Tech looks to Asia for video-first future

Video is increasingly central to our lives, and its global future is likely to follow Asia’s video giants in being live, social, and shoppable, an Andreesen Horowitz article argues.

Why it matters

“In the future – and, increasingly, the present – video is no longer going to be something that we passively watch; it’s going to be something that we do,” says Connie Chan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

Look at TikTok: “Real-time interactivity is baked into the viewing experience, rather than being relegated to the comments.”

Where it’s going

• Education: Some platforms such as the Chinese language teaching platform Wukong has pupils taking instant quizzes, which provide instant feedback to teachers: both sides are aided.
• Skills: Like education, new platforms are making the cost of difficult skill developments – like playing the piano – much cheaper, as in the case of Peilian.
• Livestream commerce: Still nascent outside Asia, but provides the possibility of real-time responses to product questions.

Sourced from Andreessen Horowitz