Kaifu Lee: Why Most Internet Companies Fail at Mobile

At first glance, it might seem that PC internet and mobile internet endeavors are similar enough that they’d be almost interchangable. Not so, says Kaifu Lee, who I’m pretty sure I don’t need to even bother writing an introductory blurb about at this point. This morning on his Sina Weibo account, Lee wrote that most internet companies fail at mobile. Why? He listed five reasons:

1. The mobile and internet industries are too different, requiring different “genes” from companies.
2. Most internet brands aren’t adding anything to the experience on mobile, and actually they’re making the experience worse.
3. Internet companies fail to treat users as the mission, instead inserting their service into the mobile world without regard for what users want.
4. Internet companies aren’t willing to embed the services of competitors when they’re beloved by users (i.e. Sina competitors refusing to add weibo integration)
5. They try to use Android to create their own iPhone-style high-profit closed ecosystem, which isn’t realistic.

Later, he also added that even Google has failed in some of its mobile endeavors, but that obviously mobile success is possible for internet players if they’re able to navigate the pitfalls listed above.

What do you think? How hard is it for internet companies to enter the mobile world? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

[image via Business Insider]