By Nanistya Probosutedjo, Manager at Zero One Consulting
We’re (slightly) changing our format! The newsletter was built to keep our team updated AND inspired. Hence, our content will be more so open-ended discussion materials usable for your next “water cooler chat” ⭐️
Shopping Alone, Together
There have been many talking about the very social online shopping experience of Pinduoduo. Unlike typical e-commerce sites, Pinduoduo maximises on human network effects rather than a product-based approach. What this means is that e-commerce sites tend to push for increased basket sizes by forwarding purchase recommendations. Pinduoduo on the other hand encourages customers to share products to people within their circle by introducing discounts. For each successful invite, customers get a percentage off their purchase. Who wouldn’t want that?
This probably works for a couple of reasons:
- Recommendations forwarded by a trusted contact,
- The ability to share invites via non-Pinduoduo channels, and;
- Of course, the discounts.
On top of the above pull-factors is the fact that the platform gamifies user experiences. Interactions with the platform grant users redeemable shopping points. In other words, this platform gives, gives, and gives.
You can read more about this e-commerce behemoth through Y Combinator’s coverage. What can we take away from this story? There is a gold mine of product-people network effects, and to both engage and encourage engagement.
Serving Developers
It’s not every day that you hear about the investment of developer tools. A recent case follows Redpoint and Sequoia’s investment in r2c, built on the Facebook-born Semgrep. Such tools that have successfully raised funds in the past include the notorious GitHub and Parse. The latter however shut down in 2017.
Why do we find an interest in this event? Apart from the rarity is the investor. Sequoia is one of the most renowned venture capitals out there, with portfolios including Airbnb, Zoom, and even YouTube! Moreover, the VC had also invested USD 4.2mn in Linear late last year.
With the visionnaire status, the investment in developer tool startups signifies a belief in the growth of programming capabilities, and the need to improve code quality. We’re excited to see and explore new solutions to help developers that will come about.
Indonesia’s Very Own Sovereign Wealth Fund
Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, Temasek, had invested in Alibaba and Tencent. With such a high bar, you wonder what Indonesia’s very own USD 5bn sovereign wealth fund portfolio page will look like in a couple of years. We are yet to receive more information about this fund, deemed Lembaga Pengelola Investasi (LPI) or the Indonesian Investment Authority.
Due to the limited information, speculations have arisen regarding its potential successes and failures. What we do know from past reports is that part of the fund will be allocated to support local startups. We would like to hear your thoughts on the matter. Do you think startups will be able to work with our sovereign wealth fund to solve some of the country’s most pressing issues?
That’s all for today! Let us know what you think about the above topics, and don’t forget to engage, and encourage engagement 🙌
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