Comments on: China's king of online dating

China's not the perfect place to try an Internet company, but Marine Ma's dating business is making slow and steady progress.

[Jackson Cracker]

first met in late November of 2006?

I realize China is in a later time zone than the USA, but I didn't think it was that late.

[katamari]

Hahaha

Had me laughing. Good comment in jest.

Cliff, fix your article. Makes you look bad...

[Jon Skillings]

Typo fixed

Even on that side of the International Date Line, China's clocks don't run that far ahead. The year was actually 2005.

[Kushan]

Interesting interview.

Seems like a neat guy.

[ss_Whiplash]

No revenue???

"but we didn't generate any revenue, and the worst thing is that we didn't think generating revenue was necessary"

Way too many companies had this mindset a few years back and it absolutely floors me. How do you come to the conclusion that generating revenue is not necessary for running a business???

[jabbotts]

better products come from less revenue focus

well, that'd be my guess anyhow as I'm not business genious. Here's my thoughts though:

In the technology industry, the better technology rarely wins out over the better marketed technology.

A revenue focused business produces the cheapest "good enough" product that they can to maximize profit margin (revenue). All that revenue means great advertising and a loss for the better technology.

A innovation focused business produces the best possible product that they can for minimal profit margin because they're concern is moving technology forward not investor's bank accounts. But then, less revenue for marketing means the "good enough" technology and greed win over the better technology.

I can see how a couple of students would focus on the ideals of their first business and overlook the need for revenue. Unfortunately, in tech, you always have to compete against the usual greed gluttons who survive by keeping the better technology from threatening there slow and steady release schedual.

[Mark C. Brooks]

Beijing - iDate2006

I met Marine Ma at the Asian internet dating convention in Beijing earlier this year

Mark Brooks
editor, onlinepersonalswatch.com
media relations, internetdatingconvention.com