Andrew Lu Meisen Founder buy originator Groupon
Internet companies Boys Music
Wen / Li Hui Edit / Peng Peng
Andrew Lu Meisen, 30, in addition to Internet entrepreneurs, he also, who is also a musician, public policy experts and social activist role. "Forbes" magazine once wrote of Mason, "at least before Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook at Harvard wrote a few lines of computer code, and Andrew Lu Meisen - a casual rambling boys Northwestern University Department of Music, but to build the history of the Internet's fastest-growing company. "
Andrew Lu Meisen and his Groupon buy nets, has always been humor.
From his personal profile where you can see this point. Mason describes himself this way on the official website: "He made a music degree, but useless, and this became the person to achieve the greatest force of self."
When Groupon introduction of large venture, the company's press release headline is: "Groupon, uh Hey, been offered a one billion U.S. dollars."
There is no doubt, Groupon has a master of splendid literary talent, they are good at all kinds of jokes about - products in the Package to get businesses, these people were packed with humor and characters, and then use free e-mail sent to the user. For example, in describing a Chicago jewelry shop, Groupon to describe "it is simply sand inside the pearl," Mason said: "They have great skill, but the promotion is not good. Our goal is to help them cast aside the dust, allow light to illuminate further. "
It seems like users and interesting description of these discounts. On one occasion, Groupon also told a story: in a few months, they helped the club got a 2500 helicopter flying lessons students. "In the past 25 years, they attracted a total of only 5,000 customers."
Only two years, Mason founded Groupon, to become the Internet industry and the rise of a dark horse. This is "Forbes" magazine as "the fastest growing ever" by "New York Times" called the "history of the most crazy" Internet companies, the establishment of 7 months of achieving profitability.
According to Morgan Stanley's report, Groupon the company's profit in 2010 more than 500 million U.S. dollars, and the site also to "300 million users per month increased the amount of" development. As of April 2010, Mason let in just 18 months Groupon get 1.35 billion valuation. Previously, the world's largest social networking site Facebook with a 2 years, to reach over one billion U.S. dollars of valuation; the largest micro-blog site Twitter, then spent 3 years.
A by the "Group" (Group) and "coupons" (coupon) consisting of shopping trend that swept the world. On the network, and even spawned a new word - "Groupon anxiety disorder", refers to the: "eager to know the next 1:00 after the mood and feel of a deal, that they can not sleep."
As a rock singer, Mason is how a concept is not new to buy, move businesses and consumers? The face of overwhelming, "copy" products, Groupon how will respond?
"Music boys" of Internet companies
Mason, 30, in addition to Internet entrepreneurs, he is also chairman musicians, programmers, public policy experts and social activist role. August 2010, "Forbes" magazine gave this description of Mason, "at least before Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook at Harvard wrote a few lines of computer code, and Andrew Lu Meisen - a casual loose, gangly 29-year-old male students at Northwestern University Department of Music, has created a history of the development of the fastest growing Internet company. "
Born in Pennsylvania, United States Mason, East Coast, began studying piano at age 6, his first interest is music, not computers. 19 years old, Mason traveled to Chicago and studied at the Northwestern University music major, and here founded a rock band.
"I thought I would be a 25-year-old rock musician before, becoming part of mainstream culture." Mason recalls.
In 2006, Mason has developed a web tool for political debate and, therefore, the University of Chicago Harris School's scholarship of national policy. 3 months after admission, Mason stopped their studies. Because he voted for his use of the wind to provide 100 million U.S. dollars, has developed a Web site called The Point, which is the predecessor of Groupon.
The Point website aims to bring together large crowds, some sort of group activities: for example, to protest and so on. Soon, Mason realized that encourage people to go shopping, to social activities than the much more profitable.
This idea works well, so that early involvement of some businesses can not afford to deal with avalanche of customers. Within one year, Groupon have 100 million users, businesses throughout Chicago, close to the city or state or even businesses, are scrambling to participate.
In an interview, Mason Groupon revealed the inner workings of some small secrets. In 2008, Groupon formally launched, every day in different cities to low discounted price of "a commodity" was launched online buy goods ranging from restaurants, theaters, yoga classes, to clean teeth, golf and so on. Reached a pre-set "minimum size" threshold, is the only one accompanying the "preferential time limit", which was once so that consumers will not miss out on the offer.
"We each selected a product, will have seven products to be eliminated, unfortunately, because we require that a product was added to our packages a day." Mason said: "This is enough business sense, they are in the day the spotlight, rather than the other sites offer a lot of the same discount products for customers all over the world that are cheap. "
"Time" will be Mason created this social e-commerce model, called "a gold mine under the Internet" because Groupon rare for three at the same time benefit: consumers get a discount, merchants gain significant new business and potential new customers and Groupon is to extract into. "Usually this ratio is 5:5."
Mason said, Groupon the best place is to constantly bring to consumers, "the pleasure of discovery", "together every morning they wanted to know that today, what delicious fun." "Nobody does not like surprises This is an important factor in our success. "
However, Groupon James Slavin Witte investors have different views. "Groupon have cracked the localization business model business advertising and localization of the password, in the long run, the impact of the retail business, enough to emulate Google search and search advertising in the achievements in the field." Tesla is so determined Witte .
Groupon really will be the next Google it? The current situation is that as a leader in the field, Groupon has covered 35 countries, 500 cities, as many as 50 million of its subscribers, and is still 300 million per month growth rate of crazy.
Witte's argument according to Tesla, social shopping will be a "winner-take-all" in the market: one dominant brand, but competitors no matter how good, it will be hard to display their fists, and Groupon is the winner.
Groupon the future may see the potential, in December 2010 gives Google staggering 60 billion takeover offer, but Mason refused.
"There is nothing that rivals can not copy it?"
Groupon not flawless. Now, it faces one of the biggest question is - anyone can copy.
In the U.S., mimicking Groupon site had more than 500. The Chinese buy site, from the first "Hundred Regiments" to today's "war thousands of groups", only a short year.
2011, Groupon into the Chinese Way to extremely difficult. Groupon to be paid first large-scale recruitment in China's internal e-mail exposure, causing an uproar in the industry; Kai-fu Lee subsequently broke the news in the micro-Bo, "Groupon to double the salaries in Europe to get people from the opponents, after winning a large number of fire." After January 26, just shortly after taking office in Groupon Xin Ren, vice president of the Chinese market in the micro-Bo said, because some personal reasons, decided to consider other opportunities.
One after another. In the United States at the time February 6 broadcast of the 45th Super Bowl Finals, Groupon invested $ 3,000,000 in the purchase of advertising time, the broadcast a mock ad in Tibet. This triggered the anger of the Chinese netizens, many people said "no longer buy Groupon China (Gao Peng network) products."
British "Financial Times" commented that, Groupon has been "strange taste ads," known for the use of this to the sensitivity of the Tibet issue to please everyone, only to offend everyone, "which also enter the Chinese market Groupon program, adding to the uncertainty. "
Now, look around, handles network, Wowo network, the U.S. group net herd, buy network in China abound.
The face of imitators, beginning Mason insists he is the "industry leader", but Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Professor Andrew Glaser Kyrgyzstan that, "Groupon this as winner-take-all situation, but They will find that you want to keep their position in each market, very difficult. "
Indeed, there is always risk. Last December, the Amazon site to buy the second-largest U.S. investment of $ 175,000,000 LivingSocial. It is said that this website is to buy a new round of financing; the world's largest social networking site Facebook also plans to test the buy services.
In addition, Groupon born with a fatal weakness. It did not like Facebook and eBay rely on so-called "network effects": the more the number of service users, the higher the value, and then will attract more users. On Groupon, this "network effect" is relatively weak, it needs a long list of user e-mail address, to attract better businesses, and attract more consumers. However, consumers and businesses may soon turn their attention to other similar sites.
Groupon each claim and to cooperate and profitable businesses, are contradictory. "Most people, just because the discount to the store, only a very small number of customers eventually become regulars." Restaurant owner Kafir said. He started this year Groupon, use it to replace the practice of advertising in the newspaper before.
Consumers often buy Groupon discount coupons, but ultimately did not use out of them.
Later, the rock band's keyboard player Mason aware of it, "I have been thinking, how to solve our most fundamental business model problem? Have no rivals can not replicate what is it?"
Mason and investors struggled with meditation. April 2011, the answer has finally surfaced, Mason wanted to come out a new idea - Groupon Now.
"Look," street corner in Chicago, Mason picked up his iPhone and make presentations to investors. When he logs on to a new service address GrouponNow, the phone is clearly displayed on the screen with two buttons: "I am hungry" and "I'm bored." It is eleven o'clock, Mason click on the "hungry" button, the location of mobile phones reached the Mason Groupon the server, the server put him near the location of restaurants to choose from content delivery to mobile phones.
Phone to tell Mason, through the bridge across the Chicago River to the other side, there are Asian restaurants, $ 20 to $ 12 for lunch is the price of promotion; and walk one block north, is also a cafe at 10 USD 6 off the food promotions. Then, Mason to confirm orders by phone. "In the end, users will be at noon to eat what they could find was logged Groupon site content decisions." Mason said proudly.
Harry Mason Wheeler convince investors will Groupon Now the original interface simplifies to "hungry" and "boring." The former said: "If it is operating properly, Google is currently the market share, in our opinion will become very small. Because Groupon Now cut, the U.S. trading volume is the most frequent piece of the market."
"We want consumers to go out, to plan the Groupon can do." Mason said. He tried to get the mass consumer market and consumer spending time seamless. "Groupon Now is Groupon 2.0. The first generation of social business is not targeted with the discount, will be localized businesses to link with the local residents; and the second generation is the ultra-localized: to understand the user's residence and the interest, organization and management of the business user experience, and then share with friends. "
Quick easy to mortal things, the outside world was worried Groupon will become the next Napster or MySpace, these sites are rapidly rising, the rapid collapse.
"Groupon anxiety" will become "Groupon fatigue" it? Tesla Witte not worry about this. "I do not think Groupon who would really be modeled." He said. In his eyes, Groupon's strengths are not the user interface can easily be imitated, but data mining. "This is actually a series of algorithms, they can guarantee at the right time, to provide users with the appropriate transaction data Groupon business model provides a defense."
"I'm always looking for some cool ideas." Mason said. Recently, when asked, "Apart from continuing to win more countries and cities you have any other intention", the Mason's answer is actually: "driverless car, we want to enter this field."
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