Feng Dagang, CEO of 36Kr, delivered an opening speech: 36Kr officially launched the "Disruptor Program" at the 2025 AI Partner Conference.
On April 18th, the 2025 AI Partner Conference hosted by 36Kr grandly kicked off at the Shanghai Mosu Space. The theme of this conference is "The Arrival of Super Apps", focusing on the disruptive changes brought by AI applications to all industries. The conference is divided into two major chapters: "The Arrival of Super Apps" and "Who Will Be the Next Super App", covering seven major topics such as "Growing Up in the AI World" and "In 2025, Compete in AI by Focusing on Super Apps". It includes more than 10 keynote speeches, 3 round - table discussions, and two sessions for releasing the lists of excellent AI case companies. It deeply analyzes how AI technology reconstructs business logic and reshapes the industrial landscape, and explores the infinite possibilities brought by AI super apps.
At the beginning of the conference, Feng Dagang, the CEO of 36Kr, delivered an opening speech titled "The Disruptor Plan". He said: From the popularity of DeepSeek, we can see that the logic of mass communication has undergone profound changes. The world is no longer flat. The relationships between countries and the basic rules of business operations have all changed. Both the Chinese and American people have a great sense of insecurity. Under such a psychology, any factor that may cause "disruption" will be infinitely magnified. Undoubtedly, technology is the most controllable and the most worthy - pursued key variable among all factors. This drastic change and extraordinary attention are the best opportunities to build a brand.
Feng Dagang, CEO of 36Kr
The following is the content of the speech, edited by 36Kr:
Dear entrepreneurs, investors, and partners, hello! I'm Feng Dagang, the CEO of 36Kr.
During the Spring Festival this year, I observed an interesting phenomenon: In previous years, the topics during family reunions were always about the Spring Festival Gala, movies, or tourism. However, this year, "Chinese technology" became a frequently - mentioned term at the dinner table. What surprised me the most was that even my father started to actively discuss DeepSeek with me. I've been at 36Kr for almost ten years, and this is the first time my dad has discussed my daily work with me.
As a media person, I immediately realized that this was a huge change. This made me think of Fei Xiang. After singing "A Fire in Winter", even though he disappeared for many years, when he came back, he still enjoyed great reputation. This is "national - level communication". At least our generation will never forget this level of communication. Then, after the Spring Festival, at least dozens of giants and hundreds of listed companies announced their access to DeepSeek. Obviously, the national - level communication has brought great support to the business.
I've been observing technology and business for over 20 years. We all know that this is uncommon. Something must have changed. What is the deep - seated logic behind the popularity of DeepSeek?
Why has DeepSeek succeeded? 36Kr may be the earliest media to discover it. Before it became popular, we were the only media in the whole network to conduct in - depth exclusive interviews with its founder, Liang Wenfeng, and we did it twice. Looking back now, we've found some experiences that are particularly worth sharing:
Its communication context has three obvious characteristics:
The first is from technology to industries. Obviously, this is not just an internal topic in the technology circle. It has evolved from simple parameter leadership to a spark that has spread to various industries. This is not simply a "digitization" issue. Even industries such as agriculture, textiles, retail, and logistics have started to discuss and quickly implement AI solutions. This is not just "science popularization"; it is a large - scale popularization of AI awareness.
The second is from domestic to global. From a communication perspective, this is obviously a successful case of "exporting back to the domestic market". Without clear overseas competitors, without the high - level attention and enthusiastic discussion from the overseas business community, academia, and overseas media, and without the support of national pride, this popularity could not have become an international - level phenomenon and a national - fortune - level discussion.
The third is from niche to mass. From celebrities like Trump and Musk to talk - show stars, they have successively paid attention to and commented on it. The participation of these big V's who usually wouldn't be interested has finally triggered a boom, making this company and this topic completely break through the circle.
Behind the above logic, we can see the profound changes in the public's psychology. The world is no longer flat. The relationships between countries and the basic rules of business operations have all changed. Both the Chinese and American people have a great sense of insecurity. Under such a psychology, any factor that may cause "disruption" will be infinitely magnified. Undoubtedly, technology is the most controllable and the most worthy - pursued key variable among all factors. This drastic change and extraordinary attention are the best opportunities to build a brand.
The communication logic of Chinese enterprises has changed. In the past, Chinese companies have always lacked brand strategies. The methods of competing on parameters, catching up with international standards, and publishing articles in industry media are difficult to break through the circle. Using technology to break through industry standards and gain the right to speak is the foundation. Being able to be associated with the label of Chinese technology and resonate with the public is the key to breaking through the circle. The era of spending money on advertising to acquire customers in the domestic market and closely monitoring the CPA is over. Getting active reports from overseas media and discussions from international celebrities, and then feeding back to the domestic communication, which can arouse national pride, will bring unimaginable traffic.
From the communication context of DeepSeek, we found that a set of methods can be summarized. Companies like Unitree Robotics, Manus, Heiwukong, and even Huawei in its early days also follow this logic. Technology is their common label, and relatively speaking, it is the safest and easiest point of effort to become a global language.
Both the timing and the conditions are on our side: policy support, mature industries, and international attention. 2025 is definitely a crucial year for Chinese companies. Building a brand now is not only more effective with less effort; it costs less and the potential upper limit of what can be achieved is infinitely expanded.
"Made in China" was the previous label, and we've successfully promoted it for 40 years. Now, this label is very likely to and should be replaced by "Chinese technology". What does "Made in China" make people think of? It's about high - quality and low - price products, labor - intensive production, and over - capacity. What does "Chinese technology" make people think of? Today, we already have a good foundation. Chinese technology is no longer a follower but a collection of Chinese black technologies that may accidentally disrupt the world. It's mysterious and powerful. This is the moment to increase the added value of Chinese products and enhance the psychological positioning of Chinese brands.
Recently, I read a column by Paul Krugman. He said, "I saw the future of the world in China." He said that the reason why Chinese manufacturing is so powerful today is not only that it can produce things more cheaply, but also that it can produce things faster, better, and more intelligently, and is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into products.
By the way, recently, a large - model company asked me if they should still make their voices heard now that DeepSeek is so popular. My answer is, of course, they should! Now is exactly the right time. Currently, the international voice of Chinese AI is rising. This is the stage of "a hundred schools of thought contending" with the label of Chinese technology. If we don't build the concept of "two leading Chinese AI companies" or "multiple giants" today, when the giants are completely formed, it will be impossible to catch up even if we spend 100 times the marketing expenses!
The global perception of Chinese technology is rapidly upgrading. We believe that "industry disruptors" are emerging in large numbers. As a leading technology media, 36Kr understands technology companies and communication better. In 2025, 36Kr will launch the "Disruptor Plan". Together with our partners, we will find those enterprises with the potential to become disruptors, become the "fine - tuning partners" of the enterprises, and help them replicate the path of DeepSeek. We firmly believe that Chinese enterprises have accumulated excellent innovation foundations. We can help you connect with international, industrial, and academic resources, and boost the glory of Chinese technology.
If you want to become a disruptor or a partner serving disruptors, please scan the QR code.
We can't guarantee that every company will achieve the same great success as DeepSeek. However, I want you to know that the connections and resource reserves you're making today are correct and valuable. These will bring long - term and significant help to the company's business in the long - term competition.
Today, the case of DeepSeek not only shows us the changes brought by Chinese AI to the industry but also shows me the opportunities for technology media. Technology media finally have the opportunity to transform from vertical media to national media. Fourteen years ago, 36Kr started as a technology blog and was considered a toy for a small group of tech geeks. Today, we have gathered the most elite, motivated, and valuable people in the whole society. We have attracted the attention of the whole society. We should contribute more value to the world today.
36Kr will break through the boundaries of traditional technology media. With the mission of "popularizing technology to the public" and "boosting the innovation of Chinese enterprises", we will build a new - type service platform in the intelligent era. We will not only be the recorders of technological explosions but also the "connectors" between technology and public awareness and the "accelerators" of industrial transformation.
Next, I'll hand the stage over to the practitioners of these excellent cases. I look forward to the emergence of the next disruptor at our conference today. Thank you!