The Tech Strategy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Can Shopee / Garena Beat Lazada? Tencent vs. Alibaba In SE Asia. (29) May 11, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about Shopee (ecommerce) and Garena (online gaming) in SE Asia - and the complementary platform businesses Sea Limited is building.
You can listen here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.
The previous articles and books I cite are:

Platform Revolution (book)

This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5, with a focus on:

#20 The Basics of Garena / Shopee and Audience Builder Platforms

Concepts for this class:

Audience Builder Platforms
Complementary Platforms
Arms Race for Consumer Attention, Engagement and Spending

Companies for this class:

Shopee
Garena / Sea Limited
Lazada / Alibaba

———-
I write and speak about digital China and Asia’s latest tech trends.
I also run Jeff’s Asia Tech Class, a podcast and subscription newsletter on the strategies of China / Asia tech companies.
This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.
www.jefftowson.com

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How Big Will Ant Financial / Alipay Become? (28) May 06, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about Ant Financial / Alipay, AI factories and the basics of payment platforms.
You can listen here or at my website for this podcast.
The graphic discussed is shown here.
The previous articles I cite are:

This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5, with a focus on:

#19 The Basics of Ant Financial and Payment Platforms

Concepts for this class:

Advantages of Scale
Economies of Scale and Scope
Learning Advantages
Disadvantages of Scale: Bureaucracy, Specialization, Scope, Scale, Complexity, Connectivity
Payment Platforms
AI Factories / Zero-Human Operations

Companies for this class:

Ant Financial
Alibaba

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How Can Meituan Compete with Alibaba? And Prepare for Next Gen Services Marketplaces? (27) Apr 26, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about Meituan and the evolution toward more advanced types of services marketplaces.
You can listen here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.
What Should Meituan Do?:

Geographic expansion
Focus on transportation services (i.e., Didi)
Focus on hospitality services (i.e., Ctrip)
Jump into an ancillary opportunity: Financial Services or Cloud Services
Advance into more complicated services (i.e., market networks)

The previous podcast on the subject is:

Meituan vs. Ctrip vs. Alibaba: Who Will Win in China Services? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 22)

This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5, with a focus on:

#18 More on Meituan and Marketplace Platforms for Services

Concepts for this class:

Market Networks
Marketplaces for Products and Services

Companies for this class:

Meituan
Alibaba

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Is Baidu the New AT&T? The Basics of Physical vs. Virtual Networks. (26) Apr 19, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about networks vs. ecosystems. And how networks have evolved from physical to virtual / digital.
You can listen here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.
This is part of Learning Goals: Level 4-5, with a focus on:

#17 Basics of Baidu and Physical and Virtual Networks

A lot of the AT&T information comes from the book The Business of Platforms.
Concepts for this class:

Network Effects
Networks and Ecosystems
Complementary Products, Services and Platforms

Companies for this class:

Baidu
AT&T

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Alibaba to Lazada: The Stunning Future of Interconnected Asia (25) Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about Lazada, the SE Asia ecommerce champion. And about how it is a good example of how Asia is both at scale and becoming increasingly interconnected.
You can listen here or at iTunes, Google Podcasts and Himalaya.
Podcast on the future of digital is located here.

Why Digital Is Disrupting Business, Politics, Culture and Society (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 11)

The McKinsey Global Institute papers about the future of asia are here.
Note: The term emerging markets was coined by Antoine Van Agtmael, author of The Emerging Markets Century: How a New Breed of World-Class Companies Is Overtaking the World
Companies for this class:

Lazada

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Why Didi Needs Driver Switching Costs. Uber Too. (23) Mar 29, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about the basics of Didi and the importance of switching costs on the supplier side of the platform.
This is part of Learning Goals: Level 3, with a focus on:

#15 Basics of Didi and Switching Costs

Concepts for this class:

Switching Costs
Network Effects
Digital Platforms: Marketplaces for Services

Companies for this class:

Didi
Uber
Meituan
Ctrip

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Meituan vs. Ctrip vs. Alibaba: Who Will Win in China Services? (22) Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about the crazy collision of Ctrip, Meituan and Alibaba in services in China, particularly in hotels.
You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya.
How do Ctrip and Meituan compare in the following aspects?

Bundling of services
The Assets of a Marketplace Platform: Users, Activity and Data
Network Effect
Switching Costs

This is part of Learning Goals: Level 3, with a focus on:

#16 Basics of Ctrip, Meituan and Marketplace Platforms for Services

Concepts for this class:

Digital Platforms: Marketplaces for Products and Services
Bundling and Cross-Selling
Network Effects
Switching Costs

Companies for this class:

Ctrip
Meituan
Alibaba Fliggy

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What Is the Secret of Zoom’s Success in Video Communications? (21) Mar 15, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about why Zoom has been so successful in video communications.
Choose two options for why Zoom has been so successful.

Good Product. Reliable, easy-to-use, high quality video communications.
Viral service
Collaboration / Coordination Platform
Network Effect
Switching Costs

Correction/Clarification: Zoom has been blocked in China for the last couple of months. I know lots of people who are using it because of coronavirus but that is via VPN. So not the same thing. I'm not sure if I mentioned that or said it wrong in the podcast.

Learning Goal for this class:

#14 Virality vs. Word of Mouth
#15 Collaboration, Coordination, and Standardization Platforms

Concepts for this class:

Digital Platforms: Collaboration / Coordination / Standardization
Word of Mouth vs.Virality
Network Effects
Switching Costs

Companies for this class:

Zoom

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What Is the Secret of TikTok / Douyin’s Success? (20) Mar 08, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about why TikTok / Douyin took off so rapidly and powerfully.
Choose two options for why TikTok / Douyin has grown so fast?

Addictive Product. Short personalized videos focused on memes, comedy, and lip syncs are a psychological hack.
Easy to Use and Highly Shareable Content Types. Tap into CDCN.
Audience-Builder Digital Platform
Network Effect, including data network effect (also called learning effect)
First mover in new space
AI and Digitized Operating Model.

Learning Goal for this class:

#12 the Basics of TikTok and Audience-Builder Platforms

Concepts for this class:

Digital Platforms: Audience Builder
B2B Customer View: Shareability, Word of Mouth and Virality
China Digital Consumer Network
Network Effects
First Mover
AI and Digital Operations

Companies for this class:

ByteDance / TikTok / Douyin

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The Coronavirus Quarantine Economy Is Supercharging Taobao Live & the China Digital Consumer Network (19) Mar 01, 2020

Show notes

In this class, I talk about how live-streaming and KOLs (especially Taobao Live) are activating the China Digital Consumer Network (CDCN). And how the coronavirus quarantine economy is supercharging this.
Correction. I mistakenly said Scott Gottlieb was former CDC head. I meant FDA.
You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya.
Learning Goal for this class: