Zhang Yaoyuan’s solo agri-business boomed briefly but faded fast due to depleted trust, while his ex-partner thrived on long-term rooted barriers, showing long-term value beats quick gains.
Within just three weeks of going solo, Zhang Yaoyuan’s reported revenue had already exceeded the total income he had earned during the previous seven months of partnership with his longtime partner, Quan Jinghua.
His
longtime partner, Quan Jinghua, has been deeply involved in the agriculture, rural areas, and farmers sector since 2020. Over the past three years, he has helped farmers sell more than 3 million jin of agricultural products. He has become thoroughly familiar with every stage of the supply chain—from connecting suppliers and verifying quality control to providing a safety net for after-sales service—and has pursued a steady, long-term development strategy.In 2024, the duo joined forces to enter the agriculture-focused live-streaming sector. In just eight live-streaming sessions, they achieved a total transaction volume of 18 million. Zhang Yaoyuan, who had previously been relatively unknown in the industry, also built a significant initial audience base through this collaboration.
As their collaboration progressed, the two found their business skills gradually complementing one another, but signs of competition within the same industry also began to emerge. After familiarizing himself with the entire supply chain’s operational logic, Zhang Yaoyuan immediately proposed striking out on his own, intending to pursue a path to faster monetization. His initial growth as an
independent entrepreneur was indeed rapid, and his revenue figures were quite impressive in a short period.However, by continuing to rely on the same product offerings and sales pitches used during their partnership—and without the trust endorsement and safety net provided by his former partner Quan Jinghua—his audience’s acceptance quickly began to decline. Essentially, his current revenue is still drawing down the reservoir of user trust accumulated during their previous collaboration.
In contrast, his former partner, Quan Jinghua, has remained firmly rooted in the core areas of the agricultural assistance business for many years. Relying on industry barriers built up over time—which are difficult for competitors to replicate—his development has remained steady and orderly.
As professionals who have been working in the agriculture, rural areas, and farmers sector for many years, we have firsthand experience with the various short-term windfalls and long-term value strategies within the industry.
Deeply cultivating long-term core competitive advantages is the surest path to establishing a lasting foothold in the industry.
