Zhang Yiming (founder of ByteDance) posted about 2286 pieces of content on Sina Weibo in his early years (from 2009 to 2016), most of which recorded his personal reflections, entrepreneurial insights, management thoughts, and self-motivation.

Later, he deleted all his Weibo posts, but a complete PDF and a selected version (commonly known as 231 valuable summaries) are circulating online. Many people have derived his successful 'money-making code' from these contents—actually more about personal growth, entrepreneurial thinking, and long-termism wisdom, rather than short-term get-rich-quick techniques.

From these Weibo summaries, the key words that Zhang Yiming repeatedly emphasizes include: delayed gratification, self-control, rationality, reflection, innovation, learning, and diligence.

His 'money-making code' is essentially: seizing the opportunity of the times (such as mobile internet, information distribution) through extreme self-discipline and rational decision-making, continuously investing in high-challenge matters to ultimately achieve compound growth.

Core 'Money-Making Code' Extraction (based on selected Weibo quotes)

1️⃣ Delayed Gratification + Self-Control: Give up immediate enjoyment, pursue long-term value

  • The concept Zhang Yiming mentions most often: “Sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually.”

  • He repeatedly urges himself to sleep early, read more books, exercise, and think deeply, avoiding fragmented entertainment. Over 30% of Weibo content is self-reminders for self-discipline.

  • Inspiration: Making money is not about chasing trends, but adhering to high standards and challenging limits. Many people fail because they cannot resist immediate gratification (such as speculation and laziness).

2️⃣ Rationality and Reflection: Avoid emotional decisions, observe and think more

  • “Rationality is the primary productive force”“Reflect more to avoid self-reinforcement and hypnosis.”

  • In his early years, he read all of Ma Huateng's Weibo, learning the thinking of great figures; he emphasizes 'learning from the virtuous and reflecting on the unvirtuous.'

  • Money-Making Point: Rationally judge opportunities (such as recognizing the value of recommendation algorithms early), avoid arguing, avoid daydreaming, and focus on the main problems.

3️⃣ Diligence and High Standards: Miracles come from hard work, persistence in execution

  • “There is no free lunch”“For entrepreneurial companies to stand out, they must abandon ‘just okay’, ‘let’s do it this way for now’, and ‘80 points’.”

  • “We are what we repeatedly do.”

  • He emphasizes accumulating credibility through work, challenging states vs complacent states. Byte's 'App Factory' model stems from this extreme execution.

4️⃣ Innovation and Learning: Continuously expand boundaries

  • Example: Amazon started by selling books, later made money without selling books; team differences determine whether a company can continue to innovate.

  • “Various types of knowledge connect into lines, helping to understand the industry and management.”

  • Money-Making Point: Do not set boundaries (such as Byte's transition from Toutiao to Douyin), seize opportunities to improve information efficiency, and change the industry.

5️⃣ Entrepreneurial Mindset: Focus on big things, not just making money

  • “Entrepreneurship, some want to make quick money, some want to do something, I am the latter.”

  • “What supports me is not making money and enjoyment, but self-fulfillment, creating value, and meeting outstanding people.”

  • He has experienced multiple entrepreneurial failures but emphasizes patience and looking forward. The success of Toutiao stems from focusing on user pain points (such as information distribution efficiency).