1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Decrypted is brought to you by red hat, whose broad 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: portfolio of open source technologies for the enterprise helps you 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: get from where you are to where you want to be. 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: Red Hat the open technology to help you realize your vision. 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: Learn more at red hat dot com. Slash open Tech 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: at four p m. On January nine, two thousand and fourteen, 7 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: as New York shivered through a sub zero chill, Sena, 8 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: a Chinese internet company, ended a day of trading on 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: the NAS deck, down four point five percent. Initially, that 10 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: didn't seem so bad. One of seen As subsidiaries, as 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: social messaging service called wheep Or, was actually growing quite rapidly, 12 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: and seen as ches had recently hit a six month high. 13 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: Nobody predicted the horror to come over the next fifteen months. 14 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: Seen As stock nose dived. At one point, Ches fell 15 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: sixty two percent to just thirty dollars apiece. The company 16 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: lost more than half of its value. Around this time, 17 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: the Chinese government was clamping down on social networks and 18 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: investors were selling Chinese tech stocks. Investors were worried about 19 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: an overall slowdown in the Chinese economy, and a new 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: messaging service called which Hat was taking the market by storm. 21 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: Here's how Charles Chow, the chairman, have seen and remembers it. 22 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: And of course you feel disappointed that your fear set 23 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: a little bit, but the necessary reality he had to 24 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: deal with it. You have to deal with it well. 25 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 1: Charles certainly dealt with it. In fact, he put everything 26 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: on the line. He took out a loan for a 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: quarter billion dollars and he combined that with almost everything 28 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: he had, putting much of his personal wealth at stake. 29 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: With that money, he bought up nearly half a billion 30 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: dollars have seen as shares right as their price was 31 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: hitting rock bottom, and he engineered a pretty remarkable turnaround 32 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: for his company. Today, Charles Chow is on track to 33 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: be come one of China's newest billionaires. Hi, I'm Brad 34 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: Stone and I'm David Rambling and this week I'm decrypted. 35 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: Will hear China's biggest technology comeback story direct from Weibo 36 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: CEO Charles Chow, man who pulled it off. Will also 37 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: look at plans we boll has her internet video streaming 38 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,399 Speaker 1: and the online finance sector, and whether it holds any 39 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: lessons to Twitter, us social messaging platform, which is struggling 40 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: to turn a profit. It's difficult to understate the popularity 41 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: of Weibo and China, a place where Internet giants like 42 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: Facebook and Twitter are literally non existent, and yet despite 43 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: its position of strength and it's incredible stuff market rebound, 44 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: there's still big questions about where the we' boll can 45 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: keep its growth story going and for how long stay 46 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: with us. So we just compared way abou to Twitter. 47 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: That may be a good comparison in terms of what 48 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: the product does, but in reality Weibo is much more 49 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: popular in China than Twitter is in the US. That's right. 50 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: Wey boar uses are concentrated in China, where three and 51 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: forty million people use the app at least once a month, 52 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: but Twitter, which is used all over the world, has 53 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: a slightly smaller user base. And Charles webo ceo David 54 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: how did you meet him? Well, he's a member of 55 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: the China Entrepreneurs Club, which is a sort of billionaires playground. 56 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: Every year on Earth Day they hold what's called the 57 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: China Green Company Summit, where members like Charles and Jack 58 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: mar who's the billionaire who co founded the online retailer 59 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: Ali Baba, they get together and they talk about pretty 60 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: much anything except for green issues. I'm at Childs and 61 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: the tallest tower of the exhibition complex and song So 62 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: the city hosting the summit this year near the top 63 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: of the tower as an Australian steakhouse known simply as 64 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: the Grill. What's Charles like in person? The word I'd 65 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: use is measured. Despite being a former reporter, Charles is 66 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: incredibly media shy. He does less than three interviews a year, 67 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: and I've been chasing him for almost a year just 68 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: to line up this chat. Once you set him down, though, 69 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: he's quite polite and generous with this time, but he 70 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: talks as though he could just stand up at any moment. 71 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: It's possibly a holder from his days as an amateur boxer. Wow. 72 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: So a former reporter and an amateur boxer. So if 73 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: you're an American investor, it's it sounds like there's plenty 74 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: of to like about Charles. He graduated from two U 75 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 1: s universities, worked as an auditor at Price Waterhouse Cooper's, 76 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: and he's a true veteran of the industry. He's been 77 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: at Sena since nine, when a friend convinced him to 78 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: join the finance team. I have been experienced older major 79 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: I think periods up internet market in China. And I've 80 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: been with this company for eighteen years already. Yeah, so 81 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: it's a long time back. Then Sina was like an 82 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,679 Speaker 1: early Yahoo, what we used to call an Internet portal. 83 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 1: You went there for hyperlinks to interesting websites and to 84 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: look up the news. Also, like Yahoo, it had a 85 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: big profile in China during those PC heavy early years. 86 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: Charles arrived at Sena just as the company was preparing 87 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: for its I p O. And that's the reason joint company. 88 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: They need somebody whould help to do the I p 89 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: O from professional saying. It was a career defining move 90 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 1: for Charles. Sina went public in April two thousand and six. 91 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: Years later, Charles took over a CEO. As a young 92 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: public company, Sena suffered a few setbacks. It had tried 93 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 1: to launch an auctions business with Yahoo in two thousand 94 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,679 Speaker 1: and four, but the online retailer Ali Baba was growing 95 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: so fast that competing efforts really got crowded out by 96 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: the market. Then Sena branched into search engines, only to 97 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: it beaten by bay Do. Incidentally, Sina wasn't the only 98 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: loser in search. Google tried to establish itself in China, 99 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: but pulled out in two thousand ten before getting blocked 100 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: by the Chinese government, effectively leaving bai Do with a 101 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: monopoly in the search space. Then in two thousand nine, 102 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: three years after Twitter first launched, Sina created we Bow. 103 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: Twitter stint in China didn't last long either. In the 104 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 1: same year that we Will launched two thousand and nine, 105 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: the Chinese government blocked Twitter because it refused to go 106 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: along with censorship guidelines. It left we bore an open market, 107 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: although Childs will tell you that we Will also had 108 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: a better product, like for example, which is much better 109 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: in many ways on Facebook, right, And I think I'll 110 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: product is much better than Twitter, and I think it 111 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: fits local market much better, and so that's the difference. 112 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: Initially things went fairly well for we Bow. Fourteen months 113 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: after waunching, we both had fifteen million registered users. It 114 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: took three years to hit that milestone. By fall of 115 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: two thousand and eleven, it had two hundred and twenty 116 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: seven million uses, and this became four hundred and twenty 117 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: four million just a year later. But by two thousand 118 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: and fourteen things were going awrve. What has really been 119 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: an unprecedented widespread public protests from Alexandrians. The Arab spring 120 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: was taking off, galvanized by social networks like Twitter. Margaret, 121 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: we heard this again and again. They wanted to make 122 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: Tunisia happen here, and a big question was the Chinese 123 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: government facing its own sort of Jasmine revolution. Online was 124 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: prompted to track down as well, and there were economic 125 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: worries at home. China's gross domestic product growth was starting 126 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: to slump to levels not seen since the nineteen nineties, 127 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: and tech companies, even Mighty Ali Baba, we're seeing their 128 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: share prices falter. But the biggest problem was actually we 129 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: Chat has been going through some difficulties in the challenging market, 130 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: especially with ours. Say that they that the introduction of 131 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: we Chat, I mean that has a big impact on 132 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: the usage and under gross of way board. We Chat 133 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 1: started out as the WhatsApp of China, but it has 134 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: quickly become the Swiss Army Knife of apps in the 135 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: sense that you can do so many more things than 136 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: just messaging inside this one app. Perhaps because of that, 137 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: we Chat has spread through China like wildfire. Today it's 138 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: the undisputed king of the country social messaging market. We 139 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: Chad's launched coincided with China's seismic shift to mobile. By contrast, 140 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: seen it was more oriented towards desktop browsers. And also 141 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: we've we were starting to see its growth rate slow down. 142 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: It's a significant impacted gross rate of way board and 143 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: also the mentality and the momentum how I say, we 144 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,839 Speaker 1: boss growths. The combination of mobile we chat and the 145 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: slowing Chinese on we came at the worst possible time 146 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 1: for childs, you know, the internet product. If once you 147 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: have lost momentum, it's very hard to come back. You see, 148 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: Charles was trying to spin off weep Or from Sina 149 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: and floated on the NASDAC as a separate company. Charles 150 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: was trying to reduce risk because Sena had pumped huge 151 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: amounts of money into making wee boar success. Charles was 152 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: betting that if you could just convince rural Chinese and 153 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: people living in provincial cities and industrial towns to start 154 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: using webor, he'd be able to unlock a huge new 155 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: customer base for his company. But now the numbers were 156 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,079 Speaker 1: trending the wrong way. If the attempt to I p 157 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: O had come a year or even a few months earlier, 158 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: it may have gone off without a hitch. I would 159 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 1: say that's major reasons for people had a pret d 160 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: pessimistic view about Webor and for that fact, I mean 161 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: because we Bo was the major gross area for Sena. 162 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: That also em passiness start price investors started hitting the 163 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: cell button on Sena shares. Charles City was kind of 164 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: blindsided by the reason why foreign investors were feeling so 165 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: nervous about his stock. Usually they have a Chinese anrist. 166 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: They were earlier users and the strong users, very heavy users, 167 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: and way by saying I alway don't use that anymore. 168 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,199 Speaker 1: But actually they wanted to present a part of elite users. 169 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: I have to say, David, I've also heard from my 170 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: Chinese friends and colleagues too that they're migrating from way 171 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: Aboard to whet chat. So that's why investors didn't want 172 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: to buy seen A stock. Yeah. Put simply, yes, a 173 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: lot of investors were very excited about China, but they 174 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: simply didn't have any local no. How So when deals 175 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: came up, they did what most of us would probably 176 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: do if we're planning a holiday. They asked a colleague 177 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: with a connection to China. I mean, they did not 178 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: really know that. You know, Okay, these people actually more 179 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: using more weak chat now, but we actually have a 180 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: lot more new users not from group and she from 181 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: lautier cities, younger generations, and so that's the market. They 182 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:12,439 Speaker 1: did not understand how that's Charles's rural strategy again, lower 183 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: tier cities, younger generations. Basically, he's saying that he was 184 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: sure his product would still grow. It's just that financial 185 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: analysts went picking up on that in the highly educated, 186 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: urban social circles. The result, to hear Charles tell it, 187 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: was absolutely brutal. The rest of its story is coming 188 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: up right after this word from our sponsor. You know 189 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: where you want to be. Red hat has the broad 190 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: portfolio of open source technologies to get you there. Meet 191 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: your evolving business challenges head on with secure solutions for 192 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: the enterprise, including Linux platforms and containers, hybrid cloud infrastructure, 193 00:11:54,800 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: application integration and development, operations management, and beyond the at 194 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: red hat dot com slash open tech to learn more, 195 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: red Hat the open technology to help you realize your vision. Okay, 196 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: we're back and things are about to get rocky for 197 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: we both CEO Charles Chow. Chinese internet users are switching 198 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: to mobile a dangerous new competitor. Wee Chat is taking off, 199 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: and the national economy as a whole is slowing down. 200 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: Sena shares are starting to take a beating in the markets, 201 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: and Charles is trying to take his company public at 202 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: what turns out to be the worst possible time. I mean, 203 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: if you're looking our presentation for i PO three years ago, 204 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: we out land our state intense. Nobody believed does okay, 205 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,079 Speaker 1: it was totally disaster. I mean intense to I p 206 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: O show, I can tell you I never experienced anything 207 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: like that. Weibo eventually listed with an initial share price 208 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: that was at the bottom of the proposed range at 209 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 1: seventeen dollars a share. The I p O raised half 210 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: of what it was supposed to. Instead of five hundred 211 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: million dollars, the float raised only two hundred and eighty 212 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: six million dollars. To make matters worse, Sena became unprofitable 213 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: as users shifted their attention to we chat and now 214 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: the platforms like video streaming services. Right China went through 215 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: a really dramatic shift to mobile. Many people never had 216 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: desktop computers in the first place, and had been accessing 217 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 1: the web via Internet cafes. Now the smartphone became their 218 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: first personal internet device, and Sina started to rely more 219 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: and more heavily on Weibo to generate revenue. It was 220 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: the only part of Sina's business that really tapped into mobile. 221 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: Charles did try a number of other experiments to get 222 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: growth going again. I mean, he partnered with Ali Bomber 223 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,439 Speaker 1: and a digital wallet that that didn't work out. I'm 224 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: trying to imagine the stress Charles was under at the time. 225 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,200 Speaker 1: By the end of two dozen fourteen, after a lackluster 226 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 1: weebo ip O, equity analysts were downgrading the reading some Sina. 227 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: Speculation was actually building that a big rival like Ali 228 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 1: Baba would actually come along and buy out the business, 229 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: and that could lead to Charles basically getting kicked to 230 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: the curb. But it was at the height of this 231 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: turmoil that Childs did something really remarkable. Child says he 232 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: always felt the market didn't understand how good his companies were. 233 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: Investors were treating Sena as if we Bore was the 234 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: only business in its portfolio with any value. So Charles 235 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: made the bet of a lifetime. He scrounged, he saved. 236 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: He went to Credit Sweet to take out a two 237 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty million dollar loan. That's nearly a quarter 238 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: of a billion dollars. Then in June two thousand and fifteen, 239 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: Senior announced to the market that Charles had bought four 240 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty six million dollars worth of Senor shares 241 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: right when it's stopped. Price was near rock bottom. This 242 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: new stern traders in the financial world who are following 243 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: the company. One of those people was Brendan A. Hearne, 244 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: the chief investment officer at Crane Fund Advisors living in 245 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: New York. Imagine him going into see his bankers and 246 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: saying he wants to borrow several hundred million dollars in 247 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: order to invest in his company. He's he's become so 248 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: frustrated with the lack of market recognition that the true 249 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: value of of sena know. It's almost like a poker 250 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: player where he's pushing the chips out into the center 251 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: of the table. In other words, Charles was going all in. 252 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: Here's why Charles's decision to buy so much company stock 253 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: is such a big deal. Apart from the fact that 254 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: Charles was taking quite a massive personal risk by taking 255 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: on all the debt and putting his entire fortunate stake. 256 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: It gave Charles a lot more influence over the company, 257 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: and then I sa big shareholder. I'm more I was 258 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: sitting position to making to make long term decisions for 259 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: the company. And that's the difference. I think. If you're 260 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: not a pictureholder, part of you are not your interests 261 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: not related to the company for long run. For CEO 262 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: puppet company, you tend to make short decisions based on 263 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: the profitability, based on stop price, based on the people's expectation. 264 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: But for our business, if you cannot bet on something 265 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: big for the future, you don't have future. Yeah, the 266 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: people like Brendan the trader in New York, Charles's move 267 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: made him sit up and pay attention to what was 268 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: happening at CENA. When when have you seen a CEO 269 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: put such a large bet monetarily m on on on 270 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: his on their company. I think that's, you know, not 271 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: not many comparisons come to mind. It was just such 272 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: an unusually bold thing to do. For his part, Child insists, 273 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: it's not a gamble when you're sure of the odds. 274 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: I mean, my experience has also been quite unique in 275 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: a way that not only I become that that that 276 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: that's U and Cherm of the company. But also I've 277 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 1: become an ages shareholder of that company, and a part 278 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: of because I love the company, part of because I 279 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: believe in the company's future. Back at the steakhouse, Child 280 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: and I had a great view of Junctrol's hazy skyline. 281 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 1: It's one of those countless Chinese cities that people from 282 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: outside the country would really struggle to name, and yet 283 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: it has a population around ten million people. Cities like 284 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: this were essential to Charles plan. Yes, the idea was 285 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: to go big on provincial cities like Jountrol. People had 286 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 1: long ignored the slice of the market for very good reasons. Actually, 287 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: salaries were very low and people frankly didn't have that 288 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:06,199 Speaker 1: much extra cash to spend. So David, how exactly does 289 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: we bow make money? Essentially in much the same way 290 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: that Twitter does, mostly through targeted online ads. From the 291 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 1: moment you download the app, you're being tracked as an individual, 292 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: and we Bore serves up ads based on the profile 293 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: they collect about you. You know what your interests are, 294 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 1: your gender, and your tasting clothes, whether you'd potentially be 295 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,880 Speaker 1: a buyer of designer brands, and this is why many 296 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: Chinese companies have ignored lower tier cities, right, Well, yeah, 297 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 1: the average Chinese person already makes just a fraction of 298 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: your average American or European and the Gulf just gets 299 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: even wider as you move away from the biggest cities 300 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:44,399 Speaker 1: like Beijing or Shanghai. But we bore pushed on and 301 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 1: its smartest move is actually getting we bore pre installed 302 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 1: on low cost smartphones. I see. So suddenly you have 303 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: hundreds of millions of new smartphone users who have no 304 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 1: idea what to do with them. They open their phone 305 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: and what do you know, there's we bow Yeah, that's right. 306 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,360 Speaker 1: Boredom ultimately was one of the biggest drivers of weyboards 307 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: adoption out in these regional areas. You know, there's a 308 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: lot of Tier four cities that don't have shopping models 309 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: or movie theaters. Right, So what do people do when 310 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: they get off work? This is Kirk Bowdrey and analysts 311 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: who track Scena for New Street Research. He's based in Singapore. 312 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: It's actually, you know, engaging on on you know, social 313 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: platforms has become a very popular UM activity and monetization 314 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: on the back of that actually shouldn't be too surprising, 315 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: especially um you know, if if you're brand advertising, David 316 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: was we Bow alone and targeting these regional areas. Other 317 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 1: services tried the same strategy, but Charles understood the power 318 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 1: of media. Sites like Twitter and we board depend on 319 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: user generated content. But they soon learned that while big 320 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: city dwellers like the sound of their own tweets, uses 321 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: out in the provincial cities they prefer to watch, So 322 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,880 Speaker 1: we Bore targeted local TV stations and signed up journalists 323 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: around the country. In the first half of two thousand 324 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: and fifteen, we Bore apartment with a hundred different TV 325 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 1: shows and eighty six movies. It worked directly with TV 326 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: shows like The Voice of China to boost interaction. Even 327 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: police departments were signing up, producing low cost content that 328 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: was relevant to the new rule users. Charles realized that 329 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: some users just had no idea how to use the app, 330 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 1: so it also launched a service that offers news and 331 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: feeds based on your interests. The more you use it, 332 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: the better it gets guessing what you want to see. 333 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: All the while, China's mobile internet speeds were improving, so 334 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: we Bo integrated pictures and video into its feed faster 335 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: than Twitter. Charles turnaround strategy was working the monthly active 336 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:49,199 Speaker 1: US account has been up by at least for quarter 337 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: after quarter, but did it actually make any money. We 338 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:56,119 Speaker 1: board did manage to win over advertisers. Revenue growth soon recovered, 339 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: and so did profits. For one thing, expenses are also 340 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: lower outs out of the main city, so it turned 341 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: out that many Chinese customers had more disposable income than 342 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:13,400 Speaker 1: people had initially expected, but not everyone. As a fan. 343 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: To survive in this market, we boar had to clap 344 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,959 Speaker 1: down hard on any comments or posts seemed to be 345 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: against the wishes of the government. In Beijing, thousands of 346 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: people are employed just to delete posts on sensitive topics. 347 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: Users are always trying to game the system and get 348 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: around censorship rules. The Tenement Square demonstrations happened on June four, 349 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: which is a blocked search term on we bow, so 350 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: people started using May thirty five instead, and this worked 351 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: for a while until the sensors caught on. More recently, 352 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: things have become much more serious. The Chinese government pointedly 353 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,239 Speaker 1: threatened people who posted defamatory room is on we bol 354 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: with jail time, but Chat was unapologetic and even points 355 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 1: to seen his ability to adapt to the government's wishes 356 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: as a key reason it will thrive as other players 357 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: might fall. China is different. You had to put things 358 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: in Chinese perspective. But look at I was a generous before, 359 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: like like in eighties in China at that time, there 360 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: was nothing right. There was no media. It was only 361 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: like propaganda right, even with censorship on weyboard. Ordinary people 362 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: can complain about some things that may seem small to 363 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: Western audience, but in China it's actually really big deal, 364 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: and Charles is quite proud of that. I think it's 365 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: a it's a huge sense of success for us to 366 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: say we have this platform that allow people to freely 367 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: talk and to discuss and to make the society much 368 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: more transparent. Basically, it's a huge I think progress. For now, 369 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: Cinia gets to take a moment to enjoy its success 370 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: against the odds. At the very least, it's proven to 371 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: be more than just a Twitter knockoff. Twitter would love 372 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 1: to be wi Bo, not the other way around. Here's 373 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: bending again. You're going and look at Wibo for the 374 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: first time, and this is not Twitter. This is this 375 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: is much further along. And the utilization video technology uh 376 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: mobile is huge, and then the monetization of ad revenue. 377 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 1: We Boars investment in video is a great case in point. 378 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: It owns a substantial stake in Yeesha Technology, which is 379 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:37,199 Speaker 1: valued at three billion dollars and has a service for 380 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 1: short web videos called meal Pack. But unlike Vine, which 381 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,360 Speaker 1: had fifteen second videos, these companies aren't religious about enforcing 382 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: the short lengths, and so they both work symbiotically to 383 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: build users. So Churnles has managed to pull off this 384 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: incredibly daring turnaround. We both plans to keep going burnt 385 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: into increasingly rural parts of China, the fourth and fifth 386 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,959 Speaker 1: tier cities. But will this be enough to keep growing 387 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: the company, particularly as we chat becomes more and more dominant. 388 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: But fundamentally the answer is no. China's smartphone market is 389 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: becoming mature and it needs to find new ways to grow. 390 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: We Boor has thought about offering a Netflix style streaming 391 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 1: video service, but it really got bullied out of the 392 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: market years ago by bigger players like bay Do and 393 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: Ali Baba with bigger budgets. So instead it's banking on 394 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: things like live streaming and short video services to generate 395 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: more traffic. It's also getting into financial services like online loans. 396 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,400 Speaker 1: That's right, Charles is a little reticent on the details 397 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 1: in light of fierce competition, and the program is not 398 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: going as quickly as Scena would like. You know, licenses 399 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: are taking longer than expected to get but there's a 400 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: separate subsidiary company dedicated to making it work. David. That's 401 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 1: also a space in which scene as competing with multibillion 402 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: dollar companies like ten Cent and Financial Right. That's true, 403 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: but I will say Charles has heard naysayers before. For 404 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,159 Speaker 1: now there's a mix of quiet satisfaction and also excitement 405 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 1: at the company. It's a moment to breathe. As we 406 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: finished up our time together with a restaurant staff packing up, 407 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: I asked him if he felt vindicated, No question about that, 408 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: or your very delighted. And I think is somewhere fulfill 409 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,400 Speaker 1: in terse our success, and then I think it's it's 410 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: and then no question, it's a it's a demonstration of ability, achievement, vision, everything. 411 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: And that's it for this week's DECRYPTO. Thanks for listening. 412 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: We'd love to hear what you thought of this episode. 413 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: It's a report a voice message and send it to 414 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: Decrypted at Bloomberg dot net or I'm on Twitter at 415 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:08,440 Speaker 1: at David Randling and I'm at Bradstone. If you haven't already, 416 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: please subscribe to our show on iTunes or wherever you 417 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: get your podcast. While you're there, please leave us a 418 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: rating in a review. It really helps more listeners find 419 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 1: the show. This episode was produced by Pierre Gadkari, Liz Smith, 420 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: and Magnus Hendrickson. A big thank you, guys, to Taylor 421 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: Hole and Nico Grant they work on the story, and 422 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: to Jeff Muscus who edited my article in Bloomberg Business 423 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: Week about the same issue. Alec McCay is the head 424 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 1: of Bloomberg Podcasts and we will see you next week. 425 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: Decrypted is brought to you by red Hat, whose broad 426 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 1: portfolio of open source technologies for the enterprise helps you 427 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: get from where you are to where you want to be. 428 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: Red Hat the open technology to help you realize your vision. 429 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 1: Learn more at red hat dot com, slash opent tech