The Founder's Notes: A Journey of Inspired Ideas, Work and Life by a Leading Serial Entrepreneur

by Ji Qi

Overview

Ji Qi is one of contemporary China’s most successful and imaginative entrepreneurs, who has taken three companies to the 10 billion dollar level in a little over a decade, which is unprecedented in the entreprenuerial world. Rather than knowing how to generate wealth and to lead a company, Ji Qi believes the metaphysical is more important: “Knowledge affects action, the metaphysical determines the physical.” This unique book represents the inner journey taken by the author as an entrepreneur – his thoughts and reflections on the meaning of life, work and success. As well as offering a unique perspective on succeeding in the Chinese market, this book provides original insights on Chinese philosophy and weaving that into management and being an entrepreneur in today’s world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781912555680
Publisher:	LID Publishing
Publication date:	03/15/2020
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Ji Qi is the Founder and Chairman of the Huazhu Group. He was previously the founding CEO of Ctrip.com and the Homeinns Hotel Group. All three companies are now publicly listed on NASDAQ.

Read an Excerpt

Preface

When I read a book, I rarely read the preface, for I believe a ‘preface’ is like a ‘pre-phrase’ – something that we can do without. Yet if this book must have a preface, I ought to pre-phrase it myself.

Ten years ago, I was taking management classes in New York which, at the time, was in the eye of the storm of the global financial crisis. I had many epiphany moments and I felt the need to record them. In the following ten years my notes continued to accumulate.

Over that decade my notes covered a wide range of topics but did not follow any particular themes. My moods and thoughts differed at different times, so when I wanted to turn my notes into a book I was confronted with chaos.

I have now arranged my notes into three categories: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Heaven concerns abstract matters: metaphysics, including the universe, space and time, life and meaning. Earth is about business: starting a business, running a business, deal-making, and organizational structure. The last section, Humanity, examines emotions and sensory pleasures, such as red wine, love and good food. We live between Heaven and Earth as we journey through the adventure of life. My notes follow these themes.

Many people are curious about the three multi-billion-dollar companies I established in a little over a decade, curious about how to succeed, how to create wealth, and how to lead an enterprise. For my part I feel the metaphysical is far more important: how knowledge affects action, how the metaphysical determines the physical. There is nothing special about the activities of everyday life, yet the traces of humanity and the activities of people are precisely what make us so endearing. There are not many chapters on Heaven and Humanity, but they are essential, for without them this would be just yet another business title.

Ideas are boundless. Language and writing can only express a miniscule portion of ideas. Music, poetry and art are more suited to conveying the rich ideas of the abstract. And yet these tools are also incapable of accurately conveying our trains of thought. Although the written word can only crudely communicate a part of our ideas, it is better than nothing.

There are countless wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs but few of them think deeply about business and the world outside their business, let alone commit their ideas to writing. I am but an average writer and my ideas are not particularly profound, but to persevere in thinking and writing for a decade is, I believe, a worthy contribution to preserving a small sample of the times I have lived through. For now, this book is a faithful record of an era and an individual. It is not a classic of the ages, but if it can assist or inspire readers, then those late nights I spent burning the midnight oil for ten years to write about the space between Heaven and Earth will not have been wasted.

Table of Contents

HEAVEN

Part One. Life is art

o The beauty of simplicity o Two points of view on life o A unified field theory of society o Steve Jobs’ inspiration o Every day is a good day o Life is Art o The True Meaning of Life o Looking to the heavens while keeping your feet firmly on the ground Part Two. The end is also the point of origin

o Searching and settling down o Everything in the world is a reflection of our own hearts o The art of meditation o The pinnacle of aesthetics is equilibrium o The grace and luxury of the Song Dynasty o Time is humanity’s illusion EARTH

Part One. My decade long path to entrepreneurship

o The first journey: Ctrip o The second journey: Home Inn o The third journey: Hanting o The story of the first Hanting Hotel o What the three businesses have in common o My management experience and lessons learned o A small neighbourhood and a big neighbourhood o My darkest moments o China Style Service o The China Dream o A brief summary of my entrepreneurship o The rewards for me of entrepreneurship Part Two. To build a strong enterprise

o An enterprise’s ideals and original intent o Big market, fast development o Specialization is the magic weapon of business success o Aiming high o The dialectics of big and strong o The limit of velocity o Build a team of talented kindred spirits — thoughts on a plane in America o Anxiety over internet-based marketing o Big wind and straight trees o Some points to consider before you start o Entrepreneurs and Professional Managers o A legendary founder of a company and his times o Company founders must be deeply immersed in their own products o My experience anticipating the future o Chain Business Management Part Three. Huazhu philosophy

o Enterprise Philosophy o Huazhu’s aesthetics o The positioning strategies of Huazhu’s brands o Huazhu’s business approach o Huazhu’s Tao of management o On managing the “crucial few” o The Spirit of the Wolf, the Dragon and the Horse o How we look upon customers o How do we treat employees? o The biggest challenge we are facing o Huazhu’s future management: common sense management o The future of hotels HUMANITY

Part One. From a faraway place back to my hometown

o Lost in Provence o Poetry and Growing Up o A trip to the south pole o Going on a long journey o Amazing Burgundy o Notes on selecting wine o A trivial matter called food o Treasures in my everyday life o The taste of my hometown o Fondness for Jiangnan Part Two. From Buddhist renunciation to social engagement

o Luxury goods o My circle of friends o Sex, marriage and love o Business and friendship o From Buddhist renunciation to social engagement o Information and energy o Metaphysics and physics o Our great era