From soldiers to entrepreneurs

Navigating digital frontier

Dai Kun, 29, is the chairman at a multichannel network company.

After graduating from high school in 2012, Dai enlisted in the army in Guangzhou and served as a soldier. Five years later, he retired from the army and ventured into the Chinese liquor business with a friend at the end of 2017.

Unfortunately, this business endeavor ended in failure. "It not only cost me money, but also got me into debt," Dai said.

But Dai did not let this setback discourage him.

In April 2018, he relocated to Guangzhou and joined an internet company, where he was exposed to online live-streaming platforms like Douyin.

"I arrived at the company at 5 am and returned home at midnight every day, self-studying about the knowledge of the internet industry," he said.

Three months later, Dai left the company and embarked on his own journey as a live-streamer.

However, live-streaming was not as popular back in 2018 as it is today, and Dai had a limited number of viewers. "I lacked experience and often got stuck while chatting," he recalled.

He started exchanging WeChat with these initial followers and personally notified them before each live broadcast, building his own loyal audience base.

Dai's early accumulation of internet operation knowledge and his entrepreneurial vision allowed him to achieve significant success within a year, and he began recruiting and training live-streaming hosts.

"I provided them with one-on-one training, covering everything from selecting scenes and music for the live-streaming room to improving their communication skills, based on my own experience."

Toward the end of 2019, Dai identified another trend — live-streaming sales. "I was based in Guangzhou at the time, so I mainly promoted skincare and cosmetic items," he said.

Despite being unfamiliar with these products as a man, he dedicated considerable time to learning about them.

"My products are of high quality and are offered at significant discounts. My image as a veteran also helped me earn recognition and trust from my viewers."

Dai then embarked on travels to various cities in search of suitable sources for products. In June 2022, he encountered an elderly man cultivating navel oranges in Ganzhou, East China's Jiangxi province. The old man faced difficulty selling the oranges and sought Dai's assistance in promoting the oranges during his live broadcasts.

"He was almost the same age as my grandpa," Dai said.

Since he was raised by his grandparents in a rural area as his parents worked out of town when he was young, the old man's story resonated deeply with Dai.

So he formed a special team dedicated to helping sell agricultural products from rural regions across the country.

Continuously innovating his business model, Dai's team is currently exploring the application of AI technology to live-streaming and video editing. They are also collaborating with professional teams to plan the integration of cultural tourism and metaverse space.

Currently, 30 percent of Dai's team consists of veterans, and he plans to provide entrepreneurship training specifically for retired soldiers to facilitate their integration into society.

He has also established a livestreaming base in Mianyang, Southwest China's Sichuan province, to support people with disabilities and address their employment challenges.

"The nation has nurtured me, and now I want to give back more to society and the nation," he said.