Dong Yuhui: A Commercial Experiment in Idealism "With Hui Along"

Tech 2024-12-09 10:21:51 Source: Network

Dong Yuhui: A Commercial Experiment in Idealism "With Hui Along"Dong Yuhui, a young man who rose to fame through livestreaming e-commerce but remains steadfast in his idealism, is leading a unique business experiment with his company, "With Hui Along." This experiment isn't solely driven by profit; it's more akin to a staunch defense of values, demeanor, and dignity

Dong Yuhui, a young man who rose to fame through livestreaming e-commerce but remains steadfast in his idealism, is leading a unique business experiment with his company, "With Hui Along." This experiment isn't solely driven by profit; it's more akin to a staunch defense of values, demeanor, and dignity. Recently completing his "Yue Shan HeJiangsu Xing" (Reading Rivers and Mountains Jiangsu Trip) event, Dong Yuhui, inspired by the fact that northern Jiangsu is the birthplace of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, reread Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian. Unlike most who praise Liu Bang's success, he's deeply captivated by Xiang Yu's tragic heroism. Xiang Yu's naivet, compassion, and reckless bravery, Dong Yuhui argues, are precisely what embody his "heroic persistence." The Siege of Gaixia, where Xiang Yu, with only twenty-eight horsemen remaining, was surrounded by Han forces, saw him lament, "This is Heaven's destruction of me," yet still charge three times before calmly committing suicide. This scene, Dong Yuhui believes, reveals the true essence of a person's character.

In late November, in the "Chun Fen" (Vernal Equinox) meeting room of With Hui Along's new Beijing office in Zhongguancun, Dong Yuhui shared his interpretation of the Records of the Grand Historian and his admiration for Xiang Yu. "He accepted all outcomes of his fate; even until death, he remained upright and respectable." He believes the Chinese historical perspective doesn't solely judge heroes by victory or defeat, citing the famous line "Still thinking of Xiang Yu, unwilling to cross the Yangtze River back to Jiangdong" as the best example. He understands the cruelty of a "winner-takes-all" system, but values qualities that transcend wins and losses: demeanor, values, and dignity. "Dignity," for him, signifies equal and open communication, meaning even after parting ways, one can still cherish positive memories of the other.

In the early stages of his rise to fame, Dong Yuhui received lucrative offers to switch companies, but he refused. After his departure from New Oriental, he faced accusations of disloyalty, but chose silence, simply stating, "I have no personal conflict with Teacher Yu." With Hui Along remains focused on agricultural products and food. Despite frequent public relations crises stemming from quality control issues, they remain committed to their founding principle: "Finding trustworthy food; essentially, we're helping ourselves." Dong Yuhui believes reading shaped his worldview and values, enabling him to act according to his principles and find dignity and self-consistency. "Money may change many people, but it doesn't necessarily change everyone." In the lucrative world of livestreaming e-commerce, Dong Yuhui stands out. He believes the manner of winning is more important than the outcome itself, stating, "It's good to be a small and beautiful company." He even says that if he ever had to become a businessman prioritizing profit above all else, he'd rather retire.

In Beijing, a city that evokes complex emotions in him, With Hui Along has grown from a team of dozens to nearly 300, working at an incredibly fast pace. Dong Yuhui serves as both broadcaster and CEO, with virtually no personal time. Even after a brief vacation in Macau, returning to Beijing leaves him feeling the city's pressure: furrowed brows, rapid heartbeat, poor sleep quality, and frequent allergic rhinitis attacks. Only when he returns to his hometown in Shaanxi, surrounded by familiar mountains and forests, can he truly relax.

Dong Yuhui: A Commercial Experiment in Idealism "With Hui Along"

In July 2019, Dong Yuhui moved from Xi'an to Beijing for a career in internet education, later returning to Xi'an before transitioning to livestreaming in late 2021. Before his meteoric rise in June 2022, his life was marked by hardship, financial struggles, loneliness, and a near absence of hope. He shared a cramped apartment with colleagues, his bed so close to the door that he'd bump into it when entering, and a window he couldnt open due to a hospital waste heap outside. His birthday was even marked by his desk collapsing, spilling noodles all over him.

However, livestreaming brought him moments of joy. Broadcasting until 3 or 4 AM in a Tongzhou hotel, even with no sales, he found himself connecting with viewers late at night, witnessing the diverse spectrum of human experiences: lonely elderly people, tired mothers, and hardworking fathers. These stories, vastly different from the simplicity and warmth of his hometown, gave him a deeper understanding of the city's harshness and challenges.

During his Shaanxi special, he witnessed the farmers' joy at increased prices for kiwifruit; in Henan, he helped a dairy brand sell tens of thousands of units, filling employees with excitement; and users benefited from his book recommendations. These moments, immeasurable in monetary terms, fuel his drive and provide purpose to his work.

A late-night cat walk with author Li Juan in Altay, Xinjiang, revealed to him the clarity and tranquility of the northwestern night sky, teaching him that there's no need to "exhaust oneself to earn every last penny." Once, seeing a colleague throw away barely-touched food, he fell silent for two minutes. Afterwards, an unwritten rule emerged at With Hui Along: no wasting trial food.

Dong Yuhui: A Commercial Experiment in Idealism "With Hui Along"

Born into a humble farming family in Tongguan County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, Dong Yuhui experienced material scarcity in his youth, not leaving his county until he was 18. Even now, he wears inexpensive clothes and doesn't worry about loose threads. After his rise to fame, despite numerous lucrative offers, he stayed put, believing that leaving would "involve too many people and have too many negative consequences; it would be a little cruel to Lao Yu (Yu Minhong)."

With Hui Along's main businesses include the livestreaming sales platform "Ai Sheng Huo" (Love Life), the cultural travel program "Yue Shan He" (Reading Rivers and Mountains), and the celebrity interview series "Po Wan Juan" (Breaking Ten Thousand Volumes). With Hui Along covers all costs for the "Yue Shan He" events; despite low profit margins on book sales, they persist in selling physical books. "Ai Sheng Huo" keeps agricultural products and food above 60% of its offerings, avoiding excessive expansion into other product lines even under consumer demand. Dong Yuhui consistently resists focusing on Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and scale, believing that prioritizing GMV would lead to choosing low-profit, low-quality products.

He prioritizes value: company growth, employee livelihoods, and showcasing high-quality products, books, and scenery. He focuses on individuals, not the nebulous concepts of "internet celebrities" and "fans." Fortunately, With Hui Along has sufficient capital to support his idealism, with daily operational profits sustaining the company and its content exploration. Director Zhang Yimou's assessment of Dong Yuhui "In business, don't talk about business" reflects the company's motto, "Culture and content first, sales second."

Dong Yuhui's sudden fame is inexplicable, even to himself. Initially using bilingual explanations for products, he transitioned to incorporating science, poetry, and stories from his childhood; his rise lacks a clear logic. He dislikes being a mere repeater, refusing to simply cater to audiences, because he believes: "Once you start pretending, you're no longer yourself."

Dong Yuhui: A Commercial Experiment in Idealism "With Hui Along"

On January 9, 2024, With Hui Along's first livestream reached five trending topics on Weibo, garnering 1.3 billion likes, over 100 million yuan in GMV, and gaining 3.3 million followers. Subsequently, With Hui Along received over 130 million orders, most for food. The Shaanxi special kept the province's agricultural businesses running for nearly two weeks, with some manufacturers needing a month to fulfill orders. Over 50 million books were sold, and People's Literature magazine generated 19 million yuan in sales and over 200,000 subscriptions in a single night.

However, Dong Yuhui dislikes the word "traffic," believing "nothing happens without reason." He abhors the speculation it breeds and the disregard for humanity it can engender. In the precarious world of livestreaming e-commerce, Dong Yuhui faces significant risks.

From New Oriental to With Hui Along, Dong Yuhui has faced intense scrutiny. His open letter drew criticism, his celebrity interviews were mocked, and past mistakes resurfaced. He navigates both adoration and malicious attacks; the fragmented nature of internet communication and overinterpretation readily fuel emotional storms. "The internet doesn't care about truth," he admits with some frustration, but tries to rationalize it, likening it to a child flaunting a huge watermelon, attracting attention and commentary.

Dong Yuhui understands that the average netizen's sense of justice isn't wrong; the error lies in exploiting the kindness and good intentions of these people. "Praise your traffic, and they'll praise you; criticize your traffic, and they'll criticize you." He strives to shed the spotlight, emphasizing that he's an ordinary person, neither exceptionally good nor exceptionally bad.

Lacking management experience, Dong Y

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