TikTok has irreversibly bent the trajectory of our culture, and there's no guarantee we'll continue to benefit from it. (India banned the app long ago, and it is under increasing scrutiny in several other countries.) It has walked a political tightrope in the past, but with bad PR, the app can It can be devastating. Perhaps that's why TikTok's chief communications officer (who himself has worked in U.S. politics) created a show in which he recorded my conversation with Chu on his cell phone.
Of course, it's no surprise that they're overprotective. TikTok knows that Chu can't play the game quite the same way as many of his Silicon Valley peers (poking fun of the media, for example, is always a no-no for him). Instead, he opted for a gentler kind of evangelism, telling people that they really would be better off in a walled garden if they would just give the apps a chance. And if we all create more content, the garden will become even more beautiful.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Shu Gee Choo: Every time I visit a new city, I try to meet some creators. And follow them on TikTok. So we just started sending each other messages and just staying in touch, and it became a kind of friendship.
dexter thomas: that's cool.
It's really fun, yes. [Chew pulls out his phone.] Please follow me @shou.time. I will follow you.
got it.
This is you, right? [reading from my first post] Oh, and the caption says, “This is a terrible app.”
Well, back then it was all Musical.ly kids, so I didn't like it. My opinion has changed.
This post only has 2 comments. got it. You should post more.
I should But now we're here in Mesa, Arizona for the first ever TikTok live concert. Why Mesa?
Well, the weather is wonderful this time of year.
I think so, but why not Los Angeles? Why not New York? Is this a soft launch to see if it works?
When it's your first time, you always want to make sure your expectations are met, right? It's important that the event goes smoothly. The point was how we can make the most of technology offline and online.
I hear you're also a sponsor of the Met Gala.
Yeah.
why?
Why not? Did you see the press release about it? It's very cultural. Fashion is a very important part of TikTok. He has 12 million followers on the Louis Vuitton app.
I don't think the world knows much about you as a person. So let's leave TikTok alone. Who is Shou Zi Chu?
Oh, who am I? I grew up in Singapore. I was born there and my great grandfather moved there many years ago. I had a typical Singaporean childhood. I wanted to see the world because Singapore is a great place, but it's very small. So I went to England for university. I joined Goldman Sachs, where I worked for several years and met an Internet entrepreneur who started an investment firm to invest in Facebook. So I joined him and through that I met the guy who founded ByteDance. In his early versions, the idea was very simple, but very powerful. So I met him in 2012 and… [The door opens and a couple walks in. They are the owners of AZ Taco King.]
