old, my great-grandfather passed away unexpectedly. My great-grandmother raised two sons and four daughters alone while also working in the fields to earn money. Today, I find it hard to imagine how a woman could face all of this.
I remember seeing a joke somewhere: a little monster captured a person and bit down, then cried out, asking the old monster why life was so hard?
I don't know how my great-grandmother started smoking or when she began. I can only guess that after a long day of hard work, she would light a cigarette at night, and the nicotine would quickly reach her brain, activating her reward pathways, giving her a moment of relaxation and peace, and courage to face the next day.
I do not intend to defend nicotine, but smoking and drinking have always been important spiritual comforts for humanity. A moment of relaxation, a moment of pleasure, are among the most primitive human needs and deserve to be treated better.
Until I encountered e-cigarettes, I felt struck by a revelation.
I was amazed that there was such a way to maintain the pleasure brought by nicotine while minimizing harm.
As we all know, I particularly enjoy diet cola. Because diet cola retains the taste of cola while minimizing the burden on the body. In my view, e-cigarettes are the same.
Reducing the burden of traditional cigarettes on your body (and the yellow teeth and odor), reducing the burden of secondhand smoke on your family, reducing the burden of secondhand smoke on society... reducing the harmful substances produced during the combustion of cigarettes while maximizing the pleasure of nicotine is inherently a highly valuable endeavor.
Why RELX?
Our mission is "to accelerate the transition of one billion smokers worldwide to a healthier and more enjoyable way of smoking."
I don't know how many companies start with a global perspective from day one; while it may sound ridiculous, I secretly believe that day will eventually come (smoke more e-cigarettes, live longer to see that day).
RELX's brand tagline is "BREAK IT NOW," encouraging bold exploration, unafraid to break and change, "When you feel something wrong, don't hesitate to change it."
After learning about my unemployment, my friends have been very concerned about me.
For instance, during this time, when I went out drinking with Mika, she insisted on paying the bill.
Many friends have been checking in on me daily, asking if I would starve without a job. I told them that fortunately, my stocks have been doing well lately, so I won't starve; many friends have also kindly introduced me to job opportunities. In the early days, I had discussions about several positions and received some good offers, but I always felt they weren't quite right for me.
Today, I finally feel the time is right to introduce a new friend—RELX.
Before formally introducing RELX, I want to share a bit about myself, one of the "fathers" of RELX.Why did I start a business?
Whenever someone asks me why I changed jobs three times in four years, I usually respond, "After all, I haven't changed girlfriends in nine years, so changing jobs isn't too much, right?" In fact, from the very first day of my first job, I firmly told myself that one day I would choose to start my own business. Therefore, I did not choose a safe, stable, and upward career path, nor did I opt for high benefits and high salaries. In fact, I often chose to take pay cuts during job changes, so my rational friends should be cautious in following my example.
I can recall that my first serious entrepreneurial experience began during high school at Hangzhou Foreign Language School.
Most students at Hangzhou Foreign Language School are from various counties in Zhejiang, gathering there with the entrepreneurial spirit of Zhejiang people. The founders of DJI and Pinduoduo are both alumni of Hangzhou Foreign Language School.
I remember that at that time, instant noodles were not available in the school supermarket. A classmate from Pinghu would bring a suitcase full of them from home every week and sell them at three times the price, still in high demand. This was when I first deeply understood the power of the phrase "demand is greater than supply" from my English textbook.
After that, the competition for instant noodles became increasingly fierce. At that time, boys were too lazy to walk five minutes to the hot water room, so a guy from Class 1 found a way to provide hot water and instant noodle delivery service, cutting through the price war. This might also be my earliest understanding of user experience. After dropping out of college, this guy now runs a business helping Chinese companies introduce foreign experts, contributing significantly to the "Belt and Road" initiative, which makes me feel quite ashamed.
I always struggled to come up with a good idea to start my own business until one day in my first year of high school when the super academic and wealthy classmate, Sang Ge, approached me. At that time, Sang Ge had the technology to create electronic magazines (which were basically templates) and wanted to do something "rebellious" together. So, I found what I thought was the most stylish and design-savvy person, Smi. Soon, a three-person team was formed, and we named ourselves "Anti-limit."
In terms of content, we pioneered the "Campus Super Lookalike" column (finding the two most similar people on campus), and the first issue featured Yang Bin and a senior, which was very popular.
In terms of design and efficiency, I persuaded girls from the small language class to hand-draw covers for us for free. That scene made me feel like a factory owner facing a group of diligent textile workers, as I negotiated with them about money while constantly collecting payments at the cafeteria entrance.
(Hand-drawn electronic magazine cover)
In terms of marketing, we were even more impressive. We made a vending machine out of discarded cardboard boxes and had an older student hide inside to collect payments, which caused quite a stir. This vending machine appeared in the teaching building, playground, and cafeteria entrance, wherever there was a large flow of people. Looking back, it was also a precursor to new retail. Of course, the downside was that the older student would come out of the vending machine looking like he had just taken a shower; occasionally, the capitalist in me would feel a twinge of sympathy.
Another key to our success was the payment method. At that time, everyone at Hangzhou Foreign Language School used campus cards, and not many carried cash. So, Sang Ge somehow managed to get a non-networked card reader, which solved the payment issue, acting as the Alipay and WeChat Pay of that era, greatly increasing our conversion rate.
In the end, although the business was thriving, I had no idea how much money we made because it all went to the CEO, Sang Ge. So my fate was similar to those textile workers in my eyes. The CEO is now studying for a PhD in mathematics at Harvard, and looking back, I realize that I was easily fooled.
However, this experience planted a seed in my heart, making me feel that creating something that everyone loves is something that excites and delights me, even though I didn't earn a penny.
I believe I am a natural Creator.
Why e-cigarettes?
Many friends are surprised that I am involved in e-cigarettes since I don't smoke in my daily life.
In fact, friends who are close to me know that I smoke a little after drinking or when I encounter particularly frustrating situations. Not much, but it is indeed effective.
I want to share a few growth stories that can explain why I am doing this.
My family consists of smokers, and the most memorable ones are my great-grandmother and several grandmothers. My great-grandmother was very authoritative; every time I returned home as a child, I had to go upstairs to pay my respects. The most memorable scene was seeing her light a cigarette (probably Hong Shuangxi) while sitting in a recliner, watching Yue opera. Despite being bad for her health, every time I returned home, my parents would still bring her good cigarettes.
I have always wondered why these women, including my great-grandmother and grandmothers, smoke? Why do they continue to smoke despite the health risks?
Some things seem to become clearer as you grow up; children don't suffer, so why would they need to smoke or drink?
When my grandfather was three years old, my great-grandfather passed away unexpectedly. My great-grandmother raised two sons and four daughters alone while also working in the fields to earn money. Today, I find it hard to imagine how a woman could face all of this.
I remember seeing a joke somewhere: a little monster captured a person and bit down, then cried out, asking the old monster why life was so hard?
I don't know how my great-grandmother started smoking or when she began. I can only guess that after a long day of hard work, she would light a cigarette at night, and the nicotine would quickly reach her brain, activating her reward pathways, giving her a moment of relaxation and peace, and courage to face the next day.
I do not intend to defend nicotine, but smoking and drinking have always been important spiritual comforts for humanity. A moment of relaxation, a moment of pleasure, are among the most primitive human needs and deserve to be treated better.
Until I encountered e-cigarettes, I felt struck by a revelation.
I was amazed that there was such a way to maintain the pleasure brought by nicotine while minimizing harm.
As we all know, I particularly enjoy diet cola. Because diet cola retains the taste of cola while minimizing the burden on the body. In my view, e-cigarettes are the same.
Reducing the burden of traditional cigarettes on your body (and the yellow teeth and odor), reducing the burden of secondhand smoke on your family, reducing the burden of secondhand smoke on society... reducing the harmful substances produced during the combustion of cigarettes while maximizing the pleasure of nicotine is inherently a highly valuable endeavor.
Why RELX?Our mission is "to accelerate the transition of one billion smokers worldwide to a healthier and more enjoyable way of smoking."
I don't know how many companies start with a global perspective from day one; while it may sound ridiculous, I secretly believe that day will eventually come (smoke more e-cigarettes, live longer to see that day).
RELX's brand tagline is "BREAK IT NOW," encouraging bold exploration, unafraid to break and change, "When you feel something wrong, don't hesitate to change it."
