"Take Yourself as a Method": Those Who Don't Take Over the Family Business

Last spring, my daughter told me that she was going to move to Chicago to live. I had very complex feelings: I didn't understand, I was reluctant to part with her, and I was worried about her. She worked at a startup company developing new drugs in downtown Seattle. The company was only a ten - minute walk from her rented apartment. Every weekend, she would come home, and we would climb mountains, visit parks together, or cook delicious meals at home. It was a happy and harmonious time. I asked her why she wanted to leave Seattle and what about her job. She said she had talked to her boss, and the boss allowed her to work remotely. She also said that she had grown up in Seattle since childhood and had never lived in other cities, so she really wanted to experience different lifestyles. I couldn't help but sigh: Our generation almost always settled down according to the location of our jobs; while the post - 2000 young people can independently choose their living places and work styles. Isn't this sense of subjectivity in controlling one's own life exactly what I've hoped she would have for years?

To be a person with free will, an independent thinker, a person who doesn't follow the crowd, and a person who isn't confined by the existing order is the theme of this issue of the magazine. In an era when technology is iterating rapidly, geopolitics is extremely unstable, the unknown outweighs the known, and everything is yet to be determined, getting to know oneself, seeing one's deep - seated interests and aesthetics clearly, and choosing one's own path and goals may instead become the greatest salvation. The people reported in this issue of the magazine - those who don't go to work, those who don't live in cities, those who don't take over the family business, those who play games but aren't played by games, those with punk spirit, and those who don't use AI - they don't simply go against the trend or follow the crowd. Instead, after careful consideration, they make active choices for a certain stage of their lives. Therefore, they don't hesitate, don't be entangled, and don't be sad. They regard themselves as a means to anchor themselves in the fluid society.

■ McKinsey data shows that the average lifespan of global family businesses is only 24 years. Only about 30% can be passed on to the second generation, and less than 13% can be passed on to the third generation. The curse of "wealth doesn't last for three generations" always looms over Chinese family businesses.

■ Beyond the traditional narrative of "sons inheriting their fathers' businesses", the new generation of second - generation entrepreneurs is exploring a "third way": not simply taking over or rejecting, but finding their own business between their fathers' resources and personal interests.

■ Wang Xifan integrated the resources in her father's investment ecosystem and founded Zhongmei Yixiang Technology; Shen Yuqing independently founded the public relations company ZAAN and the lifestyle brand Maison O. They continued their fathers' entrepreneurial spirit in new ways.

As early as more than a decade ago, a survey initiated by the Zhejiang Business Research Association showed that more than 45% of the second - generation entrepreneurs were reluctant to take over their fathers' businesses, and 30% of the fathers were also reluctant to let their second - generation take over. McKinsey's relevant research report reveals a more cruel reality: the average lifespan of global family businesses is only 24 years. Only about 30% can be passed on to the second generation, and less than 13% can be passed on to the third generation. The curse of "wealth doesn't last for three generations" seems to always loom over Chinese family businesses.

However, beyond the traditional narrative of "sons inheriting their fathers' businesses", some young second - generation entrepreneurs are exploring another possibility: not simply taking over or rejecting, but finding their own third way between inheritance and self - realization.

The Beginning of Rebellion

Wang Xifan's story didn't start according to the "taking over" script from the beginning.

"I'm a person who doesn't follow the beaten path very much." She described herself like this. After the college entrance examination, she was pre - admitted to a 985 university's psychology major. But after studying for more than a year, she made a decision that puzzled many people - to drop out of school and re - apply to study abroad. "I really don't approve of the traditional education methods in some universities." Wang Xifan said bluntly. What disappointed her even more was the teacher - student relationship. The emails she sent to the teachers usually got no reply, and she felt that she was still receiving cramming education.

Her parents didn't stop her from making the decision to drop out. This seemingly "laissez - faire" education method actually cultivated Wang Xifan's ability to think and make decisions independently. "I'll think about a decision for a long time, but once I've made up my mind, I'll implement it immediately."

Her study abroad experience in the United States made her rediscover the meaning of learning. She experienced a completely different education system: "You have to be responsible for yourself. It's very easy to change your major without any restrictions. The knowledge system is very complete, like a pyramid structure built module by module."

After graduating in 2021, Wang Xifan joined the Shanghai Environment and Energy Exchange and engaged in carbon trading work. It was a decent job and also a "iron rice bowl" in many people's eyes. But three years later, she chose to quit her job without a new one lined up. Then she joined a foreign - funded think - tank to work on the incubator project, wanting to see if there was still a business model in the climate field that could support herself. After a year, when this institution turned to things that were more about "hype than substance", she chose to leave again.

The two times of quitting her job without a new one lined up made Wang Xifan have a deeper understanding of the essence of business. "I want to do something practical." She said to her father, "Please throw me into the factory."

This request started the prelude to her entrepreneurship.

Wang Xifan's father, Wang Zhengdong, is the founder of Zhenghai Capital, a venture capital institution. The venture capital industry highly depends on personal ability, connections, and judgment. "Although he has passed on part of his ability to me, I definitely can't replace him, so I have to find my own way." However, "not taking over" doesn't mean completely breaking away from her father's resources and influence. Wang Xifan chose a more delicate path - integrating the resources in her father's investment ecosystem to create her own business.

She stayed at a factory invested by her father as an assistant to the director for two months. "People may just think that a rich second - generation is going to the factory to have a look." She said with a smile, "But they didn't expect that I went there and sorted out the entire factory structure."

She found that the management mode of the traditional factory was quite chaotic. "The group - style entrepreneurship is project - driven and doesn't have an overall plan." So she spent two weeks sorting out the responsibilities of all the departments in the factory. In this process, she established trust and also found business opportunities. The factory where she worked as an assistant is a leading enterprise in the domestic automotive - grade film industry, and another enterprise she contacted, Guanzhong Optics, has patents for anti - counterfeiting technology and micro - nano optical structures.

"I promoted the co - creation and established this integration project. We got preliminary results in three months." Wang Xifan said. This result is the foundation for the establishment of Zhongmei Yixiang Technology, a joint - venture company that integrates the technological advantages of the two shareholder companies and focuses on intelligent surface solutions. She is not only the founder but also one of the shareholders.

Wang Xifan has a clear positioning for her company: "I just want to do something to make things even better." Her business model is to add the ability of design, marketing, and channel integration on the basis of traditional manufacturing. This "asset - light" platform model is exactly the thinking mode of the new generation of entrepreneurs. What she brings to the shareholder companies is not only capital and orders but also a new business leverage point. "You have to think and negotiate from the other side's perspective," she said, "People in the manufacturing industry often only consider how much their cost is."

An Unconventional Father - Daughter Relationship

It's hard to describe the relationship between Wang Xifan and her father with the traditional concept of "a kind - hearted father and a filial daughter". "Every time my dad talks to me, he starts by saying: I'll give you half an hour now. Please talk." This almost cold and rational communication runs through every family communication occasion. "My mom wants to buy an insurance recently. My dad said, can we first list the points 1, 2, 3, 4 to analyze this product?"

"This is the state of our family. Everyone takes care of themselves and is busy with their own things." Wang Xifan said, "We are all very independent, but the values of the whole family are very consistent - to 'create social value'. In fact, for my father, the money is already enough, but he throws himself whole - heartedly into work all day long and hardly takes a vacation. Why does he have such a great passion for work? It's because of the pursuit of social value."

This answer is also the driving force for Wang Xifan's entrepreneurship. "I can gain a lot of sense of value in this process and also help others. Ultimately, my ideal is to help my two shareholder companies achieve their more ambitious goals."

After a year of entrepreneurship, she has adapted to the state of "flexible adaptation" she mentioned. "I used to like to make a plan before doing things, but during the process of entrepreneurship, the actual situation will definitely be different from what I expected." She said, "At this time, you need to have enough wisdom to accommodate it, accept it, don't be anxious, and don't force yourself into a dead end."

"Let the bullet fly for a while, and the situation will get better later." This is also what her father told her.

Supplier of Emotional Lifestyle

Shen Yuqing's career path is not linear.

Her professional background and initial career choices are all centered around brand and communication. From her early experience in contacting consumer brands and the lifestyle industry abroad, Shen Yuqing learned not only brand - marketing skills but also an understanding of "lifestyle". "Girls all have that kind of enjoyment and pursuit of beauty." She said. But more importantly, she saw how a brand can establish a unique position in the market through precise positioning and narrative. She also gradually realized that the value of a brand lies not only in the product itself but also in how it is expressed, understood, and connected with the current context.

After returning to China and entering the communication industry, she also experienced the changes in the industry environment. "The ineffectiveness at the communication level is not just a resource problem. It's that the way of expression and the judgment logic are no longer suitable for the current context." She summarized it like this.

In 2023, Shen Yuqing founded ZAAN (Shanghai Songji Culture Consulting Co., Ltd.) with two partners. This is not a traditional public - relations company. "We treat our clients' brands as our own brands." Shen Yuqing said, "You can imagine me as the outsourced brand department of the clients. We will provide a lot of suggestions for the clients at the strategic level."

ZAAN's most representative project recently is to facilitate the cross - border cooperation between the Italian notebook brand Moleskine and the Shanghai Mental Health Center (No. 600, Wanping South Road). It took the team nearly two years from the conception to the implementation of this project. At the end of 2025, once the co - branded products were launched, they were sold out in a flash and became a hot topic on social media.

When Curatorial Thinking Meets Traditional Energy

Shen Yuqing's father, Shen Qiang, is an entrepreneur who runs several enterprises and is mainly engaged in the traditional petroleum energy industry trade. "The very traditional industries like petroleum and petrochemicals," Shen Yuqing said with a smile, "I think it's very difficult for a girl who loves beauty to get involved in them." She used an image metaphor: "What they talk about when they get together is mostly energy - chemical content like glycerin and petroleum coke, which is a completely different world for me."

But "not taking over" doesn't mean the estrangement of the father - daughter relationship. "To be honest, at the beginning when I wanted to start a business, my dad said he supported me, but actually he had deep doubts in his heart." Shen Yuqing admitted, "But my parents are relatively open - minded. Even if they have concerns, they will unconditionally support me and let me do it boldly." Although the industrial fields and business models of the father and daughter are very different, she thinks that her father's thinking and experience in business and management have been subtly influencing her since childhood.

Compared with her father, her mother's influence on Shen Yuqing is more direct and profound. "To some extent, my life path is a continuation of my mother's unfulfilled dreams when she was young." Her mother was once a professional dancer, but then she returned to the family and never performed on stage again. "I think women are really not easy." Shen Yuqing said with a touch of melancholy in her tone, "Mom still sacrificed her own dreams." Her mother put all her expectations on her daughter. "She said that it was only after I went to college that she began to have her own life." This experience made Shen Yuqing deeply understand the difficulties that women face in career development: "For women to reach a certain height in the workplace and achieve the same career achievements as men, they have to make double the effort."

In addition to the public - relations work at ZAAN, Shen Yuqing also founded an emotional lifestyle brand - Maison O.

"This is an emotional lifestyle brand," she said, "I hope this brand can be established aesthetically and also carry delicate emotional care, making people willing to put it in their lives instead of putting it away. It can be naturally seen and easily talked about. In the current context, people are gradually becoming more open - minded about these topics." Another motivation for her to found Maison O is that "I hope every intimacy can be respected and have a more comfortable space in terms of expression and experience."

When 'Not Taking Over' Becomes a Creation

The stories of these two female entrepreneurs represent the new generation of second - generation entrepreneurs' re - definition of "inheritance".

Shen Yuqing has a clear understanding of the concept of "taking over". "I don't think this is a simple question of 'taking over or not'. It's more like a rational choice made by two generations under the premise of different era structures." She said.

"The previous generation of entrepreneurs grew up in a stage of rapid economic expansion. The industry path was relatively clear, and the core propositions were more about scale, efficiency, and stable business relationships; while today's young entrepreneurs are facing an environment with highly overloaded information, continuously differentiated demands, and non - linear growth. Personal judgment, segmented positioning, and long - term expression have become more important instead." She observed that in her circle, more second - generation entrepreneurs are in the process of transformation: "The influence my father has on me is not mainly reflected in specific business judgments but more in the shaping of my thinking mode. Since I was a child, my dad has encouraged me not to just follow a single answer but to learn to look at problems from a divergent perspective." At the same time, the suggestions given by her father often focus on rhythm and risk judgment. For example, not being eager to expand, not being led by short - term trends, and leaving room for uncertainty at any stage.

Shen Yuqing didn't choose to take over her father's energy - trading company, but she inherited her father's business thinking and risk - judgment ability; she learned dance when she was a child and didn't continue her mother's unfinished dance dream, but she inherited her mother's pursuit of beauty and deep understanding of the female situation.

In this sense, "not taking over" is not a negation of the father's business but a continuation of the same entrepreneurial spirit in a new way in the new era context - to discover problems, create value, and take responsibility. "In my career planning, I don't pursue the rapid expansion of the company's scale but pay more attention to whether the company can form a clear and sustainable judgment system - why we exist, what problems we can solve, and what kind of projects we should reject." Shen Yuqing said.

Young people are by no means lacking in courage.

"I still have dreams to achieve, and I think I'm so young. Why not give it a try?" Wang Xifan said, "After all, it's okay to fail." This attitude may be the most precious quality of the new generation of entrepreneurs - having the confidence to try and the courage to bear failure. And this confidence and courage exactly come from the support and trust of their fathers.

"He thinks his child can do anything." When Wang Xifan talked about her father, there was a faint warmth in her tone, "My dad's own business is also booming. We are both on the independent journey of entrepreneurship and shining in our own ways."

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