New blog post! @conniechan and I explore how major Chinese consumer apps use AR, games, memes, and cash giveaways to celebrate Chinese New Year—and key takeaways for US companies. Thread 👇 a16z.com/2020/01/24/tec… Whether it’s Chinese New Year themed skins, events, promos, or even limited-time games/features, it really does feels like every company is celebrating with its users. It makes sense: the 7-day holiday week is a perfect chance to launch new features and try to go viral.

New blog post! @conniechan and I share 4 ways [beyond sponsored posts] in which influencers, from stock analysts to parenting experts and even fitness gurus, are making money in China. Thread 👇
a16z.com/2019/12/19/mak… When influencers can monetize on-platform, the platforms benefit economically and retention-wise. It may not be a huge impact on revenue, but it’s strategic in keeping influencers on-ship. It’s also fun for fans to get increased access to someone they admire/want to learn from.

New blog post! Inspired by my recent trip to China, I dive into 16 examples of how QR codes bridge the online/offline divide and enable a whole new set of mobile experiences. Thread 👇a16z.com/2019/10/30/the… Here in the US we’ve been slow to adopt QR codes outside of messaging apps. But they’re full of potential; camera-based solutions like QR codes can give instant fixes to clunky user experiences, while also enabling us to log in to physical locations.

1/ I’ve seen some talk of how Libra is Facebook’s ultimate “WeChat move”, so let’s dive into some similarities and differences between the two projects. 2/ (But first...) please note that none of the following should be taken as investment advice. See a16z.com/disclosures for more info.