Reflections from 100+ Founder Interviews: The Biggest Threat Is Not the Economy — It’s Founders Abandoning Product Craft

Founders say product neglect, not downturns, is the real danger

It has been reported that Huxiu (虎嗅) conducted in‑depth, one‑on‑one conversations with more than 100 founders in the first half of 2025. The striking conclusion: the most dangerous trend in China’s startup scene today is not macroeconomic slowdown, US‑China strategic competition or widespread “lying flat” apathy — it is a growing number of founders who no longer take product development seriously. Short sightedness, the interviews suggest, is outpacing external shocks as the systemic risk.

The product-as-“1” metaphor and a distraction economy

Authors and founders interviewed warned that product is the “1”; everything else are zeros added behind it. If the 1 disappears, what are the zeros worth? Reportedly, many entrepreneurs have been swept up by the allure of “founder IP (创始人IP)”, chasing traffic, or looking for one‑off growth hacks promoted by consultants and Douyin (抖音) influencers, while outsourcing imagination and execution. Economic cycles and geopolitical friction — including sanctions and trade policy frictions between China and the West — remain relevant, but those are recoverable; a lost product ethos is harder to rebuild.

Two traits that separate survivors from stragglers

Interviewees consistently pointed to two qualities that sustain companies: obsessive focus on product and expansive business imagination. The opposite — scattered attention and delegating strategy to external gurus — leads to stagnation. Founders are also isolated actors. They crave truthful feedback, trustworthy peers, and long‑term organizational companionship to keep judgment honest.

A practical response: a community experiment

Responding to that need, the interview author says they launched Suixing Lighthouse (随行灯塔), with Huxiu (虎嗅) deeply involved in operations. It has been reported that the founder‑product community now counts over 70 members from firms whose sizes range from tens of millions to roughly a billion yuan, self‑identified as believers in “product builds the business.” For investors and overseas observers watching China’s tech ecosystem amid capital tightening and geopolitical headwinds, this introspective pivot — from headline‑seeking optics back to product craft — is a signal worth noting.