Cheng Ren Zhi Mei (Helping Others Flourish): The Way and Practice of E-commerce People
Original title: The Way and Practice of E-commerce People (Dianshang ren de Daohang, 《电商人的道行》)
Preface: Who Am I?
Someone asked me, what do you do?
I said, I'm an e-commerce person.
He nodded and said, oh, a seller.
I didn't correct him. Because from the outside, it确实 looks like it—listing products, running ads, shipping orders, handling after-sales service, day after day, year after year. What's the difference from "a seller"?
But I know the difference is enormous.
I'm not a seller. I'm a matchmaker. I'm a matchmaker in this world, a connector between people and goods, a ferryman between need and fulfillment. Everything I do is promoting commodity circulation, improving quality of life, selecting brilliant stars, serving the broad masses.
This statement sounds grand. But if you've truly immersed yourself in this industry for a few years, you know it's not grand at all. It's simply naming what e-commerce people do every day with its truest name.
This essay aims to fish the three characters "e-commerce person" (dianshang ren, 电商人) out of the dust, polish them bright, and return them to those who are truly walking the Way.
Chapter One: The Meaning of Circulation—Why E-commerce Will Not Die
Let's first address a fundamental question: why do humans need circulation?
In ancient times, one tribe hunted game and had more than they could eat; another tribe gathered fruit and also had surplus. They began to exchange. You give me a piece of meat, I give you a basket of fruit. Each gets what they need, both are happy.
This is the origin of circulation.
Later, exchange became trade, trade became markets, markets became economies. But the core never changed—sending surplus things to those who need them.
This need will never disappear. Because as long as people are alive, there is surplus and scarcity; as long as there is surplus and scarcity, there is need for circulation.
E-commerce is merely a new form of circulation. It didn't create new demand; it只是 made circulation faster, broader, cheaper.
So e-commerce will not die. As long as humanity exists, circulation exists; as long as circulation exists, e-commerce exists.
This is the first layer of security for e-commerce people: the industry you're in addresses one of humanity's most fundamental needs—freedom from scarcity, attainment of satisfaction. This need can never be fully met. You will always have work, always have value.
But the前提 is that what you're truly doing is "circulation," not "speculation."
Speculators chase trends; when the trend passes, they die. Way-walkers serve needs; as long as needs exist, they live.
Which path do you choose?
Chapter Two: The Dimension of Quality of Life—What E-commerce People Are Really Selling
Many people think e-commerce people sell goods.
Wrong.
Goods are merely the载体. What e-commerce people sell is "a better life."
A person buys an air fryer; they're not buying a machine. They're buying the convenience of "eating fried chicken without turning on the stove," the peace of mind of "making healthy snacks for the kids," the fun of "experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen on weekends."
A person buys a parenting book; they're not buying a stack of paper. They're buying the alleviation of anxiety about "how to be a good parent," the "one hour of self-redemption after the child falls asleep late at night," the expectation of "hoping to do a little better."
A person buys a down jacket; they're not buying a piece of fabric and some insulation. They're buying the安全感 of "won't be cold this winter," the dignity of "not shivering when going out to meet people," the freedom of "can play recklessly in the snow."
Behind every order is one person's longing for a better life.
E-commerce people are the responders to these longings.
Every product you list should answer one question: whose life can this thing make a little better?
Not "much better," but "a little better." Even if just a little—saving five minutes, saving two yuan, saving one frown—that is still value.
Accumulate small gains, gather sand into a tower. You serve ten thousand users, each a little better, and the world is ten thousand points better.
This is the value of e-commerce people. You're not selling goods; you're making the world a little better.
Chapter Three: The Meaning of Selection—The Buyer's Conscience
But not everything can make life better.
The products on the market are vast as an ocean. Good and bad, true and false, beautiful and ugly, useful and useless, all mixed together, mud and sand flowing together.
Users don't have the time, energy, or ability to discern. They need someone trustworthy to look first, try first, filter first on their behalf.
That person is the e-commerce person.
You are the user's "buyer," the user's "gatekeeper," the user's "eyes."
Among thousands of products, you select those truly worthy. You're not "choosing products" (xuanpin, 选品), you're "curating" (zhenxuan, 甄选)—like panning for gold, screening out the grit, keeping the gold.
This requires discernment.
Not looking at "which has higher profit," but at "which is truly good." Not looking at "which sells faster," but at "which is worth selling." Not looking at "which has pretty packaging," but at "which has solid substance."
This requires conscience.
When you could sell counterfeit goods for quick money, you choose not to. When you could exaggerate advertising to boost sales, you choose not to. When you could harvest one round and run, you choose to stay, to do it slowly, to do it long-term.
This requires conviction.
What you select is not products, but users' trust. What you build is not a store, but users' reputation. What you manage is not a business, but users' expectations.
Some say doing e-commerce is just about making money. I don't deny it. But there are two paths to making money: one is quick money, killing the chicken to get the egg; the other is long money, raising the chicken to lay eggs.
Selection is the path of raising the chicken to lay eggs.
You guard the first gate for users, and users will trust you. Trust brings repeat purchases. Repeat purchases bring recommendations. Recommendations mean your business survives.
This is the second layer of security for e-commerce people: your value comes not from how much you sold, but from how much worry you saved users. Things that save worry will always have buyers.
Chapter Four: The Essence of Service—The Matchmaker's Way
After selecting, then what?
Then you must deliver it to those who need it.
This is not "shipping," this is "delivery"—you turn the user's expectation into reality. You turn the user's longing into possession. You turn the user's dream into something within reach.
This requires understanding users.
Not understanding their "profile"—age, gender, location, consumption level—but understanding their "heart." Why do they need this thing? In what场景 do they use it? What expression will they have when they receive it?
This requires understanding the product.
Not understanding its "specs"—dimensions, weight, material, craftsmanship—but understanding its "soul." Why was it created? What problem does it want to solve? What value does it want to convey?
This requires understanding connection.
Not understanding "traffic"—clicks, conversions, repeat purchases, retention—but understanding "destiny" (yuan, 缘). What kind of person should encounter what kind of product? What kind of product should belong to what kind of person?
What you're doing is "matching," "connecting," "bridging." You're the matchmaker drawing the red thread between people and goods.
So I say, e-commerce people are matchmakers.
The matchmaker's way is not forcibly pulling two people together. It's seeing that they本来 belong together, and gently giving a push.
The matchmaker's way is not seeking profit for oneself. It's seeing a good match about to form, and feeling joy in the heart.
The matchmaker's way is not claiming credit from heaven. It's knowing that the thread of destiny was already drawn, and one只是 helped them find the end of the thread.
This is the third layer of security for e-commerce people: you're not begging people to buy things, you're helping people find things. Helping others always gives you confidence.
Chapter Five: Talk About Love First, Then Conditions—The E-commerce Person's Art of Closing Deals
So how do you let users "find" the right thing?
The answer lies in the "way of selling" I discussed before.
Let me retell it in e-commerce language.
What does ordinary e-commerce operations talk about first?
Price—lowest on the internet, limited-time rush. Specs—latest chip, largest memory. Features—clear photos, long battery life. Promotions—discounts, abundant gifts.
They assume users buy because it's "cheap," because it has "high specs," because it has "many gifts."
They're wrong.
The most fundamental reason a user buys something is only one: they fell in love with it.
Not falling in love with its price, not falling in love with its specs, not falling in love with its gifts. Falling in love with it itself—its temperament, its character, its soul.
Think back to the most satisfying thing you ever bought. Why did you buy it? Was it because it was discounted? Because it had high specs? Because it came with lots of gifts?
No. It was because the moment you first saw it, you felt "this is it." You couldn't explain why, but you just knew—it belongs to you, and you belong to it.
That is love.
The e-commerce person's task is not making users "feel it's a good deal," but making users "fall in love."
How do you make users fall in love?
Don't talk about conditions first; talk about love first.
First let them see this product's soul—why was it created? What problem does it want to solve? What value does it want to convey? What story does it have?
Then, let them discover that this product not only has soul, but also has substance—how thoughtful its design is, how exquisite its craftsmanship is, how outstanding its experience is.
Finally, tell them the price—and a price far exceeding their expectations. They'll be pleasantly surprised, moved, feel they "scored a great deal." But this isn't because it's cheap; it's because they were already prepared to "pay for love," only to discover that love doesn't require such a high price.
This is "talk about love first, then conditions."
Have you seen those truly formidable e-commerce stores? They don't hawk, don't discount, don't pressure orders. They quietly stay there, doing products well, doing content well, doing service well. Users come, look, leave. Then come back. Then place an order.
Why? Because users fell in love.
Love doesn't need promotions.
This is the fourth layer of security for e-commerce people: you're not selling, you're attracting. What comes through attraction can't be driven away.
Chapter Six: Profession vs. Position—E-commerce Person, Are You Doing a Profession or a Position?
All the above was about the "Way" (dao, 道).
Now let's talk about "Practice" (xing, 行).
E-commerce person, what you do every day—is it a "profession" (zhiye, 职业) or a "position" (gangwei, 岗位)?
A position is what you currently do. A profession is what you'll do your whole life.
A position is a hermit crab's shell. As you grow, it becomes too small, and you must constantly change shells. Each shell change exposes you to danger.
A profession is the hermit crab's "crab nature" (xiexing, 蟹性)—the内在驱动力 that makes it constantly seek new shells. As long as it's a hermit crab, it always needs a shell. But shells can change; the crab nature remains.
If you're currently doing e-commerce just to complete KPIs—how many products to list, how much ad budget to spend, how much GMV to achieve—then you're only doing a position. Changing companies, changing platforms, your experience may depreciate.
If you're doing e-commerce to cultivate those "meta-skills" (yuan jineng, 元技能)—observing users, understanding products, creating connections, delivering value—then you're doing a profession. No matter how platforms change, how technology changes, how markets change, you have value.
Because meta-skills are transferable.
What are the meta-skills of e-commerce people?
First, observation. You can see trends in data, hear emotions in reviews, find gaps in competing products.
Second,归纳 (guina, induction). You can extract patterns, principles, methods from complex phenomena. You can turn one successful experience into a reusable process.
Third,演绎 (yanyi, deduction). You can derive new possibilities, new solutions, new directions from patterns.
Fourth, expression. You can use copy, images, video, every medium, to tell users about a product's soul.
Which of these four skills will become obsolete? Which will be completely replaced by AI?
None.
AI can generate copy, but AI doesn't know "why write it this way." AI can analyze data, but AI doesn't know "what is good." AI can optimize parameters, but AI doesn't know "what is beautiful."
These are precisely where e-commerce people are irreplaceable.
So if you're currently doing e-commerce just "executing"—following superiors' instructions to list, run ads, ship—you should be alarmed. Because execution work will sooner or later be automated, outsourced, or replaced by AI.
If while doing e-commerce, you're also deliberately practicing the four meta-skills of observation,归纳,演绎, and expression, then you're managing a profession. This profession can accompany you for a lifetime.
Chapter Seven: Walking the Way—From Knowing to Doing
Knowing all this, then what?
Then you must "walk."
The Way is transmitted through walking (dao yi xing chuan, 道以行传). It's not that knowing makes you accomplished; it's doing that makes you accomplished.
Many e-commerce people understand the principles. They know to select good products, know to serve users, know to practice long-termism. But once they start doing, they deform.
Why? Because "walking" is too hard.
Walking means choosing to refuse when facing temptation every day. A product with high profit but poor quality—do you select it? A tactic that boosts volume but hurts reputation—do you use it? An opportunity for quick money that won't last—do you grab it?
Walking means persevering when facing pressure every day. Traffic drops, you don't panic, you know it's normal fluctuation. Conversion decreases, you don't scramble, you know you need to optimize内在 capabilities. A bad review comes, you don't get angry, you know you need to solve the problem.
Walking means enduring when facing monotony every day. Selection, listing, optimization, review, day after day. No flowers, no applause, no overnight riches. Only endless trivialities and ever-elusive breakthroughs.
But正是 these "walks" distinguish you from those who merely "know."
Those who know are many; those who walk the Way are few.
Which are you?
Way-walkers don't焦虑. Because they know everything they do is not for immediate returns, but for long-term accumulation. Every product selection is laying the foundation for the store. Every piece of copy is building reputation for the brand. Every user served is paving the way for the future.
Way-walkers don't feel lost. Because they know their profession is not a job, but a calling. They're not "working for someone"; they're "walking the Way."
Way-walkers don't feel alone. Because they know they're not walking alone. Their fellow walkers are those e-commerce people同样 selecting good products and serving users. Their successors are those they've influenced, inspired, and trained.
This is the fifth layer of security for e-commerce people: you're not looking for a job, you're looking for the path of "walking." Once you find the path, just walk.
Chapter Eight: Passing the Torch—The E-commerce Person's Way, To Whom?
The Way is transmitted through walking. But walking needs someone to receive it.
You can't walk alone for a lifetime. You need to find those willing to walk with you—those interested in the same questions, willing to invest the same passion, willing to spend their lives practicing the same理念.
Lead them, teach them, trust them. Let them continue transmitting after you leave.
This is what "passing the torch" (xin huo xiang chuan, 薪火相传) truly means.
What is the e-commerce person's Way?
Promoting commodity circulation, improving quality of life, selecting brilliant stars, serving the broad masses.
This statement is not a slogan. It is a mission every e-commerce person can practice with their whole life.
When you mentor newcomers, you don't just teach them "how to run ads," "how to make images," "how to submit for promotions." You must teach them: why do we curate good products? Why do we serve users? Why do we practice long-termism?
You must make them understand: they're not learning a trade, they're inheriting an enterprise.
This enterprise is larger than you, larger than any single e-commerce person. It is something jointly operated by generations, dozens of generations. You are只是 one link in the chain. Your responsibility is to pass the fire on before you leave.
If you can make the fire burn brighter than when you arrived, then you've exceeded responsibility and made a contribution.
This is the ultimate security for e-commerce people: you're not fighting alone. Behind you are predecessors, beside you are fellow practitioners, ahead of you are successors. You belong to a larger living body.
Conclusion: The Way and Practice of E-commerce People
Returning to the original question: what is the way and practice of an e-commerce operations specialist?
Promoting commodity circulation—让 the economy come alive,让 resources flow,让 surplus go where there is scarcity.
Improving quality of life—让 days get better,让 troubles decrease,让 happiness increase.
Selecting brilliant stars—picking out the good things, keeping the bad things out, presenting the worthy things to users.
Serving the broad masses—让 every person who needs something can encounter the right thing;让 every right thing can reach the person who needs it.
But归根结底, it comes down to four characters: Cheng Ren Zhi Mei (成人之美, Helping Others Flourish).
When you help others flourish, you are walking the Way. When you walk the Way, you are practicing spiritual cultivation. When you practice spiritual cultivation, you are accomplishing yourself.
E-commerce person, you're not a seller.
You're a matchmaker. You're a ferryman. You're a transmitter of the world's goodness.
This path is worth walking for a lifetime.
May every e-commerce person find their own Way, walk their own path well, pass their own fire well.
The Way is long and arduous, but walking will get you there. Walk without ceasing, and the future can be expected. (dao zu qie chang, xing ze jiang zhi. xing er bu chuo, wei lai ke qi, 道阻且长，行则将至。行而不辍，未来可期。)
April 3, 2026
Copyright Notice: This is a preview translation — Chinese original is the authoritative version. Copyright belongs to Guangzhou Phaenarete AI Technology Co., Ltd. Unauthorized reproduction, citation, or distribution is prohibited.