"By the way, Condoriza, I almost forgot. Just about to go out, Zhang Chen turned around and said, "I recently wrote some things about corporate strategy, and some of the questions I haven't understood very well, see if you can help me find a professor of economic management to help me guide me." ”

Rice took the thick stack of manuscripts handed over by Zhang Chen and glanced at the cover: "Blue Ocean Strategy?"

Zhang Chen said casually: "It's just some personal thinking about the company's strategic issues and some experiences that I have summed up, it's not a big deal." ”

Rice was relieved: "I'll get in touch with Garth and ask if he'd like to provide guidance." But before I contact him, I'm going to take a look at it myself, okay?"

Zhang Chen said indifferently: "Of course you can, please." ”

Zhang Chen walked around the Stanford campus and paid close attention to the fact that from time to time young students and teachers with iBooks in their arms would rush by, and the ratio of men to women was close to one to one.

Many market analysts are already aware of this, and various market surveys show that while Matrix still has a majority of male consumers, female consumers are growing very fast and are the only PC manufacturers that have successfully expanded their market to female consumers.

For many years, the PC market has dominated the absolute majority of consumer consumers, with a ratio of almost more than 9:1 to female consumers, and Matrix's ability to successfully develop the female consumer market is a very worthy topic for the entire industry to study.

"Well, I'm back, yes, at school? Let's go home? Toronto? Ah, I forgot, I thought you were at school, okay, call me when you come back, I'll pick you up. Okay, bye. Zhang Chen took out the phone and called Tang Miaomiao, he wanted to pick up Tang Miaomiao and go back together, but only to remember that Tang Miaomiao was doing research in Toronto with several classmates from the same research group in the past few days.

Closing the phone, Zhang Chen just wanted to open the car door and drive back, when the phone rang again.

"Zack, it's me. Shanatanu's voice came from the microphone, and Zhang Chen thought that Shanatanu was in trouble again, but he didn't expect it to be not.

Sanatanu grinned and said, "That's right, are you Tinder Source investigating a project called Cerent recently?"

Zhang Chen was slightly stunned, thought about it, and had no impression of this project, "I haven't heard of it, even if I do, I may not have passed the preliminary review, otherwise I should have an impression." ”

Sanatanu wondered, "No, oh, by the way, Cerent is the name they just changed, their previous name was Petaluma, and now it's independent." ”

Petaluma? Zhang Chen suddenly remembered that there was a project that was right, and when he met with Moretz before the iBook press conference, Moretz also mentioned this project in passing.

Zhang Chen thought for a while: "It's right to have such a project, what's wrong?"

Shanatanu smiled: "The co-founder of this company, Ajabu Badair, is the father of my good friend, and he also came to Charan's wedding, and today they are talking to you and Sequoia and KPCB about financing. I just wanted to ask how it was. ”

Zhang Chen sat in the car, started the car, and said casually: "Sequoia should have decided not to vote, a few days ago Moretz personally told me, it is said that the asking price is too high, KPCB should also be hesitating, I haven't paid much attention to this project in the past two days, I'll ask in a while." ”

There was no sound in the microphone all of a sudden, and it is estimated that Shanatanu was covering the microphone and talking to the person next to him about something.

It wasn't long before Sanatanu's voice came out of the earpiece again, "Uh, Zack, what are you guys thinking about now?"

Zhang Chen said indifferently: "This project is not my personal attention, and I don't know much about the specific situation. However, since my investment manager did not report on this project as a priority, it may not be too optimistic. Why do you care so much about this project?"

"Uh," Sanatanu was momentarily speechless, "uh, I asked for my friend." If it's convenient, can you please follow it personally, their project is said to be quite good. ”

Zhang Chen sneered: "Friend, don't you have no friends in India? To be honest, what does this Ajabu Badeer have to do with you?"

Shanatanu shyly said, "I am good friends with his daughter. ”

As soon as Zhang Chen heard this, he understood, and said with a smile: "Good friend, the kind that can go to bed?"

Shanatanu hurried, "Be quiet!" she is right next to me. Whatever you say, you have to help me with this favor, I've already said the big thing. ”

Zhang Chen sighed: "Karim, it's not a question of whether to help or not, this is a matter of millions or even tens of millions of dollars, business is business, and you can't mix personal feelings into it." If his project isn't right or the asking price is too high, there's not much I can do. ”

Sanatana was a little disappointed, Zhang Chen thought for a while: "That's it, you don't have to be embarrassed, I will personally pay attention to this project, if it really has potential and the price is right, I will not miss an investment opportunity." ”

Shanatanu excitedly said, "Okay, that's fine." But... Shanatana squirmed, "If you decide not to vote, you'd better set an unacceptable condition for them." ”

Zhang Chen laughed and said: "Okay, I understand, I would say that if it weren't for your face, there would be no such condition." ”

Shanatanu laughed embarrassedly.

"Cheryl, I'll go back to the company in a while, you can help me prepare Cerent, oh, it's the information on the Peta Luma project, I'll take a look at it later. Zhang Chen called Cheryl Sandberg while driving.

Needless to say, Cheryl Sandberg's efficiency is needless to say, as soon as Zhang Chen returned to the office and took off his coat, Cheryl sent all Cerent's information to Zhang Chen's computer by email.

In the past few months, the company has changed its name three times, and was previously a communications company called Fiberlane, which Lucent invested in Silicon Valley. Due to the poor operation of the company and the large stalls, three branches were set up just after its establishment, and within a few months, these branches all did MBO (management buyout) and broke away from the parent company. The name Petaluma was originally the name of a branch office, but it was only recently renamed Cerent in the last two weeks. Cheryl Sandberg brushed her hair and gave Zhang Chen a general introduction to the company's background.

Zhang Chen flipped through the information and asked, "What are the highlights?"

Cheryl Sandberg stood beside Zhang Chen and leaned over to point to a file on the computer screen: "This is the technical data of several patents and prototypes that they have applied for now. After evaluation by professionals, the ADM they are currently developing is more advanced and less expensive than the products currently on the market from companies such as Cisco Lucent. Oh, and ADM is a plug-drop multiplexer, a core component of an all-optical network. ”

Zhang Chen was surprised: "In that case, why don't we vote?"

Cheryl Sandberg explained: "There are three main reasons for Bernie's report, the first is that the asking price is too high, because both KPCB and Sequoia have investment intentions, and several of Cerent's partners have high psychological expectations, $800 and 20% of the shares. And the valuation of them is around $20 million, and as far as I know, Sequoia has now withdrawn its offer, and KPCB is also on the sidelines. ”

Cheryl Sandberg looked at Zhang Chen's expression and continued: "Second, due to historical problems, Cerent's shareholding structure is relatively complex, with several partners holding the same shares, and their status and voice in the company are also comparable. While it may seem like nothing is wrong in the short term, it is not a healthy shareholding structure in the long term. ”

Zhang Chen nodded, he had just seen this part of the content in the information, indeed, if the initial shareholding structure was not designed, it would be difficult for this company to go long-term.

"Third, the communication equipment industry has been carved up by Cisco, Lucent and other companies, a small company is difficult to survive in the market competition, if you choose to be acquired, each other's technical compatibility will often constitute an obstacle to mergers and acquisitions, Bernie has recently found the corresponding experts to demonstrate its technical practicability and compatibility and upgrade potential. As a result, this project has not yet made it to our list of high potentials. ”

Zhang Chen smiled, the first two things make sense, but this one is not right, Cisco and Lucent are indeed very large, and the current market share is also very high, but it does not mean that there is no possibility for other companies to survive.

Warwick and Zhongxing have grown up in the shadow of large international companies, and Starcom is just going down the wrong path, otherwise it may not be much worse than other companies.

As for Cisco, twenty years later, even if the United States does not allow Warwick switches to be sold in the United States on national security grounds, Huawei still surpasses Cisco and becomes the company with the largest market share of the entire switch. Under the encirclement and suppression of many Chinese-funded companies, Cisco's fall is only a matter of time.

Zhang Chen nodded, so it seems that this company does have a lot of problems.

Zhang Chen took a sip of water, casually clicked on the technical information folder that Sheryl Sandberg had just pointed to, and found the overview document.

Cisco 15454?

Looking at this update time, today's three more should be guaranteed.

(End of chapter)