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07-03-2022, 09:28 PM
1. I would think interpreting Grab's strategy to be a 'superapp' -- or an app that is able to do just about everything -- is probably not accurate. At least at present, there are no signs that it aims to be a social media network, or an entertainment provider.
2. Tencent, and its Wechat, grew to be the largest social media and entertainment provider in China because it has always pursued a strategy to cross-sell as many related products as possible to its users, with the aim of keeping them within Tencent's walled garden. In the early days of QQ, it was not just an ICQ messaging system, but it also had email, allowed users to play games with each other, and also watch videos.
In US, Yahoo and America Online were also trying to build their walled garden, but as we now know they failed. So an interesting question is why Tencent succeeded doing so in China, but not their counterparts in US. Note that Tencent in its early days wasn't as innovative as it is known to be now; QQ was a complete knock off of ICQ, and so were most of China's early internet products.
So now there are a few players in SE Asia trying to also build their own walled garden. The difference being that Tencent managed to turn profitable in its early days while these players in SE Asia are still bleeding. And they do so because the prize to be the Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan, Ant -- or some smaller form of it -- in SE Asia is huge. Though I'm not sure if any of the existing players are a safe bet.
2. Tencent, and its Wechat, grew to be the largest social media and entertainment provider in China because it has always pursued a strategy to cross-sell as many related products as possible to its users, with the aim of keeping them within Tencent's walled garden. In the early days of QQ, it was not just an ICQ messaging system, but it also had email, allowed users to play games with each other, and also watch videos.
In US, Yahoo and America Online were also trying to build their walled garden, but as we now know they failed. So an interesting question is why Tencent succeeded doing so in China, but not their counterparts in US. Note that Tencent in its early days wasn't as innovative as it is known to be now; QQ was a complete knock off of ICQ, and so were most of China's early internet products.
So now there are a few players in SE Asia trying to also build their own walled garden. The difference being that Tencent managed to turn profitable in its early days while these players in SE Asia are still bleeding. And they do so because the prize to be the Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan, Ant -- or some smaller form of it -- in SE Asia is huge. Though I'm not sure if any of the existing players are a safe bet.