Sorry, BlueRun Ventures Doesn't Want That Kind of Startup Camp | Buming 2024 Now Recruiting

Many friends have asked us: What is the Buming (Silent Spring) Entrepreneurship Camp?

Yes, despite three major content iterations, despite nearly all participants and BlueRun Ventures investors co-creating the experience from start to finish, we've never answered "what Buming is" — thanks to the BlueRun tradition of "don't talk until it's done, and maybe not even then."

Compared to "what it is," we're clearer on "what it isn't." What you choose not to do defines your shape more than what you do. So we're using this response to report back to every friend who supports and cares about Buming: What happened during Buming Cohort One's three months? What prompts did we feed into this generative entrepreneurship camp, and what did it generate?

If you finish reading and think: "This is exactly the entrepreneurship camp I want?!" — then this is also your invitation to 【Buming Entrepreneurship Camp 2024】. Welcome aboard!

DAO — Decentralized Autonomous Organization. The essence is that everyone matters, everyone is a contributor. So 60% of Buming's sessions are co-creation, workshop, learning space — but not classroom.

What is co-creation? Session formats, discussion topics, evaluation and incentives are proposed by all Buming participants and decided by democratic vote. Likewise, co-creation outputs are shared by all. In each co-creation session, BlueRun poses the most critical questions based on market insights to spark every participant.

In the "Zero to One Debate", Buming participants discuss unresolved either/or choices. Debate isn't the goal — we want to create a field of engagement for equally sharp minds, to examine oneself and gain others' perspectives.

In Buming Cohort One, two "Zero to One Debates" focused on the two most mainstream and practical topics: "AI" and "Commercialization." When doing AI, should you tackle the China market or overseas markets first? When does a company need a sales/marketing-background co-founder? If you want to debate too, welcome to Buming 2024.

In "Buming Non-Consensus" & "Startup Dark Secrets", Buming participants share candidly with each other what they "wouldn't tell outsiders." Why do CEOs always say entrepreneurship is lonely? Perhaps because they have too few people they can tell the truth to. Facing employees, investors, partners — most of the time it's good news only, bad news hidden. But CEOs understand CEOs. From the same position with the same information quality, Buming participants share non-consensus views, exchange pitfalls and detours. No muddying the waters — only true, candid friends.

Their "dark secrets" included but were not limited to: How to identify unreliable investors/FAs? How did I persuade shareholders and the board on troublesome matters? How to handle "old comrades" whose capabilities can't keep up...

Their straight talk included but was not limited to:

We were delighted to find that when 20 Buming participants co-create together, each person feels they've gained 20x in return:

Zero to One Workshop

BlueRun knows well that from "figuring it out" to "making it succeed" is still a long road. So Buming Entrepreneurship Camp designed the "Zero to One Workshop" session. Buming 2023's theme was AI, and the "Zero to One Workshop" posed one big question: How can AI products form a flywheel that earns money, earns data, and earns knowledge simultaneously?

Following this question, Buming participants formed teams and launched a simulated startup battle. After each session, whether with gains or confusion, participants would spontaneously initiate remote discussions. Some groups held two online brainstorming sessions beyond document collaboration. Entrepreneurship is so busy — why still so serious about "homework"? One participant said: "It's not a burden, I'm actually excited, because normally I don't get to exchange intelligence and discuss critical questions with so many outstanding founders."

In the final presentation, everyone not only shared intelligence but also shared platforms and sources for gathering intelligence. One participant proposed an innovative method of having AI evaluate AI products.

We also invited some heavyweight veterans to join Buming participants' co-creation: Larry Chen, founder, chairman and CEO of Gaotu Techedu; Chen Liang, former senior VP of Meituan; Chen Tianshi, chairman and CEO of Cambricon; Lei Ming, Baidu "Seven Musketeers" member and founder of Cornerstone Capital; Peng Shen, founder and CEO of Waterdrop; Yao Xin, co-founder of PPIO; Wang Yu, founder of Tantan; Kai Yu, founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics; Leo Zheng, founder and CEO of Lighthouse Capital; Xing Meng, COO of DiDi Autonomous Driving; Yang You, Presidential Young Professor at National University of Singapore and founder of Luchen Tech; and several veterans who chose not to disclose their names.

They either have hands-on practice and cognition in AI scenarios, or are battle-tested entrepreneurial veterans. From horizontal general methodologies to deep vertical track understanding, from early-stage startups to mid-to-late stage and even becoming large companies — we hope to provide comprehensive practical experience for every stage of the entrepreneurial journey.

Beyond external veteran guests, Buming participants' true friends include all BlueRun Ventures investors. In every co-creation session, BlueRun investors participate substantively as group members in workshops and battles.

Evaluating Buming at the closing event, many participants mentioned "real": real battle, real gains, real heart. Buming participants received our sincerity, and we thank all participants for their trust and authenticity.

Through deep co-creation with the 2023 cohort, we increasingly feel that a new generation of Buming participants is surging forth — no single theme can capture their full picture. So compared to last year, Buming Entrepreneurship Camp 2024 will change: we'll hold three entrepreneurship camp events with different themes — Globalization, Hard Tech, AI. Each will last two days, intensively gathering quality founders of the same theme for a brainstorming marathon. Though each single-theme event is shorter, we promise to make it worth your while.

After all this "what it isn't," what then is Buming?

Buming is the process of entrepreneurs breaking through soil. Entrepreneurship is like bamboo shoot growth — the R&D phase from 0 to 1 is the hardest, the most silent (bu-ming). Once it emerges, it enters the booming stage. For 20 years BlueRun has done only one thing: accompany early-stage tech entrepreneurs from 0 to 1. In today's environment, we must also iterate and explore together with you, finding the path to break through soil, from silent (Buming) to booming.

Buming is a "no" (bu). Entrepreneurs need the courage to say no to the old world, but don't fear loneliness — in your climb, BlueRun hopes to be your best companion.

Buming is BlueRun's answer. We use it to answer how BlueRun views entrepreneurship, what kind of entrepreneurs we choose to walk with, how we view the investor-founder relationship... and, is today still an era for entrepreneurship?

Many say the world is fracturing, an era has passed. Perhaps so. But we just want to ask — if you have the will and capability to change future technology and life, if you refuse to be defined, refuse to bow to existing pecking orders, if you won't be satisfied with one success but pursue极致地兑现理想...

If not entrepreneurship, then what?

The world is in巨变 — it is now, and when was it not? Humans have never been able to answer "what is" questions, but as long as we know "why" — hold to初心, keep walking without pause, look back and the forest has grown.

Since you're going to set out anyway — come, Buming Entrepreneurship Camp goes with you.

Buming Entrepreneurship Camp 2024 officially opens registration on June 19. Silent you, click the QR code below to register!

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