The choice between light and heavy: Vancl’s seven-year cycle

If life could only be like the first time we met, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan? I believe that when Vancl released its new shirts on August 28, Chen Nian must have felt a different feeling in his heart. If Vancl had stuck to its original strategy and not blindly expanded its product categories in 2010, perhaps today it would still be like the first time we met.

There is a seven-year itch in life, and Vancl also has a seven-year cycle. After experiencing the joy of success and the pain of expansion, Vancl returned to the starting point seven years after its establishment. In the choice between light and heavy, Vancl once again returned to light.

From a staff size of 13,000 to only 500-600 including customer service, and from 190,000 SKUs at its peak to 200-300 SKUs now, Vancl has not only relieved the pressure of costs, but also removed a huge mountain from its heart. After lying dormant for a year, Chen Nian, who appeared in front of the media again, has wiped off the haze and regained confidence.

In Liang Ge's eyes, Chen Nian, a fellow Shanxi native, is simple and even a little naive, with a slightly rebellious literary style in his bones. Vancl's initial style was just like Chen Nian, and this was also the fastest stage of Vancl's development, because Chen Nian and Vancl at that time were indeed the most suitable for the post-80s generation. The popularity of the "Vancl style" and the endorsements of Han Han and Wang Luodan made Vancl and the post-80s generation almost possessed by souls. Now it seems that this was both the peak of Vancl and the beginning of its decline.

The media once revealed that the reason why Vancl suspended its IPO in 2011 was because it listened to Soros and the capital market was not in the best condition at that time. I also heard another version. In addition to the capital market, Soros also listed another reason, that Vancl was not big enough at that time. If it could be bigger within a year, it would be more worthwhile for Vancl to IPO.

I don’t know what the background of Soros’ conversation with Chen Nian was at the time, and whether his statement about the size of the company was a hint of strategic expansion for Vancl. However, Vancl’s subsequent actions did confirm the statement of strategic expansion. From product categories to business lines, Vancl expanded to an astonishing level within one or two years. Unfortunately, the story did not develop as expected by Chen Nian and Soros. The overly heavy development strategy almost crushed the young Vancl, and Chen Nian had to retreat to think about Vancl’s next step.

From what I know about Chen Nian, he is a person who is almost obsessed with details. But with more than 100,000 SKUs, does Chen Nian have time to consider other things? Perhaps, from the bones, Chen Nian is not suitable for doing "heavy" things. In this regard, Chen Nian is a bit similar to Lei Jun. The difference is that after becoming an investor, Lei Jun learned not to pay attention to every detail and let go of certain things.

We have seen the results of Chen Nian's retreat, returning to the starting point and setting sail again. I agree with this. At least at this stage, this strategy is the most suitable for Chen Nian and Vancl. But what will happen in the future, if it develops to the point where it needs to make a choice between light and heavy?

Once, after Chen Nian resigned from Joyo, he spent some time at home writing a book, "Returning Home", which tells the story of his childhood and family affection. People thought he had learned to let go, but Chen Nian had not. This time, Vancl started again from the origin. After returning home, can Chen Nian let go?

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.