2010-08-30 14:43

Post-80s entrepreneur

Born to an ordinary family, Yao was not brought up like many other post-80s Chinese youngsters, who are often regarded as little princes and princesses as a result of the one-child policy.

"I have experienced millions of frustrations during my years with PPTV but I still insist that I owe my initial ambition to my parents' education which can be described as a combination of carrots and sticks," Yao said.

They encouraged the boy when he got bad grades in examinations but blamed him when he scored 98 or 99 points rather than full marks.

Yao remembered his parents seldom rewarded him for getting good grades. Once he won a gold medal in an "Olympic Mathematics Contest" in primary school. His father only took him to a bookshop and let him to buy his favorite book.

"It was a book about basic language in computing that I had read many times previously," Yao said. "I was extremely interested in such complicated matters. A section of the book is about the programming of my favorite computer game, Super Mario Bros.

"It was cool when other kids were playing computer games but I did my own programming. It was early working experience for my current industry.

"A good business leader must have a high emotional quotient and I'm lucky that I do. Many of my achievements over the past several years should be attributed to my honesty and simple mind which help me to win a reputation for reliability."

Many of the young employees at PPTV want to copy his success and become another Bill Yao.

Their boss has an open mind toward the job-hopping of his staff. "Some have asked my opinion, saying they want to start their own business," he said. "I suggest they stay longer if they are not ready but I will also let them go if I see they have the potential to be good entrepreneurs."

From Monday to Friday, Yao is not a typical member of the post-80s generation because he has to behave like a "big boss".

"But, I will have at least one day a week to be a pure post-80s," he said. "I will take the subway with my wife to watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster movies and never miss any discount season."

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As a senior online shopper, Yao enjoys searching for IT products at Taobao, China's largest e-commerce site, and also routinely buys clothes and food for his dog online.

He also downloads vouchers from Dianping.com, the largest website providing guidance to local services so he can get discounts when eating out with friends.

"I want to be like all Chinese young people who are major customers of PPTV," he said. "To serve them better, I need to be close to them."

Yao and his wife, both class monitors at university, got married in June and videos of their wedding ceremony are available on PPTV. "She never comes to my company and doesn't even know what PPTV is. At the same time I want to have a place purely for myself," he said.