◇ 文 |見習記者 胡 婷 圖| 游 宇
“洋搭檔”的重慶“跨界”創(chuàng)業(yè)
Cross-Border Entrepreneurship in Chongqing by Foreign Partners
“平時,我們和投資人就是坐在這里喝茶,然后討論事情?!闭f出這話的是匈牙利人Daniel。他坐在茶盤前,拿出普洱茶餅,用茶針取下適量,開水泡開,溫杯后將茶水倒入紫砂杯里。美國人Evan坐在他旁邊,卻偏愛用普通杯子喝茶。
Daniel和Evan喝茶的地方,當然不是紐約,也不是北京或者上海,而是重慶大坪商圈一寫字樓的辦公間。有訪客來時,Daniel和Evan常常用中國人的方式,邊喝茶邊談論工作。
九月的一天,他們倆坐在巨大的落地窗前頭腦風暴。他們一起創(chuàng)立的移動健康咨詢服務平臺“洋聽診”,正處于測試階段,兩人正討論如何優(yōu)化程序。他們可毫無醫(yī)學背景,來到異國他鄉(xiāng),投身陌生的行業(yè),僅僅因為喜歡——喜歡漢語,喜歡重慶,喜歡他們正在做的“洋聽診”。“
“Normally, we and our investors sit here, drinking tea and discuss things.”Daniel from Hungary said this. Sitting in front of the tea tray, he took out Pu’er tea cake, took proper amount with a tea needle, made tea with boiled water, and poured the tea into boccaro cups after they were warmed up with hot water. Evan, an American, sat next to him, preferring to drinking tea from a regular cup.
The place where Daniel and Evan had tea is of course neither in New York, nor Beijing and Shanghai, but in an of fi ce of an of fi ce building in Daping business area in Chongqing. When visitors came, Daniel and Evan usually talked about work while drinking tea.
One day in September, both of them sat in front of a huge french window brainstorming. Together they founded the mobile-based healthcare advisory services platform DocChat and it was in the testing phase. Daniel and Evan were discussing how to optimize the program. With zero medical background, they came to a foreign country and got involved in the unfamiliar industry, just because they love Chinese language, love Chongqing and love what they are doing DocChat.
Starting business is real integration
Daniel學生時代就喜歡四處游歷,他可能會想到游歷世界,可卻從未想過會留在重慶。
還有他更想不到的,就是在重慶與一個美國人成為合作伙伴。
凡此種種的“想不到”,都在重慶成為當下的現(xiàn)實。
10年前,21歲的Daniel從匈牙利到了香港,后來又輾轉到了深圳、上海等城市。2010年,他來到重慶師范大學學中文,由此和同學Evan成為了朋友。一年后,Daniel回國繼續(xù)學習,畢業(yè)后在瑞士銀行工作?!皣獠]有說中文的環(huán)境,我喜歡中文,不想放棄。”2015年,他辭了職,回到重慶。
另一邊,2009年,Evan大學畢業(yè),追求新鮮感的他想體驗不同的生活,從美國來到了中國長沙。一年后,朋友推薦他來到了重慶,在這里呆了近9年。
他倆有個共同點,喜歡騎著摩托車穿行于這座城市。Daniel喜歡去老巷子、老街“探索”?!斑@里有很濃的生活氣息,在巷子里走著,從老建筑里還可以看到正在忙碌的人,這是城市最有人情味的一面。”有時,他們會去交通茶館喝茶,和本地的茶客天馬行空閑聊,還去過老相館,拍民國風的老照片?,F(xiàn)在,他們對這座城市的喜愛,已經(jīng)從日常生活逐漸深入到了自己的事業(yè)。
兩年前,Daniel突然生了一場病,說不出話來,他在中國和歐洲四處求醫(yī),幾經(jīng)周折才查出病因,最終痊愈。那時起,Daniel便萌生出一個想法,“搭建一個平臺,連接中外患者和醫(yī)生,讓更多中國人不出國門就能獲得國外的醫(yī)療資源,最起碼,讓他們能聽到國外醫(yī)生的建議?!?/p>
Daniel的想法被Evan認可了,“洋聽診”應運而生?!叭绻谥袊鴦?chuàng)業(yè),一定會是在重慶?!彪m然也去過沿海發(fā)達城市,不過在選擇創(chuàng)業(yè)地點時,這倆“洋搭檔”最終選擇了他們最為熟悉的城市。這一選擇,對外國人來說,算得上真正地融入異鄉(xiāng)。
When he was a student, Daniel likes to travel around. He may thought about where he would go but never think about staying in Chongqing.
What is more, he had never expected to have an American partner in Chongqing.
All of those unexpectable things have now came true in Chongqing.
Ten years ago, 21-year-old Daniel came to Hong Kong from Hungary, then Shenzhen, Shanghai and other cities. In 2010, he came to Chongqing Normal University to learn Chinese language and became friends with Evan. One year later, he went back to Hungary for further study and worked in Swiss Bank Corporation after graduation. In 2015, Daniel quit his job and chose to come to Chongqing again.
On the other side, Evan graduated in 2009, and he came to Changsha from America to experience something different. One year later, he came to Chongqing on the recommendation of his friends and stayed here for almost nine years.
Daniel and Evan both like riding a motorcycle through the city. Daniel likes to “exploring” old alleys and streets because he thinks there he can see secular life and walking in the alley, he can see many busy people in old buildings, which reveals human touch of the city. Sometimes they went to Jiaotong teahouse for some tea and chatted with local tea drinkers. They also went to an old photo studio to take vintage photos. Now, their love for this city has increased as they started their own business.
Two years ago, Daniel got sick suddenly and he was not able to speak even a word, so he sought medical attention in China and Europe. After several twists and turns, the cause was found and Daniel was cured. From then on, he was thinking about building a platform that connects Chinese and foreign patients and doctors so that more Chinese people can have access to foreign medical resources. At the very least, they can get some advice from foreign doctors.
Evan agreed with Daniel’s idea and thus DocChat came into being. Although they had gone to inshore developed cities, they fi nally decided to start their business in Chongqing. The choice shows that the two foreigners have integrated themselves with the city.
The Advanced Road of the “Layman”
生活在重慶,對他倆來說,已然駕輕就熟。在醫(yī)療、科技領域創(chuàng)業(yè)則是另一碼事,尤其是對兩個非專業(yè)人士。Daniel在布達佩斯考文紐斯大學獲得金融學碩士后,一直在瑞士銀行工作,Evan主要從事工商管理。語言障礙和專業(yè)上的盲點,是他們一開始最大的困難。但多年的職業(yè)經(jīng)歷告訴他們,“每一步都要做好,做到規(guī)范?!?/p>
他們聘請BCG全球管理公司進行市場評估,包括中國移動互聯(lián)網(wǎng)市場的分析、研究中國醫(yī)療市場的機遇與挑戰(zhàn)等問題。只是,當中文版的《“洋聽診”項目商業(yè)計劃書》擺在他們面前時,一時有些頭疼。
為了給中國的投資者和用戶講解項目,他們必須熟悉計劃書上的中文,包括專業(yè)術語。不僅如此,還要系統(tǒng)地學習互聯(lián)網(wǎng)、醫(yī)學、法律等等方面的內容。“那段時間,每天的工作都是泡在各種書里?!盓van拿著那本被他翻得有些起褶皺的中文計劃書,自信地說:“現(xiàn)在任何一個行業(yè),要做一份商業(yè)計劃書,我都可以拿出一份來。”
“攻克”了商業(yè)計劃書還遠遠不夠,他們還迫切地渴望獲取行業(yè)最專業(yè)最新的信息。為此,Daniel會主動搜集信息,參加一些中外合作論壇、投資論壇、對接會,以及科技創(chuàng)新交流等活動。
功夫不負有心人,憑借逐漸積累的專業(yè)知識和清晰的創(chuàng)業(yè)理念,Daniel和Evan說服了中國及外國投資人,“洋聽診”收獲了投資,團隊由兩個人,變成了九個。
Daniel and Evan have adapted to life in Chongqing,starting business in medical and technological industries is another story, especially for two non-professionals. Daniel once worked at Swiss Bank Corporation after he got his Master of Finance in Corvinus University of Budapest and Evan mainly engaged in business administration. Language barriers and lack of professional knowledge were the biggest difficulties, but years of vocational experience taught them that every step must be done well and standardized.
They engaged BCG global management company to conduct market assessments, including analyzing Chinese mobile Internet market, studying the opportunities and challenges in China’s medical market and other problems. Everything went well except when they had to understand the Chinese version DocChat Project Business Plan.
They had to get familiar with the Chinese on Business Plan, including professional terms so that they would be able to explicit all the details for Chinese investors and users. Meanwhile, they had to gain necessary knowledge about Internet, medicine and laws concerned. At that time, they read books every day. Now, Evan said he can make a business plan for any industry on his own.
It is much more than enough only understanding the business plan. They were eager to get access to the most professional and latest information on the industry, so Daniel attended China and foreign cooperation forums, investment forums, matching meetings and scientific and technological innovation exchange meetings.
On the account of accumulated professional knowledge and clear entrepreneurial ideas, Daniel and Evan persuaded Chinese and foreign investors. DocChat got investments and the team of two is now of nine.
Thinking about Every Details
Daniel坦言,“一份工作通過兩三個月的學習,很快就能上手。但是創(chuàng)業(yè)隨時隨地都會出現(xiàn)新問題?!?/p>
通過前期的調研,Daniel和Evan決定將微信作為“洋聽診”項目連接用戶和國外醫(yī)生的平臺,并且請第三方軟件公司設計軟件。過去的一年多里,Daniel和Evan將大部分精力都花在了優(yōu)化軟件設計上。從軟件的框架構思,到用戶使用的舒適度,都是他倆一步步推敲試驗出來的。
點開“洋聽診”的微信頁面,右上角有一個中美國旗圖標,用來切換語言。起初,軟件公司用文字作為語言切換的提示。Daniel覺得國旗圖標更加直觀,更符合創(chuàng)新審美。諸如這樣的細節(jié),他們都會親力親為,深思熟慮。
從九月開始,他們的產(chǎn)品啟動了內測,用戶反映的主要問題是時差導致在線咨詢的回復有延遲。這下又有了新的課題,等待Daniel和Evan去攻克。在他們臉上,始終能讀到信心,下一步,就是要讓更多人知道“洋聽診”。
Daniel said that what he has learned from the entrepreneurship cannot be obtained in the office before. One can start a job easily by two or three months' training, however, starting up one's own business means meeting with new problems at any time.
After investigation and surveys, Daniel and Evan decided to use WeChat as the platform for DocChat users to contact foreign doctors. They asked a third party software production company to design the software. Last year, Daniel and Evan spent most of their time optimizing the software design, from frame ideas of the software to how to enhance the comfort for users.
Clicking on the WeChat page of DocChat, there is a Chinese and American national flag icon which is to switch languages. At first, software company used characters as a language switching reminder. Daniel thought using national flags would be more user-friendly. Daniel and Evan took careful consideration to all aspects of the software, even details like this.
From September, their product started the internal testing. One major problem users reflected is the delayed online responses due to time difference. Now, Daniel and Evan have a new problem to solve. We can see confidence on their faces. Next, they will work on promoting, to make more and more people know DocChat.