Melanie’s entrepreneurial story demonstrates how to transform a simple idea into industry-changing power through long-term thinking and systematic strategies. Here is the key logic and action path:

1. The Foundation of Long-term Thinking

  • B-column goal-driven action:
    Start with “user needs,” breaking down product design into executable “B-column goals” (e.g., “users want to quickly create posters”), avoiding blind pursuit of short-term trends.
  • Ten-year compounding mindset:
    Measure decisions on a “ten-year scale,” such as converting free users to paid users or expanding influence through an education version, rather than rushing for profit.
  • 2050 vision anchors choices:
    Center on the core value of “helping more people enter creation,” even amid technological changes (e.g., the AI wave), while persisting in the long-term goal of “lowering expression barriers,” rather than chasing fleeting trends.

2. Strategies for Overcoming Challenges

  • Turn rejections into milestones:
    Respond to investor skepticism with data + user stories (e.g., showcasing a screen recording of users achieving 80% efficiency improvement), rather than debating technical capabilities, transforming rejections into signals for product optimization.
  • Visual solutions for complex problems:
    Use “visualization tools” (e.g., user conversion path diagrams, growth curves) to make abstract issues tangible, reducing communication costs and enabling investors to quickly grasp product value.
  • Integrate philanthropy into the product:
    Convert philanthropic needs into product features (e.g., providing NGOs with one-click brand color migration, cross-timezone collaboration), rather than simply offering free access, ensuring philanthropic scenarios match the rigor of commercial functions to enrich the commercial ecosystem.

3. Balancing Business and Value

  • Gradual commercialization:
    From free high-resolution exports, enterprise collaboration features to free education versions, each step is based on real user needs, avoiding sacrificing experience for short-term gains.
  • AI-assisted rather than replacing:
    In the era of generative AI, uphold “shortening the creative path” rather than “skipping the creative process,” ensuring users can still express themselves through tools rather than being replaced by AI in thinking.
  • Ethical constraints as an imagination wall:
    Clearly define technical boundaries (e.g., data compliance, privacy protection, accessibility for vulnerable groups), confining innovation within a “reliable, sustainable” framework to avoid breaking user trust底线 for showy innovation.

4. Core Beliefs of Entrepreneurship

  • Belief-driven action:
    “You don’t need resources to start; you need belief.” Melanie’s entrepreneurship began with a passion for “enabling ordinary people to create,” not reliance on capital.
  • The logic of small idea implementation:
    From being rejected by 100+ investors to a $42 billion valuation, the key lies in patience, persistence, and systematic thinking to gradually realize the vision of “enabling ordinary people to turn ideas into works.”

Insights: How to Use Long-term Thinking to Change the World

  • Focus on real user needs, not chasing trends;
  • Turn challenges into data and action signals, not emotional drains;
  • Embed value into the product, not as an add-on;
  • Anchor choices with vision,坚守 core values amid technological evolution.

Melanie’s story proves that true innovation isn’t about breaking rules, but using patience and systematic thinking to make the world fairer and more open.

Translation

梅兰妮的创业故事展现了如何以长期主义思维和系统化策略将一个朴素想法转化为改变行业的力量。以下是关键逻辑与行动路径的提炼：

1. 长期主义的底层逻辑

  • B栏目标倒推行动：
    以“用户需求”为起点，将产品设计拆解为可执行的“B栏目标”（如“用户想快速制作海报”），避免盲目追逐短期热点。
  • 十年复利思维：
    用“十年尺度”衡量决策，如将免费用户转化为付费用户、通过教育版扩大影响力，而非急于盈利。
  • 2050年愿景锚定选择：
    以“帮助更多人进入创作”为核心价值，即使技术迭代（如AI浪潮），仍坚持“降低表达门槛”的长期目标，而非追逐昙花一现的潮流。

2. 应对挑战的策略

  • 拒绝转化为路标：
    面对投资人质疑，用数据+用户故事回应（如展示用户效率提升80%的录屏），而非争论技术能力，将拒绝转化为产品优化的信号。
  • 复杂问题的可视化解决方案：
    通过“可视化工具”（如用户转化路径图、增长曲线）让抽象问题具象化，减少沟通成本，同时让投资人快速理解产品价值。
  • 公益内建产品：
    将公益需求转化为产品功能（如为NGO提供一键品牌色迁移、跨时区协作），而非简单免费开放，确保公益场景的体验与商业功能同等严谨，从而反哺商业生态。

3. 商业与价值的平衡

  • 渐进式商业化：
    从免费导出高清、企业版协作功能到教育版免费，每一步均基于用户真实需求，避免牺牲体验换取短期收益。
  • AI辅助而非替代：
    在生成式AI浪潮中，坚持“缩短创作路径”而非“跳过创作过程”，确保用户仍能通过工具表达自我，而非被AI取代思考。
  • 伦理约束的想象力墙：
    明确技术边界（如数据合规、隐私保护、弱势群体可访问性），将创新限制在“可靠、可持续”的框架内，避免为炫技突破用户信任底线。

4. 创业的核心信念

  • 信念驱动行动：
    “你不需要资源去开始，你需要的是信念。” 梅兰妮的创业始于对“让普通人创作”的执着，而非对资本的依赖。
  • 小想法的落地逻辑：
    从被100多个投资人拒绝到估值420亿美元，关键在于用耐心、坚持和系统化思维，将“让普通人把想法变成作品”这一愿景一步步实现。

启示：如何用长期主义思维改变世界

  • 聚焦用户真实需求，而非追逐风口；
  • 将挑战转化为数据与行动的信号，而非情绪消耗；
  • 让价值内建到产品中，而非附加；
  • 以愿景锚定选择，在技术迭代中坚守核心价值。

梅兰妮的故事证明，真正的创新不是颠覆规则，而是用耐心和系统化思维，让世界变得更公平、更开放。

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LywX3T5Scc

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