Mingdao started as an experimental project in 2008, with the initial goal of solving internal communication and collaboration problems. Later, after many project planning, launching, aborting, re-researching and re-developing, the team completed the first version of the product plan after the Spring Festival of 2011, and the project was formally named Mingdao.

The project name is derived from an ancient phrase: "Seize the momentum, Mingdao, superior technique". "Seize the momentum" symbolizes the strategic decision-making capability of a company, "superior technique" signifies the professional skills of the company and its employees. "Mingdao", positioned in the middle, bridges the gap between the two, transforming individual capabilities into organizational strengths through collaboration. It always revolves around strategic objectives, establishing goal-oriented approaches, ultimately cultivating the company's comprehensive competitive edge.

In the following three years, Mingdao went through one iteration after another and became an enterprise SaaS collaboration software based on the idea of Social Enterprise, which not only achieved the initial project goal, but also forged a unique business value. Plum decided to commercialize Mingdao to help more enterprises fundamentally solve their management and collaboration challenges and realize the value of open communication and flat collaboration.

After a full year of development and internal testing, on 7 January 2012, Mingdao was officially made available to the public.

As soon as Ming Dao was launched, it was highly respected by all kinds of enterprise users across the country, and the number of Ming Dao's registrations continued to soar, with more and more users paying for the premium version. China Telecom, PICC Property and Casualty Insurance, PetroChina, CCTV United Media, Peking University, CapitaLand, Rongwei Automobile, Easy Car, 7 Days Chain Hotel, Storm Video, Vipshop, Hantoo Clothing and other famous enterprises have become the paid users of Mingdao one after another.

A great story will always have unexpected turns, and Mingdao also went through some difficult moments when it was growing.

From 2015, the collaboration SaaS market began to change radically. Internet giant products such as Nail, Enterprise WeChat and Lark started to rebuild the market order with a completely free business model. Mingdao failed to be spared from this huge impact.

Since 2016, Mingdao Cloud has faced significant challenges in customer acquisition and retention. by the end of 2017, Mingdao failed to find a way to effectively differentiate itself in its original market. Nonetheless, instead of ending the story, Mingdao explored a turnaround through a substantial product transformation. The transformation process did not go smoothly, and the HR and vertical tracks that Mingdao tried were not successful.

Initially in 2018, the Mingdao team attempted to build a building block enterprise software that allowed users to build enterprise applications with zero-code. After more than a year of development, by May 2019, Mingdao launched Mingdao Cloud, a new zero-code application platform. The product launch was followed by repeated iterations to improve product maturity. in March 2020, Ming Dao Cloud launched a private deployment version based on container technology, enabling Ming Dao Cloud to enter backbone industries such as finance, energy, and government.

Once the product reached maturity, Mingdao started contemplating a sustainable business model: the application platform products required the establishment of a unique channel model, leveraging the expertise and technology of partners to transition Mingdao Cloud from a tool-based platform to a solution for vertical industries. In 2020, the Mingdao Cloud Partner Program was initiated.

We have successfully navigated a challenging transition from Mingdao to Mingdao Cloud. This process of rebirth has allowed us to deepen our understanding of the Chinese enterprise software market, enhance our operational capabilities, and foster resilience within our team. Mingdao Cloud identifies a new opportunity in the enterprise digital market - the use of zero-code methods to lower the cost, complexity, and communication obstacles of digital infrastructure development, promoting the integration of business and IT, and broadening the democratization of digital technologies. This aligns with the brand mission of Mingdao Cloud.

There is no end to the story of Ming Dao, opportunities and challenges come together every day. Designing and developing productivity tools for enterprises is the ambition and vision of the Mingdao team. Every single point of user's experience with the product is the driving force for Ming Dao to continue to move forward.

For the brand story of Mingdao Cloud, refer to "Ten Mingdao Cloud Iterations that Cross the Dead Line""Ten Mingdao Cloud Iterations Across the Death Line"