logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
28m 5s

TikTok: Super App or Supernova?

HBR Presents / Brian Kenny
About this episode
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 had roughly one billion monthly active users, placing it in the top ranks of digital platforms globally. But the app had drawn the attention o ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
Are We Entering a New Age of Creativity with the Help of AI?
In March 2024, The Atlantic announced a strategic content and product partnership with artificial intelligence giant OpenAI. OpenAI would license The Atlantic’s content to train its models and respond to user queries, while The Atlantic would receive a fee, privileged access to O ... Show More
29m 48s
Jun 23
How School of Rock Created Structure in Order to Scale with Agility and Creativity
In the summer of 2021, School of Rock was a youth-oriented music education company with 291 franchise- and company-owned schools globally. Before Rob Price became CEO in 2017, School of Rock’s nonconformist culture led to variability in teaching styles, educational outcomes, and ... Show More
37m 15s
Jun 9
The Founder Mindset: Tim Ferriss on Experiments, Risk, and Freedom
What does it take to be a founder? In this episode of The Founder Mindset, produced by Harvard Business School Foundry and hosted by Senior Lecturer Reza Satchu, Satchu sits down with writer, podcaster, and investor Tim Ferriss to discuss his blueprint for nimble decision-making ... Show More
32m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
TikTok vs the U.S.A. | Trending Upwards | 1
In 2018, Chinese tech company ByteDance launched TikTok in the United States, determined to make the app one of the top entertainment platforms in the country. And by spring 2020, ByteDance achieved its goal, thanks, in part, to a global pandemic that sees people spending more ti ... Show More
32m 1s
Dec 2019
TikTok
We take Acquired to the Old Town Road to cover the amazing story behind the biggest global sensation of 2019 — and the highest valued private startup in the world — TikTok. How did a mid-30 year old UX architect at enterprise software giant SAP wind up creating Gen Z’s favorite s ... Show More
1h 34m
Apr 2023
Harnessing the TikTok Boom
Rory Sutherland is joined by Khartoon Weiss, Global Head of Agency & Accounts at TikTok.Since launching in 2016, TikTok has seen a meteoric rise to success, currently boasting 1.2 billion monthly users across the globe. Rory and Khartoon discuss the unique elements of the platfor ... Show More
44m 43s
Jul 2021
The unstoppable rise of TikTok
TikTok had a fantastic pandemic, stacking up over 800 million users. Hollywood studios are casting TikTok stars. Record labels are snapping up TikTok singers. Facebook and YouTube have both launched rival services. But the Chinese app is facing the same issues with disinformation ... Show More
28m 22s
Dec 2020
TikTok vs Instagram | Lights Out | 5
It's July 2020. TikTok usage has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it faces an unexpected threat — powerful politicians with their own agenda. Now, TikTok must find a solution or risk being shut down in the U.S. Instagram, meanwhile, strikes back with a new feature. I ... Show More
25m 12s
Oct 2019
Facebook vs Snapchat - TikTok, The New Social Media Sensation | 7
The social media world moves fast, and the next big thing is already upon us. It’s called TikTok. A video-based app where users create short clips to share with the world, TikTok is growing at a rapid rate. The app has already been downloaded a billion times and boasts 500 millio ... Show More
28m 59s
Jan 2024
TikTok Made Me Buy It: Inside TikTok Shop
Last year, TikTok Shop officially launched in the US. It’s the latest commercial venture from ByteDance Ltd., the parent company that owns the social media app. By creating its own marketplace — where users can find and buy products without leaving the app — TikTok hopes to compe ... Show More
12m 15s
Dec 2020
TikTok vs Instagram | Hitmaker | 4
It’s November 2018. Mark Zuckerberg takes a hit as his copycat TikTok product fails miserably. Then, Instagram faces another disaster when a security breach draws ire from users. But Zuckerberg decides to launch a direct attack on his Chinese competitor. TikTok emerges as a major ... Show More
28m 58s
Jul 2023
TikTok is coming for books, music and e-commerce
TikTok is one of the biggest, most influential social media networks in the world — and its parent company ByteDance is making moves to capitalize on its enormous cultural influence. The company has announced plans to launch a music streaming service, a book publishing division a ... Show More
30m 32s