Click "Read the original" for details -01- Data expert, former Alibaba VP and head of the Data Committee, Che Pinjue, said: "Whether in large or small companies, almost all successful big data examples I've seen are 'top leader projects'. The more management understands the value of data, the higher the probability of successful implementation." The term "top leader project" has been overused, seemingly losing its impact. What should be a top leader project, and how should the top leader drive it? There's much to learn. Rumor has it that whatever Ma Yun personally oversees at Alibaba tends to lag. This shows that Ma, as the top leader, isn't adept at hands-on implementation. Thus, a top leader project doesn't necessarily mean the top leader personally gets involved or manages it. However, many major Alibaba initiatives, from early B2B to C2C, then B2C, and Alibaba Cloud, are super important. Without Ma's attention and support, success would be hard to achieve. The top leader is the strategist, not necessarily the doer. -02- A top leader project signifies great importance. But how important? I see it as the difference between a "prime minister's reform" and an "emperor's reform." If a "prime minister's reform" fails, you replace the prime minister; if an "emperor's reform" fails, it's a change of dynasty. A company shouldn't have too many top leader projects. If there are too many, it indicates problems in the organizational system. Let's clarify what a top leader project means. Is it because the position is important, or because the top leader's personal abilities are exceptional, making it only possible for them to succeed? Some companies do rely on the top leader's personal abilities for certain tasks, but such companies usually don't grow large. The common ailment of companies that stay small: the boss is "Sun Wukong," and employees are "imperial guards." The top leader is capable and knows everything; employees are loyal but can't share the burden. Such companies aren't worth discussing. In most cases, a top leader project refers to the importance of the position and the support it provides. Even if the top leader changes, the position remains important. So, where does this importance manifest? First, the top leader's focus. Where the top leader's mind is, there lies the importance of work. Saying you value something is fake if your mind isn't there. Second, resource allocation. Resources aren't just money and goods, but also people and work priorities. Where resources flow, there lies importance. Third, the top leader's role in breaking organizational barriers. Modern organizations are functional; once formed, functions solidify, and each organization becomes a defender of its current functions. When new functions emerge, traditional organizations "reject" them. Breaking through these barriers is hard for anyone but the top leader. Fourth, the top leader's control over the end goal. Many reforms, when encountering obstacles, conclude "this path is blocked" and revert to the status quo. The top leader's attitude might be to insist on "breaking through this path." A top leader project is first about attitude, then about methods. -03- Digitalization as a top leader project might differ from others. First, it's not easy to understand. If you don't understand, you can't support effectively. Understanding within your original expertise is relatively easy. But for most top leaders, understanding digitalization is like starting a new specialty. Marketing digitalization spans business and computer science—it's a comprehensive discipline. The professional threshold for marketing digitalization is high, and getting started isn't easy; it requires effort. The first task of a top leader project is to understand digitalization. If the top leader doesn't understand, it's useless even if subordinates do. In a large enterprise that does digitalization well, I heard: Who is the expert? Our boss is the real expert. Because they've listened to many experts and study implementation daily, they know more than typical experts. This is what sets digitalization apart from other top leader projects. Valuing something without understanding it is just lip service, not genuine. How to understand digitalization? Read books? You might not understand at first. Not understanding the first page is perfectly normal. Consult experts? You might find fake experts initially. There are few experts who can truly implement. Even real experts are mostly in 2C digitalization. BC integration is just starting; there are no real experts yet. Attend forums? Forums are just for enlightenment, to feel the atmosphere, still far from implementation. But you must do all these things. Do them enough, and you'll naturally understand. I've written many articles on digitalization recently, and many say they don't understand. But when I explain face-to-face with bosses, they basically all understand. Deep communication with experts should be a key method for top leaders to truly grasp digitalization. Read books, have deep discussions with experts, go on field trips—do all these, and you might gradually understand. -04- As long as there's attention, a department is established. This seems to be a common practice in Chinese enterprises. So, the company's "Digital Office" is born. From my understanding, the situation for most "Digital Offices" is: "Not connected to the top" (can't see leaders) and "not grounded" (no sales department cooperation). Let's consider: after digitalization is complete, what's the final structure of the marketing organization? The original sales and marketing departments will eventually become front office (sales transformation), middle office (joint transformation of sales and marketing), and back office (marketing transformation). But if you start with front, middle, and back offices, the digital transformation might not succeed, and the original marketing system might fall into chaos first. Starting with a department to drive digital transformation is correct. But only a "Digital Office" integrated into the marketing system can be implemented; otherwise, it can only "fan the flames" from the sidelines, becoming a passive driving organization. Digitalization isn't the digitalization of the "Digital Office," but of the entire marketing system. A "Digital Office," a "test field." Combining the "Digital Office" with specific marketing departments is the basic rhythm for driving transformation. How to pilot? First, test errors, then test what works. This is also the basic rhythm of transformation. Testing errors is to verify if the logic is correct. If not, test errors again. Testing what works is to verify if the model can be replicated on a large scale. You can test with products, regions, old products, new products, new markets, or old markets. Only by starting to test errors can you continuously iterate and optimize. -05- A top leader project doesn't necessarily mean the top leader personally manages it, let alone personally does it. The top leader understanding doesn't mean becoming an expert, nor is it necessary for them to go to the front line. For a top leader project like digital transformation, it's essential to have someone with decision-making power, resource control, the ability to drive, and the capacity to directly dialogue with decision-makers personally manage it, with the requirement of "no retreat except success." The most important resource allocation for a top leader project is to choose the "lead general," deciding who will lead, with no retreat. Where does the "lead general" come from? Only two paths: "internal cultivation, external parachuting." If no one internally, hire externally—that's parachuting. Whether parachuting is normal depends on whether the company is accustomed to it. Some are, some aren't. If not accustomed, there's rejection. In transformation and reform, besides factors like concepts and interests, there's another issue: organizational rejection. Rejection is the body's reaction to foreign substances. Generally, when organs fail, organ transplants are needed, which cause rejection reactions. Rejection exists not only in animal bodies but also in social organizations. There are two types of rejection during transformation: one is rejection of foreign personnel, like parachuted staff; the other is rejection of foreign mechanisms, like new systems or models. If there's double rejection, adaptation becomes harder. There's an adaptation period for rejection; once past, it enters the adaptation phase. I don't oppose parachuting, and when there's no one internally, it's a last resort. But you should be aware of the rejection reactions. -06- Driving transformation requires wisdom. Reason convinces the few; results convince the many. Achieve quick results as much as possible, avoid obstacles as much as possible, and minimize hard battles. This is the layout, opening, puzzle, and path of digitalization. Strategic goals are achieved through successful tactical accumulation, filled with wisdom. Layout means establishing the overall framework. Opening means the first step of implementation, the opening move. Puzzle means individual digital modules, finally pieced together into a complete framework. Path means the order and rhythm of implementing each module. Marketing digitalization has many modules. Some involve only a few departments or people, like digital R&D. These can be done first if suitable people are available. Digital communication involves relatively few departments and people. After the new media baptism, many marketing departments have transformed successfully. But there's still the issue of continuous transformation. For example, what was called new media communication was only external new media. Now, with BC integration, internal platforms are also media. So, how to build a content ecosystem and create user stickiness? This will soon be a major issue for marketing digitalization. Distribution digitalization is key to BC integration. It involves not only the sales department but also distributors, retailers, and even KOCs in some companies, making it complex. It also involves organizational restructuring, like front, middle, and back offices. In terms of transformation complexity, anything requiring many people's cooperation is harder. Pure technical implementation is relatively easier. In the two major modules of BC integration, one-code-one-item mainly achieves user online through technical means, which is relatively easier. Cloud stores are like creating new online channels, connecting three-dimensional spaces, making implementation harder. -07- Digitalization opening, the opening move, where to start. I have three criteria: 1. Start where difficulty is low; 2. Start where quick results are possible; 3. Start where dependence on people is low. Channel digitalization has three major modules: 2B SaaS systems, BC integration's one-code-one-item, and cloud stores. SaaS systems were adopted earliest but with poor results. Some companies persisted for 5 years and still gave up. Starting with pure 2B, there's no incremental source, but SaaS systems manage salespeople, naturally leading to "collective resistance." So, I don't advocate starting with 2B. Between one-code-one-item and cloud stores, which to start with? If there's existing stock, I suggest starting with one-code-one-item, using it to reach the C-end, then formulating sales policies for C-end to activate it. However, current one-code-one-item is just for distributing red packets and coupons, not fully utilized. If it's a new company, brand, or product, I suggest starting with cloud stores. Cloud stores are harder and take longer, but compared to SaaS, they're still easier. -08- The bigger the project, the more you need to control the rhythm. Controlling rhythm is an art. When someone talks about rhythm, I think they've gotten the hang of it. First round is enlightenment, second round is success. This is the pattern for reforms under major trends. The first round of reform is often driven by "trend pressure." What is social pressure? It's when, even without truly understanding, everyone says it's a "trend," so you have to push forward. It's not just one company; many do this. This process completes enlightenment. But soon, a trough follows. The demand stimulated by enlightenment has a huge bubble. The trough is mistaken by some as failure. Failure leads to giving up; a trough leads to persistence. The second round's success often comes from those who persist through the trough. Persistence through the trough showcases the top leader's foresight and will.