Shen Lei: Three Powerful Stories on Reviewing and Learning—A Super Review Workshop for 23 CEOs at Xingdong Healthcare Innovation Camp

On October 23, the first session of the Xingdong Xiangyi Hui Venture Capital Camp Classroom was officially held in the Legend Star training room at Zhongguancun Startup Street.

"Business is like warfare. In this session, the instructor will share with CEOs how to seize the high ground on the 'battlefield'."

Over the course of the two-day program, Instructor Tang Jie guided participants through a simulation sandbox for internet startups, while Instructor Shen Lei, drawing on the sandbox exercise, shared insights into Lenovo’s approach to after-action reviews through three case stories.

Case 1: Where to Take Children for Fun? — Purpose and Goals

Due to his demanding work schedule, Shen Lei had little time to spend with his child at home. By chance, he found himself free for a weekend and was able to dedicate a day to accompanying his son. He discussed plans with his son for an outing the following day, and the child chose to visit the zoo with both his mother and father.

As planned, if the family of three left at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and spent an hour traveling, they would still find parking available at the zoo. Before heading out the next morning, Shen Lei asked his son whether he was still sure about going to the zoo. Unexpectedly, his son changed his mind and said he wanted to go to Xiangshan Park for a “hike up the mountain.”

The journey from Shen Lei’s home to the Fragrant Hills is even longer. Having left at eight o’clock, they found virtually no parking spaces available upon reaching the foot of the hills. Upon hearing his son suddenly change his mind, Shen Lei’s voice immediately rose in volume: “How can you just change your mind like that?” The child, feeling equally bewildered, instantly became upset. After all, Dad had agreed to change their plans before; why was it not acceptable today?

It was his wife’s remark that finally resolved Shen Lei’s worries: “What do you need to take the child out for?”

For Shen Lei, the goal is to spend time playing with his son and keeping him happy. Whether they go to Xiangshan Park or the zoo is merely a means to that end. If the child becomes unhappy before they even leave the house, the objective will not be achieved.

At times, we tend to fixate on short-term goals while overlooking the purpose behind our actions, forgetting what we originally sought to achieve.

Associative review is conducted in four steps: “reviewing objectives, evaluating results, analyzing causes, and summarizing lessons.” This story emphasizes that when reviewing objectives, one should recall the original purpose or expected outcomes.

Story 2: Why Did Uber Replace Momo’s Core Function? — Boundary Conditions

In the internet industry, some startups find that they are not disrupted by competitors within their own sector, but rather by unseen rivals. Take Momo, for example.

Uber is challenging Momo.

Initially, Momo’s competitors included WeChat and several vertical social networking products. Consequently, Momo primarily allocated its resources to acquiring online users, converting them into loyal users, and optimizing the product’s user experience flow.

Then one day, Uber emerged. When a witty and handsome man drove a nice car to accept Uber ride requests, the primary function of Momo was effectively replaced.

In the case of Momo and Uber, Uber was not initially included in the boundary conditions set by Momo, yet it turned out to be the factor with the greatest impact. Now that Uber has been added to Momo’s boundary conditions, its overall strategy must be adjusted accordingly.

This story illustrates that the market faced by startups is unknown. When confronting an unknown market, entrepreneurs make assumptions based on existing boundary conditions, set their goals according to these assumptions, and then test both the assumptions and goals during operations. One key function of a post-mortem review is to help entrepreneurs verify whether their assumptions are correct. Therefore, during the review process, it is essential to clearly recall the boundary conditions considered when initially setting goals, thereby assessing whether the current assumptions and goals remain valid. In traditional enterprises, boundary conditions include factors such as the competitive landscape and cash flow. In the internet industry, however, boundary conditions encompass additional elements beyond these, such as the impact from other industries on the project.

Case 3: Why Encourage Subordinates to Accept Interviews? — Building a Culture

In the early stages of Lenovo’s development, the company encouraged executives other than the top leadership and heads of secondary departments to grant more media interviews. Why was this approach adopted?

Lenovo firmly believes that true mastery lies in the ability to both articulate and execute.

On the one hand, it is a public relations requirement for the company when accepting media interviews.

On the other hand, before being interviewed, they carefully review in their minds how recent tasks were executed and what outcomes were intended. Each individual must deliberate on how to answer questions and respond to journalists’ inquiries. Some even leverage interviews to build their company’s brand.

In essence, this serves as a mechanism to encourage team members to conduct after-action reviews (AARs). As a result, middle managers periodically engage in brief self-reflections and even facilitate collective AARs with their teams. Coupled with incentives for employees who actively participate in these reviews, Lenovo has, over time, cultivated an organization-wide culture of AARs that permeates from top leadership down to every employee.

This story illustrates that to conduct effective after-action reviews and ensure their genuine implementation within an enterprise, leaders must first lead by example. They should guide core team members through the review process together, thereby establishing it as a standard operational method and an integral part of workflow processes.

Post-project reviews should not be limited to the completion of major projects or the end of the year. Teams should conduct timely reviews for minor tasks immediately after action is taken, formulate improvement plans, and ensure their implementation. For significant matters, phased reviews should be conducted during the execution of major projects to allow for timely adjustments to goals or strategies. Upon project completion, a comprehensive review should be carried out after major projects or strategic initiatives conclude, thoroughly summarizing lessons learned and identifying underlying patterns.

Furthermore, the purpose of a post-mortem review is to further enhance the capabilities of both individuals and the organization. Therefore, such reviews should focus on issues rather than individuals: “focusing on issues” means timely strategic alignment and course correction, as well as tackling specific tactical challenges, summarizing methodologies promptly, and continuously improving corporate management and operational standards; “not focusing on individuals” means avoiding retrospective blame or accountability targeting specific persons. During communication and dialogue, it is essential to adhere to the principles of “speaking frankly and speaking respectfully.”





Appendix:

The Story Above Earns Thunderous Applause Below! Next, we present reflections from select CEO participants of the XiangYiHui program after attending the course.

Lou Ji

CEO, Beijing Furen Shufan Software Technology Co., Ltd.

The sandbox simulation gave us entrepreneurs a genuine taste of the brutal competition in the mobile internet sector and the urgency of time management, while the review session deeply impressed upon me the importance of pragmatism.

Ji Chao

CEO of Dr. Dai Imaging Physician Group

Broaden your horizons and experience the impact and allure of internet thinking—the internet is more than just a tool!

Ni Meng

CEO, Yizhan Cloud Imaging Platform

AAR is a method for enhancing corporate execution.

Yang Haolin

CEO of Yijia Interconnect (Wuhan) Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Sand tables are a military term with which I was quite familiar, having learned how to construct and utilize them. However, on that day, Instructor Tang Jie used the sand table to guide us through four quarters of the internet industry, creating an experience that felt as though we had truly lived through the dramatic ups and downs of e-commerce, the dominance of capital, and the cyclical return to the core value of “customer first.”

Regarding after-action reviews, recall the sketch comedy “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” When we focus solely on the future, we inevitably overlook our original purpose for embarking on this journey. Teacher Shen Lei employs after-action review theory to help us identify effective methods. A good habit can influence your entire life, and conducting after-action reviews ensures the correctness of future actions.

Cao Pu

CEO of Muyang Yunchuan

It has thoroughly reshaped my original perspectives on customer acquisition and user retention in the internet sector. When operating internet-based medical businesses, one must critically discard the conventional experience derived from the traditional healthcare industry.

An Wei

CEO of Beijing Fukangjia Technology Co., Ltd.

Authentic and sexy, it keeps me reflecting on my entrepreneurial management amidst the excitement.

Pan Liuyang

CEO of Translational Medicine Network

The business simulation was designed over the course of one month by Instructor Tang Jie and nine other team members, drawing on insights from 30 companies. To deliver a high-quality three-hour review session, Instructor Shen Lei dedicated an entire day to attending the lectures alongside everyone else. This conscientious attitude is worthy of emulation, and this approach to work deserves commendation!

Shi Lei

Beibei Ke CEO

After-Action Review is a results-oriented methodology that not only helps enterprises enhance their learning capabilities and improve performance, but also effectively assists entrepreneurs in elevating their personal competencies and increasing the success rate of their ventures.

Huang Sen

CEO of Haoyunbang

The collision between mobile internet and medical thinking is evident everywhere. As an entrepreneur in the field of mobile health, to truly carve out a successful path, one must integrate these two mindsets and develop their own insights into mobile healthcare.

Huang Guanyu

CEO of Inber (Beijing) Information Consulting Co., Ltd.

The Xiangyihui Business Simulation integrates theory with practice, combining role-playing with job-specific experiential learning. It enables entrepreneurs to grasp scientific principles of entrepreneurship through activities such as market analysis, strategic planning, and financial management, while reflecting on past successes and failures to formulate future development strategies and directions tailored to their own enterprises. I found the review sessions particularly rewarding; the discussions and reflections on purposes and objectives will serve as a foundational framework for my future decision-making throughout my entrepreneurial journey. Although entrepreneurship is challenging, I remain steadfast in my original aspirations.

Li Mingzhu

CEO of Beijing Dabai Daojia Technology Co., Ltd.

The sandbox simulation of e-commerce operations provided an immersive experience, proving highly beneficial for strategic decision-making in business competition. While I have long practiced post-action reviews, I had never systematically distilled them into a standardized methodology. This course has been immensely rewarding.

Wang Dong

CEO of Jiujiu Orthopedics

Internet healthcare that abandons internet thinking is doomed; when your competitors burn cash to acquire users and generate data, you will be out of the game—too late to catch up—and inevitably fail!

Zhang Yi

CEO of 51shebao.com

It distills the core elements of corporate management through gamification, effectively helping many founders transition from business experts to management specialists.

Shi Bing

Diandian Doctor, CEO of Beijing Zhiyang Ruisi Pharmaceutical Information Consulting Co., Ltd.

Theory + Practice: Equipping Healthcare-Savvy Entrepreneurs with Internet Thinking!

Zhang Haimin

CEO, Beijing Xing'er Yuanjian Information Technology Co., Ltd.

In the simulation phase, we racked our brains to vie for victory; in the review phase, we gained valuable insights from a strategic perspective.

Huang Xiaomin

CEO of Innota Medical

For someone transitioning from the traditional healthcare sector to the internet healthcare industry, simulation exercises serve as an excellent opportunity to cultivate a mindset shift and adapt to new professional roles.

Zheng Shibin

CEO of Ruirui Medical

The market is always more responsible than you imagine.

Huang Wenjia

CEO of Hangzhou Wubao Technology

The integration of business simulations and after-action reviews is highly meaningful, particularly in the early stages of entrepreneurship where uncertainty abounds. After-action reviews provide valuable tools for analysis and learning. Furthermore, business simulations serve as an ingenious method for fostering camaraderie among peers.

Tong Weidong

Tang Yisheng, CEO of Hisdata (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.

The simulation exercise made me realize the ruthlessness of market competition. A management team must possess the ability to learn quickly, allocate funds efficiently, make rapid decisions, and seize market opportunities.

Du Han

CEO of Kangbai Medical

XiangYiHui meticulously distills the essence of enterprise management, offering valuable insights for strategic thinking.

Zhang Ce

CEO of Mingce (Beijing) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

Confronting the past authentically is the most critical cornerstone for future growth.

Deng Guiwei

CEO of MedSci

Deep Inspiration: Mobile healthcare is inherently an interdisciplinary fusion. Integrating mobile sandtable simulations helps us break through conventional thinking frameworks. Review and reflection involve executing simple tasks to perfection. While individual review is unremarkable, it is “formidable” when tens of thousands of people can conduct reviews with the same consistency as a single individual. Success lies in persistence.

Wang Wei

CEO of Beijing Infomed Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Here, we gained firsthand exposure to the capital-driven model of internet e-commerce. Through post-mortem analysis, we clearly identified the fundamental differences between the internet healthcare model and the e-commerce model, thereby confirming that our mindset is not suited for internet e-commerce operations.