4 ms·
Super apps are a dud. China has them because the regulators want them, not because they're a good business.
by astrange 3y ago
Super apps are a dud. China has them because the regulators want them, not because they're a good business.
- novok 3y agoWhy do they show up in other asian markets, like Grab and such?
- astrange 3y agoA lot of people are used to WeChat, so it can feel natural to make another one. LINE is also basically WeChat. I don't think that's enough to make them competitive though. For instance, a scandal in one feature of the app (or Facebook being considered lame by kids) will hurt the rest of it.
- RhodesianHunter 3y agoExactly. Most people would rather use the best app for the niche thing they want to do rather than the shittier version from some mega-app they happen to have for some other reason.
- unclebucknasty 3y agoYes, but don't underestimate the power of convenience. That factor seems to inordinately raise the shittiness toleration threshold these days.
- PaulHoule 3y agoMy understanding is the reason they are dead in the US is even though the banks might let you build payments into it they will not let you negotiate any discount in fees so you will have to add your own fees on top of their own fees. It begs the question of why a bank or consortium of banks hasn’t developed a super app. When I gave this talk in late 2016 https://www.slideshare.net/paulahoule/chatbots-in-2017-ithaca-talk-dec-6 https://www.slideshare.net/paulahoule/chatbots-in-2017-ithac... there was huge interest in messaging-centric apps as this runs around the boondoggle of having even the tiniest patch to your app get reviewed.