ByteDance, TikTok, and China’s Growing Influence in Global Tech with Matthew Brennan

Apps like WeChat are leading a wave of innovation in China and the world, quickly bringing China closer to the goal of becoming a technological superpower. In today’s episode, ARK Analyst, James Wang, interviews Matthew Brennan about the future of Chinese mobile technology and innovation. Matthew is a speaker and writer focusing specifically on mobile technology and innovation in China. In particular, he’s known for his analysis of social e-commerce and WeChat, China’s famous super app. He explains what a super app is – or isn’t – and how recommendation algorithms, video classification, and growth hacking have contributed to the rapid growth of companies like ByteDance. Find out how TikTok achieved international success, and hear Matthew weigh up the likelihood that short-video and live stream e-commerce will become popular in the near future in the US. Tune in today to find out more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Matthew explains the short-form video trend and the rise of ByteDance in China.
• The relationship between music.ly and ByteDance – TikTok is a clone of a clone of a clone.
• Why TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is different from others, and what Kuaishou is.
• How the TikTok recommendation algorithm works via the data and content flywheels.
• The advancement of video classification technology over the past few years and how it assists with enriching user profiles.
• Growth hacking and how it contributed to ByteDance’s success.
• Why ByteDance needed to move fast to take the window of opportunity for TikTok in 2018.
• When TikTok’s reputation took a turn and became the app of choice for teens and pre-teens.
• Matthew weighs in in TikTok’s biggest threat and whether its growth trajectory is sustainable.
• E-commerce and TikTok – the future of live stream and short video e-commerce.
• Instagram Reels versus TikTok and the 2018 scramble to copy TikTok when it blew up.
• Matthew shares some of the live stream e-commerce trends he has seen.
• The discounting mechanism and how it plays into the success of e-commerce marketplaces like Pinduoduo, TaoBao, and Alibaba.
• Matthew explains the super app phenomenon in China – it’s all about user acquisition costs.
• Why WeChat is a real super app and the key to food-delivery app Meituan’s success.
• Why it’s ByteDance’s game to lose right now and what their trajectory will be.


“I think the success of ByteDance has been very encouraging for Chinese companies to finally have a global breakout hit. On the other hand, the political backlash has been very discouraging.” — @mbrennanchina

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