Zara Zhang China, Tech

China’s Watching Silicon Valley. Does Silicon Valley Watch China?

Every day, I meet entrepreneurs across the US and China. I often ask them about their competitors overseas. When I’m in China, I notice that Chinese founders usually have comprehensive knowledge about their US competitors, listing off minute product features and the latest numbers on their size and traction. On the other hand, when I … Continue reading China’s Watching Silicon Valley. Does Silicon Valley Watch China?

Zara Zhang China, Tech

“Father of WeChat” Lays Out 2018 Product Roadmap

By Zara Zhang and Hans Tung What is the most watched speech in the Chinese tech community? It is WeChat's founder Allen Zhang's keynote address at the WeChat Open Class PRO (WeChat's equivalent of Apple's WWDC or Google I/O) held in Guangzhou each January. Zhang is the mastermind behind WeChat, the super app with 980 million … Continue reading “Father of WeChat” Lays Out 2018 Product Roadmap

Zara Zhang China, Harvard, Tech

Lessons Learned from Organizing Harvard China Forum

At Harvard, I co-led the organization of Harvard China Forum, the largest student-run China conference in North America that attracts 1,200 attendees and features over 100 speakers each year. The speaker list is a who's who of prominent figures in the US-China cross-border world. It was not easy to run a large event as students … Continue reading Lessons Learned from Organizing Harvard China Forum

Zara Zhang China, Tech

Has Tech Made China Less Friendly to Foreigners?

For every app that I use, there is a China equivalent that I put into a category on my phone called “China.”   This screenshot reminds me of how self-contained China’s tech ecosystem has become. Chinese people use Chinese apps. Non-Chinese people use non-Chinese apps. Those who travel back and forth, like me, usually have … Continue reading Has Tech Made China Less Friendly to Foreigners?