LINE was born in Japan, and its rapid development was also based on the fact that communication was difficult after the 311 earthquake, but it was possible to keep in touch with family and friends through LINE.

Line, however, is not a Japanese company, but a Japanese subsidiary of the South Korean internet company NHN Group, which launched an instant messaging app.

Since its birth, it has quickly filled the gap of IM software on the Japanese mobile terminal, and then expanded to Taiwan, Southeast Asia and other regions, and is an absolute leader in Thailand.

But in South Korea, Line lost about 50 million subscribers to the earlier release of Kakao.

At this time, the international IM market is dominated by whatsapp, which has obvious advantages in Brazil, Russia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Norway, and Facebook Messenger in North America and Australia.

Eventually, the United States, Canada, and Australia are indeed the world of Facebook Messenger.

But most of the rest of the country, with the exception of China and its surroundings, is almost entirely in the hands of WhatsApp.

And now, Wen Xiaoguang has invested 18% of WhatsApp's shares, and has been planning to increase his shares again.

In 2015, the company sold itself to Facebook, and he had to think about whether he was going to get involved. And there is still a chance to expand its influence in the past few years, and Facebook will not be willing to sell it if it wants to buy labor and capital.

If you get the markets in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan through hard work, and finally join forces with whatsapp......

He could have made this dream a little bigger!

Although the United States, Canada, and Australia have lost, to borrow Mr. Ren's words, without the American market, I am also the first in the world!

Of course, in addition to these three countries, Norway, Sweden and other countries have not taken down WhatsApp, but what does it matter, Norway has 5.5 million people in the whole country, and at last year's World Expo, the number of visitors to the Norwegian National Pavilion was 5.5 million!

This is a fourth-tier city in China.

Finally, in the end, there are some edge IM products, social networking is like this, once you gain an advantage in a region, you just can't get in no matter how strong you are, such as kakao occupies South Korea, and the relationship chain of Koreans is on it, you see it is a little bit of people, but unless the technology is significantly updated, you have no way to do it with a thick moat of socialization.

Similarly, there are others like Viber that occupy markets in Libya, Ethiopia, Iraq, Turkey, etc. It's as good as whatsapp, and you can only spread your hands.

However, Viber is actually just being born.

Basically, Wen Xiaoguang's current basic disk is already very good, even if there is no whatsapp, it is terrible, and it is even more terrifying with it.

But if you really talk about internationalization, you can't just talk about it.

Dream big, when the time comes, don't be surprised.

Wen Xiaoguang sat on the balcony of the hotel and thought about these things for an afternoon, and there were many flashes of inspiration on the small table in front of him.

When Lu Qin came, he hurriedly put away his things, some of which were future information.

"How's it going, do you want to get results in the afternoon?"

Wen Xiaoguang smiled, "I think what you said makes sense, internationalization really shouldn't be ignored." But how to internationalize, you have to find someone to help me. ”

"Nonsense, didn't I bring Han Wei to see you?"

"What does he say to you about me?"

"I'm impressed by you. Lu Qin sat across from him, "You guy has sketched an international giant enterprise with one mouth, everyone is in the red dust, who can be indifferent?"

He also asked me to tell you eight words, internationalization is localization. ”

Localization.

That's right, multinational companies that don't do well in localization are all cold in one region.

Wen Xiaoguang understood, "First of all, we need an international team, and we have to be like Han Wei. Then the company structure was adjusted, and a group was established, with WeChat in the mainland as one of the business departments, and foreign business departments were set up, and enterprises were set up in the local area, employing local talents, and integrating into the local culture for business operations. ”

Looking at it this way, Han Wei had to see it.

"Thank you. ”

Lu Qin sighed, "What are you talking about, I told you a long time ago, let's not divide the two of us like that, grasshoppers on a rope, I am for you and for me." ”

"It's a pity that I was a step slower to react, and there is already Kakao in Korea. ”

Lu Qin spread his right hand and smiled disdainfully, "So what, just buy it." Your investment manager, that Li Yidan, is also a top talent, and this thing is not impossible. ”

Acquisition is an option.

But the most important thing right now is LINE.

In fact, WeChat's current actions in China are correct, because Line is actually such a routine, and they have continued to launch new services since then.

You can order takeout through Line Delima;

Shop through LINE SHOPPING and browse more than 100 brands of stores without installing an additional app;

They later did Line Pay as well;

As for music, comics, and videos, that's not a problem.

This is the way out of the traffic entrance, and the objective conditions will prompt such IM software providers to do such things.

"Do you want to see Han Wei again, you can have a good chat?" Lu Qin patted his cocked Erlang leg, "Actually, I also know what you are worried about, at this time, I am afraid that Ma Huateng will succeed in counterattacking." ”

"No," Wen Xiaoguang shook his head, "Social networking has a cluster effect, now WeChat has achieved a cluster effect, we do so many advertisements every day, and I myself work so hard to attract new users to WeChat, basically Ma Huateng doesn't do anything particularly innovative, he can only keep QQ, QQ will still not be abandoned, it is valuable." As for the mobile IM software, what do you think he can do? I'm annoyed every day for a takeaway function. ”

"I frowned, but it was only because it was a big decision, and it wasn't in my plan, and it was you who guided me, and I thought of it. This kind of thing must not be decided lightly. ”

"Then you've been thinking about it for an afternoon, what's the result?"

Wen Xiaoguang pursed his lips, "Help me dig up some people, the company's name is NHN Japan, a programmer who understands technology and Japanese culture, Han Wei said that the localization is very right, if you can't launch a Japanese version of WeChat, forget it, such a rough one, it will definitely not be successful." ”

Lu Qin was surprised, "It's easy to poach people, and raising salaries is half the battle." But aren't you still hesitating?"

"Hesitation is hesitation, make the product first, and don't pull it in. Time is very tight, 10 years and 11 years is the time for the centralized launch of IM software around the world, and waiting for one more day is variable. ”

Wen Xiaoguang can't remember exactly when the line was launched, but he knows that it was about the first half of the year, and it's already April.

As soon as the situation changed, everything was very different, and his conversation with Han Wei was also put on the plane back to Beijin.

On the other hand, Li Wenbo was also a little silent for a while when he received the call, this decision is not a trivial matter.