We use cookies that are necessary to provide the Tencent Cloud website. We would also like to use other cookies to improve your experience, optimise and analyse Tencent Cloud website features and usage. For more information, please refer to our Cookies Policy.
Cloud Perspective - Interview with Fanny Lin, Head of Taiwan, Tencent Cloud International
Peter F. Drucker, one of the most influential thinkers on management, once said, “Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable” —this is the work motto of Ms. Fanny Lin, head of Taiwan at Tencent Cloud International. But what is indeed the “right” thing as she leads the business team to navigate different challenges and succeed in Taiwan? This time, we speak to Fanny to hear about her story at Tencent, her experience of introducing the Weixin ecosystem to the Taiwanese market, as well as her views on the cloud market.
Pioneer in the Taiwan Market
When Fanny joined Tencent in 2012 as the company’s first employee in Taiwan, bringing Weixin to the market was one of the key missions in her role. As a pioneer of a new market, Fanny encountered many challenges on her journey. “We built the team and business from scratch, and it took us almost a year to acquire the right business license to operate in Taiwan so that we could subsequently launch the first TV commercial in the market. At the same time, after a meticulous evaluation, we found that not many products are very suitable for Taiwan. It’s really a challenging market, yet I’m grateful that we have done well, especially for Weixin.”
“Ten years ago, most people thought that Weixin was just another messaging tool, so our goal was to change their perception and guide them to unleash the potential of Weixin. We strategically promoted Weixin as a 360-degree integrated social platform, where Taiwan brands and merchants can leverage Weixin official accounts, social ads, and mini programs to precisely target and engage consumers from the Chinese mainland. After years of endeavors to educate local merchants and users on the enormous business opportunities that could be brought by the Weixin ecosystem, we effectively built a lot of success cases and penetrated the market.”
Embracing the cloud in the era of Industrial Internet
In 2018, while the company was striving to better serve industries as it stepped into the Industrial Internet era, the new Cloud and Smart Industries Group (CSIG) was established with the goal of promoting cloud computing solutions, AI, and other technologies to facilitate the digital transformation of enterprises. It was the moment when Fanny started to shift her focus from Weixin to the cloud business.
When asked about how she viewed the overall cloud market development, Fanny explained “The rise of cloud gaming and blockchain is undoubtedly the hottest topic in the market. Cloud gaming is a nascent technology that reshapes how people play games. It allows end-users to play games using a variety of platforms with less demanding hardware requirements—be it on laptops or mobile phones—so they can enjoy gaming to the fullest. Meanwhile, blockchain is an immutable, shared ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network. Anything of value, whether it be a tangible asset like a house or hand or an intangible asset like a patent or copyright, can be tracked and traded over a blockchain network to reduce risks and costs across the board. To Tencent Cloud, the blockchain and cloud gaming customers have heavy cloud consumption, so their emergence is in turn leading us to tremendous business opportunities.”
The cloud market competition in Taiwan is fierce with many ambitious tech giants eyeing the market. But unlike other regions, Tencent Cloud doesn’t have a data center in Taiwan. Fanny recalled it was indeed a bumpy ride when Tencent Cloud first entered the market. “We faced a lot of obstacles at the beginning. The doubts about our determination to enter the Taiwan cloud market, the lack of support from large system integrators, you name it.”
“To succeed, the very first strategic move was to find the most representative channel provider in Taiwan to build the foundation of our cloud business. We quickly identified a key channel provider and kicked into high gear to approach them. After spending a whole year with an omnichannel strategy, introducing products, leveraging personal networks, and participating in numerous cloud summits and events, we eventually persuaded this provider to become our first channel partner in Taiwan. Not only did it bring us tens of millions of annual revenue in the following year, but our collaboration with this significant channel partner also encouraged an increasing number of local resellers and services providers to join our forces.”
Start with what is right
Without the first-mover advantage, it’s often challenging to stand out in a competitive market. However, Fanny reckons if we need to fight with our competitors in every single aspect, we are just losing our advantages in terms of time and business opportunities. “I believe in what Peter Drucker said, ‘start with what is right rather than what is acceptable’. To me, the more complex the environment is, the more important it is to keep a pure and clear mind. Understanding our core competency is in fact the right thing to start with and thus the right way to accomplish our business goals.”
Fanny believes the core competency which sets Tencent Cloud apart from the other industry players is that the company has a strong understanding of “C-end users”—the consumers, their behaviors, and demands, especially in the entertainment and pan-internet industries. She also mentioned the company’s gaming and streaming solutions are well recognized by customers. “Albeit a latecomer in the market, I am optimistic that Tencent Cloud can continue to explore more growth opportunities as we have distinct core positioning.”
Reflection and challenges under the pandemic
Over the past two years, the pandemic has had a significant impact on the way we live, work, and interact. When asked about the advice she would give to customers and partners for navigating business challenges during these trying times, Fanny expressed that “Because of the pandemic, we are becoming more reliant on the internet. People and nations seem to be far apart from each other but can be connected to each other through the internet. We are compelled to identify big customers in small areas, to learn how to sell remotely, and stimulate customer demand. But this is a good opportunity for us to evaluate and reflect on our shortcomings.”
10 years ago vs today
Having worked at Tencent for a decade, Fanny has witnessed a lot of positive changes in the company along the way. “In particular, the management of overseas employees has become more systematic while the company is placing greater emphasis on staff training compared to 10 years ago. The company has invested more and more resources in overseas markets, which is a blessing to overseas employees.”
Looking back at the past 10 years full of amazing challenges and excitement, Fanny is pleased that she has always had a helpful team to back her up. “I’ve always believed that the success of any organization lies in the team rather than the individual, so how to strike a balance between teamwork and healthy competition is important for all our team members. Team, be enthusiastic and curious. Never forget why you started, and your mission can be accomplished.”