"Everyone can define themselves on the court." Huang Nubo's son Huang said.
Tian Tian? 2017/07/108: 48 Browse 13.8W Font: Song
A week before the muddy competition in Nanjing, Huang kept sweating.
"Pre-game phobia." The night before July 9, Huang lost sleep. At 3 am, he sent this circle of friends, followed by three crazy expressions. But before 8 o'clock the next day, he arrived at the stadium as scheduled.
This is the first time in 20 16 that mud flows landed in cities outside Beijing. The operator of the Mud Race is Sklang International Sports Culture Company (hereinafter referred to as "Sklang Sports"), which was founded by rich second generation returnees Huang Yu on 20 15. This event, which originated from intensive secret service training, was introduced and developed by Skron Sports in China. In the first two years, Sklang Sports has held eight competitions in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and other cities, attracting more than 65,438+00,000 pieces of clay powder.
Huang Shenshen is full of confidence in hosting the competition this year, but his pre-competition phobia does not seem to be alleviated. He has gained nearly 30 pounds since he started his business. Is there anything wrong with the purchased materials? How to set and place the level? Thousands of people gathered in one place. What if something goes wrong? Huang's heart has been pulling. "Such large-scale activities have been reported to the public security department, and I have signed many letters of guarantee." Huang said:
He said to himself, "It is difficult for you to be competitive without doing the heaviest and most tiring work in the sports industry." There are many obstacles in the whole muddy run. This year, the muddy run in Beijing Railway Station is 8 kilometers long, and 27 checkpoints including mud, ice water, cliffs and electric shocks have been set up. In Huang's view, if the mode is too light, such as just running on the ground, he can do whatever he can, so why keep the players?
In fact, Huang can choose not to do this hard work, because he is the son of Huang Nubo, the chairman of Zhongkun Group. In 20 10, 54-year-old Huang Nubo was ranked in the Forbes China Rich List 16 1 with a personal wealth of 5.9 billion yuan.
At that time, Huang returned to China from the United States, and his first job was as an assistant to the chairman of Zhongkun Group. He wants to know about the enterprise, and his father intends to train him to take over.
"After working with my father for more than two years, I still feel like going to a more market-oriented environment." Huang said: He left Zhongkun Group and first went to the investment banking department of BOC International.
2065438+In March 2005, Sklang Sports was founded with angel round financing of RMB 8 million from Hongtai Fund and Entertainment Workshop. 2065438+September 2006, another round of financing of 24 million yuan was completed, and Zuo Yu led the investment. At present, the financing has reached A+ rounds with the amount of100000 RMB, and the investors are Li Xinzhong and Yifan Capital. Rich second-generation entrepreneurs are not short of money. Why should they find shareholders for themselves?
"I want to be recognized by the market when I start a business. Investors are good endorsements. They give me resources, give me pressure and let me run faster. " Huang said:
He tattooed a running leopard on his left arm.
one
In 2000, Huang, aged 13, left Beijing alone and went to England by plane.
Like many second-generation entrepreneurs, Huang was sent abroad by his father in junior high school. Before going abroad, he only had English classes in primary schools. He is the sports committee member in his class, the captain of the school volleyball team, and has played tennis for 8 years.
When Huang was 8 years old, Huang Nubo founded Zhongkun Group. Huang recalled that his father had some problems in the first few years of his business. He was very tired when he came home every day, but he still insisted on his interest in writing poems. At 6 o'clock the next morning, my father got up on time to send him to school, rain or shine.
In his spare time, Huang Nubo also trains with his son. Father and son invited the same tennis coach to have tennis lessons together. "My sports hobby was developed at that time." Huang Dui said: He also likes reading and writing poems like his father, invested in the early entrepreneurial project "Reading Poems for You" and served as the vice chairman of the company.
When he first arrived in England, Huang had many English words that he couldn't speak in daily communication, so he had to ask his English classmates for advice. In the laundry room, he held the laundry basket in one hand and pointed to the washing machine in the other to ask his classmates how to express it. Huang said that it was a difficult time, but he understood his father's arrangement.
Six years later, Huang Shenshen applied to American universities with the idea of visiting more places in the world. When 20 10/0 returned to China, he had obtained a double degree in accounting and finance from the University of Southern California. Since 2008, he has also invested in some commercial projects in the United States. Although it is a small fight, he has also accumulated some experience in watching projects.
"I talked to my father about taking over, and I refused." Huang said:
Before founding Skron Sports, Huang once had dinner with his father. After drinking some wine, Huang Nubo began to persuade his son: "It is cruel to start a business from scratch." Huang replied: "I will regret not trying." I didn't know what I wanted until I tried. "
Sklang Sports works in an ordinary office building in Beijing Chaowai SOHO. Huang has no independent office. He sat at a long table with more than 40 other colleagues, who called him Shen Si. Externally, he rarely mentioned that he was Huang Nubo's son.
In April this year, Huang, founder and chairman of Sklang Sports, was invited to attend the annual meeting of China Green Company and delivered a keynote speech in Maker. He shared how to do minority sports events. After the speech, Wang Chaoyong, Chairman of Zhongli Capital Group, took the stage as a guest speaker. As soon as he opened his mouth, he was named yellow by another identity. "Shen Si is a typical second generation, and his father is my good friend." Wang Chaoyong said.
Huang quickly dragged the topic back to self-employment. According to his logic, he took part in activities to serve the company and products. He wants to know his founder, because Sklang sports fans like it; Not because he is Huang Nubo's son, what is expected of him.
Zuo Yu's executive director Han Ze's impression of Huang is that he is a gentleman, polite and has good entrepreneurial qualities. 2065438+At the beginning of 2006, Han Ze first met Huang on a road show. He recalled that the logic of Shen Si's speech was very clear. After listening to his speech, he felt that "the competition he made is what we want".
After that, Han Ze went to see Huang. Every time after talking about things, Huang found a restaurant near his company. Two or three people eat, a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a bowl of baked eggplant and a bowl of white rice for each person. This is basically the configuration.
Huang has many friends who start businesses and do sports. When he sees a good project, he will also recommend it to Zuo Yu. From time to time, he forwards the news that other sports startups have completed financing in the circle of friends. "I am familiar with the founders of these companies. Although peer competition is inevitable, my mind is still very open. The sports industry is very big and cannot be promoted and developed by a company. " He said.
two
"Too abusive!"
20 10 Last semester, Huang and his classmates participated in the Tough Mudder (the strongest clay figurine international obstacle challenge). 16 km, climbing mud, entering ice water, climbing ropes, drilling pipes ... He was abused for more than 20 times before all the customs clearance.
Similar steeplechase has become the new favorite of American sports fans in recent years. According to statistics, in 20 14, the total income from the entry fees of such events in the United States was about $362 million, while the income in 2009 was only $15.2 million.
The 20 14 obstacle course has not appeared in China, but the trend of "national sports and national fitness" has appeared. Huang Chuangye aimed at the sports industry from the beginning.
From the perspective of the whole industrial chain of sports, it can be divided into IP R&D, landing, ticketing, communication and other links. Is it a good business to land IP directly in internationally renowned events? Huang went to make an inquiry, and the other party asked for 5 million copyright fees, and then charged separately every time he landed. He thought, this means that you have to earn so much money to return the money, but after the agreement expires, the IP will still be owned by others. With so much money, why not develop it yourself?
There is no doubt that the pursuit of event communication is head flow. At that time, the IP domestic communication rights of several major events such as Super League and NBA had been won by big companies such as Tencent and Sina, and it was no longer a game suitable for entrepreneurs. After investigation, Huang believes that we should start from the IP of the event itself and develop the event ourselves.
"the IP of the event is the source of sports. After mastering the IP itself, the following links are more controllable. " Huang Dui said: He decided to start with running events with a certain crowd base in China.
In domestic for-profit running events, marathon is famous for its difficulty, while rainbow running is widely spread among runners because of its fun. Is it possible to combine the characteristics of the two? In Huang's view, users will have high loyalty only when the competition is both difficult and interesting. He will make a special training plan in order to participate in a competition, and the future development of derivatives is also very imaginative. When the player is tall, he will take a selfie and send a circle of friends, and come back next time.
Huang remembered the difficult predicament he had experienced in America. Similar steeplechase is still blank in China. He can use this as a reference to build a running race for domestic urban white-collar workers. After Mud Run was introduced, its level design was based on the average height of domestic people, and the level difficulty was lower than that of Tough Mudder. "Be sure to understand the actual psychological and physical limits of users, which is challenging for him, but it will not cause psychological fear." Huang said:
When Huang 20 10 returned to China, he originally planned to work in China for several years and then go back to the United States to study for an MBA. When he was preparing to start a business, he also applied for an MBA, "because he didn't know which thing would come first." In the second half of 20 15, Huang was admitted to Wharton MBA. At this time, Mud Run is in the internal research and development period of the product.
He handed over the daily affairs of Sklang Sports to two co-founders, who worked remotely in the United States. Huang attends classes during the day and works in a housekeeping company at night. He only sleeps for three or four hours every day. He insists on exercising, so that "the quality of sleep will be higher."
After staying in the United States for more than half a year, Huang was full of company affairs and had no intention of enjoying campus life. 20 16 drop out of school and return to China.
three
Huang pleaded with many people.
After half a year's research and development, Mud Run is ready to conduct public beta in Beijing. Before the test, Huang and his business partners looked around for venues, and they kept explaining to people what muddy running was. "At first, it was all kinds of luck." Huang recalled, "It took a long time to convince the other party that the investment was worthwhile. Finally, I don't know if cooperation can be achieved. "
Muddy running has high requirements on the site, so setting up checkpoints will inevitably transform the original site, and once transformed, some places will be difficult to recover. A few days before the start of the game, checkpoint equipment will be installed. Some places have the intention of cooperation first, and immediately change their attitude after hearing these two points. Some places are worried that if there is a safety accident in muddy running, the impact will not be worth the loss.
Huang and his colleagues talked repeatedly about how they can ensure the safety of the game. For example, the soil used in the competition is specially purchased, and it has to go through many processes before it can be put on the stage. Before the competition, the staff will also clean and disinfect the soil. They also analyzed the market potential of mud running with each other, which was a good publicity for the venue. "Maybe this touched each other." Huang said:
The muddy running test race is finally scheduled to be held on June 20 15 in Jinzu Mountain Scenic Area, Zhoukoudian, Beijing. The venue is set. Where can I find someone? Some colleagues suggested advertising more in the mass media, but Huang didn't adopt it. With his understanding of minority sports events, "don't waste money on pan-media marketing".
His strategy is to actively find gyms and outdoor enthusiasts and invite them to experience them. If they think the product is good, they will help to spread it again and attract more small partners to participate.
Mud running does have a strong social attribute. It encourages teams to compete. For example, there is a standing checkpoint called "Climbing Mount Everest", which needs to sprint a 5-meter-high slope. Without professional training, it is difficult to pass. Players with good physical fitness climb Mount Everest first and help other teammates when sprinting. From time to time, the story of "muscle man holding hands with beautiful girl" is staged on the muddy track. In terms of registration fee, there is a discount for team registration.
Song is a post-80s teacher who loves running. First, he was dragged into the mud by friends he knew before running. "Cool, exciting, incredibly high!" Song described his feelings after taking part in the 20 15 mud race. In that competition, he met several teammates who helped each other "clear customs". After the game, they set up a WeChat group. Wechat group later developed into a "beetle running group", with mud running and city micro-horses ... all appearing in various running events held in Beijing.
While doing mud running, Huang invested in the establishment of Fit Joy Gym. His energy is mainly in the former, and Fit Joy is run by an independent team. Different from traditional gyms, every venue in Fit Joy has a theme. At present, several venues in Beijing have themes such as cross-country, fighting and yoga. They usually operate according to their own plans. Before running in the mud, they set up a training camp in the museum, and participants can pay.
In addition to Fit Joy, Sklang Sports also cooperates with dozens of gyms in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities in training camps. Sklang Sports has developed its own training courseware. If the gym has suitable courses, it can also be labeled as a training camp.
"We provide some content operations for the gym. Some users may train for months to run a game. He regards participating in mud running as a test of fitness effect, and some users are more motivated to exercise after running back from mud. Gym is one of the muddy running traffic entrances. It helps us to promote it through our own channels. Many friends also join the team with friends who are working out. " Huang said:
four
This year's mud race, Sklang Sports played the word "I dare".
"We are not simply making a game, but creating an unforgettable life experience for users. Everyone can define themselves on the field." Huang said:
Entrepreneurship for Huang is also a process of redefining and discovering himself. He thinks he is no different from ordinary entrepreneurs. "My life is work, but doing exercise while playing is good for me."
Huang said that he works while playing, which means to experience the muddy running level and develop a new IP for sports events.
20 16 ran to Shanghai station in the mud. In the pre-competition experience, Huang found that there were security risks at a checkpoint. As the game approached, it was too late to adjust the level. He simply dismantled the device and the level finally became a pit in the mud. This year, Sklang Sports upgraded its muddy running equipment and found the best suppliers from all over the world.
At Sklang Sports, even the backstage staff have experienced muddy running. Huang requires that every employee in the company must use this product. Non-competition executives seem to be far away from the mud, but they may find more problems, representing the needs of different contestants. Usually these employees will spread the company's ideas to the outside world intentionally or unintentionally. "If he hasn't even experienced the product, he can't find the feeling."
In March of this year, Sklang Sports launched the new IP "Warrior Medal". It is born out of the war game, and it is an immersive activity to experience real-life shooting. According to statistics, there are at least 320 million military fans in China. "Our idea of developing new projects is similar to muddy running. Fun and challenging, people in the vertical field are willing to pay for consumption. " Huang said:
Huang loves sports. He was half an athlete since he was a child, but now he is busy with starting a business and doesn't have much time to do sports that have nothing to do with work.
Huang has been a semi-athlete since he was a child. After going abroad, he learned fencing and boxing. He thinks it's cool to play these games, but now he's busy starting a business and playing sports that have nothing to do with work is very extravagant. Huang remembers that when Kloc-0/6 landed in a city outside Beijing, he and a co-founder ran five cities in two days, in Shenzhen in the morning, in Guangzhou in the afternoon and then flew to Chongqing in the evening. After seeing the venue the next morning, he went to Chengdu to chat with his friends and flew back to Beijing in the evening. Every second counts, which is the principle of his work.
At present, the main income sources of Sklang Sports are competition registration fees and sponsorship fees. After mud running gained a certain popularity, some scenic spots and ski resorts took the initiative to find Sklang sports to attract people and were willing to provide venues for free. In Huang's business plan, he will gradually open his own competition operation system and jointly produce competition programs with other companies.
Huang and his father went hiking in the North Pole. The Arctic is the last stop of Huang Nubo's "7+2" plan (reaching the highest peak of seven continents, the North and South Poles). The white iceberg stretches, and the father and son walked on the ice at MINUS 30 degrees for 7 days and walked for 8 hours every day. The surrounding environment is monotonous. Before going to bed every night, Huang Dou lies down with the mentality that he can't continue tomorrow, but gets up early the next day.
"I like challenging sports. When it pushes a person to the limit, it also encourages him to have perseverance. At this time, it will be different when he comes back to do business. " Huang said:
Is this it?