TikTok: Super App or Supernova? | Cold Call

31 May 2023

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TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, was launched in 2012 around the simple idea of helping users entertain themselves on their smartphones while on the Beijing Subway. By May 2020, TikTok operated in 155 countries and, together with Douyin (its China app), it had roughly one billion monthly active users, placing it in the top ranks of digital platforms globally. Some industry experts argued that it was the first consumer app operating at scale where artificial intelligence (or AI) was the product. But TikTok had drawn the attention of competitors, regulators, and politicians — especially in the U.S., where commercial success was critical to its long-term enterprise value. With less than two percent of its global revenue generated in the U.S., should the company continue to drive growth there or focus on monetizing that audience by introducing revenue generating activities like advertising? Would TikTok become the first “Super App” with a global footprint or, if it moved too fast, did it run the risk of becoming a supernova that shone brightly only for a passing moment? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport discusses these strategic challenges in his case, “TikTok in 2020: Super App or Supernova?” (https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/821087-PDF-ENG) This episode originally aired on Cold Call on November 30, 2021. You can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts: - HBR.org (transcript available here): https://hbr.org/podcast/2021/11/tiktok-super-app-or-supernova - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tiktok-super-app-or-supernova/id1156646189?i=1000543501852 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7sXMWrcZdvxpnWzMbvt5dC?si=5136c1dcbe3e4e53 - Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/cold-call/episode/tiktok-super-app-or-supernova-88658137 - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL2NvbGQtY2FsbA/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAxNi0wOS0xNjpjb2xkLWNhbGwuMDE2Mg?sa=X&ved=0CAIQuIEEahcKEwiIwJWVgZH_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA Series Description: Harvard Business School’s legendary case studies, distilled into podcast form. About Harvard Business Review: Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review aims to provide professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to help lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Learn more at www.hbr.org. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 2:09 – U.S. Audience Growth vs. Monetization 4:08 – Defining TikTok 6:27 – TikTok’s AI 8:59 – Origins of TikTok 10:50 – Widespread Adoption of TikTok 13:54 – Monetizing TikTok 16:31 – Brands and Ads on TikTok 23:10 – Is TikTok a Disruptor – and Will it Fizzle Out? Follow Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review/ Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #business #management #harvardbusinessschool Copyright © 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.

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