Top of the big era

The outbreak of the financial tsunami has had an effect on the global economy that affects the whole body.

Silicon Valley is no exception.

During this visit, Zhou Buqi felt that the atmosphere in Silicon Valley was not as leisurely as before. Although the pedestrians passing by are still very nice, no matter whether they recognize it or not, they will say hello when they pass by.

But many people's faces are full of worry.

For the past six months, Silicon Valley has been laying off workers!

Now that Lehman Brothers has gone bankrupt and the financial tsunami has broken out, there will inevitably be a greater wave of layoffs. Even, many emerging technology companies may go bankrupt due to a broken capital chain!

Silicon Valley is famous and famous all over the world, and has created a large number of super rich people on the Forbes rich list.

However, those are all successful people who broke out from Silicon Valley.

The vast majority of people fall on the road to entrepreneurship.

The technology industry is the industry with the highest elimination rate, especially R\u0026D-oriented enterprises, which cannot generate profits for many years and can only rely on emotional support. Some investors, like "angels", will continue to give money to help young people use technology to dream come true.

But now it's a financial crisis.

Investors have no money.

There will inevitably be a large number of small companies closing down and going bankrupt.

Even some large companies are facing the risk of breaking the capital chain. Yesterday, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy. Today, young entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley are active, and they are constantly looking for people through their relationships, wanting to raise money!

Including Facebook.

Facebook has raised funds several times this year, and even took $60 million from Li Jiacheng without hesitation. You know, Facebook last year was very reserved and arrogant. Capitalists waved banknotes to send money, and Zuckerberg didn't even look at it.

Giving money is useless, you have to give resources!

Only those funds that can greatly help Facebook in the company's business development can come to raise funds and get shares.

At that time, Microsoft successfully took over and valued Facebook at $15 billion.

Now Facebook, there is no shortage of money on the books, and the cash flow still has 180 million US dollars. But for a mature company, the more funds on the account, the better.

The financial tsunami has just erupted, and no one can tell what the future will look like!

What if there is a ten-year economic slump like the Great Depression? This amount of money certainly won't last that long. Getting the money quickly is the top priority.

In his previous life, Zuckerberg searched hard for half a year, but he couldn't find an investor for a long time, and he was dizzy with anxiety.

Later, I really had no choice but to go to DST Investment Company, which is a Russian investment company.

Not to mention, Zuckerberg took a big step back.

In 2007, Facebook's market valuation reached 15 billion US dollars. In 2009, many investors gave Facebook a valuation of 4 billion to 6 billion US dollars, which is very bullying.

It is not easy for the Russians to invest in American companies, and the treatment has been improved. Zuckerberg gritted his teeth and accepted the offer of 10 billion US dollars. He gave up 1.96% of the shares and received 200 million US dollars in financing.

This life is different.

Boss Zhou and classmate Xiao Zha hit it off.

This year is the heyday of the Olympic Games, the relationship between China and the United States is very harmonious, much better than the relationship between the United States and Russia, and there are not so many taboos.

When they came to the door, Shen Xiangyang also came from China.

After all, making money is a trivial matter, and technical communication is the most important thing. Boss Zhou is not very good at communication in the technical field.

As soon as we met, Zuckerberg said in broken Chinese: "Welcome, long time no see."

Zhou Buqi thought it would be easier to communicate with him in English.

Then it split into two waves.

Shen Xiangyang went to talk to people about technology project sharing, while Zhou Buqi was talking about financing.

Very smooth.

Ziweixing and Facebook have cooperated for many years.

Now, Ziwei Star still holds a 7.5% stake in Facebook, and often sends technical teams over to participate in the development of some projects.

Zhou Buqi said that he hoped to send a few college students from Tsinghua University's Department of Computer Science to come for internships every year. Zuckerberg agreed without hesitation. He was very happy!

Xiao Zha also said that Facebook now has more than 40 students from Stanford University coming to do part-time internships, and he will be very supportive and welcome.

In addition, the internship salary will also be given.

$20 per hour.

"good!"

Zhou Buqi clapped his hands and felt that Silicon Valley really values ​​talents, and the integration of "students, business officials" is really good.

The benchmark of Zhongguancun in China is Silicon Valley, but the "trinity" is very bad. Academia is academic, technology is technology, and market is market. It is policy that determines industry, not industry that determines policy.

However, Sun Guanran, who was next to him, was moved when he heard it. He leaned over and whispered in his ear, "No, $20 an hour is too much."

"Um?"

Zhou Buqi calculated quickly in his mind, and then, cold sweat broke out.

If you work 8 hours a day and earn $20 an hour, that's $160 a day, and if you work 20 days a month, it's $3,200.

Converted into domestic currency, that's more than 20,000 yuan!

Depend on!

Too much!

This is an intern.

Students from Stanford University come to intern, and the hourly salary of $20 is relatively normal. While they have to take care of their studies, they often participate in various activities in the school. It is not bad to spend an average of 3-4 hours working on Facebook every day.

It is quite normal to get an internship salary of 1,500 US dollars a month, not much more than college students working in laundromats and car washes.

But when Tsinghua students come to do internships, they must be full-time internships. With the hard-working character of the Chinese people, coupled with such a high hourly salary, let alone working 8 hours a day, working 12-15 hours is considered less, and they even voluntarily give up holidays.

At that time, a month's internship salary can earn 8,000 US dollars?

What a conspiracy!

How can you offer such a high salary to interns? Tech companies in Silicon Valley are doing everything they can to "plunder" talents. The salary for interns is not much different from that of regular employees.

In the first semester of senior year, Ziweixing helped to arrange some senior students from Tsinghua University to come to do internships. It was originally hoped that they would go abroad to see the world ahead of time, satisfy their curiosity, and stabilize their minds, so that they could go back to serve the motherland.

But with such high internship salaries offered by Silicon Valley companies, how can they return to China?

A monthly salary of 8,000 US dollars, let alone an internship salary, even if it is a formal salary, it is impossible for Ziwei Star to offer a fresh graduate.

Zhou Buqi was a little flustered, and quickly said: "The hourly salary of 20 dollars is too much, it is not suitable."

Zuckerberg wondered, "A lot?"

"Well, it's going to drop."

"Our salary system is designed like this. The hourly salary of $20 is the minimum. Whether it is Stanford, Caltech, or USC interns, they all receive $20 an hour. You can't just because you are a foreigner. , Is it necessary to lower the salary? Isn’t this discrimination?”

"Depend on!"

Zhou Buqi wanted to curse.

What the hell, righteousness and reason are all on their side.

Lao Mei wants to give more money, but as a Chinese, she doesn't want her compatriots to earn too much. It's really ashamed and embarrassing. How is this different from the ancient policy of "foolish people, weak people, tired people, and poor people"?

Zhou Buqi got up, went out and made a phone call, "Dean Zhang, hello, I'm Zhou Buqi... Well, it's such a thing, Ziweixing wants to cooperate with our college to help some college students come to Silicon Valley for high-tech Internship at the company...yes, I'm in the United States, and I'm meeting with Zuckerberg at Facebook..."

It took more than a minute for Zhou Buqi to briefly explain the process.

"An hourly salary of 20 dollars..." Dean Zhang was quite emotional.

Zhou Buqi asked for advice: "Dean Zhang, I remember that you are a visiting professor at Stanford, you should have experience?"

Dean Zhang said with a wry smile: "I'm a teacher, and I haven't worked in a company before, so I really don't know much about it. However, the hourly salary of 20 dollars is really enough. All the exchange students sent by the school go to the school. In addition to receiving some scholarships and living allowances, the income is not too much, only 5,000 US dollars per semester."

"In the enterprise, you can earn 5,000 US dollars a month." Zhou Buqi was very embarrassed, "If this is the case, the interns sent out may not come back."

Dean Zhang was silent for a long time, and said slowly: "I remember 20 years ago, when the reform and opening up was just started, our country urgently needed technology and sent many people to study abroad. Whether it is a school, a research center or a company , Whenever there is an opportunity, send someone out."

"How did you do it?"

"Confiscated."

"Huh?" Zhou Buqi was stunned for a moment, "What do you mean?"

Dean Zhang said: "The opportunity to work abroad is given by the state. This nature...you can understand it as a kind of business trip. The labor fees earned belong to the state, and then the state pays wages according to its own standards."

Having said that, Zhou Buqi immediately understood, "Like the waiter from North Korea?"

Dean Zhang said: "Yes, that's the model. They can come to work in our country, which is a great favor given to them by their country. Only girls from families with status and background can come here."

Zhou Buqi immediately denied it, and hastily refused, "This is not acceptable, the times have changed."

He is from the Northeast, and he often goes to Yanbian to watch football games. Many restaurants and hotels have waitresses from North Korea. All of them are clean and beautiful, and their eyes are clear, pure and sincere.

The salary given by the restaurant is about 3000-4000 yuan, but this money is not for them, it has to be handed over to the state. This money belongs to state revenue and becomes North Korea's foreign exchange reserves. In the future, North Korea will give them some North Korean coins according to their own country's salary standards. This is the real salary, which is converted into Huaxia coins, which is about 200-300 yuan.

Dean Zhang is obviously talking about this kind of model. This is already in 2008, and it must not be done in China. It is a good thing to help college students go abroad to see the world. If this is done, the good thing will turn into a bad thing, and the reputation of Ziweixing will be stink.