Summary of the Key Points
This article reveals a phenomenon through three examples: Xie Na holding a concert, Zhang Zetian launching a podcast, and Lei Jun having a discussion with Liu Zhenyun. It shows that people who possess resources (traffic, connections, capital) can bypass professional barriers and enter fields that typically require talent and long-term dedication by leveraging these resources. This not only squeezes out new entrants but also distorts values, potentially leading to resource monopolies and a rigid ecosystem.
Detailed Analysis
1. The “Cross-Industry” Phenomenon of Resource Influencers
Xie Na holding a concert and Zhang Zetian launching a podcast are essentially examples of using resources to gain a prominent position without needing professional skills.
- Xie Na’s concert: Although she is not a professional singer, her years of accumulated traffic and connections (such as Li Xiaoran’s support, which generated media buzz) allowed her to launch a successful tour and sell out tickets. This was more about leveraging her influence rather than her singing ability.
- Zhang Zetian’s podcast: She interviewed Wang Qiang, a renowned scholar, not because she is a professional interviewer, but because she had access to such a valuable resource (Wang Qiang’s private study with 89,000 books), which gave her podcast a high-end reputation. In other words, while ordinary people might need ten years of hard work to enter these fields, resource influencers can quickly occupy positions that should belong to professionals.
2. The Power of “Resource Linking”
Influencers often collaborate with each other to amplify their impact, creating a closed circle.
- For example, Xie Na sought Li Xiaoran’s support, Zhang Zetian connected with Wang Qiang, and Lei Jun partnered with Liu Zhenyun. This collaboration is about combining resources to create a larger influence sphere that excludes newcomers. A new singer might struggle to hold a concert without the necessary connections or traffic, just as a new interviewer might find it impossible to get an interview with Wang Qiang.
- The author calls this “bypassing competition and crushing new entrants,” similar to how two large companies merging would eliminate smaller ones, leaving only a few dominant players in the market.
3. The “Contagiousness” of Resources
Resources can also influence people’s values. A typical example is Liu Zhenyun, who previously wrote about the hardships of ordinary people but changed his stance during the discussion with Lei Jun, suggesting that those who criticize big bosses lack the right to do so.
- This change occurs because people often adapt to their resource partners, abandoning their original positions to maintain good relationships. It’s like someone who supports the common people suddenly sides with the wealthy, forgetting their initial principles.
4. The Risks of Resource Monopolies
The author compares this to a dammed lake: in a healthy ecosystem, everyone competes based on talent and effort, creating diversity (professional singers and interviewers). However, if everyone focuses on resource linking, it leads to a monopoly, creating a stagnant environment where:
- Newcomers are excluded.
- Innovation is stifled (no one wants to spend years training; they prefer shortcuts).
- The resource circle becomes increasingly exclusive, alienating ordinary people.
- Any issues within the circle can affect the entire ecosystem.
5. The “Unfairness” Behind Market Behavior
Some argue that Xie Na’s concert tickets being sold out or Zhang Zetian using her connections are legitimate market activities. However, the author points out that these actions bypass fair competition:
- Traditional markets rely on fair competition, but resource influencers avoid it. For instance, Xie Na’s concert success depends on her traffic, not her singing skills; Zhang Zetian’s podcast quality is not compared to other interviewers’ professionalism.
- Such behavior undermines market rules, preventing those with real expertise from succeeding and turning resources into the only means of success.
Conclusion
The article emphasizes that while resources can be helpful, they cannot replace professional skills. Resource linking can lead to cooperation, but monopolies harm innovation and fairness. If resources become the ultimate tool, fields that rely on talent will be dominated by influencers, harming society as a whole.
(I’ve translated the text using clear language suitable for financial journalism, adapting expressions to fit the target audience.)