China Tech Talk

Matt and John try to understand the recent (and not so recent) moves by China's internet giants into offline retail.

Matt and John talk with Charlie Moseley, an American games developer based in Chengdu. We start the conversation about PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds and then go into the future of Steam as well as PUBG's prospects in 2018. [This was recorded on 01 Feb 2018]

Matt and John talk with Edith Yeung, managing partner at 500 Startups about blockchain, AI, and how China's startups fit into global trends. Edith Yeung on WeChat: edithyeung

Matt and John welcome Elijah Whaley, CMO of PARKLU, onto the show again. We catch up with what's he's been working on lately and then discuss some new heavy-handed rent-seeking from Weibo.

Matt and John talk with Manya Koetse, found and editor-in-chief of What's on Weibo, about how the role of Weibo in Chinese society and its continuing relevance in public discourse.

Matt and John talk about recent developments in WeChat, including new insights from WeChat Open Class, the role of mini programs and games, and "WeChat as a Platform" (WaaP).

Matt and John talk with Naomi Wu, a well-known online personality known for her hardware and making projects. Thanks a bunch to @Broadcastorm for the suggestion and making the intro!

Matt and John talk with Zennon Kapron, founder of Kapron Asia, about fintech in China, P2P lending, fintech IPOs, and money in China

This week, Matt and John discuss the top 5 trends (plus some honorable mentions) in China's tech for 2017 and make some predictions going into 2018. This is the second of two parts.

This week, Matt and John discuss the top 5 trends (plus some honorable mentions) in China's tech for 2017. This is the first of two parts.

This week, we hear from BingoBox and Xiaomi about their products, market strategy, and the future of their verticals

This week, Matt and John talk about what Tencent's $2 bln investment in Snap means for both companies (John also goes down a rabbit hole about Chinese consumer psychology).

This week, Matt and John speak with Dominic Penaloza, CIO of naked Hub, about co-working in China as well as what naked Hub is doing to reinvent commercial real estate.

After a lackluster response from China for the iPhone 7, and consecutive quarterly declines in market share, many have wondered if we are watching the beginning of the end for Apple in China. This week, Matt and John revisit their discussion about Apple in China to look at how the country's consumers have responded to the iPhone X.

Some call Uber's China foray a failure but looking at the DNA of the company, its values of radical ownership and operational focus have reshaped entrepreneurship in China. This week, Matt and John talk about the lasting impact Uber has had on the entrepreneurs and their startups since they exited Chin

This week John and Matt follow up with Florian Bohnert, Head of Global Partnerships about what Mobike has been up to since we last talked, including: How Mobike has expanded into global markets The challenges of globalizing from China Finding talent and educating users Differences in recreational vs commute use in different countries Whether Mobike will expand beyond bikes

The first reference episode for China Tech Talk delves into the broader conditions enabling China speed, including: Economic growth and habituated pace of change Generational differences in user habits Super apps Values that don't include net neutrality or the open web The phone as life's control center

John and Matt start with new group chat rules as well as VPNs and end up talking about deeper questions the economic implications of a truly tech-savvy Chinese government, specifically: Rules affecting group chats in WeChat, QQ, and Baidu Tieba The technical sophistication of China's internet control policy How China's policy towards the internet helped create BAT What a China with perfect information might look like

John and Matt talk with Ling Kong, CTO of Dianrong about: How peer-to-peer (P2P) lending got started What makes Dianrong different from their competitors (hint: there's a reason we're talking to the CTO) How the government sees the P2P lending industry Why and how China's credit habits are changing What a private blockchain application could look like

This week, John speaks with Patrick Dai, co-founder & chairman of Qtum foundation, about: What ICOs are Why companies want to do ICOs How many ICOs are fraudulent Why the Chinese government banned ICOs How long the ban will last How this will affect blockchain companies and applications

Matt and John start with Alipay's recent "smile to pay" demo and end with a discussion on why WeChat went into payments in the first place. Along the way, they talk about: Alipay and WeChat's money market funds WeChat's new money market fund feature The dangers and benefits of ubiquitous facial recognition -The role WeChat and Alipay are playing in reshaping retail banking in China -Whether Alipay can ever become a platform like WeChat

This week Matt and John talk with Dannie Li, an analyst at China Tech Insights about Jinri Toutiao, a Chinese content aggregator recently valued at $20 billion, including: Why Jinri Toutiao is so popular How it is so sticky Its business model and why its valuation is high Why advertisers love it so much Risks to the app and business model Conflicts between Toutiao and content producers Challenges as Toutiao expands inside and outside China

This week Matt and John talk with Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners about: The uniqueness of China's games market The size of the e-sports industry How gaming and e-sports are becoming more mainstream Tencent's position in the games market The role of Honour of Kings Future prospects for gaming and e-sports in China

This week Matt and John talk with Josh Gartner, veteran China hand and VP for International Corporate Affairs at JD.com, about: How JD stacks up against Amazon and Alibaba Early challenges and a crucial pivot towards in-house logistics Tencent as a major stakeholder The move towards a greater offline presence Drone deliveries to rural China

This week Matt and John talk with Neil Woodfine, former COO at Remitsy about: What bitcoin and blockchain are What Ethereum might be Why ICOs don't make sense How bitcoin is going to play a bigger part in decentralized transactions Why bitcoin is so big in China and should we be worried

This week Matt and John talk with Kaiser Kuo, veteran China hand and former International Communications director for Baidu about: What the early China internet was like How he joined Baidu How Chinese companies are like ice age tribes VPNs in China Future prospects for the company

This week Matt and John talk about Honor of Kings aka Strike of Kings aka Arena of Glory, Tencent's uber popular mobile multiplayer game, including: Background on mobile gaming and MOBA's Why it's become a cultural phenomenon Why Tencent is butting heads with the Communist Party newspaper Which Chinese celebrities are investing in e-sports Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3

This week John and Matthew talk with Bernard Leong, host of the Analyse Asia podcast, about Alibaba and Tencent's activity in Southeast Asia, including: Why banks aren’t competing with each other but with other tech companies Why Southeast Asia may be Amazon’s Waterloo Why WeChat and WhatsApp have been so slow Why Tencent and Alibaba may team up Links Analyse Asia Sean Konieczny: Jack Ma is set to disrupt e-commerce... again Emma Lee: These Ex-Baidu employees are connecting SEA merchants with mobile payment tools How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

This week John and Matt talk with Jon Russell, TechCrunch's man in Asia about covering China from the outside. We cover topics including: Biggest challenges in covering China from outside the country Explaining China to people who aren't familiar with the market Challenges for bike sharing outside China Chinese brands in Thailand How China's biggest companies are differentiating outside their home country Links Jon Russell on TechCrunch How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

This week John and Matt talk with Shlomo Freund and Michael Michelini, hosts of the China Business Cast, about bringing your app to China, including: Why games are difficult to bring to China How app markets monetize Why there is no paid app category in China's app stores How to tell if your app will be successful Links China Business Cast The top 10 Android app stores in China in 2017 App in China Startup Noodle Global from Asia How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew talk with Elijah Whaley, Chief Marketing Officer for ParkLU, about: Why big ad agencies are failing to keep up How content is being democratized Why Taobao is dominating live streaming How influencers are building the brands of the future Why it's better not to focus on viral content (hint: being a successful influencer isn't easy) Links John Artman: Rules for Weibo KOLs shed light on Alibaba-Tencent tensions Eva Yoo: Lessons from failed influencer campaigns in China Eva Yoo: 3 ways Chinaccelerator Batch 11 startups monetize with KOL marketing How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew talk with Lauren Hallanan, an internet celebrity in China about: Differences in live streaming platforms Gifting as a business model How to make a live stream interesting Agency practices (hint: it’s not always ethical) Transition from streamer to KOL Links Lauren Hallanan: China Live Emma Lee: Momo sees record revenue growth thanks to live streaming Charles Custer: Fei Cheng Wu Rao: China's Hottest Dating Show Tracey Xiang: Report: China's live streaming market grew 180% in 2016 How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew talk with Dannie Li, an analyst at China Tech Insights, about China's internet celebrities, including: Differences between wanghong (网红) and KOLs/influencers A brief history of the wanghong industry Why they've become so popular (hint: Taobao ain't that easy) Links Dannie Li: Fashion Influencers in China: a new force for retail Eva Yoo: 6 things you didn't know about Taobao live streaming Yue Wang: Superstar Influencers: China's Internet Celebrities At Heart Of Alibaba's Growth How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew talk about the future of Tencent and WeChat, including: What a WeChat hardware device might be Possible AR features and products The role of mini-programs in the WeChat ecosystem WeChat team learning how to make partnerships with big brands Links John Artman: WeChat feature shows Starbucks is no longer an international brand Tracey Xiang: WeChat introduces gold hongbao to promote new financial product Juro Osawa: WeChat Deal With Starbucks Points to Cultural Shift at Tencent (paywall) Sheila Yu: On "I love you" day, WeChat continues to dominate hongbao Matthew Brennan: Mobike White Paper Report Released How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew talk about Apple's challenges in China, including: A brief history of the iPhone in China A look at some strong competitors and their ability to appeal to Chinese customers Apple's non-existent services ecosystem Tensions between Apple and Tencent (hint: half of Apple's China app store revenue comes from Tencent's games) Links Emma Lee: One year on, Apple Pay finding little traction in the Middle Kingdom Kayla Matthews:Why Apple is coming under fire for its Chinese app offerings Matthew Brennan: WeChat is building an augment reality app store Steven Millward: It's looking really grim for Apple in China App Annie: Market Forecast 2016-2021 How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew talk with Steve Hoffman, Founder and Captain of Founders Space. Steve has tons of experience in the Valley and has been spending more and more time in China. We talk about a variety of things, including: How does Chinese government policy give Chinese startups an advantage? Why are business people so popular in China? How is innovation different in China compared to the Valley? Why is WeChat so much better than every other social network? Links Steve Hoffman: Making Elephants Fly: The Process of Radical Innovation Yuval Noah Harari: Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow Emma Lee: Tencent reports 58% profit surge on strong Q1 driven by WeChat and gaming Matthew Brennan: 2017 WeChat User Report Is Out! Eva Xiao: WeChat just launched a search engine. Baidu should worry. How to leave an iTunes review Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

This week we switch up the format a bit to do our very first interview! Continuing our discussion of bike sharing, we invited Florian Bohnert, Head of International Expansion at Mobike, to talk about Mobike, bike sharing, and their plans inside and outside China. Questions How did you come to China/start working at Mobike? How do you keep up with everything and stay sane at the same time? How does Mobike view its own brand? Why isn't Mobike a bike share company? How is Mobike like Tesla? How do you explain the early traction of Mobike and bike sharing? How many millions of bikes is Foxconn building for Mobike? Why do you think the sector has gotten so hot? What do investors expect? What are your expansion plans inside and outside China? How does Mobike see mini-programs? Strategic or just another entry point? Links Sheila Yu: Mobike announces "Magic Cube," an AI made from its mountains of user data Sheila Yu:Mobike bike-rental feature added to Wechat Wallet Emma Lee: Mobike joins ofo in Singapore with official launch Matthew Brennan: Mobike & Ofo: Bike Sharing Industry Report (Nov 2016) Matthew Brennan: China Bike Sharing Report: March 2017 Guest Florian Bohnert, LinkedIn Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew go deeper on bike sharing and respond to some listener feedback. Questions they answer: How many bikes are on the streets? How many users do Mobike and ofo have? How much are these two companies worth? How do they generate revenue? What are some potential monetization strategies? How do Mobike and ofo fit in with Tencent and Alibaba's broader strategy? How has the government responded? What will future regulation look like? Links TechNode's coverage of bike sharing Sheila Yu: Mobike announces "Magic Cube," an AI made from its mountains of user data John Artman: Mobike jumps on hongbao bandwagon with “Mobike, mo’ money” Matthew Brennan: Mobike & Ofo: Bike Sharing Industry Report (Nov 2016) Matthew Brennan: China Bike Sharing Report: March 2017 ReportLinker: China Bicycle Sharing Industry Report, 2017-2021 iResearch: 2017年中国共享单车行业研究报告 Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

John and Matthew talk about WeChat's mini-programs. Introduced earlier this year, the full potential of mini-programs were not apparent at launch, leading some to speculate that they would never be useful. Matt is pretty bullish while John has a wait-and-see attitude. Questions they answer: What are mini-programs? Are these mini-apps or mini-programs? How are they different from apps? How are they different from WeChat official accounts? What are the advantages to users of using mini-programs? What are the advantages to businesses of using mini-programs? What are the drawbacks of using mini-programs? How do users find mini-programs? Links TechNode: Panel: WeChat mini-apps have promise, but fail to deliver John Artman: Data from Cheetah Global Lab reinforces that WeChat IS the Chinese internet China Tech Insights: WeChat User & Business Ecosystem Report 2017 | Exclusive Matthew Brennan: Wechat Podcast Mini Programs Matthew Brennan: List of 100 WeChat Mini Programs Matthew Brennan: WeChat launches new style QR codes For Mini Programs Matthew Brennan: How To Use WeChat Mini Programs Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production.

John and Matthew talk about bike sharing. Since the middle of 2016, China's streets have explosions of yellow, orange, blue, and green as the bike sharing wars take off. Who are the big players? Why is it taking off in China? Will the Chinese government intervene like they have with ride-hailing? Links TechNode's coverage of bike sharing John Artman: Mobile payments, O2O, and the IoT economy Matthew Brennan: Mobike & Ofo: Bike Sharing Industry Report (Nov 2016) Matthew Brennan: China Bike Sharing Report: March 2017 Hosts John Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNode Matthew Brennan, @MattyBGoooner, ChinaChannel Podcast information iTunes RSS feed Music: "Theme from Penguins on Parade" by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3 China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production

China Tech Talk is a TechNode x ChinaChannel co-production This episode is all about introductions: who we are, what we do, and what this podcast is about. John Artman is Editor-in-Chief at TechNode English. Matthew Brennan is the founder of ChinaChannel.