Courses at the platform operator encountered during several pit2012, I and a few friends with an enthusiastic and ideals a Mengzi dive into online education in this field, huh skill class platform, the fashion is a national first, we have quite a 'pioneer' itself. From a few founders and core members of the team, we had a kind of typical 'slightly know a little Internet, 2015 Latest Nike Shoes but almost do not know much education,' the team. A year and a half down, he stumbled, suffered a variety of battered beaten black and blue, because of ignorance, no less to fall into the pit, almost from the 'Herald' has become 'martyrs.' More about atopic know it, will be after its inception, various operational skills class platform out of the pit during the encounter experience to share with you the finishing line education circle colleagues for reference reference. Pit 1: what is the platform of choice for a very good reason to do platform - imagine a large space, it looks sexy, temptation, and there is no similar platform mature, we have a Air Jordan 14 chance?. Internet standpoint, since to do platform, we naturally want to present the most successful platform - Taobao line. To this end, we are once boasted that he is known as 'educational Taobao' by one of them, in the initial stages of the project from the form of products and operations platform thinking went straight away. But afterwards, looking back at the initial stage of our cognitive platform, is probably one of the biggest pit. There is a big problem and the limitations of thinking -?? Platform in the end is how the formation or that, you look like a platform, it means you really are a platform yet, for example, if there is a focus on reading and learning The community, by 'reading' it brings together hundreds of thousands of users like learning like growth, this time it is re-introduced teaching resources to complete the match pedagogical and learning side, it is a platform count? another example, such as Thunder STORM such as HJ such as Jingdong, they seemingly do not look like a platform (at least initially, they are definitely not a platform), but they now can not be regarded as a platform? In fact, reviewing the Air Jordan 11 development path of the country's successful platform Taobao almost the only one up on the platform straight away, while facing the buyers and sellers holding high-pass power operations, and finally made the case, behind its success, there are a variety of favorable factors and arduous wait, To try to replicate a successful path Taobao, it is almost impossible. The nature of the platform, is between what you want to connect, and symmetric at least two parties to the platform recognition of the value and dependence. Our point is widely known - the value of all parties connected to the platform in the platform of each other, that is the value of the buyer for the seller, the buyer is also a good seller for the value. But in the early process of growth and development of the platform, if you can not find outside the framework of 'platform parties mutually value' of at least one additional point value for users, you will most likely fall into the 'chicken or the egg 'tangle go. For after us, that is the case, at the outset looks like a platform, long plagued our first teacher to do is to engage in, or the first user to engage in, or on a two-pronged ends together? In such a tangle swing , it is often difficult to look easy from beginning to end, it is difficult to focus and form together, like you though the dance was a long knife tiger style, looked magnificent, in fact, it can cause damage to the enemy, far less than a dagger chest line . So if you come to ask me, my answer would be: if you want to become a platform, it looks like the beginning of a platform is probably not the best choice. Pit 2: Users that why they want to come in to use before doing platform, we painted a beautiful picture - to talk about a number of high-quality teachers, these teachers course itself has attractive plus?? we do the promotion, users will quickly fill up a lot of their classroom, teachers are here to play a HIGH make money, and it will commence and continue to attract more high-quality teachers to join, the platform will form a positive feedback loop and continued snowball ...... But unfortunately, the reality is very skinny, this wonderful vision is a pit. Here are the following main problems: First, a new platform in the early stages do not have the traffic aggregation and distribution capabilities, and content partners and lecturer for the purposes of value has been the most eager to meet rigid precisely the flow and enrollment, to find the real stable long-term cooperation content providers, is not an easy task. From our experience, at least the first six months time, every 100 agencies or lecturer, and finally can really stay become an important part of the provider's platform, up to no more than five. At the same time, there may be an extension of a point is that if the value of the platform to lecturers and institutions lies solely tool, this value will not extremely rigid. Now various online platforms and publishing tools could not have been much more, the teachers a platform replacement cost is very low, how do you think a teacher for the purposes of online lectures, lecture by YY and through SKYPE, more shellfish, QQ video lectures essential difference be? If the line courses through the microblogging release and adoption of watercress rows, essentially different Vasee activities are published and how much? So, for a so-called platform, do not assume you behind Traffic and godfather, content providers Why should I use this platform is a clear need to answer the question. Second, even with content providers, platforms and difficulty with course content, curriculum and admissions promotion is beyond our imagination. Before you start doing platform, we believe that as long to find some full of high-quality teachers, students directed their reputation and the quality of the content, the registration would be very natural and logical thing, but in fact far from it. On the one hand is the kind of learning skills in this area in itself sufficient enough broken pieces, and then a strong 'teacher' can only be limited to a small circle and scope, it is often the case will be that you finally racked nine cattle Force tigers of top teachers to find a niche in the field below and found that more than 95% of users simply does not know this man, and made everyone lose face. On the other hand, is the traditional teaching culture industry has a habit of relying on asymmetric information industry to make money, its marketing play either free lectures often triggered impulse spending, either one by one break up after one course consultant truly open and interactive marketing based on Internet environment, be able to understand and use the depth of the Education and Training institutions very little, almost no institution or lecturer can do their own brand image. In this state, if institutions and lecturers simply publish their own curriculum up to the platform, can be attracted to apply the conversion will be very low, and even some teachers, the curriculum will copy its release to the people did not even bad French sense of trust, closeness 0 transformation. To this end, we on the platform at the beginning of the line had to help all lecturers and institutions to modify their platform copywriting course, do courses picture, tap curriculum selling repackaged the product and so on. In short, very heavy. In addition, there is a very crucial factor - for ordinary users, not just skills like learning needs. People need to learn the content, there are two, one is the 'you know you will not,' the other is 'You do not know you will not,' Unfortunately, the vast majority belong to the latter skill. In the absence of contrast, the vast majority of people do not think their communication, Nike Air Max 90 Current project management, time management, lack of capacity exists, even if aware of certain aspects of their skills deficiencies, more than 80% of users did not cultivate ' By classes to upgrade their skills, 'the study habits, not to mention class also paid. More Moreover, in the domestic environment, more than 95% of users, learning habits are passive, rather than active, often only under external pressure, for example, in order to get a certificate, such as vocational qualifications, For example, again from the force businesses and owners, will produce a corresponding learning needs and learning needs generated by their own initiative, basically very few. Let the user based on the production skills-based learning needs, then you need to educate users, giving users some persuasive scenario, these are costs. Pit 3: Skills Courses platform can mimic play overall electricity supplier platform finally get through the first six months of time after the last line, although the base is not, at any rate starting platform can produce up some of their own natural flow, with some? user base, people thought the Internet, the idea is that already from this critical step 0-1, the next thing finally to enter the familiar rhythm - look, we are going to just go Copy imitate certain electronic business platform to play. But, unfortunately, we are wrong, there is also a pit. For example, if you buy in Taobao a Iphone5s, two A and B grade evaluation are similar stores, are standard, A shop selling 5000, B stores sell 4000, you can easily make a judgment: buy B stores. But if you are ready to learn time management, teachers also have A and B, two teacher evaluation are similar lecturer, A teacher's lesson needs 3000, B 2000 required the teacher's Air Jordan 18 class, you can determine if you should choose accordingly to B teacher's class it? The answer is no. The reason is simple, 'Iphone5s' is a standard, and 'time management' is not, two different shops selling Iphone5s must be the same, in addition to price, you just go up to comparison service. The two different teachers were talking about 'time management', it is likely that two fundamentally different things. Similarly, the 'Lenovo Ideapad E430' is a standardized product, and 'communication course' is not; 'Wong Lo Kat herbal tea' is a standardized product, and 'career planning' course not. Course categories of products with the biggest difference to other physical commodity products, is that 'non-standard.' If you are like TOEFL IELTS forty-six may also be good, but in such areas as skills will become more prominent this issue - even the 'skills' itself are likely to be extremely non-standard, let alone talk about how to learn a skill of course. Therefore, the electricity supplier type platform selling standardized goods can sell non-standardized skills courses will have problems. Non-standardization means that users select high costs, means that the user needs not be difficult to meet the batch, also means that in the end what is 'good' products is likely impossible to define. If these problems can not be resolved, it means that the platform will be difficult to serve a wider range of user groups. Any platform, and finally the key to the success of the platform will never be long-sawed, but the platform can provide some key unanimously approved criteria, as well as possible for everyone to call this standard API. Daqin unified world can successfully create a precedent, where the key people in the Qin unified text, currency and weights and measures; Caesar may make the early Roman Empire prototype because he built up a set of 'Roman citizenship' as the core position of power the change mechanism, and 'Roman citizenship' open to the Gauls, Germans and Greeks; Intel can become dominant PC era thanks to its built up a standard configuration of the PC, and allow any brand based on this standard assembly produce its own brand PC; Microsoft can build a platform from critical because it created a standard operating system, Windows, and provides programming tools under windows platform that allows developers to develop a windows environment based on a variety of software, empathy, IOS and Android is also true; Taobao reason can build a business platform because it built up a credit evaluation system, and let the seller can set the system to grow based on this upgrade, buyers can quickly based on this set of system better judgment. Parties in a serious asymmetry of information in the ecosystem, since you want to clear the process, it must be a unified standard. In regard to the standard rules of the game is always: more people comply with the standard, the greater the value of the standard. A skill class learning platform, in addition to a similar Taobao and other electric providers of credit evaluation system standardization, if we really want to stimulate massive buying needs some courses, may also need to build a content-oriented (that is, curriculum) standards to help content providers normative products and ensure product quality, while helping users to strengthen the awareness of products and stimulate demand. To attempt to create such a standard, nature is difficult. It requires a deep understanding of the education and curriculum, we need to have the ability to command the world can pre-loaded, so that you are willing to cooperate in the political arena and use your standard. Therefore, in the conventional field of Education and Training, usually plays this role is often some of the state-owned institutions and departments, the way to achieve it is often the exam, qualifications and certificates. Of course, the rapid development of an industry, perhaps it is precisely that it produces a certain standard from the beginning, as the year the tide from the PC era since IBM began to open its own compatible standard, like studying abroad also popular in this area because there are TOEFL, IELTS and other standards exist. If one day there are people who can build a curriculum based on the evaluation criteria, and perhaps also in this area is the rapid development of breakthrough time. From this standpoint, there is both a pit, it is also likely to be a potentially huge opportunity. Pit 4: users will get a good experience in the internet, it will be difficult to do since to keep standardization, we can at least be for a handful of users who already have the first good service, so that they have a good experience, since? lack of standards is difficult to amplify short-term rapid batch, we slowly and deliberately to keep a user on the first, with the 'afraid of growing slowly,' the premise that we users to accumulate a little to drive quantitative qualitative change can always be right? Sorry, We also naive. Line after a year on the platform, we found that our operating platform in the user never establish a positive feedback loop, although traffic slow rise in class learning experience came to the platform have stabilized, but the monthly flow only about 20% -30% from the old user, which means that up to promote the flow is based on the old user's precipitation and retention has not really formed. This is different as our expectations and understanding of day, even if only with some Taobao, this figure also appears too bad. There is a deadly key. If you buy a piece on Taobao mobile phone recharge card or a bag of snacks, phone calls until you exhausted or eating snacks when demand you must have to buy again, and if the place you last purchase so that you have enough a good experience, it probably will be your first choice. But if you finished on time management courses together on a learning platform, has been a good learning experience and achievement, you will not come back again on this lesson? FMCG and many other goods are more than can be repeated time is consumed, even such as printers and other consumer goods difficult to be repeated, it might give you repeated consumption of supplies, but the 'curriculum' No, curriculum and learning, often only disposable consumer products. That means, if you can not give the user a strong case, even if no matter how good your products and services and then stick again excellent experience, users are likely to have you here, only one consumer opportunities, especially in terms of the skills that every Use process skills are relatively independent, they learned is to learn and really learn only after the often more handy and more skilled, you can not even follow-up services may be little opportunity will follow. Learning is such a special product, can not learn, they will leave in the squalling sound, learned, the user give you a praise, but he still will leave. Underlying logic behind this is: compared to other electricity providers, the money you earn users the opportunity, probably only once. Of course, some would say, the platform can provide a steady stream of new products to stimulate high-quality courses and for the other secondary consumer willingness to buy ah, I guess, the problem is actually brings us back to the pits 2 and 3 into the pit - First, ? Even if you can find high-quality courses and content providers, why they have to go to your platform secondly, as a platform, how you can define and distinguish which of course is the quality of pit 5:? survive platform to? a gesture entrepreneurial team chose to do platform, can be both a card account in advance had the opportunity, it may be unfortunate fall into the pit of fire took no return. Even if you have the opportunity to hit the front in the last few pits are still able to survive, you still have to think about such a Air Jordan 6 Rings torture ultimate answer is not clear, when faced with the dilemma - how will you be able to survive long-term survival requires nothing more than a three way? either make money or to present Bo future, or find the father. Select one, is to make money. Make money this way, in the short term in terms of the skills-based platform does not seem realistic, due to several pits and a variety of complex factors mentioned above, there should be no a skills-based platform can say that they have the ability to earn money. Even if the business can make money, which is often a source of income with the platform does not matter, for example, multi-campus through the shell. Option two, it is to give support and favor of capital markets, you can Bo a large. Like when the Son of 20,000,000 in Ma, ample ammunition for this reason, before Taobao, fearless, six-year free policy abruptly dropped anti include E-bay, including an opponent, and eventually became the dominant party. In this mode, playing the courage, patience and courage, the premise is the need of adequate forage rear of mind. In the past period of time online education circles of hot pursuit and capital markets point of view, where we encounter a circle Masayoshi Son possibility exists. But, even if you get a longer Masayoshi Son, you is not necessarily Ma. Choose three, is to find the father. Father is looking for a practical way, but also present in the entire field under profit model, support system, etc. are not definite status Air Jordan 6 Rings of the most reliable choice. With Dad, you can let go even though trial and error, did not try it, Dad can support you, really try out, the father can give you traffic and resources. But the problem also exists, on the one hand, with the father, is both a patron and trees, is also likely to be constrained and tie themselves; on the other hand, Davis had a few opportunities will always be limited. Baidu to the mass class, Ali's own students, the remaining giants also have their own potential actions, rivers and lakes wind and water, leaving the opportunities and choices have been limited. Genuinely looking for Dad, please as early as possible. Hang in there, someone is bound to fall into the pit could not climb out, there are bound to pit in front of a bumpy road that is good expectations. Early development of any industry, are the challenges and opportunities for skills-based platforms, as well as extremely hot for the entire current online educational purposes alike. For the entire industry, so that online teaching content becomes more viscous and efficiency, inspire more people's learning needs, to build for the user, relatively standardized system content and teaching process, as well as to explore potential business model is still is a major focus of common concern, we all still need more time to answer. After two years of toil and thwarted at every turn, the on-line education in the field of road platform in the end how you can pass and future vision, I also have some of their own assumptions and potential answers can be follow-up after finishing Reflections, and then to others. Text / Huang Can (former COO of the ninth class, as the author of this article to a more exclusive HowNet feeds, please indicate the source)