Two days later, at the Metaverse Intelligent Control office.
"This is a compensation package I've drafted for Metaverse Intelligent Control, based on Jianing City's local salary standards. Take a look and see if there are any issues. If not, I'll start recruiting people with this package."
Meng Qiuyan handed a document to Lu An. Currently, there were only the two of them in the company.
Lu An, who was in the middle of software programming, put down his work, took the document, and began to read it.
The salary level for programmers in Jianing City is relatively low, with monthly salaries ranging from about 4,000 to 6,000 yuan.
Research and development engineers in some small tech companies in the city earn around 5,000 to 7,000 yuan per month.
Technical supervisors' monthly salaries are approximately 6,500 to 8,500 yuan.
Not just in Jianing City, but the overall salary standards for many tech companies in third-tier cities across the country are lower than the national average, yet higher than some traditional industries. Salary levels vary significantly across different positions, with unit managers earning the most and commercial and service personnel earning the least.
Meng Qiuyan said, "Salaries in Jianing City are considerably lower than in coastal metropolises. If we use labor outsourcing, we could further reduce personnel costs."
Lu An shook his head and said, "Metaverse Intelligent Control will not engage in labor outsourcing or dispatch, not now and not in the future. Although the company is in its nascent stage, as founders, we must have a clear understanding of the company's core values from the very beginning. This will largely determine the company's future potential."
Meng Qiuyan glanced at him, curiously asking, "What core values?"
After finishing the material, Lu An pondered for a moment before saying, "It means our business goals and the goals pursued by society must be highly aligned. When achieving success on the business path, we must not do anything that undermines social values. This is the key to becoming a long-lasting, century-old enterprise."
"The company we founded must have solving social problems as its core objective, or at least one of its objectives."
"For example, the Bionic Prosthetic Limbs products we are developing can solve the problems of inconvenience and inability to live independently for tens of millions of people with disabilities in society, while also achieving sustainable development through commercial operations."
"Such an enterprise has a dual goal orientation: first, the core purpose of the enterprise's existence is to solve social problems; second, it pursues profitability on this basis. This is also a major distinction from charitable organizations."
If Lu An only wanted Metaverse Intelligent Control to be a small to medium-sized enterprise, there would be no need for such grand narratives.
However, he clearly intends for Metaverse Intelligent Control to become a super-giant group with global influence, and in the future, to break out of Earth, building space cities, terraforming Venus's atmosphere, terraforming Mars, and a series of epic engineering projects worthy of being recorded in human history.
That would inevitably involve grand narratives and a broad vision.
Setting aside those grand goals of breaking out of Earth, even focusing on the present, in the land of Huaxia Shenzhou, large enterprises must bear great responsibilities to go further and last longer.
Lu An glanced at Meng Qiuyan and continued methodically, "Furthermore, internally, the company must be responsible to its employees, implementing social responsibility from within. Therefore, even our company's cleaners will be provided with 'five insurances and one housing fund,' and we will refuse to use any labor outsourcing or dispatch."
Meng Qiuyan nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.
After a moment, she looked at Lu An and smiled, "With such grand ambitions, I support you, but I still need to tell you that our company's current conditions cannot afford it. At your standard, the 5 million yuan we have will barely last half a year."
Lu An calmly said, "Half a year is enough. Before the company achieves profitability, we only need to recruit 30 people. We'll adjust the benefits, increasing them by about 15% above the industry median in Jianing City, and fully pay the 'five insurances and one housing fund'."
Meng Qiuyan asked, "Are you sure?"
Lu An nodded, "Given our company's current situation, without relatively high salaries to attract people, we won't even be able to recruit ordinary talent, let alone top talent. The labor cost for 30 people for half a year will be around two to three million yuan. I am confident that in half a year, the company will generate revenue and have a surplus."
Seeing that he had made up his mind, Meng Qiuyan said, "Alright then, I'll do as you say. As long as you have a plan."
...
As time went on, Metaverse Intelligent Control's development progressed steadily.
A week after the company was established, people started coming in for interviews, many of whom were attracted by the benefits offered by Metaverse Intelligent Control.
The company's benefits were 15% higher than the industry median in Jianing City, which was quite appealing to job seekers.
However, some people, seeing that Metaverse Intelligent Control was a newly established small workshop, and run by a young couple, felt it was even less reliable than a husband-and-wife store. They would glance at it, shake their heads, and leave.
On the tenth day of the company's establishment, Metaverse Intelligent Control welcomed five new employees. They were all young fresh graduates, but not from 'Double First-Class' universities, otherwise, they wouldn't have come to apply at Metaverse Intelligent Control.
The company's current requirements were not high: as long as they could recruit people who met the basic requirements and were willing to work overtime, it was fine.
During the initial startup phase, funds were limited, and large-scale recruitment was impossible, so a shortage of staff was inevitable, making overtime unavoidable.
Half a month later, 15 people had successively joined the company, bringing the total recruited to 20, completing two-thirds of the plan.
Recruitment would cease after about 10 more people were hired, until the company's first product was launched, sold, and generated revenue, at which point further expansion would occur.
...
On the twentieth day of the company's establishment.
At 10 AM, Lu An put down his work and called an all-hands meeting.
All employees, including Lu An and Meng Qiuyan, a total of 22 people, were present. The 20 recruited employees were mostly young people; 17 were fresh graduates, and all were under 30 years old.
"Today's meeting is the first all-hands meeting since the company's inception. I don't like long speeches, so in a word: the company is only six months away from bankruptcy."
Lu An looked around at the employees and said methodically:
"The company's cash on hand, after deducting other operating expenses, is only enough to pay everyone's salaries for six months."
"If we can't produce a product and generate revenue and surplus after six months, it means we will face a funding shortage, and we won't even be able to pay salaries then."
"So, everyone needs to be mentally prepared, but I also promise you that as long as we get through these six months, everyone's future will be bright, and you won't need to look for other jobs."
"Moreover, after six months, everyone's salary will increase by 50%, and as the company's founding team and veteran employees, you will all be eligible for stock options."
Lu An paced back and forth in the corridor of the open-plan office, saying confidently and calmly, "Without being humble, in terms of technical development, none of you are capable. Some of you might disagree, thinking, 'Can only you, Lu An, do it?'"
At this point, Lu An looked around at everyone and smiled, "I actually can."
He pressed a small remote control in his hand, and his private email interface was displayed on the office projector. Then he calmly said, "In the past period, I have received job offers from these companies. These enterprises are all major companies that job seekers dream of, including special recruitment from two top polytechnic universities."
What Lu An had just said did make everyone feel a bit unconvinced, and they thought he was too arrogant.
However, at this moment, seeing those top-tier companies vying to recruit him, and the senders indeed being official emails from those major companies, as well as special recruitment from Caltech and MIT.
Everyone was very surprised and greatly astonished, secretly exclaiming, 'Well, I'll be!'
Who exactly is this boss?
He could actually get special recruitment from two top universities, and so many major companies were scrambling to get him, with each offer better than the last.
The key was that he remained unmoved and chose to start his own business.
Now, those who were initially a bit unconvinced suddenly felt: 'You're truly impressive!'
At least none of the employees present had been courted by so many major companies. It seemed the boss must have some real talent.