2025, when Xiaomi car SU7 series due to safety accidents and user trust crisis into the dark moment, Lei Jun was once again pushed into the wind and waves. This has led Xiaomi to create the miracle of the cell phone industry technology leader, is facing the most serious test in the entrepreneurial years: the market value of a single day evaporated 80 billion Hong Kong dollars, the owners of the collective rights, public opinion questioned the “heavy marketing light safety” ..

However, Lei Jun’s entrepreneurial history will find that he has never been defined by failure – from the death of the three-color company to the Waterloo of the Pangu software, from the regret of the excellent network to the collapse of the Mi chat, each crisis has become the fuel for his evolution.

As the calligraphy hanging in his office says, “Follow the trend”, Lei Jun is now using the survival wisdom of the Jinshan era and the experience of Xiaomi’s cell phone to calibrate the course in the storm of car-making: personally participating in battery safety tests, establishing a user representative committee, and promoting technical transparency… …This crisis may be the turning point of Xiaomi car from the “flow of new forces” into a “safety guardian”!

Today, we will talk about Lei Jun’s past failures, and see how he climbed up from the trough, and finally became successful.

I.The Lessons from the First Startup: Sunsir‌

In , young Lei Jun and a few friends started a company called “Sunsir.” They were full of passion and dreamed of creating something big. However, reality was often harsher than imagined. Due to the lack of experience and funding, they soon found themselves in a difficult situation. At the toughest times, they even relied on winning money from playing mahjong to make ends meet.

Lei Jun later recalled, “We were too naive back then. We only thought about starting a business but didn’t know how to do it. We were pretentious and thought that having technology was enough for success, but we hit a wall everywhere.” The failure of Sunsir taught Lei Jun his first lesson: Starting a business is not just about dreams and passion but also requires careful planning and sufficient preparation.

II. The Setback of Pangu Software‌

A few years later, Lei Jun joined Kingsoft Software and led a team to develop an office software called “Pangu.” They invested a lot of manpower and resources, hoping to achieve success in the market. However, the product sold poorly after its launch and far from met expectations. This failure puzzled Lei Jun: Why wasn’t a technologically advanced product in demand?

To find the answer, Lei Jun personally went to the biggest software store in Zhongguancun to sell products. Through conversations with customers, he finally understood the problem: The product didn’t meet users’ needs. Users wanted simple, easy-to-understand, and practical software, not something that looked fancy. This experience made Lei Jun deeply realize that making products must focus on users. Only by satisfying users’ needs can a product succeed.

III. The Regret of Joyo.com‌

In , Lei Jun saw the huge potential of e-commerce and founded Joyo.com. He led the team to quickly transfer traditional retail logic online and within just a couple of years, turned Joyo.com into one of China’s largest B2C e-commerce platforms. However, due to funding shortages and the impact of the bursting of the internet bubble, Joyo.com ultimately had to be sold to Amazon.

This failure deeply saddened Lei Jun. He realized that startups require not only intelligence and hard work but also seizing the opportunities of the times. With the right timing, half the battle is won; without it, no matter how hard one tries, it may be in vain. The failure of Joyo.com made Lei Jun understand the importance of “riding the wave” even more.

IV. The Loss of Mi Chat‌

In , Lei Jun saw the social opportunity in the mobile internet era and launched Mi Chat. Mi Chat performed well initially, with user numbers growing rapidly. However, with the rise of WeChat, Mi Chat gradually lost its market competitiveness. Despite Lei Jun’s attempts to save Mi Chat through new features and innovations, it ultimately failed.

The failure of Mi Chat made Lei Jun deeply realize that in the fiercely competitive market, only continuous innovation and adaptation to change can ensure survival. At the same time, he also became aware of the complexity and challenges of the social field. This experience made Lei Jun focus more on Xiaomi‘s mobile phone business and ultimately turned it into a globally renowned brand.

V. The Challenges and Responses in Xiaomi’s Mobile Phone Market‌

Throughout Xiaomi’s development, Lei Jun has encountered many challenges. Especially when Xiaomi was squeezed out of the top three domestic mobile phone brands, he felt immense pressure. To address market challenges, Lei Jun led the team to conduct in-depth reflections and formulated corresponding strategies.

They first optimized the organizational structure by establishing a dedicated planning department to coordinate various aspects of production, supply, and sales. At the same time, they strengthened quality management to ensure that every mobile phone met high standards. These measures quickly boosted Xiaomi’s mobile phone shipments and brought it back to the forefront of the market.

Conclusion: Lei Jun’s Success Philosophy‌

Lei Jun once said, “I’m not a god; I’m just an ordinary person.” His success was not accidental but rather the result of deep reflections on failures and a relentless spirit of progress. He is good at learning from mistakes and turning them into a driving force for advancement. At the same time, he also pays great attention to team building and corporate culture cultivation, making Xiaomi a team full of vitality and innovation.

Lei Jun’s story tells us that the entrepreneurial journey is full of challenges and failures, but as long as we maintain a positive mindset and a relentless spirit of progress, we can overcome difficulties and achieve success. Let’s look forward to Lei Jun and Xiaomi creating more glories in the future!